1970 300sel 6.3 - Page 8 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Tomguy · #**106** 04-20-2005, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tosbt

She's going to cost me time and money but I'm going to play with her and if she becomes to difficult or time consuming then move on..............and don't look back.

That's the best way of looking at it.

Gerry, obviously you passed the point where your 6.3 cost you too much time and money.

Maybe because I have a 4.5 and can pick up stuff a HELL of a lot cheaper, I haven't been turned off as easily. My 4.5 needed cams, and I picked up 2 sets for under $120 total (that averages $30 a cam, NOT including towers, both sets came with all 10!). My 4.5 has been in my life since I was 6, so I suppose that has something to do with it as well. I grew up being chauferred around in this car, and now I get to call it my own and take care of it, so it means a lot to me - even if she needs a paint job and rust repair, as well as engine mounts and other odds and ends, it's still a car I can call my own and it's relaxing to work on.

I have a spare PS pump, alternator, idle air control, and cams sitting in my garage. I have a spare set of heads, cleaned, 1 with new valve stem seals (and completely assembled) under my bed (the other needs stem seals so I can reassemble it). I'm probably not even going to use them, since I'm looking for higher compression ones, so they'll go on eBay sooner or later, along with the originals that come off my car.

If someone had that kind of stuff sitting around for a 6.3, they'd be rich from the way you make it sound. I'm hardly rich! I work on my 4.5 on my spare time - nobody other than myself has done SQUAT to the car in the last 6 or so years, except the tire guys, and the garage that did my inspection. You make it sound like this kind of stuff isn't possible to keep a 6.3 running properly.

I have fun. I'd hardly say I get sexually aroused though

My car provides me joy, and it's very relaxing to work on and drive. That's all there is to it. Fast, reliable, smooth, sleek... it's what I want in a car. Until the day comes where my 4.5 costs too much to upkeep, I will hold on to it. Hell, I'm even thinking of blowing $350-450 or so on a 4-speed auto from a 3.5 to pop into it for better performance!

gerryvz · #**107** 04-20-2005, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomguy

Gerry, obviously you passed the point where your 6.3 cost you too much time and money.

That's absolutely NOT the case. And how dare you insinuate, not knowing me from Adam, that I cannot afford to maintain and operate my vehicles. Anyone who knows me knows well enough that I can (and have for many years) afford to keep my cars proper and on the road. I make plenty of money and have well enough disposable income to handle my MBs' needs.

I'll also have you know that I sold my 6.3 for substantially MORE than I paid for it. Dan Smith would gladly confirm that my (former) 6.3 is among the best mechanical specimens in the entire USA. In 6 years of ownership, it was only in the shop four times. That should be proof enough that the car did not cost me too much time and money.

If you are interested why I ditched my 6.3 and 6.9, you can see the full, entire story online in detail at the following URL:

http://www.m-100.cc/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl?read=9649

Cheers,
Gerry

Tomguy · #**108** 04-20-2005, 08:09 PM

Gerry: No need to get hostile. I had assumed that, since you always talked about how much it cost to own a 6.3, that the cost issue had affected you and that's why you got rid of your 6.3. Disposable income or not, almost anyone would get sick of a $20k car after throwing $40k into it!

I know the m100 group left a sour taste in your mouth, but to my knowledge, nobody here has anything against you. I, for one, welcome the m100 knowledge you bring to the table and, should I ever buy an m100 someday, I can buy the right vehicle thanks to expertise you've shared.

Something does bug me though - you say your 6.3 was in the shop 4 times in a total of 6 years. Yet, you say how much more reliable the 500 is. I think only 4 trips to the shop in 6 years is pretty damn reliable, personally, for a 30-35 year old car!

gerryvz · #**109** 04-20-2005, 09:24 PM

Not hostile, just didn't like the perceived insult.

My car was as I said an exceptional mechanical example, and the PO took it out of a 15-year sleep and spent loads of money (10s of thousands of dollars according to the bills that I have) to get it to the condition that I enjoyed it in. So the work was done, just by the PO, and I got 100% of the benefit of the work.

To date, my E500 has been in the shop only one time, for its 75,000 mile service. Other than that, in 18+ months, it has never seen the shop and has no need to now (well, it does have a broken exhaust hanger, but I can probably fix that myself).

There is no question that the 500 is more reliable. Any mechanic or shopowner will confirm that.

I don't mean to be down on the cars, it's just a few things:

a) I've met and I've seen far too many people get in over their heads on these cars, and it's the cars that often suffer
b) I have a somewhat cynical sense of humor when it comes to these things
c) I will always continue to do my best to help anyone and answer anyone's questions about these cars. But I will be blunt about it if I sense that someone doesn't know what they're getting into
d) I had my phase of the older cars, and enjoyed them; now I'm in a phase of the newer classics, and enjoying the unique benefits that they bring to the table. I still appreciate the older classics (Heaven knows I'll be spending three days driving a 280SL around the Dolomite mountains in Italy/Austria/Switzerland at the end of June) and will likely own all of the M-100 cars later in my life; I just can't deal with the current M-100 environment given the people running the club.

Cheers,
Gerry

tosbt · #**110** 04-20-2005, 10:18 PM

Time to kick back and have a cool one.

gerryvz · #**111** 04-20-2005, 10:35 PM

Done

Cheers,
Gerry

wbain5280 · #**112** 04-21-2005, 12:07 AM

It seems I have stirred up a hornets nest. My apologies.

Well, back to fixing my W126. I just received my spring compressor.

Plus I'm moving next week, and the car needs a state inspection.

RR3 · #**113** 04-26-2005, 10:03 AM

Hi guys.

I'm finally driving the car on a regular basis now that the snow has gone.
I replaced the ignition with one of Neil's from Star Motors and the car is working perfectly.

I am going to be getting the interior re-done, carpets, leather on the seats and headliner.

I have pictures but they are too big to post here.
Wondering if anyone can help me with replacing the plastic sliding knobs on the ventilation system, Iheard there are some chrome ones available that would be more durable.

The muffler on the car is not original, I am looking at getting a new one so I could get the twin chrome tips, where is the best place to buy that? I found a place on the web called TimeValve does anyone have experience with them?

The other question I have is my car has the 14 inch steel wheel hub cap combo. I am looking to go to the 15 inch same combo, are there any 16 inch steel wheels available?
What were the wheel sizes for the 600? Would they fit my 6.3?

The next step for me would be to replaced the engine and tranny mounts, and the shocks on all corners. Are there any other rubber parts that you would suggest to replace?

Thanks for the info guys.

R

Dan Smith · #**114** 04-26-2005, 11:14 AM

RR3, We have a TymeValve system on several 6.3s. Stainless steel is the only way to go. Depending on your level of dedication, you might move to your own system, but TymeValve for now.
The heater defrost controls? The replacement system looks real "CHEAP", stay original, have it rebuilt.
Wheels on the 600? I've waxed on so many time about this , I just hate to do it, but here is a part number. 126 400 2802 That is the 15 inch wheel, the exact duplicate that the 600 used. It was also a later 6.3 option. You can then find, hub caps, exact copies of the stock 14 inch caps. Source, a guy in France.
I know that some 16s work, BUT, they look very "modern", plus, they alter the ride. I've used 16s and didn't like the ride. The 16s I used were a WAY OFF offset from the stock 25 offset. We had a machine shop shave them, can't recall the details now, but it worked. I used them for a certain size of race tires, thus a temp use anyway.
Once again, may I suggest, guit wasting your 6.3 questions on this board. Only a few 6.3 fans even check this board. Go to the M100 site. If I found it, anyone can. Then there is the M100 Group. You should join.
This summer, June 15 through the 18, th Lode Star Fest occurs in Charleston, SC. The engineer that put the first 6.3 into the 109 body will be there. He is Erich Waxenberger. Later he was the # 1 Mercedes-Benz engineer and led the developement of the S classes through the 1995 era. That's like meeting the Pres of the USA. Then, how about meeting the designer of the Pogada, 108, 109, 6.3, 6.9, 600, 111, and 112. His name; Paul Bracq. Like meeting another Pres of the USA.
You will be able to see finished products, another benifit.
Dan Smith, Oregon

RR3 · #**115** 04-26-2005, 12:34 PM

Hey Dan thanks for the info.
Is that www.m-100.info?
or m-100.cc

I joined one of them. I guess I will go over to that section to post more questions. Thanks,

R