My Custom 1980 W116 300SD Project - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Squiggle Dog · #31 09-20-2010, 11:14 PM

I sold the 5 speed. I just like the automatic transmission too much and it would be too much of a pain to swap it (though I am going to be going through with converting the climate control to manual, which is probably harder, but less expensive). Now I have a little money so I can start saving for a good paint job for my 300SD.

I got the 300SD registered so I am going to start driving it next week. My 200D is going to be parked so I can remove the engine and replace all of the oil seals. I may need to replace the valve seals, too.

I am going to replace the brake hoses right away since they are original. I also plan on doing an oil change and replacing the alternator belts. Then I am going to try to fix the transmission by replacing the cooler hoses, replacing the modulator, installing new spring kits, changing the filter, replacing the pan gaskets, installing fresh fluid, and adding Trans-X. If all of that doesn't fix the transmission then I'll have to replace it with a spare that I've got in the garage.

The problem that the transmission has is that the engine has to run for about 5 minutes before the car will move. Then it has to run another 5 or 10 minutes before it will shift into 3rd gear. After that it works all day and the shifts are very smooth and hardly noticeable.

Squiggle Dog · #32 10-08-2010, 07:53 PM

I added Trans-X to the transmission which has helped greatly in the 3 weeks I have been driving the car. It only has to warm up now for about 2 minutes before I drive if the engine was cold. It is shifting fine, too. The transmission seems to function better every week.

The 15" Centra wheels I had were too big and heavy (especially with the truck tires on them). The car was slow at starts and the speedometer was almost 10 MPH off at 60 MPH. At 7 inches wide the rims blocked access to the brake bleeder screws. Because of these things and the fact that I haven't been able to find any replacement parts for these wheels, I sold them.

I bought a set of four 14X6" bundt wheels and already had a spare bundt wheel in the trunk. I looked all over to find proper size 185/80R14 tires because I like skinny tires. They are easier to steer and give the car less rolling resistance, which equals better fuel mileage. They also get better traction in snow and inclement weather.

185/80R14 tires were basically impossible to find, new or used. So, I decided that I would be willing to use 195/75R14 tires which have the same sidewall height and are not noticeably wider. Even the 195/75R14 size was nearly impossible to find. The cheapest place I could find new tires quoted me $450 for Kelly Explorer Plus blackwalls or $505 for white sidewalls.

I really, really wanted wide whitewalls, but finding them in the size I needed wasn't going to happen. I know that tires with white letters or sidewalls can be shaved to make a wide whitewall but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to do that and paying someone else to do it would be costly and who knows how well they would turn out. They sell Port-A-Walls which attach to the side but they don't work well with radial tires. Painting a whitewall would probably look tacky.

Not really wanting to spend $500 on new tires I looked around for used ones. I went to several used tire shops (most of them were holes in the wall with employees who didn't speak English well, if at all) and most of them told me they didn't have any in that size. Some of them had a few mismatched, bald, and rotted ones that they wanted about $100 for. I passed.

One of the last shops I passed had a few pair in the 195/75R14 size, so I would have a 2 matching pair, making 4, plus a spare, for $150 mounted and balanced. I almost bought them because they were in decent shape and looked like the old 1970s style tires. But I decided to look at one last place.

The last place I checked was a called The Used Tire Outlet. I told the lady there what size I needed and she said "Yeah, I've got about 200 of them. Let's take a look at what we have." Out back she had several matched sets of tires. I saw a set that I really liked. They were Dean Alpha IV all-season tires with white sidewalls. There were about 20 of them! I picked out the best 5 so I would have a rotatable spare. I had them mounted and balanced with new valve stems for $282.55.

I have to say that I am very happy with the tires. They have almost new tread on them and all 5 are the same make and model. Made in the USA. I think the tread on them looks very much like the old 1970s tires. I wanted wide whitewalls but I still like the white sidewalls. They have a slightly tanned patina to them as well.

I need to get some center caps, I know.

Squiggle Dog · #33 10-09-2010, 01:12 AM

NEVER MIND, I don't want to hear any "those bundts are ugly" or why would you put the white sidewalls out? So before you guys start posting your negative comments, I don't want to hear them.

Joseph_Conrad · #34 10-09-2010, 01:37 AM

I think those bundts look great.

-=DeanstuD=- · #35 10-09-2010, 07:36 AM

I think the white walls look good. Those are Les Schwab tires, just so you know where to go for free flat repairs. Is that '65 Country Sedan in the background yours or a neighbors?

JB3 · #36 10-09-2010, 09:45 AM

why not buy those size tires from tirerack.com? WAY cheaper.

Places like firestone will install tirerack tires if they are clearly new tires

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?skipOver=true&width=195%2F&ratio=75&diameter=14&x=14&y=12

Squiggle Dog · #37 10-09-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph_Conrad

I think those bundts look great.

Thanks.

Squiggle Dog · #38 10-09-2010, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=DeanstuD=-

I think the white walls look good. Those are Les Schwab tires, just so you know where to go for free flat repairs. Is that '65 Country Sedan in the background yours or a neighbors?

That's good that you like them. I've been getting insults on this forum and others about things I've been doing or want to do with my car and I was feeling like I don't want to share anymore. People can be so opinionated.

The Country Sedan is my roommate's car.

Squiggle Dog · #39 10-09-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropnosky

why not buy those size tires from tirerack.com? WAY cheaper.

Places like firestone will install tirerack tires if they are clearly new tires

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?skipOver=true&width=195%2F&ratio=75&diameter=14&x=14&y=12

Cheaper than buying new tires from my local tire stores, yes. It still cost me less money to buy these 5 used (but nearly new) tires. $282.55 included mounting and balancing for 5 tires.

I sold my Centra wheels so I wouldn't have been able to wait to have tires shipped to me so could install the bundts.

But, if I had the time to wait for the tires, buying from Tirerack would have been less expensive than if I had bought new tires from my local tire shop, though you have to figure in the cost of mounting and balancing.

dieselman · #40 10-09-2010, 10:58 AM

Hey Suiggle Dog I wanted to thank you again for the help on the manual window conversion. I found a 1979 280se complete parts car and bought it for 500 bucks. I now have functioning windows, a heater, and cloth seats!!!!! Thanks again for all the info.

Squiggle Dog · #41 10-09-2010, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselman

Hey Suiggle Dog I wanted to thank you again for the help on the manual window conversion. I found a 1979 280se complete parts car and bought it for 500 bucks. I now have functioning windows, a heater, and cloth seats!!!!! Thanks again for all the info.

I'm glad that worked out. It would be interesting to see how your 300SD looks with the manual windows and cloth interior.

dieselman · #42 10-09-2010, 11:02 PM

I will try to get some pics up. I fear it looks bad but the seat in the back is perfect and mine was totally deflated. It is odd cause the center has this strange dark blue pattern and the sides is white vinyl. Doors are the same way. The car was a Euro in all regards and had a nearly perfect set of euro bumper which I have removed and plan to put on mine. One thing I can't figure out. Next to the headlight switch is a turn button numbered 123. I have no idea what it is??????

Joseph_Conrad · #43 10-10-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselman

Next to the headlight switch is a turn button numbered 123. I have no idea what it is??????

That should be a thumb wheel for headlight adjustment. Same as the one in this thread?

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=285994&highlight=standby+lights

-=DeanstuD=- · #44 10-10-2010, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

...The Country Sedan is my roommate's car.

Cool. I just inherited a '66 and haven't really done much with it (i.e. it's still in the barn). Thread related, it too has Dean Alpha tires on it!

Squiggle Dog · #45 10-10-2010, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=DeanstuD=-

Cool. I just inherited a '66 and haven't really done much with it (i.e. it's still in the barn). Thread related, it too has Dean Alpha tires on it!

My roommate has been trying to find a replacement tailgate for his because the bottom is rusted out. It looks like yours can either drop down or swing out. He took it to Maaco to get quote for a quick, cheap paint job until he could afford a better one. They quoted him $3,000 for their cheapest paint job. Ouch.