Brake conversion: Fixing up a 1959 ponton for my 16yo daughter

[balwit]

I am hoping to find out if someone has parts and experience converting the dual cyl. front brakes on a W121 ponton to the later model disc brakes. I understand the the A arm are the same as the fintails. I would also need to replace the simple master cylinder with a dual.

Please advise. I am new to this but I want to make a safe car for my girl.

john balwit

[Palolo]

Others may chime in with an answer, but if you aren't already part of it, join the Int'l Ponton Group, 800+ members, chock-full of Pontonific info.

Mercedes-Benz Pontons (1953-1962) © www.mbzponton.org

Their Yahoo group: ponton : International Ponton Owners Group (IPOG)

[balwit]

thanks much for the tip. i was not aware of that.
john

[Marrs]

Howdy neighbor! Portland area here, if you ever need local advice please send me a PM and I can also put you in touch with shops and possibly other members in the area. You didn't buy the silver and grey Ponton that was owned by the thrift shop girl by any chance did you?

[Palolo]

Originally Posted by balwit

I am new to this but I want to make a safe car for my girl.

I also grew up driving a fairly primitive car as my "learner car" (a 73 Super Beetle) which fortunately already had front discs and three point seatbelts. It also, like the Ponton, wasn't very fast. Or rather, it didn't take kindly to the term "accelerate", but would move quickly enough to call it "fast", once moving. However, I was in a rural community, and limited to driving on little-traveled back roads. A trip to to town or the divided highway was a rarity, as was fourth gear.

While I would say that a Benz is likely on the safer end of the spectrum of cars from that era, other than maybe an aircraft-carrier-sized Caddy sedan, I personally am not sure if given the choice, I would give something that old to my kid as a car to start with and make their early driving mistakes, just because there are other options that are quite a bit improved. A minor error will likely result in an insurance write-off of the vehicle, and while one can't advocate for a rubber bumpered bubble car, the lack of basic things like soft interior surfaces and head restraints would give me pause. (If there are any 116 300SDs or 280SEs left in 11 years, I might put my son in one )

So much of the "older car to learn in" is also about recognizing what they are, and they aren't even like an 80s car in terms of turning and wet weather handling...

I remember my dad's early driving lessons in the beetle; they always included him taking us to this road with an uphill S curve, and he'd rev it, and double clutch down, letting the rear end hang out a little, then bring it around the other side before exiting the S. Just enough to give me the feel of oversteer. Then to the gravel parking lot with the wheel cranked over for some dusty donuts. And some "all four locked up" braking. I don't think he ever showed me where the turn signal stalk was, but he made sure I understood the old car and what it could and couldn't do.

I mention this just because there are precious few parents who share our passion for older cars and our kids will very likely be exposed to driving with appliances, which our older car's aren't, and they will be lucky to experience driving something that needs to be driven, not just "aimed down the road".

Hats off to your project, and send a pic (of the car, I mean...)

[Tomguy]

Originally Posted by Palolo

While I would say that a Benz is likely on the safer end of the spectrum of cars from that era, other than maybe an aircraft-carrier-sized Caddy sedan, I personally am not sure if given the choice, I would give something that old to my kid as a car to start with and make their early driving mistakes, just because there are other options that are quite a bit improved. A minor error will likely result in an insurance write-off of the vehicle, and while one can't advocate for a rubber bumpered bubble car, the lack of basic things like soft interior surfaces and head restraints would give me pause. (If there are any 116 300SDs or 280SEs left in 11 years, I might put my son in one )

I do have to agree with this. Although it's very admirable to want your 16 year-old to drive an older car and appreciate it, a 1959 Mercedes is nowhere near as safe as pretty much any $2000 car you can pick up - including a 126-chassis MB which may even have airbags, ABS etc standard. Keep in mind that although these cars were decades ahead in safety for their time, they were not 5 decades ahead of anyone - not even 3 decades ahead of most. I know not everyone can afford a $2000 car - heck, at 16 I couldn't, hence why I didn't have a car until I managed to fix up my 4.5, around 19 or so

If you do decide to go this route, good luck and enjoy the project

[crojack]

I think learning on an older car can be beneficial. Granted it doesn't have the safety stuff in it as a newer car. But, you have to learn what the car can and can't do. You have to learn to be engaged in the driving of the car, rather than a modern car that mostly seems to drive itself, even though of course they don't and are as deadly as anything out there.

I also understand that most dangers come from the other driver's on the road, and being hit by somebody else is where soft surfaces/30point belts/etc. is needed. But whenever I'm driving an older car, I'm slower, more cautious, more of a defensive driver, etc because of it.

But, then again, I think all kids should start out on dirtbikes in a field before they ride/drive anything.

I hope it works out for you, would also like to see a pic of the car and I hope your daughter is excited for the car. My daughters' think my car is a "beater"! but they have a few years before they are driving!

[sokoloff]

Dave at 190SL Services developed a disc brake bolt on system for the pontons. He can probably supply you with what you need. Tell him I sent you his way.

dave190slservices@yahoo.com