Please keep up on sharing your project. I have a tan 108 in similar condition that I am just starting to bring back to life. Your pictures and info are giving me ideas and I can't wait to start!

Based on the interior photos above, is the color of my interior cognac? I want to order a carpet set.

Was there some reason that you did not just sand the hood?

I didn't want to be that agressive.

Your interior color looks a lot like my car's, which is Bamboo. Cognac is a little more red/orange in color, but similar. I've got some W115 front door pockets, one in Bamboo and another in Cognac. I attached a pic of them side by side, Bamboo on the left, and Cognac on the right.

Do you have a copy of the car's original invoice? The copy I have for my '74 240D lists interior color (167 Upholstery - Bamboo MB Tex). I didn't find this information on the car anywhere.

If you don't have a copy of that invoice you might consider requesting a "birth certificate" for your car from MB.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

Hi Jer,

Welcome!

I,like you, have owned Porsche 911 and the V8 Mercedes Benz 280SEL. I was active on Pelican Parts for a few years until 2014 when I sold my Carrera.

Your posting tells me you are not a newbie on forums! Your generous use of photos will be helpful to enthusiasts who come here for information in the future.

Rust is the creeping enemy of these cars. It is much better to prevent rust than repair it. You have a beautiful example of what some see as the last of the classic hand built era. Mercedes engineering continues to lead the world as it has since the first. The level of hands on craftsmanship and choice of materials is not the same as it with the last W108 chassis cars.

You got some great feedback already. I concur on the comments about replacing rubber seals, especially the front windshield and rear window seal. It is common for the windshield seal to leak and ruin the wood trim below the glass.

The Mercedes Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California is a great resource. They will provide the data card (birth certificate mentioned above) which will show the details of major assemblies serial numbers, paint codes and special order options.

When I joined Peach Parts I was seeking information and guidance for my 280SEL and was pleased with the wealth of knowledge that the Peaches shared. I look forward to reading more about your stewardship of this classic car.

Best wishes to you!

Jeffrey

__________________

1962 220Sb ~ The Emerald Bullet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx6tN1W48_o
1957 Ponton 220S
2001 S600 Daily Driver
The Universe is Abundant ~ Life is GOOD!http://www.classiccarclock.com

Thanks for the info. You are correct about my having forum experience. I normally start a project's thread on new acquisitions. I do that for a couple reasons. One is to share the knowledge I gain from working on a particular car. The other is to receive help from other forum members who have more experience with a certain model. I also consider these thread as paying it forward for the threads I have discovered that shed light on a particular job I am about to tackle.

Here are a couple threads from my past projects:

Projects on our (new to us) 1967 912-6 - Pelican Parts Technical BBS

Projects on our new to us 1988 944 Turbo - Pelican Parts Technical BBS

Will be doing a body off on my '64 coupe - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

Jerry Forthofer

You were right. I called the Classic Center and was told the interior number is 249, Bamboo Leather. They are going to send me a data card as well.

As promised, the Mercedes Classic Center sent me the data card info. The guy who sent it said it was very rare to have a two tone car.

Awesome. Do the front seats look as good as the rear bench? That's pretty nice leather for such an old car.

__________________
- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

Very nice car Jerhofer. Your VIN shows that your car is one of the last of the 108s. Mine is 20848 and was built in Oct. 72. Yours was probably built in Nov. 72. I think the last 108 was numbered 21500.

Yes they do. They were redone about 10 years ago.

How were you able to get the data card may I ask? Did you call up the Classic Center to have it provided? I've been wanting to get copies of the data cards for my old Benzes but never quite got round to doing it.

I called them. To get the card you have to email them a copy of your registration and driver's license. No charge. I also ordered a couple parts from them. I was having trouble finding the breather hoses. They had them at a reasonable price.

For comparison, here's a shot of "250-Cognac Leather" on an earlier 280 SE 4.5 (001315).

The remainder of the car is a 1972 finished in "291-Dark Olive". It was purchased by my mother on August 26, 1971 and has traveled all of 58,000 miles since then.

Perhaps the fondest memory of my mother's use of this car came on the afternoon when she arrived at our family home on eastern Long Island and casually remarked that she had been driving 125 on the Expressway on her way there. By the way, her previous cars were a 1959 270 HP Corvette and a 1961 300SL. I still have the 300 SL along with the 280 SE 4.5.