OWNER JC220

BigWillieStyle · Jan 13, 2019

Great work sir!

When lollygagging and resignation tend to be the norm, your earnest productivity and appetite for a challenge is admirable! The weather/road conditions over there... Wow... it's like the perfect storm!

If cookies were cars...

JC220 · Jan 13, 2019

BigWillieStyle said:
Great work sir!

When lollygagging and resignation tend to be the norm, your earnest productivity and appetite for a challenge is admirable! The weather/road conditions over there... Wow... it's like the perfect storm!

If cookies were cars...

Thankyou for the kind comments! Yes indeed our climate is not good for classic cars

It’s really only on Saturdays that I can get to do the welding so last weekend completed one rear wheel tub of the car (9 repair areas in the one wheel tub) including remaking a portion of the boot floor: (I have spare panels but didn’t want to waste one on this small area)

Yesterday presented quite a large repair area. This all looked totally fine, all black and solid looking. But I noticed that the underlying material looked like fibreglass. Sure enough hitting it with a grinder and wire brush revealed more of the same rust lurking. Indeed the fibreglass for sure made this worse by trapping in moisture.

(This repair is not yet completed - I need to drill and plug weld through to the strengthening ribs) Other rust areas still be be repaired are visible in the above pictures also. Don’t worry all rust will be correctly repaired in the coming weeks. I will have to puch the MOT date back by a couple more weeks to get all this done :duff:

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Duh_Vinci · Jan 13, 2019

Kind Sir: You are my hero!!!!

Really though, great project with so many challenges as it seems at first, but as you tackle them one at a time - bravo!!!

Regards,
D

JC220 · Jan 13, 2019

Duh_Vinci said:
Kind Sir: You are my hero!!!!

Really though, great project with so many challenges as it seems at first, but as you tackle them one at a time - bravo!!!

Regards,
D

Thankyou very much Duh Vinci! Really glad you like this project :nobmw:

The welding is tough going TBH but pretty soon there will be much more interesting updates when new parts start going on and the red c124 nears road ready status again. After killing a few 124's in 2018 I'm glad to be bringing this one back to life and look forward to driving it. I own 3x c124's but never actually drove any of them yet on the road at all :doh:

JC220 · Jan 13, 2019

PS here are some FAO’s that you guys might be thinking but are too nice to ask!

Will these repairs weaken the car? Absolutely not – the replacement steel used is the same gauge as the MB sheetmetal (Thicker actually than some original panels) and fully seem welded with decent hot welds (not pigeon poop).

Is this cost effective to repair? Sheetmetal and MIG wire are cheap as chips, this is a time investment more than anything else. Since I am a DIY’er there are no labour costs. Having several parts cars of my own available helps alot and I can fab my own repair panels too.

BUT.... even so why do all this work? All c124’s rust heavily like this in our climate. “good ones” are practically non-existent now they all carry rust just exactly like you can see here. Maybe not as obvious or bad – but in my experience they all have rust. Period. This c124 is a rare colour - imperial red and has a very nice parchment leather interior, it is well worth the effort to repair to me. And it has never had any accident damage of any kind which is a big plus.

How long will it last after these repairs? Longer than when it left the factory! Seriously, using hot dip galvanised sheetmetal, ensuring all welds are pin hole free, zinc painting and fully sealing BOTH sides of all repairs with modern paints means the repair sections will most likely last longer than the car they are attached to! Anti-rust wax will also be flooded through all of the shell’s cavities once I’m done welding. Besides that, I will ensure the car is well maintained in the future and that any rust traps are kept clean and free of debris and the underbody is kept waxoyld and protected year on year.

JC220 · Jan 20, 2019

Work has been progressing on the C124 as much as time permits. I had parts to sell from my 124 parts cars too so that took me off it yesterday too. These were rust repair sections other people required!:

NOTE - Pics above are not my red c124!

I needed a break from the c124 weldathon so I turned my attention to the front end. For now the single pot brakes will stay. The discs and pads were in new condition. I took all apart anyway to fully inspect and grease the sliding pins etc. New bleed screws were also fitted. The wheel bearing on the drivers side was topped up with MB grease and set with a dial gauge. The front pass side had a broken wheel bolt stuck and attempts to remove it failed so I took a good used spare hub and fitted a new wheel bearing kit to it for good measure.

The steering system was tired so I replaced both track rods, drag link and the steering damper. Check out the state of the original damper on removal..... very glad I decided to renew it.

I have decided too that I will fully refurbish the rear subframe since it's out. It's going for sandblasting this week then I will paint and install a new Lemforder arm + bolt kit. The rear wheel brake shields are toast so I'll need to renew them and at the same time the rear wheel bearings. I Already have new rear discs, pads and parking shoes ready to go on.

JC220 · Jan 26, 2019

Small update! :jono:

I am now preparing both the 220CE + the 320CE’s subframes, hubs + LCAS for shot blasting followed by hot dip galvanising. The bushing removal was made a doodle with the proper miller tool:

The smaller subframe mount bushings were harder since I did not have a suitable extraction tool. I used a puller that was suitable and a perfectly sized socket from below. But, the socket simply passed through the rubber inards and they weren’t budging at all :doh:

Rather than beating the heck out of the subframe I figured the "least" destructive way of removing the smaller subframe bushings was to set them on fire for 5 mins or so and this worked great since they then very easily pried out:

a777fan · Jan 26, 2019

Awesome! Bet it smelled great too

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gsxr · Jan 26, 2019

JC220 said:
The smaller subframe mount bushings were harder since I did not have a suitable extraction tool. I used a puller that was suitable and a perfectly sized socket from below. But, the socket simply passed through the rubber inards and they weren’t budging at all

I've encountered this many times. The forward/smaller bushings often have the rubber center tear apart, leaving the metal shell stuck in the subframe... usually requiring it to be chiseled out. Miserable job, ugh. Lighting them on fire isn't an option with the subframe still in the car. :doh:

But I sure like your solution!

JC220 · Jan 27, 2019

Hi Trip - yes the smell was great, in fact it's still etched in my nostrils a little! And as Dave says this obviously is not suitable for on car usage. Only if the subframe is completely removed and outside in open air so not any fire risk for your car or property.

It's just as well I'm restoring the red c124s axle I found some shocking bodges that I will share soon. All will be made good with new parts

JC220 · Feb 13, 2019

Hi all, been a busy time with work unfortunately but I did get 2x subframes stripped, shot blasted and hot dip galvanised for both of my C124’s:

Why galvanise? It is very durable and forms a self finish which lasts approx 75 years +. As part of the full immersion process in molten zinc ALL areas are treated including inside the subframe tubes. That is a level of finish and protection paint can never offer. Galvanising forms a very strong bond to the underlying metal (bonded metallurgically).

The coating that results from galvanising is also self-sacrificial. The zinc serves as a sacrificial anode which means that if the coating is scratched, the steel is still protected by the zinc surrounding the scratch up to 3mm away. In contrast, other types of coatings tend to need regular renewal, particularly if they are ever physically breached.

So in summary these subframes will still be looking new when I’m long gone and should never rust again. Cost is very reasonable too for anyone wondering. Once blasted the galvanise treatment was only £30. I won't be painting them for fear of the paint failing and flaking off. Note that newer MBs come with bare aluminium subframes so it's not overly unusual IMO.

I have a pile of parts mounting which means almost everything is going to be new underneath both C124’s so stay tuned :watchdrama:

Duh_Vinci · Feb 16, 2019

That is beautiful work Sir! It really is a pleasure seeing someone taking the time and putting amazing effort into the restoration!

Regards,
D

JC220 · Feb 17, 2019

Duh_Vinci said:
That is beautiful work Sir! It really is a pleasure seeing someone taking the time and putting amazing effort into the restoration!

Regards,
D

Thankyou very much Duh Vinci – glad you like the progress thus far. I wish things could progress faster but with Architecture work commitments it’s very hard to get time to work on the car’s at the moment.

The MOT date has been put back another month so I will concentrate on freeing up some spare time and get stuck back in to getting the red c124 back together and road worthy again!
:3gears:

JC220 · Feb 24, 2019

I have another arrival - in the shape of w140 S320! I was sent a link of the for sale add by a guy I had sold parts to recently. I thought it was at least worth a look at the price and within hours of seeing the add I had went and bought it.

It is MOTd for another 10 months so the timing was also perfect as the MOT just expired on my daily driver so this is a standin for a couple weeks until I have time to fully prep my w211 - which needs broken springs replaced etc.

Good points;

All original, Alloy wheels and Stereo etc
Recently passed the MOT no advisories!
All electrics work 100% apart from the power folding mirrors which I will rewire (Common w140 issue)
Power steering column and sunroof, all working perfect
112k Miles on it
Interior is in very good condition, including the drivers bolster. (I’m getting new black mats for it though)
Non Eco junk wiring in the engine – drives amazing and cruise etc all functions properly.
It has a professional LPG conversion by a PO. That means it runs on dual fuel, with the ability to run on liquid petroleum gas by flicking a switch at approx half the price of petrol and lower road tax too. That system on this car functions perfectly from what I can tell so far and would have cost around £2000 to do at the time.
4x brand new Michelin Tyres fitted by PO along with a new Lucas correct size heavy duty battery

Bad points;
Service book was lost by a PO which is a shame. Although it is very clear that it is a very well maintained example with no expense spared
Had a prior respray in 2016 – see this BW link. The arches are bubbling up but its actually water bubbles under the paint.... very strange. In any event I will repair that soon to prevent serious rust from getting hold.
The heater control panel was faulty so no heat.... I borrowed the one from my S280 and all fine now. Replacement coming from fleabay.
Birds have pecked the rubber seals at the back of the car tail lamps and screen. I have a spare as new set of w140 tail lamps I will swap in. The BW thread will show also that they did not repair a rust hole on the trunk latch..... common w140 problem which I will repair properly.

I bought it in the dark (Like any great JC220 purchase) and I was surprised just how nicely it drove home. Unfortunately (Or maybe fortunately) as soon as I got it home the alternator shit the bed. Next morning it was rebuilt locally and had a blown rectifier. I changed the oil and fitted a new serpentine belt whilst in there.

This is just a brief intro on the S320 and I’m very glad to have found it and be wafting around in it now! I am also very interested to see how "cheap" it is to run a M104 w140 on LPG.

The cost of this luxo barge? £740 – criminal IMO but I’ll take it! Heck the new Michelin tyres along would have cost near £500 locally. What do you guys think? Good buy?

TerryA · Feb 24, 2019

Looks nice from 5K miles away. I think you STOLE IT! Are you looking back over your shoulder?

I’m sure the full scoop will be coming forthwith.

lol

JC220 · Feb 24, 2019

TerryA said:
Looks nice from 5K miles away. I think you STOLE IT! Are you looking back over your shoulder?

I’m sure the full scoop will be coming forthwith.

lol

Hi Terry, yes I've been quietly waiting on sirens but no one has followed me yet!

Besides the log book is signed and sent away already so it's too late for them to change their mind!

a777fan · Feb 24, 2019

JC, im glad I can live my auto hoarding tendencies through you.

The 140 looks great. And its in the best color!

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JC220 · Feb 24, 2019

a777fan said:
JC, im glad I can live my auto hoarding tendencies through you.

The 140 looks great. And its in the best color!

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Thankyou Trip - glad you like it! Yes it suits the Brilliant Silver - I've never owned a silver car before and quite like the W140 in that colour.

The Gas system is working flawless so far - I took it for a 100 odd mile drive today. Then I topped off the LPG tank again. LPG converted cars use a litte more fuel than normal by approx 15%. It seems through very initial calcs that this S320 is doing around 16mpg :| BUT since LPG costs half of the price of Petrol here that is the same as 32 odd MPG on petrol. I'll take that! I topped off the LPG tank again and took a photo of the odometer. So I'll drive it all week to work until it needs filled again, and check the LPG MPG again. This is the little (Tastfully colour matched!) LPG switch and tank guage. I basically leave this on gas 100% now and it starts cold on gas but as soon as you put it in gear and take off it's on Gas all the time thereafter.

a777fan · Feb 24, 2019

Very interesting. LPG conversions don’t seem to be very popular here in the states. I’ve seen taxis and fleet vehicles with them, but thats about it. I’ll be curious to see if you end up liking it long term.

Just caught up on your alternator thread... always amazed by your ability to find the right guy to work on whatever part needs fixing. I would have just tossed the whole thing in the bin and bought a new one, mostly because i would not know where to find anyone with the skill to rebuild em around here. Any tips you can share on finding competent craftsmen who still do this specialized work?

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JC220 · Feb 24, 2019

a777fan said:
Very interesting. LPG conversions don’t seem to be very popular here in the states. I’ve seen taxis and fleet vehicles with them, but thats about it. I’ll be curious to see if you end up liking it long term.

Just caught up on your alternator thread... always amazed by your ability to find the right guy to work on whatever part needs fixing. I would have just tossed the whole thing in the bin and bought a new one, mostly because i would not know where to find anyone with the skill to rebuild em around here. Any tips you can share on finding competent craftsmen who still do this specialized work?

Yes it’s still a little rare here too – I don’t actually know anyone with a LPG car. This one is a first for me (Besides the 230CE parts car that has a piss poor LPG install which works but a huge tank sitting in the trunk) and I am looking forward to putting it to the test. Do I think it’s worth spending £2k on a conversion? Absolutely not IMO payback for a classic car would take years. The prefect thing about this is a PO took that cost hit long ago.

RE the alternator I am very fortunate to know possibly the best alternator / starter rebuilder in the country who is a few miles from my house. He has a super reputation and for good reason! A guy who has decades of experience and genuinely knows his trade inside out. The S320 alternator had a blown rectifier:

He bench tested the alternator first, diagnosed and stripped it + rebuilt it in well under an hour. Closer to 30 mins actually. The rectifier he installed came from a spare alternator he had there so that includes him removing it from another alternator too. He only charged me £20 and it is under warranty now for 2 years with his serial number now etched onto it.

I have a mechanic friend who I visit regular to see his projects and also put my cars on his lift! We share tips on who is good locally for tasks like sandblasting etc. That helps alot to find someone good at their trade locally -word of mouth is the best way IMO. I have gone to tradesmen advertised on facebook etc only to find that their work is substandard and / or they rip me off on price. So I make sure to pass that on to my friends locally! So we help eachother out by sharing who is good and who should be avoided.

a777fan · Feb 24, 2019

Awesome tips! Thx sir. It really is all about the community, isn’t it.

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JC220 · Feb 25, 2019

Just today the S is having some hesitation starting up. Otherwise 100% but twice so far I've went to start it warm and it turns over for 3 / 4 seconds before it coughs into life.

I need to check fuel pressure etc me thinks but it could well be a spark plug issue with running the LPG gas. I know that puts extra pressure on the plugs to perform and I do not know what spark plugs she has fitted at present or how old they are. I guess I'll let it cool off tonight when I get home and pull one to see.

It might require special LPG plugs but i don't know if those will play nice with the m104 ignition system...

JC220 · Feb 25, 2019

JC220 said:
Just today the S is having some hesitation starting up. Otherwise 100% but twice so far I've went to start it warm and it turns over for 3 / 4 seconds before it coughs into life.

I need to check fuel pressure etc me thinks but it could well be a spark plug issue with running the LPG gas. I know that puts extra pressure on the plugs to perform and I do not know what spark plugs she has fitted at present or how old they are. I guess I'll let it cool off tonight when I get home and pull one to see.

It might require special LPG plugs but i don't know if those will play nice with the m104 ignition system...

[FONT=&quot]OK so when I got home the first thing I did was hook on my fuel pressure gauge to the S320. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I tested the pressures running etc and all was in spec. But before I did the leak off (30 min+ time) test I started it repeatidly watching the gauge. About the 12th go the fuel pressure bled off in seconds on shutdown to zero and I caught it on my phone:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][video=youtube;N-rbloIzlYs]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So this is a bad fuel pressure regulator with intermittent rapid fuel pressure loss on shutdown. A new Bosch FPR is ordered and I hope that will be the cure for the occasional hard starting I was experiencing today.[/FONT]

gsxr · Feb 25, 2019

Joe, I think that may be caused by a faulty check valve on the fuel pump... not the FPR...?

Your 140 may have the late-style single fuel pump with integrated check valve. My 210's have the same type of pump, and I had to replace both due to check valve issues.

:klink:

JC220 · Feb 25, 2019

gsxr said:
Joe, I think that may be caused by a faulty check valve on the fuel pump... not the FPR...?

Your 140 may have the late-style single fuel pump with integrated check valve. My 210's have the same type of pump, and I had to replace both due to check valve issues.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for that! Hmm I did not think of the check valve at the pump(s). Is a symptom of a bad Fuel Pump valve check sudden pressure loss at the rail like this? EDIT- on checking my VIN it does appear to have the single late type fuel pump and just to be safe I have ordered a new pump. Don't want this problem continuing too long. This Saturday I will install the new fuel pump, a new fuel filter and the the updated FPR and see if that solves the occasional hard starting.

gsxr · Feb 25, 2019

Joe, in my case it was intermittent hard starting (extended cranking)... difficult to diagnose since it was so intermittent. One day I happened to have the fuel pressure gauge connected to the rail when it happened, and could see the fuel pressure was rising very slowly off zero as it cranked, until eventually pressure built and boom, the engine fired up. New Pierburg (OEM) pump cured it permanently. The other car would mostly act up in hot weather (~100°F) and again, with the new pump the hard starting went away.

:nos:

JC220 · Feb 25, 2019

gsxr said:
Joe, in my case it was intermittent hard starting (extended cranking)... difficult to diagnose since it was so intermittent. One day I happened to have the fuel pressure gauge connected to the rail when it happened, and could see the fuel pressure was rising very slowly off zero as it cranked, until eventually pressure built and boom, the engine fired up. New Pierburg (OEM) pump cured it permanently. The other car would mostly act up in hot weather (~100°F) and again, with the new pump the hard starting went away.

Yes that sounds just like the problem I am having now. I ordered a new Magneti Marelli Fuel pump, I am familiar with this brand and they are OE quality. My parts supplier locally can get it within 48 hours so I went ahead and ordered it.

JC220 · Feb 26, 2019

The heater blower motor on my S320 is squeaking quite loud now all the time and driving me nuts!!

Last night I applied some ATF with a shringe onto the top bearing but that made zero difference. I may have to order a new fan as I can't stand it! Or I'll pull the whole fan out and see if there is a second bearing that needs oiled. Has anyone ever had luck curing squeaking fan bearings just by oiling them? I think it might be a waste of time.....

a777fan · Feb 26, 2019

I have on my a4. The damn thing sounded like a hamster wheel. Popped it out, used some silicone spray at the bearing points, and its been silent since.

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JC220 · Feb 26, 2019

a777fan said:
I have on my a4. The damn thing sounded like a hamster wheel. Popped it out, used some silicone spray at the bearing points, and its been silent since.

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Thank you for that trip - it gives me hope! I will remove the full fan as there must be a lower bearing I cannot see from above- here's hoping!

nocfn · Feb 26, 2019

That is a similar style to the C126, but that is inside the cabin. If you remove the fan from its coffin, you can lube them on each side. I cannot remember if I used ATF on the top and let it gravity feed, but it was successful. If it were under the wiper assembly, id suggest just getting new.

JC220 · Feb 26, 2019

The ATF trick worked wonders! There was a second lower bearing so I got it a nice squirt of ATF using the shringe and put it back together. A 10 minute test run confirmed the agonising squealing is now gone altogether :agree:

gerryvz · Feb 26, 2019

You used Uncle Kent’s “lube your fan” video and his lube kit with all the different types of lube, didn’t you? [emoji48]

JC220 · Feb 26, 2019

gerryvz said:
You used Uncle Kent’s “lube your fan” video and his lube kit with all the different types of lube, didn’t you? [emoji48]

Gerry – you got me! I do suspect however the syringe might be a re-bagged Meyle but cannot prove it......

I also WAS going to buy another updated Oil Filler Cap – but your uncle Kent’s videos educated me on that subject

gsxr · Feb 26, 2019

JC220 said:
I also WAS going to buy another updated Oil Filler Cap – but your uncle Kent’s videos educated me on that subject

Uh-oh. He's into M120's now? The M119 can't be far behind!

:duck:

gerryvz · Feb 26, 2019

Actually the Uncle Kent comment was direct to 281lxm, not you JC. But it's good to know that Unkie Kent is adding value to those beyond just Louis and GSXR.....

nocfn · Feb 26, 2019

I guess I need to search my name to see if there are any shenanigans...

JC220 · Mar 6, 2019

There haven’t been any red C124 resto updates since due to my small motley “fleet” kicking my *ss of late :doh:

My w211 had 2x broken rear springs which I duly replaced and required other work such as 2x new tyres, brake pipes cleaning etc to make it ready for MOT which is coming up in a couple days. I had Thermostat issues on the W204 which was replaced along with a full service to keep it happy. Then with 10 gallon of G-05 + De-ionsed water on hand I set about doing a coolant and cap change on most of the older benzes. This presented some other items such as new belts and thermostats (Need to start getting T Stats by the pallet:|)

The S320 was performing as a stand in daily driver very well indeed until, I put it on a friends lift to check the underbody and what work it needs done. Upon the wheels leaving the ground there was an almighty bang from underneath..... WTF! Put it on up and went under to find the front RH road spring had made a bid for freedom:

I am VERY fortunate this did not happen at speed on a motorway etc..... had to remove what was left without getting it implanted in my face. Then pry what was left back in so as I could limp the old girl home with a severe lean to one side. So the S320 is out of commission and just today the new pair of Bilstein replacement front springs arrived so I can get it back up “Literally” this weekend hopefully. I got 2x springs since they should be replaced in pairs and as a safety issue since I no longer trust the other old spring. I am replacing both front shock absorbers too as the originals look a little wet at the top. If they were faulty they might also have cracked the spring that failed so again, just to be safe.

Otherwise the S320 is in very good condition underneath body wise. No rust at all underneath bar 2x very tiny areas (1p sized) which will be very easy to repair. That was a pleasant surprise and does not explain why water is getting inside the boot. (Trunk) I expected to see lots of rust there but it’s 100% fine and solid. I tried adjusting the boot lid latch as it looked a little high on the back so time will tell if that was the source of the water in the boot. The S320 has had alot of parts installed too and is slowly coming up to my liking. A CV boot is also bad on the S320 so I will wait until the front springs are replaced first then fit the fuel pump at the same time as pulling the driveshaft and Diff for re-seal.

The S280 was taken out of hibernation and is running amazing! Although I noticed that her T stat is also lazy in getting fully up to temp...... no 5 stat this year on order :nomore:

MB V8 · Mar 6, 2019

as they say.......when it rains it pours........espec. with Benzes.....

Duh_Vinci · Mar 6, 2019

JC220 said:
There haven’t been any red C124 resto updates since due to my small motley “fleet” kicking my *ss of late ...

The great thing about having a little "fleet" - fun to drive different one when you want it... But when maintenance time comes around or repairs are needed in preparation for inspection, it seem to happen mostly NOT one at a time :teufel:

Regards,
D

JC220 · Mar 15, 2019

I'm off work a couple of days now and getting back on top of the maintenance. Some red c124 resto coming up and the S320 w140 recent purchase is getting repaired. New springs and shocks are installed up front but I also ended up buying the heavier duty w140 rear springs from Bilstein for it to leave it sitting level hopefully.

I also bought another car today! :wtf:

surprise eh!? A w220 this time and a V8:

https://www.datamb.com/vin/KB3ag2WKl4Q2R79Vp

Pics will be coming soon! It needs some small arch rust areas taken care of. But otherwise a nice original car with great almost full dealer service history. A more pressing problem with the S430 is a misfire on the engine showing on Star as nearly all cylinders...... me thinks I'll start with a new set of 16 spark plugs and go from there. It also came with all new (air, fuel , cabin and oil) Hengst filters and 10L of oil in the trunk so I serviced it this evening too but need to source the plugs tomorrow

Duh_Vinci · Mar 16, 2019

Wow, really... Another MB, huh? I wonder if this new forum version has an "award thingies" for must MB cars purchased in one year? :yourock:

JC220 · Mar 17, 2019

Duh Vinci - Yes that might be an award I could win! :hammerhead:

You guys surely know by now I don’t like to buy the easy ones! “Nothing more expensive than a cheap W220” or something like that applies I’m quite sure.

I did intend to get “good” pics of this W220 but here goes. These are ones I snapped when it just came off the trailer home. Not washed in likely over a year BTW..... I have since washed it and it looks sooo much better without the green moss stuck in the rubber seals

Lets start with the bad points (There are a few):

Missfire on the engine showing on Star as pretty much all cylinders. Spark plugs are likely very overdue so I’ll start with 16 of those!
RUST!! Rust bubbles on the arches and some in the trunk which will require welding (Haven’t seen under it yet either)
PO had taken apart the locking pump and lost some bits. So FUBAR. I’ll source a complete good used pump locally to get the locking working again.
Tyres are age cracked and all 4x require replacing.
Cooling system message on cluster suggests cooling fan might be bad – need to test it.
Passenger seat motor only goes half way back and stops.
No MOT as it has been stood for around 7 years. The PO (1 owner from new) woman had passed away and the car sat on the husbands drive until eventually he sold it to someone 18 months ago. He let it sit outside also then decided to sell so here I am)
The voltage is all over the place at idle and my main suspect is the alternator (Voltage regulator / brushes worn) However, I will have it fully rebuilt this week instead due to the age and mileage of it, it makes sense to do it now.

Good Points,
Original new spare wheel, complete toolkit, owners log book, 2 keys and almost full stamped service history came with it
Starts, runs drives just fine. Airmatic suspension amazingly appears to have no faults. It keeps itself up for months on end( i’m told – so far so good) and does work just fine. I can hear it let out some air when I step out for example. No faults on Star and it raises / lowers by the dash button also no issues.
A/C Works – as do all the electrical buttons inside, sunroof, heated / cooling seats and the seat adjustment front + rear. All power windows work, Parktronic etc all fine. Electronic equipment wise the car is in top order which is very important on any S Class.
PO fitted a new correct 019 heavy duty battery very recently.
All original paint on the car. Never had any paint of any kind which is great. The rust bubbles I will repair with localised paint using MB aerosol can for the basecoat + 2K aerosol clear. Paint needs a major clay, detail and buff which it will get very soon. Headlamps also need restored to remove slight yellowing on the lenses.
The seller of the car included a full set of Mahle filters and 10L of the correct spec fully synthetic oil.

So yeah – it was a great buy I think especially for the price I paid which was very good. Some TLC and fettling and this car will be a really nice driver in a few months and fit for MOT all being well. I did start a “super interior detail” today and got half of the interior done:

Duh_Vinci · Mar 17, 2019

Never in my life I thought I would say this, but never seen this color on MB before and I love this eggplant with this light gray color combo. It is a lot of car! Looking forward to seeing the final product!

Regards,
D

JC220 · Mar 17, 2019

Duh_Vinci said:
Never in my life I thought I would say this, but never seen this color on MB before and I love this eggplant with this light gray color combo. It is a lot of car! Looking forward to seeing the final product!

Regards,
D

Yes it is a colour I have not seen before either! But very, very nice in person. A really deep almost candy red / black metallic paint
Correct name per Vin- ALMANDINE-BLACK METALLIC PAINT (182U)

The interior colour is noted as Mushroom which seems odd. Usually that is a beige colour but this S interior as you say is a light grey leather.

gsxr · Mar 17, 2019

Interior code 265 indicates leather in light cream-ish color of some sort, not gray. It's often hard to differentiate cream vs gray on a computer screen, so I can't tell what the color is in the photos. I don't know the official name of 265 in Europe on an early W220, but in USA it may have been Parchment, Java, or Oyster?

http://www.w124performance.com/docs/mb/articles/1999_brochures/1999_USA_paintwork+upholstery.pdf

http://www.w124performance.com/docs/mb/articles/2000_brochures/2000_USA_paintwork+upholstery.pdf

:mushroom:

TerryA · Mar 18, 2019

Joe,

I like your latest buy. I looks like you got a nice bargain. I hope for you that there is not much rust on the underside.

I’ll look forward to your, shall we say “Mild Touch Up” on this one.

BTW, Get rid of something so you can have to enjoy driving some of beasts.

lol

JC220 · Mar 19, 2019

TerryA said:
Joe,

I like your latest buy. I looks like you got a nice bargain. I hope for you that there is not much rust on the underside.

I’ll look forward to your, shall we say “Mild Touch Up” on this one.

BTW, Get rid of something so you can have to enjoy driving some of beasts.

lol

Hi Terry, Thankyou! And yes you are correct I hardly have time to service the cars I have now. BUT that will change soon........

I couldn’t help but fettle more at the S430 yesterday. Upon opening the alternator the wear can be seen in the original VR:

I inspected the slip rings and they are worn – it is not good practice to slap another VR on and re-fit IMO. So it has been left with my alternator dude for a full strip, rebuild and test. (The voltage in the car was fluctuating quite alot between 13.2 – 14.8 volts)

The PSE pump had been removed and stripped down by the PO. What was left was in the trunk when I bought the car. Using the bare key was annoying me so I wanted to get that working sooner than later. I went to a parts yard and found one pump in a W220. However, they said that pump was faulty and I still bought it for £20

Long story short, about an hour of tinkering I determined the original circuit board in my S430 PSE pump was 100% AOK. But it’s motor was dead + the PO lost the pump parts. So the second pump had a bad board – but perfect motor. On testing the motor it was a ‘lil ripper! So I thought – could I be so lucky?

Out of both PSE pumps I put together one unit and on fitting the car everything worked properly right away!

Door locks, key fobs, all 4x soft close doors + soft close trunk etc all working perfect now. For £20 what a result – so chuffed with that. These used PSE pumps are expensive here at £200+ and who knows what you are buying too – it could equally die in short order. However, that replacement motor was in top order with near zero brush wear and functioning superb so I believe this repaired unit will be good for years now.

JC220 · May 14, 2019

Sorry for the lack of updates on my owners thread. There is a separate thread on here for the S430 which is very nearly MOT ready. Otherwise I have been very busy maintaining the motley fleet.

Just a couple hours ago I bought another project too! :doh:

(Just what I need eh!) A non runner in England but it will be a great project- very excited for it. The pic below is a sneak peek at what it is. V8 powered...

I will take delivery in just over a week all being well so there will be updates and some assistance also in diagnosing why she hasn't ran in many years..... 73k miles and full history. Body and interior very nice in photos at least (bought sight unseen- what could go wrong!!?)

gsxr · May 14, 2019

JC220 said:
Just a couple hours ago I bought another project too! A non runner in England but it will be a great project- very excited for it. The pic below is a sneak peek at what it is. V8 powered...

View attachment 82755

It is soooo nice to see someone else that shares my illness. I'm not alone!

:cloud9:

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