This seems hard to believe, but I actually finished my console wood refinishing project. I started this around Christmastime and it turned into an epic journey, to say it dramatically. I completely stripped and refinished the CC cover and shiftgate cover. I also fabricated a piece to mount the boost guage and 12v charger in the place of where the ashtray was. I cut it out of a squ ft of plywood (using a power dremel), veneered it, stained it and finished it to match the other pieces. The pics are huge, so I set them up on a Web site: www.geocities.com/cat8741/console.html
I'm going to add some description and other photos of the process (if I can find them). Pics have a lot of funky reflections, but you get the idea. I'm thrilled with how it came out. Here's one, but check out the site if you want to see the rest (too big to post them all here).

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Wow, that's beautiful. Great job. I'm thinking about doing something similar with my 240D's wood trim around the CCU, switch panel, shifter, and replacing the ash tray with an inverter power socket or something.

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1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D
Automatic, A/C, Power Sunroof, Power Right Side Mirror
231K Miles FOR SALE MAKE OFFER

Beautiful! Just tell me how to do staining like that and I'll work on installing a similar set up on my Blue '87 300D. I've got the boost gauge already.
PS What a cllean 124 you've got! Its definitely well worth the work invested

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

GORGEOUS!

Well done.

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83 SD

84 CD

man that wood looks great

Looks great - like it came from the factory that way!

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Looks sharp! Want to do mine?

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

what did you use on the wood? I need to refinish my zebrano and wouldn't mind going a little darker to match my black interior.

I'd kill for burl

Looks like all your work was worth the end result Bodhi.

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

You are an artist!

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http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5...andbenzqj3.jpg1979 W123 300D Silver with Blue interior

Where did you connect into the 603 for the boost gauge?

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Looks ausgezeichnet! What did you use for/where did you get veneer?

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For Sale: 1982 MB 300TD
1995 Chevrolet Suburban 6.5TD

Sold: 1980 IH Scout Traveler- Nissan SD33T Diesel

I lucked out on eBay, bought it from this guy: http://stores.ebay.com/Doeringer-Custom-Guitars-and-Parts
Nice 6X9-inch piece for a total of $12 ... it was a little warbled, but it flattened out when I glued it to the plywood and put an upside-down table on it as a "press."

Thanks for all the compliments, guys! I'm so excited with the way it came out. My only concern is that I may have gone a little heavy on the Magnalac, which may lead to cracking down the road. But heck, if that happens, I strip it and try again with less. I'm going to add a section on my picture page that lists the process and materials (stain color and everything) ... that way if anyone wants to try a similar approach, it will be easy to reference. Hopefully I'll have time to update that tonight if I get a break at work.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Great job, Bodhi. Great idea cpvering the place where the ashtray used to be.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

There's more than one place to put it, but I just T-ed into the line that goes from the overboost protection relay to the ALDA. (I can shoot a picture of this is you want). I then ran the line through the firewall behind the instrument cluster. I had to pull the cluster, but that was a good time to change the bulbs in it. I then ran the line behind the climate control, past the radio and out into the ashtray area. The lighting was real easy there because there are already wires right there for the light in the ashtray (two + and one ground) I just put crimp-on connectors and plugged it right in. The charger I bought from the dealership because the one I pulled out didn't seem to work (but the connections checked out OK). The black circle around it is just a rubber washer I cut to use as a gasket (there's one on the back, too) to hold the charger in place.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)