Getting to see my babies after so long - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jaydub8882 · #1 01-09-2013, 09:52 AM

So I've been a lurker on the forums for a while, I know a while ago on my old account I had talked about replacing my head gasket on my 88 300E and I just couldn't start it up again until I realized I was missing my breather hoses (oops)...but after so long of waiting and visiting places in the world because of enlisting, I'm finally getting my 88 300E shipped down to me via fiancee and my father is bringing down my 82 300SD when he and my mother move down to SC in the coming weeks. So, I'm pretty happy and I have a lot of work to do to get them both ready to drive, more so my poor neglected E class

...complete restoration in the process for her though, the SD has a few problems, I never physically saw that one because I bought her while I was deployed to Afghanistan, but I'll get to meet her soon enough

...I think the fiancee is a little jealous these days seeing as how I'll be spending more time with my other sweethearts. Most of all my questions have been answered because of my lurking over the years, but once I get them down to me, it's game on and put what I've learned from all of you to the test.

Gilly · #2 01-09-2013, 03:39 PM

Thanks for your sacrifices

Jaydub8882 · #3 01-11-2013, 08:36 AM

You're quite welcome.

So before I dive into my E class aimlessly, what things should I be checking? If anyone sees this and wants to send me a grocery list per say of things I should do and check as to avoid unneccessary spending please do so. Things I remember that I know are problems

- Exhaust fell off from the cat all the way back
- Tires are dry rotted and horrible
- Cooling system needs a definite good cleaning (from being driven with blown head gasket from previous owner)...don't know what damage that has caused now since no one did the cleaning when I sent them money...
- Another one who needs to dive into their 722.3 to replace bands and installing the K-1 and K-2 kits in the valve body.
- Needles to say I was sending money to a so called friend to have these problems fixed, he hasn't been a friend for a while now...people take advantage of trust, and that's unacceptable.

I want to get her happy and healthy again

and money is no option for her, it'll just take a long time...I'm a huge fan of Mercedes, but I don't think I'll be lucky with the amount of parts I can recycle from her...but who knows it is W124 and I might be surprised

.

stormyc88 · #4 01-11-2013, 06:40 PM

Make sure the fuel is good, if it was sitting for a while. Run some seafoam through it, I know my 300E loves that stuff.

Check operation of the HVAC system, like are all the vacuum pods working that control the various vents?

All the rubber pieces on the engine

Various suspension bits (ball joints, sway bar brackets/bushings, tie rod ends) also watch the rust on the front coil spring pads, I had one snap on me last year on the highway-not fun.

Do the euro headlight swap, youll thank yourself every time you drive at night.

Thank you for your service to our country!

Jaydub8882 · #5 01-11-2013, 07:56 PM

Thanks for that!
Seafoam is some amazing stuff. I have the euro swap on my bucket list as a definite because of all my lurking haha. I'll definitely have to search all the rubber though good call on that thank you, probably a safe bet to just get an engine gasket assortment and have at it. The biggest problem I see though is being apartment living, they frown upon mechanical work especially anything that will cause a spill, I'm sure no one emptied all the fluids out of it like I asked...though, maybe I can talk the lady into having her cousin do it for me and give the cooling system a nice good cleaning, just hope her sitting all this time hasn't cause too much damage. Ultimately like I said I want to get her back into good mechanical condition through almost a complete restoration, even the electrical wires because those things are STIFF and there are many things that do not work powered wise, I never expected a perfect car for the $500 that I got for her, and she's my baby/hobby/toy and as long as I'm young and love cars, I'll definitely have the patience...then I'll go on to finding a good body shop around here to fix the dents and redo the underbelly, maybe see if they can teach me how to do a few things...and after a few $$$ later and quite possibly years, hopefully she will be street legal again...and then I can do the things I want. I'll definitely be taking pictures and I will start either a thread or a blog or something similar on the revival process...and I can't wait to get the 300SD down here either, she's much closer for street riding, and I've yet to meet her so it will be very exciting.

stormyc88 · #6 01-12-2013, 06:19 PM

$$$, oh yes definitely if you're planning on an almost complete restoration, it seems. I know you don't have the cars yet, but I'd definitely try and rule out the wiring itself as the cause of your electrical gremlins. I couldn't even imagine trying to rewire a w124, or any other benz for that matter. That s**t runs everywhere!! I'm definitely on your side as far as putting the money into it, though, if you're not planning on selling it. My receipts, including the purchase price, total nearly $40,000, including a $12,000 trip to the body shop to fix some collision damage, some rust, and do a full color sanded and polished re-paint. If I was planning on selling the car at some point, I'd be out of my mind to put that kind of money into it. But I'm not, so it's just for me

. It has never left me anywhere, not once, in 9 years, so I'm not going to leave it! Oh and btw, after a coolant flush, as everyone here will tell you, only use genuine MB coolant or zerex G-05

Moral of the story is, the easiest way to find problems is to start driving it. My car was only used as a "station car" before I got it, and never went more than 3 miles round trip daily. I started driving it 40 miles round trip on the highway every day, and in very short order the problems showed up, got fixed, and never came back. These cars love their exercise! Enjoy!

Jaydub8882 · #7 01-12-2013, 08:56 PM

Oh yea, she's not going anywhere once I get her back. I plan to do most everything myself and hold onto her for as long as I can. I hate electrical work, but sometimes it needs to be done...maybe I'll stay away from a 100% rewire as I temporarily forgot those cars have 10 miles of wires crammed inside of them haha, but some of the wires are just ugly and the previous owner did a horrible wire splicing to put in new pigtails for the headlights. I'll be doing some diagnosing of all the electrical parts that don't work to see what the problem is for them whether it be bad connections, bad motors, or what have you...I've got nothing but time with her. Oh yea, when it comes to anything liquid like, it'll be what MB recommends, well just about anything really it'll be Genuine MB or the next best thing, no cheapo stuff. If I didn't believe in the star, I'd call you crazy for telling me to just start driving this car to see what breaks...but since I do believe, I will do it after I know what needs to be fixed is fixed, and what state inspections tell me to do if I over looked something.

I appreciate everyone's input thus far...and I think I talked the lady into draining all the fluids before she brings it down here

. That way I can start taking things off and replacing stuff without worrying about staining the driveway at my apartment.

Best forum on the internet by the way.

austxjr · #8 02-11-2013, 01:13 AM

There is even a recommended M-B coolant system cleaner. I think it is citrus based and there is a procedure (I think I saw it on here a while back) that may be in the manuals to do it M-B "right.

I used the Zerex last time, but have a source now for inexpensive M-B parts (relationship with a friend of the wholesaler) for my '95 E300D. If I don't get them there, then I get them here of course. It is a rock of a car and was a steal as well ($38K new, $3K with 130K miles and all records everything working).

Good luck with your projects. I'll be bringing my '94 S350 Turbodiesel home to get her on the road as well soon. With the two of them running I'll never lack for stylish, reliable, affordable transportation again. I'll certainly never sell the W124.

Jaydub8882 · #9 02-11-2013, 02:43 AM

Yes, I actually keep coming across that in the catalog on here during my never ending suspense. Though bad news, most of the plans have backfired, it's looking like I need to save up quite a bit more money to get the E class shipped down to me after all, and I've no idea what's going on with the 300SD right now. Sometimes I wish I could just teleport, make life so much easier sometimes.