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Redpeople 11-06-2015 08:18 PM

New 240D Owner
 
1 Attachment(s)
A few weeks ago I joined the forum and asked a few questions about the brake booster on a 240D I was looking at. Today I went ahead and pulled the trigger. Figured I couldn't go wrong for $1500. Looking forward to sorting out the few minor issues.

Junkman 11-06-2015 09:08 PM

What are those in the garage?

Perhaps you didn't go wrong but may end up putting several dollars into it before it's where you'll like driving it.

vstech 11-06-2015 09:54 PM

Looks fairly good, but you know it's been wrecked right?

I miss my pastel blue wagon...

charmalu 11-06-2015 11:07 PM

Congrats on your new 240, Nice looking car.
Every once in a while you do have to dump some money into these cars.
Do it right and you can drive a long time between deposits. :rolleyes:

Our 80 240 I got for free from the original owner. been a great 240, did probably drop in a couple thousand dollars in the past 5 1/2 years.
The spedo showed 305960 when we got it and now up to 3832xx, and
the engine has been flawless so far.

These 240 will run for ever if taken care of.


Charlie


sent from my pos computer

cooljjay 11-06-2015 11:16 PM

You'll be upside down, either in money or time....before you know it...

Need more pics, but I have a sneaking suspension...That most of the seats will be bulimic...

t walgamuth 11-07-2015 06:59 AM

Looks like a nice car to me. Why do you think its been wrecked John?

Redpeople 11-07-2015 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkman (Post 3537674)
What are those in the garage?

Perhaps you didn't go wrong but may end up putting several dollars into it before it's where you'll like driving it.

Well, I already like driving it. The other cars in the garage are a '63 MG Midget and a '25 Dodge Brothers Touring. My teenage boys drive the Midget in warmer weather. Picked this up for them to drive as it gets colder.

Redpeople 11-07-2015 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooljjay (Post 3537707)
Need more pics, but I have a sneaking suspension...That most of the seats will be bulimic...

I have no idea what this means. That it will be vomiting horsehair?

FWIW, upholstery is tear free. Drivers seat needs the pool noodle treatment I have seen described on this site to firm it up.

I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm getting into. I owned a 250C for several years and did my own work on that. I'm just glad it runs and isn't a rust bucket. Thanks for the welcome, those who are welcoming.

charmalu 11-07-2015 08:32 AM

If the springs are broken in the seat, the seat spring box in a W126 will fit in the w123.
Just remove the electric seat track and swap over your manual ones.
It is an up grade over the 123 seat.

If your 240 is an automatic, that is perfect for a teen age driver.

Charlie


sent from my pos computer

Mölyapina 11-07-2015 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redpeople (Post 3537747)
Well, I already like driving it. The other cars in the garage are a '63 MG Midget and a '25 Dodge Brothers Touring. My teenage boys drive the Midget in warmer weather. Picked this up for them to drive as it gets colder.

Where do I apply to be one of your kids?

mespe 11-07-2015 09:27 AM

The pool noodle trick gets old,,, I have a seat spring here -> https://www.benzbonz.biz/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36&products_id=1891

Redpeople 11-07-2015 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charmalu (Post 3537753)
If the springs are broken in the seat, the seat spring box in a W126 will fit in the w123.
Just remove the electric seat track and swap over your manual ones.
It is an up grade over the 123 seat.

If your 240 is an automatic, that is perfect for a teen age driver.

Charlie


sent from my pos computer

Thanks for that advice Charlie. I'll bear that in mind when I get to the seat project. Not sure yet if they're broken or just weak. First priorities are restoring vacuum assist to the brakes and lighting to the instrument cluster.

Jooseppi, not taking applications to add new kids, but there are days when I'd be willing to make a trade. :). They're good kids, though, and they seem to enjoy driving and working on cheap, somewhat Spartan classics vs. the newer boring cars their classmates drive.

Dan Stokes 11-07-2015 09:57 AM

Hope the kids are not in a hurry to go places! But a pretty safe alternative.

Dan

t walgamuth 11-07-2015 10:26 AM

When my five kids were driving my cars I kept a few 240D's around at all times....last one drove my 300D's. Good cheap to maintain, safe handling and good in a crash cars. Love them!

trout007 11-07-2015 10:36 AM

I bought one of these knowing it will never be as cheap as an old Honda. But the whole point is to get the kids learning to work on cars. If you think of it as an investment in their education it's cheaper than a couple of courses at the local college.

gatorblue92 11-07-2015 11:33 AM

Looks like a nice one.

cooljjay 11-07-2015 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redpeople (Post 3537751)
I have no idea what this means. That it will be vomiting horsehair?

FWIW, upholstery is tear free. Drivers seat needs the pool noodle treatment I have seen described on this site to firm it up.

I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm getting into. I owned a 250C for several years and did my own work on that. I'm just glad it runs and isn't a rust bucket. Thanks for the welcome, those who are welcoming.

It means, that the seats will have no stuffing left in them....Just vinyl draped over springs...

The untreated horsehair, holds moisture and turns to dust.....This in turn rots out, all the cotton string holding the seat skins together and will also cause all the seat springs to rust....

This will cause you to have to either spend a few thousand on upholstery or running all over the pick n pulls....looking for foam or treated horse hair pads....New seat skins and springs....

The describing of the drivers seat.....Tells me this is already happened...

Again, I also agree....the pool noodle idea's are getting old....

Remove the battery and battery box....then let me know if it is still isn't a rust bucket.....Also the heavy rubber under coating....Is also very well known for hiding rot/rust...

It is also amazing, when folks start to tell the facts about these cars, they become the bad guys....Not the warm welcoming type...I am sorry I don't care what ones finical situation is...I don't bend over for anyone....They are known facts and why should one person's car be treated different then the others....

Mölyapina 11-07-2015 02:56 PM

cooljjay,

I really don't understand what your problem is. Whenever a new member comes along, you just crap all over his car and give him the absolute worst-case scenario. You're not giving him the facts on the car, you're giving him an exaggerated worst-case scenario. That's why it's not welcoming.

Just please stop crapping all over people's cars when you know almost nothing about them. $2,000 MB-Tex front seat upholstery? Ridiculous price and a somewhat ridiculous assumption that it needs to be replaced.

Rust under the battery box does not make a car a rust bucket. That's probably some of the easiest to repair rust on these cars.

t walgamuth 11-07-2015 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jooseppi Luna (Post 3537844)
cooljjay,

I really don't understand what your problem is. Whenever a new member comes along, you just crap all over his car and give him the absolute worst-case scenario. You're not giving him the facts on the car, you're giving him an exaggerated worst-case scenario. That's why it's not welcoming.

Just please stop crapping all over people's cars when you know almost nothing about them. $2,000 MB-Tex front seat upholstery? Ridiculous price and a somewhat ridiculous assumption that it needs to be replaced.

Rust under the battery box does not make a car a rust bucket. That's probably some of the easiest to repair rust on these cars.

x2.

cooljjay 11-07-2015 04:47 PM

Oh I LOVE how folks read between the lines.....Thinking that since I posted it here, that I am automatically crapping all over his car....

Stating things that are known to go bad on these cars, isn't crapping all over this guys car or anyone else's.....

Now if I came right out and did like another member did....And sad the car has been wrecked...That is crapping all over his car....

Explaining what I meant by Bulimic seats....Was not telling him all his seats are crap and need to be re-stuffed/upholstered....It was EXPLAINING!

I think I said in the other post, that I need more photos....But going by the other hundreds of first gen w123's....I wanted to state what I have seen on them...

I can't tell you if this was the steal of a century, great car, amazing find, you'll never find another one, omg your so lucky, oh wow we all wish we owned this one....etc etc....As it would be lying as I can't state crap with one photo....but I can state what I have seen on others....

And yes the upholstery will set you back a few thousand, as the first gen w123 only used this style of upholstery up until 1979.....yes a few models built in 79 but sold in 1980 may also have it...And yes I know the front seat skins in leather can be had for 300$ but in Palomino....

Redpeople 11-07-2015 06:49 PM

1 Attachment(s)
It appears I was misunderstood in my original post. My only intent was to introduce myself and say hello. However, I made a judgment error by making the offhanded comment, "figured I couldn't go wrong for $1500," or whatever it was I said. That was mistaken for "boy, I really wonder if I paid $500 too much." I also wasn't trying to crow about getting the deal of the century, thereby inviting rebuttal.

I'll just start over: Hi, my name is Scott. I like old cars.

And here is one of the "needed" interior photos. Can't figure out how to attach more than one.

Redpeople 11-07-2015 06:51 PM

1 Attachment(s)
One more photo.

Mölyapina 11-07-2015 07:22 PM

Hi Scott,

What a coincidence, I like old cars, too! This one looks pretty clean. What part of this continent are you located on? I guess in the Northern half, as you mention this "snow" thing... :D

wstetson3 11-07-2015 07:30 PM

Hey, Scott. You will find a lot of very nice and helpful people on here so don't let this deter you from posting. Once in a while people can seem rude even if they don't mean to come across that way, perhaps some really are rude sometimes, but most of the guys on here will give you a wealth of information and the majority have been quite nice to me. I am working on my first W123 now. The people here have been great. If you got a 240 that isn't rusted out and it runs well, you did ok in my book. I looked for a 240 before I got my 300. Either they were rusted out or they wanted too much money for my budget. Hell, a used lawn tractor will cost you $500 if it runs. I don't think you got hurt for $1500. If you're happy, you got a good deal.

Redpeople 11-07-2015 08:18 PM

I'm in northern Illinois. Still trying to figure out how to edit my profile to add that info.

Mölyapina 11-07-2015 08:38 PM

2 Attachment(s)
Click on User CP on the left of the page, right under the top ad. Then, you will be brought to your Control Panel, where you will have a bunch of tabs on the left to click on. Choose the topmost one, "Edit your details", and then scroll down to the "Additional Information" block, where one of the options is to give your location.

In "Edit my details" and under other tabs in the user CP, you will find pretty much everything you need to set up your profile. You can change your user title (the little blurb of text below your username) and add a few details about yourself in "Edit your details". In other tabs, you can add an avatar, edit your your signature, etc.

Pictures added on bottom to help you find where to do add your location.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1446947249

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1446947249

MagicBus 11-07-2015 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redpeople (Post 3537658)
A few weeks ago I joined the forum and asked a few questions about the brake booster on a 240D I was looking at. Today I went ahead and pulled the trigger. Figured I couldn't go wrong for $1500. Looking forward to sorting out the few minor issues.

Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the forums. Your car looks really nice. I haven't seen that color in person before. Most of the light blue ones I see are China Blue. Very nice. Good luck with it.


Quote:

Originally Posted by cooljjay (Post 3537707)
You'll be upside down, either in money or time....before you know it...

Looking at the pictures, the car in question is, at minimum, 36 years old. based on that alone, you may be right, but I get the feeling sure Redpeople is well aware of that. Very few people are getting in to these cars anymore thinking they'll be cheap. Most folks I see buying them now have a pretty good idea as to what they're in for. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he understands that $1500 is his starting point. For a car that looks that nice, $1500 might not be a bad starting point.




As for the seats, it can be expensive to put them back to the way they were when they left the factory. But, it's not hard to fix them much more cheaply if you make a few compromises.

I rebuilt the seats in my 240D a couple of years ago. My car's a 1983, but my seats came out of my 1979 parts car. The upholstery was nice on mine (aside from two large tears on the driver's seat that I patched up, and a few broken springs in the driver's seat) but the padding was done. It was all there, but my parts car sat for years and the padding all turned to crumbly stone. I stripped all the seats down, repaired the driver's seat springs (sectioned in spring pieces from an upholstery supply shop and added some extra support springs), added a layer of canvas to the spring boxes, and then cut new seat pads out of an old 4" memory foam mattress topper.

I've only had the car on the road for a few weeks at this point. The seats are supportive and comfortable thus far. I expect a lot of miles out of this fix. The memory foam and additional springs did change the character of the seats a little, but considering I probably spent well under $100 to re-pad them, I'm quite happy with the results.

charmalu 11-07-2015 09:30 PM

Hi, my name is Charlie, and I too like old cars. :)

Right now am trying to negotiate with an idiot on CL for another 240D for the
past 2 days. Does he want to sell it or not? :confused:


Yeah, old cars rule. We are all on this Forum because we own old cars.
We come here for answers, we come here for support, we come here to
ask for approval, we come her for advice, we come here to fix our screw ups,
we come here to ask for forgiveness when we did something stupid

we were told not to do. :rolleyes:

We come here to help others and pass on what we learned.
We build confidence in the new guy, come on, you can do it, come on. I did
it, you can too.

Scott, you have a nice looking car, interior too. Stick around, we`ll give you a hand.

That w126 front seat I mentioned. I use the pass seat for the drivers side, the
out side edge becomes the inside for the driver, and then you have firm springs
on the out side.
The second Gen 126 up to 91 have an improved seat with an additional spring
for support, and the rubber pieces in the corner Coil Springs.
Not sure on the 1st gen 81 - 85 if they were improved. I put an 91 in our 80 240D.


Charlie


sent from my pos computer

cooljjay 11-07-2015 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redpeople (Post 3537925)

And here is one of the "needed" interior photos. Can't figure out how to attach more than one.

Well I be damnn...The idiot was right, the seat back in the back, has lost its padding, the two front seat backs and drivers bottom have lost their padding...

Push the two red tabs in, on the bottom of the back seat....lift the bottom up and you will be greeted with whats left of the horse hair......May get lucky and find some change to put back into the car too :P

This is not to you, as I was "trying" to explain this....Its to the folks who insist I crap all over other peoples cars....

The good thing is, the padding is interchangeable from the second gens....Hopefully you have a few local yards to go and grab some from...super cheap and your back will thank you....

toomany MBZ 11-08-2015 04:46 AM

Welcome aboard Scott.

I was able to swap out the drivers seat in the SD with a cloth unit, no less.

vstech 11-08-2015 06:53 AM

Welcome aboard... Sorry to have crapped on your purchase... I was in a hurry at work, and just had to comment that the paint and hood/fender alignment was off... Looks like the car has seen some form of damage...


See... One of the things we do on here is critique a car for sale, and I have an eye that zooms in on problems... Sorry.

Welcome welcome welcome!

The great thing about us is... We help ya FIX all the issues!

Dan Stokes 11-08-2015 08:41 AM

Howdy Scott!

Important to add your location as sometimes folks (including me) reference that for potential vendors or shops in your area. This can be helpful if you need to know where to get something or who to go to for stuff you aren't going to do yourself. Also useful when we're traveling and wondering about stopping by to say HI.

I'm sort of the resident non-Mercedes guy on here. I have a 617 in an S-10 pickup that I race. My input is often aimed at making stuff functional rather than returning it to stock. I'm NOT concerned with "stock"! I picked the Mercedes engine because it was cheap and met the class requirements for the class I wanted to race and not out of any love for the Germans. That said, the engines ARE tough and will outlast the car by decades.

Have fun with it!

Dan

vwnate1 11-08-2015 10:17 AM

Hi Scott !
 
WELCOME ABOARD ! .

Don't worry about Jason , he's very helpful in fact and like me , has experience in older , past prime cars .

Everyone here is amazingly helpful and collectively knows everything about your lovely new 240D , I really like the color .

$1,500 for a decent runner is pretty good these days , take the time to tune it sharply and tinker the little niggly things as you drive it ~ they're not speed bombs but perfectly fine unless you simply cannot drive the open highway at or below 65 MPH ~ that's what beats the 240's to death .

The cool thing is : like your Spridget , it's well engineered and dead easy to fix using mostly basic tools .

Winter is nearly here so hurry up quick and buy (? make ?) the special valve adjustment wrenches and do the routine valve adjustment and check all four glow plugs , do a " diesel purge " and change the filters , buy a BIG bottle of " Power Service Diesel Kleen " in the white bottle : white for Winter , silver for Summer , use about 4 oz. of it oer fillup and always enjoy easier cold weather starting .

Tight valves and even one bad glow plug will make cold starting difficult to say the least .

Yes , you're going to put in more $ than you paid but you'll be driving it the entire time and hopefully loving it , I love my three W-123 chassis Mercedes diesels , oddly the slow pokey 240D best of the bunch .

Parts here too , new or used , just ASK first so you don't buy some crappy thing @ pep Boys .

CTD 11-09-2015 06:19 AM

Nice looking 240 there. Is it a manual?

Redpeople 11-09-2015 11:02 AM

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone. Thought my first project was going to be replacing the brake booster, but it turns out it will be either alternator or battery replacement. (just developed last night and haven't had a chance determine whether the alternator is charging sufficiently)

Good news is, my boys are already fighting over who gets to drive and who has to ride shotgun. :-)

Almost forgot, it is an automatic. The boys and I would have preferred manual.

Redpeople 11-09-2015 11:03 AM

BTW, where is the best place to buy the valve adjustment wrenches? That was on my list to do.

toomany MBZ 11-09-2015 12:25 PM

There is a place in Washington state, Mercedes source, that's where I bought mine. Not an endorsement.

They work fine, tho.

cooljjay 11-09-2015 03:10 PM

Mercedes Source...Isn't recommended by many....Over priced junk, as well as selling crappy uro brand parts as genuine mercedes prices...

Home made wrenches..
Mercedes Diesel Valve Adjustment Wrenches | eBay

Hazet wrench
Mercedes-Benz HAZET 2769 Diesel 615,616,617 Valve Adjust Wrench Set 615589000100

Redpeople 11-09-2015 03:26 PM

Thx, gentlemen.

charmalu 11-09-2015 03:30 PM

For the most part, the Hazet or Hyuco valve wrenches are NLA. You can find them
on E-bay, but the price is usually up there.

Do a search and you can find where a lot of the guys made their own, some
look rather crude.

I have a set I picked off E-bay several years ago along with 5 tools total for $58.
lucked out on that deal for sure. Don`t use them a lot, but I have them when needed.

There is the third wrench that come in handy every once in a while.

Here is a set of new one`s.
https://www.ecstuning.com/Mercedes_Benz-1982-240D-123.123-Base-Sedan-L4_2.4L/Engine/Tools/ES1817815/?salesrep=KSarich&utm_source=benzworld&utm_medium=forum&utmcontent=KSarich&utm_campaign=postreply

I did a Google search, check this out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mercedes+diesel+valve+adjusting+wrench&biw=914&bih=610&tbm=isch&imgil=GJZh994n_oJYxM%253A%2 53BGqLGRUpqy7lcNM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.thegaragegazette.com%25252Findex.php%25253Ftopic% 2525253D21376.0&source=iu&pf=m&fir=GJZh994n_oJYxM%253A%252CGqLGRUpqy7lcNM%252C_&dpr=1.4&usg=__151kCq P6Q5MDz9DCbADmpznjH_0%3D&ved=0CGEQyjdqFQoTCOqVmaWUhMkCFYGWiAodHZsNdw&ei=G_9AVqqcMoGtogSdtra4Bw#imgrc =wB4jNMVDOkQdLM%3A&usg=__151kCqP6Q5MDz9DCbADmpznjH_0%3D


Charlie


sent from my pos computer

Ceristimo 11-09-2015 03:39 PM

Mercedes source seems to generally be hated on around here, but I personally had good experience finding some weird odds and ends for my car, like the weirdly shaped oil cooler support brackets.

Anyhow, welcome to the forum! This is an amazing source for great advise and friendly people! The folks here certainly have helped me out. I don't know nuthin', but with the help of these guys I replaced flex discs, motor mounts, tranny mount, got my transmission fixed and oil cooler lines changed. They're awesome.

Also, 1500 bucks for a driving W123? Not bad! Mine was exactly the same price, and for 1500 bucks I got a W123 that I think might have been in a wreck at some point as the hood doesn't sit 100% evenly (has a bigger gap on one side than the other), and the previous owner spray painted parts of the car. The spray painting I'm kinda OK with, the fact he messed it up and also spray painted some of the chrome white, not so much...

Of course, I did not notice this when I bought it in the middle of winter and it was kind of a gloomy day.
Mine also has more rust than I initially thought, the seats are terrible, the wood trim in the interior is falling off, the climate control has a mind of it's own and basically can only do either full heat or none at all and the steering box has a lot of play (though I've been able to adjust most of it out). Also the tach is dead, but the cruise control does actually work perfectly, but the enjoyment of a working cruise is offset by a loose dashboard that rattles.
The radio stinks, the right front speaker is blown and I can't get the ashtray closed in the rear right passenger door for some reason.
There are also 266.000 miles on the odometer, but I have noticed the odometer doesn't always count every passing mile, so the mileage is probably much higher, the sun roof leaks quite badly, and I have a plastic sheet in my garage where I park her, so I don't get engine oil pissed all over the floor.

But...Ya know, for 1500 dollars she always starts at first try, drives OK, brakes OK too and I have fun driving around in it. If a car doesn't make you smile when you're cruising around, you're driving the wrong vehicle.

And even an old tired W123 gets people to notice you, since you just don't ever really see them anymore.

Basically what I'm saying is: I don't think you did so bad.:) Also, that color is really nice, I like it.

Welcome!

leathermang 11-09-2015 03:44 PM

Once you have tried doing the valve adjustment several important design consideration become obvious with regard to the valve setting wrenches.

First is that the good ones allow you to use one hand pushing two different directions to tighten the lower nut to lock the cap nut. That may have to be done many times to wind up with the lash setting correct. For this it is important that the upper and lower wrenches slide over each other... preferably in contact with each other... so you seem to be holding to just one tool and they stay in place.

Second is that third ( hand ) wrench.... that has a little ' foot' on it which swings down to hold it in place... unless you have three or more hands yourself... that will be very helpful. Your other hand will be using the feeler gauge and the other tightening those two wrenches....

It is pretty much impossible to home make that third lower wrench.... it has to be thin and strong.... it is really helpful when the lock and cap nuts are STUCK....

Now is when all sorts of people will start posting that they have used adjustable wrenches for holding the valve still..... good for them..... but that back cylinder on a five cylinder is hard to get to....

So I recommend you get the legit tools if you can find and afford them....
Don't do what I did the first time... be in the middle of setting the valves....and find ONE nut I could not get loose... and have to put it all back together and drive to the MB house...the next day since I was working on Sunday....

vwnate1 11-10-2015 06:06 PM

BETTER Valve Adjust Wrenches
 
BUY THESE ! they're vastly easier to use as one is *slightly* longer than the other so they nest as you're doing the job , this really eases things greatly .

I have both types and use my home made (cheaper elsewhere) ones all the time now , the $pendy factory ones remain in the garage .

-Nate
[QUOTE=cooljjay;3538594]Mercedes Source...Isn't recommended by many....Over priced junk, as well as selling crappy uro brand parts as genuine mercedes prices...

Home made wrenches..
Mercedes Diesel Valve Adjustment Wrenches | eBay

wstetson3 11-10-2015 07:26 PM

I got the ones vwnate1 recommended and they worked perfectly. I guess the guy has done well, he seems to have a lot made and available. I would buy from that guy again. Nice handles and they were well made. Obviously made by a guy in a garage but they were made well with round handles.

JB3 11-10-2015 09:20 PM

Looks like a good one! Love the color.
240s are great reliable easy to work on cars, welcome to the community!



I had a pair of seats completely reupholstered by a shop for about 550 once, foam to replace horsehair and new covering. Never mind your seats look fine and if they are saggy you can toss a pillow down for zero dollars.

JB3 11-10-2015 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicBus (Post 3537995)
Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the forums. Your car looks really nice. I haven't seen that color in person before. Most of the light blue ones I see are China Blue. Very nice. Good luck with it.



Looking at the pictures, the car in question is, at minimum, 36 years old. based on that alone, you may be right, but I get the feeling sure Redpeople is well aware of that. Very few people are getting in to these cars anymore thinking they'll be cheap. Most folks I see buying them now have a pretty good idea as to what they're in for. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he understands that $1500 is his starting point. For a car that looks that nice, $1500 might not be a bad starting point.




As for the seats, it can be expensive to put them back to the way they were when they left the factory. But, it's not hard to fix them much more cheaply if you make a few compromises.

I rebuilt the seats in my 240D a couple of years ago. My car's a 1983, but my seats came out of my 1979 parts car. The upholstery was nice on mine (aside from two large tears on the driver's seat that I patched up, and a few broken springs in the driver's seat) but the padding was done. It was all there, but my parts car sat for years and the padding all turned to crumbly stone. I stripped all the seats down, repaired the driver's seat springs (sectioned in spring pieces from an upholstery supply shop and added some extra support springs), added a layer of canvas to the spring boxes, and then cut new seat pads out of an old 4" memory foam mattress topper.

I've only had the car on the road for a few weeks at this point. The seats are supportive and comfortable thus far. I expect a lot of miles out of this fix. The memory foam and additional springs did change the character of the seats a little, but considering I probably spent well under $100 to re-pad them, I'm quite happy with the results.

I can confirm magicbus's seats are superior to the original issue benz seat. In fact ive been planning to steal his memory foam seat pad idea for my work van.

vwnate1 11-10-2015 10:51 PM

Valve Adjust Wrenches
 
Actually , mine were made by a buddy in Colorado who's in my old Mercedes Diesel Club , co$t Members $35 the set and don't have the rubber handles , they have vastly better tubular handles .

The main thing here is to begin driving and enjoying the car , tinker it back to full health as you go along .

German cars are all designed to me touched , massages , whatever on a fairly regular basis ~ those who do it love their old Mercedes , have little troubles and extremely low operating co$t$ .

Those who are lazy , always have problems and are the ones who experience " the most expensive car you'll ever own , is a 'cheap' Mercedes " .

Drive and enjoy ! your Boys will be very safe in this car .

Redpeople 11-10-2015 11:15 PM

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. Tomorrow is a day off for Veterans Day and will be alternator replacement day for me.

Mölyapina 11-10-2015 11:33 PM

Ooh, hope the adjuster isn't rusted... that thing can be a pain. Good luck, brother!

vwnate1 11-11-2015 12:23 AM

Routine Alternator Service
 
Actually , the alternator proper rarely gives up ~ what happens is : the brushes wear out so it stops charging .

A $35 regulator / brush holder does the trick 99 % of the time .

here's the cool part : it seems no brand of voltage regulator other than BOSCH , will make it charge 100% . there are numerous articles about using old SAAB or VOLVO alternators because the Mercedes one is only rated 55 amperes and the SAAB one is 85 (IIRC) .

Doesn't make any improvement if it's still only charging 12 ~ 13 VDC .

I tried the fancy-schmancy alternator then began installing BOSCH brand regulators every time the brushes wear out and Lo ! my headlights are brighter and the battery remains @ 13 + VDC all the time .

Give it a try , you'll be well pleased and it co$t$ less and you can usually replace the regulator/brush holder in situ .

I left a custom made 125 Ampere alternator on my '78 300CD when i sold it , it was $ wasted .


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