Looking for the wood trim that goes on the climate control in a 85 300D.
 

The wood trim panel that goes on my climate control in my 85 300D is warped and cracked. I've been tying to find another one but all the one's I've looked at have been warped or cracked as well. That's the only sore spot in the interior of my car and I'd like to get a good one somewhere. I've looked on ebay but I've never found a good one there either. Anyone out there have a good spare?
~DJ

I have one, pulled at the yard a while back BEFORE I knew I needed the switch assy for the clim cont so I just left that. What an idiot.

Anyway, I'll search and post a pic when I find.

I'd be interested in seeing what you got. PM me if you can.

Leit,

Here's pics of the one that I'll sell (being the selfish basta*d that I am, I'm keeping the nicer one). It has some cracks in the clear and is warped, but looks "OK" mounted.

http://cccsc.virtualave.net/images/wood.jpg

TomJ,
Mine was about the same shape as yours is before I tried to flatten out the warpage. I had it almost flat enough but then it warped back to about how it was before. I had epoxied the metal backing plate on it to give it extra rigidity but it didn't help enough. I then tried one more time to flatten it out better and it broke on me. At this point, I just need to find a good unwarped one so I don't break any more of them.
The problem is I can seem to find any that are unwarped but maybe someone in this forum has one.
~DJ

Just out of curiosity... can these be steamed and then bent straight? That's how my buddy used to repair acoustic guitars... steam it overnight, then use clamps and "gorilla snot" glue to hold reinforcing pieces in place.

Those wood interior pieces seem to be just about the only weak link on an older MB. That, and the seat stuffing on some models. I guess that's not too bad overall!

Just a thought...

Chris

Thats what I had tried to do with my trim piece but instead of the extra reinforcing I epoxied the metal backing plate to try to keep it stiff enough. It unfortunately didn't work long enough.

woodworking?
 

How about having a skilled woodworker cut you a piece out of hard wood? It might not make a perfect match with the rest of the grain, but a nice burl walnut, or cherry or oak, even, would look sharp, I'd think. How do those parts mount? Cutting it out doesn't look to be too tough a job for someone who knows what he's doing (i.e. not me). Making provision for mounting it might be another story. Or maybe you could epoxy the existing backing plate to the new piece of wood?

Chris

A nice idea but I'm sure that would end up costing as much as a new part would cost. I don't want to spend more than I really need to.

You're prolly right... still, if you know someone handy with wood (well, THAT sounds suggestive) or who at least has the saws to have a go at it, give it a try. My grandpa would have been the go-to guy, but he passed away a couple years back. That man could make anything out of wood.

Good luck!

Chris

Take a look, not mine!

NiceOneOnEbay

that piece looks mint!:D

Yes it is a nice one. I saw it earlier.

WHY SO MUCH $$$ ???
 

OK, so today I checked the listing for this trim panel again, its over $40 now! Why do they end up costing so much?!? It's not like it is some real intricate piece of wood. Last few I was looking at went for even more. I won't pay that much for a stupid piece of laminated plywood that'll probably end up warping again. If the going prices are that much then I might as well forget it! I'll make my own!

now upto $52

for that money i would make my own ...:rolleyes:

I plan on using the old metal backing plate for the template. There's nothing here I can't do with a jig saw and Dremel tools.

Someone actually bid $61 for it, are they crazy?!?
 

Which models use the same piece? I am going to the junkyard this weekend, weather and time permitting, and hope to pull a few things for my 300TD from a 300D (W123 chassis). Yours is a different chanssis, no? There is a later model gasser there at the yard; no idea whis chassis or whether the interior is decent, but I will check for you. What's your price range? Are you willing to fix cracks in the varnish as long as the wood itself is intact? How does this piece pop out? If it's decent I'd hate to break it.

Chris

Oh, hell, now that I look I can see that this IS the same piece that's in my car. I'll see if the 300D has a good one.

Chris