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  #1  
Old 12-23-2000, 04:48 PM
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The front seat springs in my '80 W116 are spent. I have taken a look underneath and on both sides the springs literally broke in a couple of places. Also they of course lean towards the door. I was wondering if this is something I can replace my self or do I need to take it to a shop?

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  #2  
Old 12-23-2000, 06:18 PM
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Rick
what part of the country are you located? I know where a 300D is that the front seats seem to be in pretty good condition along with the body. The car is at a salvage yard and the parts could probably be picked up pretty economically. I do not know what the condition of the engine and automatic transmission is though but it does not run. ODO showing 200k +
Jim
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  #3  
Old 12-23-2000, 08:03 PM
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I am located in central NJ. I have called every junk yard around and no one around here has any MB in their yards, except one.They said it was a W123. I haven't been to the yard to see what color the interior is. Would the seats from a W123 fit into a W116 chassis?
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  #4  
Old 12-23-2000, 08:12 PM
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I do not know if they are compatible Rick (I can say the body was maroon and the interior was brown/tan). I will post the phone no. of the salvage yard on here tomorrow morning. The number is on a card in my E320 and the wife has it out shopping tonite. The body of this particular car at the salvage yard was in very good condition (wonder if a GM 4.3 v6 with automatic would fit - hmmmm) although it was showing 200k + miles.
Jim
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  #5  
Old 12-23-2000, 08:41 PM
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Jim, I'd appreciate that. The color sounds like it might be a match. Since I have owned this car (Oct 5) I have not been able to figure out what color my interior would be called. It' not dark brown, but it's not light brown(tan). The reasonI need to figure this one out is because I need a new front passenger door armrest and of course when I e-mail or call junkyards they want to know what color I am looking for. I would like to say brown, but I don't want brown/brown, it's lighter than that, but not tan.
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  #6  
Old 12-23-2000, 10:04 PM
patsy
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My guess is that your interior color is Bamboo 1 (floor mats anyway). I wonder if the interior color code is on the car with the paint codes. I also wonder if someone has a list online of color codes. Performance products sells the seat springs for $153.43 ea., the front seat bottom pads for $127.41 ea. for leather seats, and $40.37ea. for MB-Tex. I don't know why the seat pads would be that different in price depending on what you put over it. In the picture the pads look like original horsehair. New leather seat covers are $575.00 each, and MB Tex are $350.00 each.
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Old 12-23-2000, 10:18 PM
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$153 per seat, forget that, I'll stick with $110 from the benzbin or if the partsshop sells it for less. As far as the color. My floor carpeting is definetly brown/dark brown as well as my dashdoard. I would imagine that "Bamboo 1" is a lighter color than reg. brown. Who knows, maybe that's what I have. I bought off e-bay, a full line brochure for Mercedes for the year 1980. In it they list all sort of tech. info, but no interior color choices. I guess that would of been in a model specific brochure.
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Old 12-23-2000, 10:37 PM
patsy
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There is a color called Tobacco which looks dark brown, it was in all models from 1972-1980, That is the other color I missed earlier. W116 looks like it had, Black, Blue(Dark), Bamboo 1(almost yellow), and tobacco(Dark reddish brown). The carpet, floor mats, seats, and plastic parts, and door panels are all exactly the same color. I listed those prices so you could gauge what a used one could save. $855.00 for each seat done all the way is unbelievable. That is almost as much as my car cost. HARDY HAR HAR
I just went outside in the light and realized my interior is tobacco. I thought it was much lighter, I was a little surprised. I am sure you also have tobacco, because the bamboo 1 is really light tan.

[Edited by patsy on 12-24-2000 at 03:18 PM]
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  #9  
Old 12-23-2000, 10:52 PM
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Well, my car presently doesn't have the oem floor mats. I would assume the proper floormats would match the color of the carpeting, which in my car I guess is the Tobacco brown. So I guess my seats and the upper sections of the interior would be that "Bamboo 1", because it's definetly not blue, black or dark brown.
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  #10  
Old 12-23-2000, 10:55 PM
patsy
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Plus, as I recall your seats were recovered you thought. Maybe someone will shed some light on interior colors for us. My seats and carpeting match. They are both light brown.
What color is your car?
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  #11  
Old 12-24-2000, 08:28 AM
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Here is the number for the salvage yard where the maroon 300D is located - (912) 929-9858. If anyone wants I could possibly ride by there over the next couple of days and try to get information off of it (vin#, etc). On down the road from this one is a 1980 300D (non turbo) that is for sale $2500 - phone number is (912) 785-8686. It is brown and looks kinda/sorta ragged out. When you sit in the drivers seat your butt kinda lists towards the door because something is wrong with the seat - the car looks pretty level. I did not drive it, just sat in it and looked at the engine. Showing over 100k miles on the odo. It did not look like it was worth $2500.
I guess that kinda tells ya'll what kind of area I live in where people can leave these cars in front of their business for sale, unlocked where you can check them out during the weekends.
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  #12  
Old 12-24-2000, 10:56 AM
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If your covers are still useful I would repair the seats you have. It is rather simple work disassembling them. All those seat springs are going to be poor in used seats and the padding even more so.

A seat is very important in a car, probably more so that in front of the TV. Strange how people will pay $500 for a recliner but won't pay $300 for a proper auto seat. Its much more likely that you will spend six hours sitting in your car seat one day than watching TV in one seat that time (or anywhere else for that matter).

BTW if your covers aren't useful, buy one of the aftermarket covers but take the whole mess to a good independent upholsterer as they will have to be altered to fit as the MB ones will. Then you will have a comfortable, firm seat as should be in a Mercedes.

Ohh and by the way please fix your seats before spending money on wheels and radios.
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  #13  
Old 12-24-2000, 03:35 PM
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The first thing I said I would do with this car is work on the mechanicals and not the cosemetics. I consider the busted springs to be mechanicals. After driving for about 2 hours I start to get a little saddle sore. The covers are fine it's just the shot springs. So a spring replacement is something that can be done with some patientance and basic tools?
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  #14  
Old 12-24-2000, 03:52 PM
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I would consider the disassemble of a seat to be a simple operation. Except in some early cars there are no special tools required. On early seats the covers are anchored with hogrings. These take a special pair of pliers for reassembly.

The seats are held in with 4 screws. Move the seat forward and backward and locate all four. Its easier to do either the front or the rear first. I can't remember, but it has to do with the ability to move against the springs to get to the other two. In other words you have to do two bolts then move the seat to expose the other two.

Take the seat back off the seat bottom at the hinges. The covers are folded into a grove and maybe tied with hogrings. It is very possible that in getting old covers off you will tear the covers they will be delicate. The pleating in the covers will likely need resewing. I would have available an upholsterer for any contingency.
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  #15  
Old 12-24-2000, 04:15 PM
WmHarlow
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Rick,
Yes, this is a DIY job. Get yourself a new bottom frame assembly and a little time alone.
It does take time to replace the unit, but it is fairly easy to do. Take your time and do not force parts or you may tear the upholstry.
I do recommend a new seat pad for a more "new" feel.

Good Luck,

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