The ups and downs of owning a W123.130 (non turbo 300D) - Conversion to petrol / gas! - Page 11 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stretch · #**151** 05-07-2019, 10:40 AM

The W123 is still loved but again there's a huge flippin' delay on the horizon (again)

Unexpectedly I got the opportunity to buy a place with a fair sized garden (for Holland where nearly everything is postage stamped sized) where I can put down some roots and build myself a decent sized workshop

So I grabbed that opportunity with both hands!

Downside is that the plans I have for all of my car projects are somewhat delayed so the W123 is being "put back together" ready for temporary storage and transportation to the new place once the workshop has been built (this I need to do myself!)

I find it quite surprising that despite my best efforts to make this car look as dreadful as possible (!) it still looks kind of handsome

(Well may be not...)

vwnate1 · #**152** 05-07-2019, 10:55 AM

On buying your own place .

It's not an easy thing to do .

To me, the W123 is an iconic design, that's why it still looks good 30 + years on and even in the buff like your car is now .

Stretch · #**153** 05-07-2019, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

On buying your own place .

It's not an easy thing to do .

To me, the W123 is an iconic design, that's why it still looks good 30 + years on and even in the buff like your car is now .

Thanks Nate - it has been a pretty turbulent time renting for the last five years - I'll be glad to have a bit of stability

Only when you start to move do you realise how bad you've been hoarding useless junk

I really should have sorted this rubbish out before now but it looks like I'm running out of time so a lot of it will be transported to the new place regardless - transportation of cars in bits isn't necessarily as easy as whole vehicles (!)

I think I need to build at least four more of these pallet trolleys (flippin' 'eck)

vwnate1 · #**154** 05-07-2019, 11:41 AM

? Are there Auto Jumbles in Holland you can sell off the bits & bobs at ? .

I've realized I too have too much stuff and need to begin getting rid of it now so my son won't have to ~ he hates old things .

Stretch · #**155** 05-08-2019, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

? Are there Auto Jumbles in Holland you can sell off the bits & bobs at ? .

I've realized I too have too much stuff and need to begin getting rid of it now so my son won't have to ~ he hates old things .

The problem I have is that I don't know for sure if the parts I have are needed. Once I get the car(s) back together then I'll have a much better idea of what can go. I get the feeling there won't be that much to sell - most of the parts that come of vehicles have more or less had a life...

...somethings like power steering pumps and alternators and steering boxes and starter motors could be refurbished but even then the cost of the cheap pattern parts makes that a bit of a dodgy proposition. I mean - I know - I'm sure you know - and perhaps other readings this thread also know that the original stuff is far far better than lots of the modern replacement doo doo - but as is often the case the temptation to buy cheap is strong

#####

Not having to deal with the female nag has been one of the best parts of being divorced - it is apparent however that if I were to pop me clogs at this stage of the game my children would be left clearing up my ****. I don't think that would be fair - so I will be sorting and ordering stuff when I get the new workshop up and running.

vwnate1 · #**156** 05-08-2019, 11:16 AM

Just so ~

When I got divorced she told me was so happy to be rid of my old cars, trucks and Motocycles, I don't miss her one bit

.

You're dead right about the quality of the original parts ~ not long ago my power steering pump began leaking out it's input shaft and the fluid was dead black and smelled like Navy Coffee, I casually mentioned I'd soon be replacing the input seal and flushing the fluid (ATF) with every engine oil change until it was clean again and got slammed hard for my 'ignorance' ~ the pump no longer drips a drop and still works *perfectly* as it has for 400,000 + miles and the fluid now remains clean and sweet smelling .

Why I'd want to trade in my known good P.S. pump for a random 'rebuild' done by minimum wage workers using who knows what quality parts, is beyond me .

There are those who do and those who don't and yammer loudly to try and hide their ignorance .

I'd think there are many local enthusiasts who'd love to pick through your left overs and buy some .

My best buys usually come from "?that box over there ~ that's just junk!" .

Good luck moving, I hate moving, why I bought my own place .

Stretch · #**157** 05-17-2019, 11:21 AM

Hash tag still coking about piling it high!

Stretch · #**158** 12-28-2019, 10:12 AM

It has been one heck of a year. Loads of delays for all of my automotive projects because the new house ain't got no workshop - yet...

...so far I've cut down a bit of Northern European jungle =>

Removed (by hand) a few tree stumps =>

Built a tray of gravel and laid a structure of oak railway sleepers onto which I'm welding a steel structure...

...I've gone for a low impact no concrete design partly because I don't think concrete is great at end of life when you want to get rid of it but also because where I'm living now I'm on the edge of a gas field where there's been a bit of earth quake trouble. So I want to be able to jack things back straight is they decide to wander off down into the back of the garden (!)

vwnate1 · #**159** 12-28-2019, 12:28 PM

Don't you have to lay out some sort of vapor barrier sheet under the gravel ? .

Stretch · #**160** 12-28-2019, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

Don't you have to lay out some sort of vapor barrier sheet under the gravel ? .

"Have to" - as in building regulations have to?

If so that's not applicable for garages / places where people are not expected to live in (here in Holland)

If you mean have to in terms of stopping damp from getting in then I don't think that will be a problem. The ground is raised - most of it on some pretty snazzy stuff called "woudzand". This is more like granulated clay than sand and sticks together really well. Whilst it does retain moisture it doesn't really stay all that wet - surface water runs off (most of the time). I've put in two layers of anti-root growing membrane under and on top of the woudzand and the gravel ballast has a depth of at least 20cm. The metal frame sits on top of the railway sleepers which are only slightly set into the gravel. A wooden floor will be fitted on top of the metal frame...

...if I have the funds left over to insulate under the floor only then will I be considering a damp proof membrane for under the floor. Not quite that far yet.

vwnate1 · #**161** 12-28-2019, 11:19 PM

Thank you .

Yes, I was talking about a plastic / nylon barrier sheet because moisture comes up eventually if you don't have one and the vehicle will rust away over time .

I wasn't asking about regulations .

That weed barrier mesh crap is just that : crap .

My son tried it after I told him to line mt grand daughter's sand pit with vapor barrier, of course the weeds don't give a care about any mesh no matter how tight it is and it wasn't tight .

Stretch · #**162** 12-29-2019, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

Thank you .

Yes, I was talking about a plastic / nylon barrier sheet because moisture comes up eventually if you don't have one and the vehicle will rust away over time .

I wasn't asking about regulations .

That weed barrier mesh crap is just that : crap .

My son tried it after I told him to line mt grand daughter's sand pit with vapor barrier, of course the weeds don't give a care about any mesh no matter how tight it is and it wasn't tight .

The anti-root membrane I got was commercial / agricultural grade stuff. I think it has a weight of about 200 grams per square meter and can even be used above ground as it has a UV resistance of something like 10 years. Mine's firmly underground so I expect it will be there for centuries.

I saw some cheaper anti-root membranes available but they didn't seem to me to be a worthwhile investment.

I hope it works. The clay like sand on top of it isn't exactly ideal growing "soil" so I'm fairly confident I won't get too much root related trouble (cos I also spent a 'ucking long time pulling roots out too).

#####

I'm not sure about "rising damp". This place has a shoddy extension between the (brick) house and a brick shed that has a concrete tiled floor set on sand. (Quite a common thing here in the Netherlands). So far it hasn't been damp at all. There is an ant problem in the summer but this year they helpfully swarmed and flew away outside and not in the building (!)

The water table here is about 2 meters under the (raised) ground level so foundations / feet elements of this workshop I'm building are way above the ground water source.

I'm pretty sure the gravel ballast doesn't have enough contact area for capillary action. Whilst I've not got extensive work experience of railways most of the wooden railway sleepers I've seen seem to rot from the top down not the bottom up.

I will certainly have to keep the base well ventilated once I get the roof and sides of the building built to get rid of the moisture that has accumulated during the prolonged building period...

...all in all I reckon it'll come good - but - thanks for the advice.

vwnate1 · #**163** 12-29-2019, 11:49 AM

DO keep us posted ! .

I wish I had the skills to rebuild my garage....

Stretch · #**164** 12-31-2019, 12:50 PM

Time flies

But there is a small bit of progress