WANTED Car phone, and all relative parts

[Rain]

Anyone have or know of an OEM car phone that's available and in good condition? I know a lot of people end up just taking them out since they can no longer have cell service, as well as take up the limited space in the armrest compartment.... so I thought I'd see if there might be one that's just sitting in a garage or something. I'm looking for one with all the relative parts, including the cradle, overhead box that goes between the sun visors, the overhead box's mounting bracket, and the module for the trunk.

Let me know!

 

[Eno]

There is a Greek guy on Facebook selling brand new Motorola phones in boxes with all MB new accessories at W124 Enthusiasts page I believe.

 

[Rain]

There is a Greek guy on Facebook selling brand new Motorola phones in boxes with all MB new accessories at W124 Enthusiasts page I believe.

Oh really? That's pretty cool. Is it this one?



I sent a Join-request--we'll see if I can get hooked up. Thanks for the lead.

 

[Eno]

This is the guy I was talking about.

 

[Rain]

Hm... looks to be different from the one that was offered at dealers for our cars here in the states. Does he have any of those?

 

[edfreeman]

You talking about this thing?

 

[Rain]

You talking about this thing?

View attachment 111496

Yep

 

[LWB250]

You do realize these are analog and won't work with modern cellular systems, right?

Dan

 

[Rain]

You do realize these are analog and won't work with modern cellular systems, right?

Dan

Yep, I know.

 

[LWB250]

Yep, I know.

OK, just curious. I figured you did. This is just for "period correctness", I presume?

Dan

 

[Rain]

OK, just curious. I figured you did. This is just for "period correctness", I presume?

Dan

Pretty much, yeah. I know they’re essentially just useless plastic by this point, and that they take up all the space in the armrest, ha. But I’m still looking for one.

 

[northNH]

Worth to you what?
(Unwilling to remove the overhead unit, etc)

 

[edfreeman]

Look, you can have it. Cord is degraded from the 26 years it's been in the car (much of it in California), but I'd expect an enterprising person could open it up and attach a new cord, especially since it will never work again. Just flip the postage back to me if you want it.

Edit: Whoops, I see another has been posted up, and for the record, I'm not taking out the overhead unit either, whatever the heck that is.

 

[Rain]

Look, you can have it. Cord is degraded from the 26 years it's been in the car (much of it in California), but I'd expect an enterprising person could open it up and attach a new cord, especially since it will never work again. Just flip the postage back to me if you want it.

Edit: Whoops, I see another has been posted up, and for the record, I'm not taking out the overhead unit either, whatever the heck that is.

View attachment 111512

Oh that’s very kind of you! Thanks for offering it!

I'm hoping to get one with all the parts, including the overhead unit--seems like most people tend to pair them together, or so I'm finding. So I'll keep looking, but I'll definitely keep you at the top of my hunt list! I super appreciate it.

 

[Rain]

Worth to you what?
(Unwilling to remove the overhead unit, etc)

Same as above--hoping to find one with all the other parts, too--but I definitely appreciate it! I'll add you as well to my hunt list.

 

[gsxr]

Pretty sure I've got the trunk box if you need it. I generally remove them.

The overhead panel should be easy to source from a junkyard car. You may be able to assemble all the items, if nobody has a complete kit.

☎

 

[Rain]

Pretty sure I've got the trunk box if you need it. I generally remove them.

The overhead panel should be easy to source from a junkyard car. You may be able to assemble all the items, if nobody has a complete kit.

☎

Awesome! Good thinking. Added you to the list, too. Maybe I can combine 4 or 5 forum members like Voltron, ha.

What exactly is the trunk box, by the way? Does it impact any sounds that come from button presses, or the "beep" when the car starts? Or is all that from the cabin components?

 

[LWB250]

Awesome! Good thinking. Added you to the list, too. Maybe I can combine 4 or 5 forum members like Voltron, ha.

What exactly is the trunk box, by the way? Does it impact any sounds that come from button presses, or the "beep" when the car starts? Or is all that from the cabin components?

The "beep" comes from the overhead unit.

I've got one in my 95 E420, but I don't want to take it out because there will be three holes where it was mounted...I would love to get rid of it so I can put the little "middle" sun visor in place, but I'm not sure how I would deal with the holes.

There's an RJ-45 cable that connects the overhead unit with the rear box in the trunk. That's the only cabling to the overhead unit that I know of.

Dan

 

[Rain]

The "beep" comes from the overhead unit.

I've got one in my 95 E420, but I don't want to take it out because there will be three holes where it was mounted...I would love to get rid of it so I can put the little "middle" sun visor in place, but I'm not sure how I would deal with the holes.

There's an RJ-45 cable that connects the overhead unit with the rear box in the trunk. That's the only cabling to the overhead unit that I know of.

Dan

Ah. So, is it that the handset connects via cabling to the trunk box, and the overhead unit connects via cabling to the trunk box, and that completed circuit generates the button press sounds that come out of the overhead box speaker?

 

[LWB250]

Ah. So, is it that the handset connects via cabling to the trunk box, and the overhead unit connects via cabling to the trunk box, and that completed circuit generates the button press sounds that comes out of the overhead box?

I presume so. I have no handset any longer, but I hear the "beep" or more correctly the tone if I disconnect the battery and reconnect it.

Dan

 

[Rain]

I presume so. I have no handset any longer, but I hear the "beep" or more correctly the tone if I disconnect the battery and reconnect it.

Dan

Well, if you figure out a way to address the 3 holes(does the mini visor not cover them?), and decide to get rid of that overhead box and trunk box, lemme know!

 

[gsxr]

Also, the driver/left dash speaker is part of the phone system... it's a dual-voicecoil driver. One coil for the radio, the other for the phone. I believe it's the same on all cars so you shouldn't need to source this separately. The hands-free setup has phone audio play out of that speaker, I think.

 

[Rain]

Also, the driver/left dash speaker is part of the phone system... it's a dual-voicecoil driver. One coil for the radio, the other for the phone. I believe it's the same on all cars so you shouldn't need to source this separately. The hands-free setup has phone audio play out of that speaker, I think.

So, does the left dash speaker and hands-free speaker both play the same audio? Or do they have separate, distinctive audio functions?

 

[gsxr]

I believe the left dash speaker *is* the hands-free speaker. The microphone is in the roof console.

 

[duuder]

Look, you can have it. Cord is degraded from the 26 years it's been in the car (much of it in California), but I'd expect an enterprising person could open it up and attach a new cord, especially since it will never work again. Just flip the postage back to me if you want it.

Edit: Whoops, I see another has been posted up, and for the record, I'm not taking out the overhead unit either, whatever the heck that is.

View attachment 111512

You talking about this thing?

View attachment 111496

these phone's bring back memories, id be interested if available

 

[Glen]

I’m sure I have the cradle, overhead panel, and trunk box buried somewhere in the garage. If I can find them, I can be persuaded to part with them.

 

[Rain]

I’m sure I have the cradle, overhead panel, and trunk box buried somewhere in the garage. If I can find them, I can be persuaded to part with them.

Awesome! Definitely let me know if you find them, and what condition they're in. I'm looking/hoping for a set that's in really good condition.

 

[edfreeman]

This overhead console, I don't see one in my '94. I think I remember phone buttons on the old head unit, but not sure What's the history of this thing?

 

[gsxr]

This overhead console, I don't see one in my '94. I think I remember phone buttons on the old head unit, but not sure What's the history of this thing?

The overhead console is only present if the car had the dealer-installed phone kit. The car was pre-wired from the factory, but the dealer added the trunk box, handset in rolltop box (1992 only) or flip-top armrest (1993-up), and overhead console/panel.

 

[Jlaa]

The overhead console is only present if the car had the dealer-installed phone kit. The car was pre-wired from the factory, but the dealer added the trunk box, handset in rolltop box (1992 only) or flip-top armrest (1993-up), and overhead console/panel.

That stuff was $$$$$$$$$$$$ back in the day. I've recently been examining the Motorola-supplied-PCB board of the overhead control unit and compared it the PCB board from the Mercedes N7 Bulb Out W warning relay.

The Motorola Phone Control PCB is appropriately sophisticated - two layer board, all surface mount devices with tiny little resistors, reverse mount LEDs that shine THROUGH the board, carbon-contact silicone buttons, expensive 2-bar HP (now Broadcom) segment LEDs. Its as if Motorola tried to make the most expensive board possible.

The Mercedes N7 BOW relay board (probably engineered first for the w126 as it has a 126 part number) is completely archaic in comparison. Instead of a two-layer board, they made two one-layer THROUGH HOLE separate boards with discrete through-hole components and just connected the two boards with some cable in a sandwich.

 

[Glen]

Ok, found ‘em.
I have the trunk box with bracket, handset with cradle, and overhead unit. These all came out of my 744 silver ‘94 E500 about 15 years ago. The handset wire is a little frayed but otherwise everything looks great and powered up when removed. I also have an additional handset cradle and an unknown bracket that was packed together.

 

[Glen]

Oh, in case you are interested, I also have two MB 6-disc changers. The one with the included cover, came out of my 744 car. The other one from the high miler.

 

[gerryvz]

One of the very first things I did when I got my car in 2003 was to remove the cradle and phone in the armrest, and the junk in the trunk. Left the overhead console in place. I think I sold that stuff on eBay or to a 500Ecstasy forum member around 2004 or 2005.

Was glad that I did, in retrospect. The removal of the trunk stuff made room on the driver's side for a custom-fabricated bracket for my NOS bottle.

 

[Rain]

Ok, found ‘em.
I have the trunk box with bracket, handset with cradle, and overhead unit. These all came out of my 744 silver ‘94 E500 about 15 years ago. The handset wire is a little frayed but otherwise everything looks great and powered up when removed. I also have an additional handset cradle and an unknown bracket that was packed together.
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Thanks for taking the time to search for them, Glen! PM sent.