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!