Today I went by to check out how things were going on the 250SE crash repair. Last week the panel work was nearly complete and the car was almost ready for pant. The paint was just done yesterday so it was good timing to take a look at the car. It’s looking really good! The front chassis, wing and bonnet are now...
by John Tawadros · Published May 29, 2021 · Last modified September 15, 2024
After purchasing my 280CE, I was keen to discover more about its history. Through the history file, I was able to make contact with the 3rd owners of the 280CE, the lovely John & Jenny. They owned the CE from Jan 1995 to Oct 2011 during which it was cared for and meticulously maintained by an expert mechanic (Peter Klarenbeek, ACT). In their care,...
Last night was the monthly MBCNSW May 2021 Night drive. This month we did a repeat of our very successful November 2020 drive to Bilpin. As with last time, we met in Windsor and then headed up to the Apple pie cottage for a late dessert. Unlike the warm summer weather of last year, it was a little colder last night. Only one...
A couple of years ago, MB Spares & Service closed their spare parts division to focus on their restoration and servicing business. At that time, I was able to buy a very nice rear screen for a C107 SLC. The car that it came out of was very rusty, but surprisingly not around the rear screen. My screen is quite delaminated from previous rust...
Back a couple of weeks ago, I hit a Kangaroo in my 250SE. I’m Insured through Shannons who handled the claim well. Surprisingly, impact with an animal does not impact my premium. The car is now with All Classic Car restorations in Brookvale, and I’ve popped down to take a look at it a couple of times. All Classic also did the repairs to...
Today was National Motoring Heritage Day. National Motoring Heritage Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of each May, with 2021 being the 15th year of this event. The basic premise is multiple car related events all around the country to showcase our rich motoring heritage. The Mercedes-Benz club combined this with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 107 chassis....
Back in March, I discovered how wet the passengers floor was in my 450SLC. Over the time water was getting on the floor, it had started some surface rust. It appears that at least some of it was coming from the A/C drains. I still need to test a hose on the windscreen and cowl drains to make sure water is not getting...
A couple of days ago I went on the April 2021 night drive with the MBCNSW. This month was a drive from Luna Park to Coogee via Vaucluse. We had run a similar drive in December 2020, but the weather was a bit iffy on the day and quite a few people decided not to chance it. This time there was no such issue...
Last week I fixed the outside temperature LCD on my 300SE. Today it was time to fix the 560SEC outside temperature display as well. In my previous post I covered the details of where I purchased the replacement LCD panels. This same repair should also work on W124 and W201 models of the same vintage. I understand there are minor variances, and that the...
For the first time since I have owned the car, my 300SE has a working outside temperature display. Not only is it a useful feature of the car, but these small fixes can make the difference between the car seeming nice or a bit of a jalopy. The W126 Outside temperature LCD repair is really easy. It should be on the radar of any...
Earlier this week I took my 250SE on an extended drive. I had wanted to try a route going north via the Putty road, across towards Mudgee and the back. The roads were really good but ultimately this is really a two day drive and would be more enjoyable with some more stops. You could make a really nice weekend road trip...
I’ve owned my 250SE almost ten years and always had a mind to replace the cheap rubber mats with Cocomats. Today I fitted the Cocomats I bought as part of a group buy with a few friends. I also purchased a set for my 560SEC and went into a bit more about the purchase there. For the 250SE, I went with #53...
A couple of months ago some of friends of suggested a group order for Cocomats. This coincided with a 15% off sale and shared shipping. Cocomats are a floor mat made from coconut fibre and were a period accessory during the 1950s and 60s. They were quite popular with Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and other manufacturers. I have wanted to replace the generic rubber...
Another long standing to-do list item on my 300SE was the passengers side window. Over time, the window would slip down so there was half a centimeter gap at the top. It would also make a clunking sound at the top of the window travel. I had purchased a good used W126 window regulator a couple of years back. Yesterday I decided to try...
Last year, while I was fitting the monovalve elimination kit to my 560SEC, I cleaned the drains under the cowl covers. I also fitted a new upper seal and new shaft seals for the windscreen wipers. The condition of those seals was even worse on the 300SE, so today I finally got around to doing the same job on that car. I was...
A couple of months ago I tried a modification on my 560SEL to trigger the auxiliary cooling fan earlier. The primary reason for this was to provide adequate air flow over the A/C condenser in stop/go traffic. The W126 A/C was designed for R12 refrigerant and is marginal at best with R134A. I used a resistor to trick the fan into running at...
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