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  #1  
Old 07-14-2007, 12:54 AM
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I'm a grill watcher, I'm a grill watcher, here comes one now!

A quick question regarding front grills on the 114/115 models. I was always of the impression they were all the same. Obviously I am mistaken.

Here's the quandary. My wife has a '72 250C which I rescued from the crusher. The existing grill, which I assume is from a "standard" 114/115 model, does not fit correctly. It touches on the lower corners where it appears the body has bulges extending beyond the flat front ( I'm assuming for some difference in bumper mounting).

What is the difference in the 250C? Is the bonnet different? The car was recently repainted but there is no sign of traumatic crash damage.

My 280, 280C, 220, 220D and 240's all used the same grill. I know because I transplanted a sentimental value grill upon each of these cars. Well, actually, I haven't transplanted it yet on the 280C because I'm still assessing the car's restoration possibilty.

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Old 07-14-2007, 07:31 AM
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I believe the W114/115 cars up through '73 are supposed to have a narrow grill, while on the '74 and later 5-mph-bumper cars, the grill is wider.

Happy Motoring, Mark
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Old 07-14-2007, 07:51 AM
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LOL...Mike....your title gave me a laugh this AM. I am a big 60's music fan!
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  #4  
Old 07-14-2007, 07:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark DiSilvestro View Post
I believe the W114/115 cars up through '73 are supposed to have a narrow grill, while on the '74 and later 5-mph-bumper cars, the grill is wider.

Happy Motoring, Mark
This is correct. The difference is subtle and hard to notice without a direct comparison and a tape measure....you are not losing your mind, they are different!

Tom W
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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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Old 07-14-2007, 09:44 AM
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A few years back, I discovered another difference. I found a 69 sedan that had a metal grill insert instead of a plastic one. I saved the grill and tossed the car.

-CTH
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Old 07-15-2007, 01:33 PM
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I too am a girl watcher as well and you are right there are differences.
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  #7  
Old 07-16-2007, 06:52 AM
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three inserts, two shells.....

When the /8 was introduced in 1968, the grille mesh was a stamped aluminum piece, similar to the w108 style.

In either 70 or 71, it was changed to a plastic insert, notable by having larger openings and being somewhat darker in color. For the 74 redesign, the front fenders were changed to accept the crash bumpers, and the hood and grille also changed.

Another subtlety is that the grille shell opening for the false radiator cap base for the star varies in size on the early style. Not sure when it changed, but I suspect the same time as the insert change.

The 74 and ups are wider and do not interchange with the earlier hoods. Fenders are narrower between the grille and the headlight, so even if you have the right hood for the later grille shell, it will not work when mated to the earlier fenders. Later fenders are also different around/below the bumpers, and cannot be substituted unless you do some cuting and fitting.

Only one insert for the later style, plastic mesh.

Headlights and bosch foglights remained the same for the entire series, and can swapped between all years, with the exception of the very early ones which had an amber outer plastic lens, vice later which had a clear lens with an amber lens behind the clear.

Bumpers are the same from start of series thru 73, with the 73's having a slightly longer bracket that steps the bumper out from the fenders a bit more. 74 and later had the crash bumpers. The six cylinder cars had "double" bumper bars onthe early cars, 4 cylinder cars did not. Euro cars post 74 kept the original slim bumpers, but in 74 did without the delux double bumper on six cylinder cars.

Jim
/8 owner for years....
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  #8  
Old 07-16-2007, 11:25 AM
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So does anybody know if the 250C uses a different size grill than the standard W114 or not? I don't care about the "egg crate", it's the grill housing/shell which is hitting the front panel.
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Old 07-16-2007, 01:07 PM
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The W114 coupe should be the same as the sedans - narrow grill up through '73. Wide grille, with 5 mph bumpers, from '74 to '76.
The '72 250C should have the narrow grill. Perhaps a PO stuck a '74 grill and hood on your coupe, or you have the correct grill, but there's some other issue, like misaligned or bent sheetmetal, and/or the rubber buffers could be missing between the shell and inner fenders. You seem to indivcat that your grill is too tall. Someone may have replaced your original grill with a taller one from one of the other body types - perhaps a W108 or W123.
Posting photos of your specific problem would help.

Happy Motoring, Mark
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Last edited by Mark DiSilvestro; 07-16-2007 at 01:12 PM.
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  #10  
Old 07-16-2007, 01:32 PM
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Sheeesh! AGAIN with the pictures! I figured if I typed a thousand words it would be the same thing.

I'll try and get a few pics taken and post them.

It's exactly the same grill from a '69 W114 on there now. How do I know this? Because I put it on during it's reconstruction.

I've got a '74 280C which appears to have the same grill.

It's got new hood stops and the bonnet is aligned properly.

Maybe the pictures will help.
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  #11  
Old 07-16-2007, 06:26 PM
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Nah, we dont need to see pics. Just raise the hood, grab the grill with yer hands and pry it outward to give more clearance. The lip it attaches to is probly a little off, thats all. Throw a little muscle into it and dont be scared of bending the hood in half.
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  #12  
Old 07-16-2007, 07:00 PM
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Now see! There you go again Dog! You guys with your big, throbbing, shaking smoke mobiles are all about muscle-engineering!

We gassers tend to be of a more precise nature. We don't just grab a big hammer and beat on it. We get the proper brass hammer and whale on it!!

Actually the mystery is solved. Mark, Jim and Tom, you guys were right. I got the camera and tape measure out and it appears the entire bonnet assembly is from a post '73 model. I did a little discrete paint removal and the bonnet is a different color under the re-paint. I also located the grill from the '69 lying in the box I stored it in while waiting to put it on. Ooops!

[ATTACH]I'm a grill watcher, I'm a grill watcher, here comes one now!-picture-040a.jpg[/ATTACH]


Crap, now I gotta buy ANOTHER W114 for the proper hood!
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I'm a grill watcher, I'm a grill watcher, here comes one now!-picture-039a.jpg  

Last edited by Mike D; 07-16-2007 at 07:14 PM.
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  #13  
Old 07-16-2007, 07:24 PM
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Yep same way we treat our women, grab em and bend em for body work. Now you gotta admit that prying on the old gril will solve your probs easy as replacin the entire hood.
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  #14  
Old 07-16-2007, 07:33 PM
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Unfortunately, bending won't work. The grill is held away from the body by the contact it is making now at the rub points.

Bending it will only make it extend away further.

I might be able to re-work the corners to make it fit but the only decent way is to replace the whole assembly.

If it were my car I'd make it work. It is the wife's and she's a little particular, never mind her choice in men.

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