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OWNER JwashE

JwashE

JwashE

93 500e
Member
Hi all. I've had an 036 that has shown up here before. I've owned the car for 3 years but it's spent most of that time with a well known man in the Mercedes / e500e community getting a thorough reworking. Including all new front end lighting, complete suspension overhaul using only factory parts, and the installation of what may be the only known rdot NOS short block. Cosmetically, it was taken down to bare metal and given a complete respray in its original color. I will post pictures in the coming weeks once I get the car back in my garage full time. Here's a teaser or two...image.jpgimage.jpg
 
Selective portions of the interior wood, switchgear, and leather have been reconditioned (Madera Concepts in Santa Barbara). The carpet is original, but may be completely replaced at some point soon.
 
Well, I finally retrieved the car yesterday. It's beyond stunning. To drive a 500E with a NOS short block, gorgeous fresh paint, all new factory suspension, a factory certified rebuilt transmission, is magical. The man who did this work is Robert Fenton. He and I have obsessed over this project for years and we both agree that this driving experience is as close to "new" as might be imaginable. Picking the car up yesterday was hugely emotional for both of us. The experience of a lifetime.

PXL_20201017_181837223.jpg
 
Congrats J,

The car looks beautiful in the pics. Now "Get your Motor Running and Get Out on the HIghway":thumbsup2:

BTW, is that you in the pics? You never know when one of us will spot you.

lol
 
As you all know, headlights wiper arms are tough to come by. Mine are a bit chipped. If anyone has a set they'd consider selling, I'm interested.
 
The metal wiper arms are difficult to source in mint condition. If yours only have the paint chipped, I would have them stripped if needed, and re-painted. Left side is available new, right side is NLA.

:124:
 
As you can see from previous seller threads, I purchased the car out of Arizona. Prior to that, the car had spent most of its life in California where it has been since I purchased it. We were beyond thrilled to strip the body down to bare metal and see that it had a perfectly straight, unmolested body. Not a single spec of bondo/filler anywhere on the car and ZERO rust anywhere!
IMG_20170805_092721.jpg
 
Whoa. Your car is a rolling NLA-machine! The cats and front crossover pipe are also NLA. Only the muffler is still available. Hope the old parts weren't scrapped.

:wahoo:
 
The previous owner had the crossover pipe custom fabricated and it wasn't a particularly good interpretation of what the good people at Mercedes Benz thought worked best...
 
The car wears its original 500E badge which was carefully removed before paint stripping began. It was given a thorough polishing before being reapplied in exactly the right place on the rear of the trunk.
 
A few other items worth noting:
Of course many new hoses, clamps etc..
We left in the original fluid reservoirs just cuz..😀
 
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I noted some of the interior reworking in an earlier post...
  • Most of the wood was redone by Madera. We repaired leather that needed repair and replaced panels only when no option was available to maintain the original leather.
  • Once final detailing of the interior is done, I'll post pics.
  • The front driver and passenger door panels were repaired due to both pockets delaminating.
  • The b-pillar drivers side panel on the interior was replaced with a refurbed one in Robert's stash due to the original being delaminated to the point of no repair.
  • The driver seat adjustment switches were replaced with new factory switch gear.
  • One major wart on the interior is a highly functional but aesthetically painful aftermarket stereo. I have some ideas on this one but curious to get a reaction from the board on what you all think should be done....?
  • We resisted replacing the bottom cushion of the driver's seat, but after driving the car 20 miles, I'm not sure I can live with it. Any suggestions on best source of replacement padding? I know the original is NLA..
J
 
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@gerryvz , thank you for founding this board all those years ago that I lurked on it like a scared kid. You have given us a gift of a place to commune and archive these special cars! Glad this one has finally become a much better version of its recent self!
 
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JwashE said:
I noted some of the interior reworking in an earlier post...
  • Most of the wood was redone by Madera. We repaired leather that needed repair and replaced panels only when no option was available to maintain the original leather.
  • Once final detailing of the interior is done, I'll post pics.
  • The front driver and passenger door panels were repaired due to both pockets delaminating.
  • The b-pillar drivers side panel on the interior was replaced with a refurbed one in Robert's stash due to the original being delaminated to the point of no repair.
  • The driver seat adjustment switches were replaced with new factory switch gear.
  • One major wart on the interior is a highly functional but aesthetically painful aftermarket stereo. I have some ideas on this one but curious to get a reaction from the board on what you all think should be done....?
Click to expand...
My vote is for - restore the headunit to OE BE1432. Utilize aftermarket amplicfication and aftermarket speakers in the original locations (for invisibility) and use aftermarket DSP to align the phase of the bass frequency coming from the doors such that the driver experiences rich bass. It is not necessary to install an aftermarket subwoofer.

Use various methods discussed (like emulation of original BE980 CD changer) to get bluetooth into the BE1432. The phone plays the music over bluetooth --- the BE1432 is then used as a pre-amp with the clicky click volume bar.
 
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JwashE said:
  • We resisted replacing the bottom cushion of the driver's seat, but after driving the car 20 miles, I'm not sure I can live with it. Any suggestions on best source of replacement padding? I know the original is NLA..
J
Click to expand...
I thought @TimL had some for sale?
 
JwashE said:
  • We resisted replacing the bottom cushion of the driver's seat, but after driving the car 20 miles, I'm not sure I can live with it. Any suggestions on best source of replacement padding? I know the original is NLA..
Click to expand...
Jlaa said:
I thought @TimL had some for sale?
Click to expand...
TimL said:
I did, alas they sold. One was only good for the heating elements it contained and the other one had some life left in it to be used as an actual replacement cushion.
Click to expand...

Allright then. @JwashE - I was saving this for my passenger's side seat if I ever need to replace it in the future --- but I would consider trading it for some other uniquely NLA parts --- might you have any NLA parts that you no longer need? This seat pad is new.

Cheers.

IMG_0549.jpeg IMG_0550.jpeg IMG_0551.jpeg IMG_0552.jpeg
 
Jlaa said:
My vote is for - restore the headunit to OE BE1432. Utilize aftermarket amplicfication and aftermarket speakers in the original locations (for invisibility) and use aftermarket DSP to align the phase of the bass frequency coming from the doors such that the driver experiences rich bass. It is not necessary to install an aftermarket subwoofer.

Use various methods discussed (like emulation of original BE980 CD changer) to get bluetooth into the BE1432. The phone plays the music over bluetooth --- the BE1432 is then used as a pre-amp with the clicky click volume bar.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input @Jlaa. Much appreciated! I had been leaning in that direction. It's the one area of the car I have considered throwing an unconventional twist in, but do so with aesthetic queues to originality. Do you suggest calling Becker (in NJ) to map the setup or do you have another vendor you recommend? My original head unit is long gone..
 
JwashE said:
Hi Jlaa, appreciate the offer! I'll PM you to discuss in more detail!
Click to expand...
Thanks For contacting me. Ok just for full transparency, @JwashE I wish you the best of luck in your search. If your seat pad bolster is broken, there are foam experts out there that can repair them (but the one I have used before in Corpus Christie, TX has unfortunately retired)....... look for Porsche upholsterers that can weld and convert “standard” 80s/90s seats to “sport seats.” The process includes welding modifications to the frame and new custom foam. The custom foam expertise is what you want.

This is in contrast to “normal-tier upholstery shops” that order manufactured seat leathers from places like GAHH and install them on new OE seat foams. You want “higher-tier shops” that can do everything from scratch.

JwashE said:
Thanks for the input @Jlaa. Much appreciated! I had been leaning in that direction. It's the one area of the car I have considered throwing an unconventional twist in, but do so with aesthetic queues to originality. Do you suggest calling Becker (in NJ) to map the setup or do you have another vendor you recommend? My original head unit is long gone..
Click to expand...

I recommend first study the wiring diagrams in the ETM to know what you are looking at .... start here OWNER - jlaa | Owners and Their Cars. Also here How to add a good Alpine 6 CD changer to your Becker 1432 without rewiring ANYTHING | In-Car Entertainment (ICE). I do not recommend calling anyone to map the setup because no one out there has more expertise at this outside tribal knowledge of this board.

Note - this approach is very satisfying but requires a fair amount of study. Just be aware of it - throwing dollars at a stereo shop wont work because they would rather install all newest gear. Once you have adequately planned your approach and amassed all the parts you need, which might also include some NLA cables (or you can make them) I can point you to an excellent stereo shop in Roseville CA to do the heavy lifting .... just recognize though that the design would be all you —- dont let a shop design it.

Becker in NJ will just want to replace the caps in the factory amps and solder a BT receiver chip inside the BE1432 which works but for my tastes is inelegant as the approach disables the tape deck.
 
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JwashE said:
Here are the for sale threads of the car going back several years....

SOLD - SOLD: 1993 500E, Silver/Grey, 134kmi, $18k (Tempe, AZ) | Cars for Sale - 500E / E500 ONLY

ADMIN UPDATE 1: Car is for sale again by new owner June-2016, eBay auction with no reserve. Thread title updated. ADMIN UPDATE 2: Car is for sale again by new dealer/flipper July-2016. Thread title updated with new miles/price/location. ADMIN UPDATE 3: Price reduced September 2016, now...
www.500eboard.co
Click to expand...
I'm particularly fond of the BaT feature on the car at the time I bought it....

Sub-$20K Interstate Crusher: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E
 
Also worth noting that:
  • factory 16" wheels were refinished by the prior owner and are in perfect shape.
  • New Continental extreme contact tires were mounted
  • Brake pads and rotors were replaced with new factory parts.
  • A WOT module was purchased on the board but has not yet been installed.
  • The spring in the front hood emblem was replaced with a new one..
  • The insulation pad under the hood was replaced with a new one
  • The spare wheel is original and the complete tool kit came with the car at time of my purchase.
  • The headliner was redone by a previous owner and is still in its correct condition.
 
Well at it appears I got ahead of myself. The passenger side parking light isn't working and for some reason, the ABS dash warning light is now on. After a lot of fidgeting, I was able to get the parking light to function so it's not the bulb. It's the harness. Hope these are still available....as a point of reference, I am trying to use the US bulbs and harnesses vs switching all to Euro.
 
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