OWNER - maciejd (400E)

[maciejd]

Hello Everyone.

Yes, it’s not a E500E, but I also noticed some of this community shared their 400 here. Why then Shouldn’t I try?
First things first: my name is Maciej, I live in Warsaw. Poland. Married, 2 kids, somewhere between 350 and 500kg of LEGO bricks, 5 carsat home and by wife’s rules and policies (entreaties? ) at least one shouldbe able to drive in a given moment of time

The other thing. It is a 1992 400E (WDB1240341B648383) that left the factory line in November 1991 from what I found. Original destination market USA and most of its life spent in CA. Color scheme extremely popular in US (147/68/268), here in Europe not too much. Regarding 400E/E420 – I haven’tseen any white one, personally.
After a damage in 2015 imported back to Europe. It’s not a collectible car. 190k miles on ODO, in the past right side damaged and painted in US, engine hood painted in US. Left side not too heavily touched. Bought itwith damaged rear belt and slightly damaged front (most probably hit in the rear and the front just touched a car in front). Typical “sandwich” accident.
Why then bought it? Ok, some reality on finding a decent 400E in Poland /Europe. Not so many 400Es. If there is a 4 liter W124, then it will be most probably E420. I preferred pre-facelift. The other thing is that most of the hardware being sold on a reasonable price level is not rust free. I’m not talking about surface rust. I’m talking about structural rust that requires cutting off and rebuilding crucial elements of the car: chassis members, rear suspension mounting points, floor panels. Of course everything is doable but after having two vans that are not brand new frankly speaking, I simply didn’t want to go through this one more time.

So, my one is white, is a 400E, in general was a rust free as 25 years old car can be (here and there minor rust, but not something that needs urgent attention), has gray interior at was pretty cheap considering the buy-price. A lot of smaller and bigger things needed to be done: most of them known as a start-package, rest typical for older cars, some surprises, as usual. Nothing new.
The restoration has started in February/March 2016. What has happened so far?

• Replacement of the ignition (wires, distributor caps, spark plugs, sealing camshaft to prevent oil leaking into the caps)
• Fixing the rear belt, repainting rear to make the car usable on the road
• Front suspension rebuilt: new bushings, bearing, new steering rods, sandblasted and repainted suspension arms, put new struts(Sachs), new springs (H&R) on 4-bump rubbers, new top strut mounts etc.
• Rebuilt original wiring for the 810 option advanced audio system, found proper Becker tuner (EU version), amplifiers etc.– all in place and working now as expected When I bought the car, there was some kind of fancy Pioneer DVD mounted in that had its best time gone long timeago.
• Front lights replaced with Europe version
• Rear suspension rebuilt: all new sub frame mounting rubbers (MB OE), new arms (Lemforder), lower arms sandblasted and painted, put new bushings all over (Lemforder or OE, depends on what was easier to get), new bearing, new anti-roll bar from 500E, new struts (Sachs) and last, but not least: new springs. Initially H&R on 3-bump rubber pads, however it sat too low. Now it’s about used, sandblasted and painted 500E springs on 1-bump pads. Should be OK, not tested yet because…
• The chassis has been cleaned out, inspected for damages and protected against rust; more or less 5-6kg of wax in total was alsoput into chassis profiles.
• The gear box is out for being rebuilt (sealing and discs)
• The engine is out for the chain replacement (Iwis chain, SWAG tensioner, FEBI chain guides – exactly what you find in OE package now), complete sealing etc. – it’s hard to make a list of everything, but I managed to get complete gasket set from Elring, Reinz head gaskets, Reinzhead bolts, OE sealing for the steering pump, new water pump from Behr/Hella, new bearings is going to the steering pump, AC compressor, air pump, alternator(which is to be rebuilt). Heads are cleaned out, valves are cleaned and polished, new valve seals put etc. etc.
• Exhaust manifolds are sent to be covered with fresh ceramic coat, the complete exhaust has been cleaned out and painted, butI want to replace it with something made of stainless steel
• Blabla bla, bla bla bla…

That is only about the major bullet points. There are also small things like new windshield washer reservoir, pumps, 16” 15-hole wheels,new Michelin HP tires, new flexible brake lines with steel cover, got also setof 320/300 calipers that are waiting to be put on (I changed recently the front discs and pads, so these need to wait for their turn).
The car is to be painted in the Jan/Feb 2017 to make the white color the same all around in every light. Now only looks OK during asunny day. When cloudy or in a photo camera flash light, you can easily find 3 white shades on it. If you are good, even four

After somehow long introduction here is goes. I hope the attachments will be attached by name, chronologically.

 

[Eno]

Good job, congrats.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lowman]

wow.....love it
doing some super work right there.and lovely to see it beeing taken care of...and me personally think its COOL that its a 400e...they are often overlooked in every aspect..so i think they will get rarer and rarer.
And ..loovely looking in white with the gullideckel wheels.

cheeers from Norway

 

[sheward]

Very nice job! That new driving position should make parallel parking easier. Thanks for sharing.

drew

 

[gsxr]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing the photos, Maciej. Your 400E will be as good as new when you're done...

 

[Jlaa]

Wow. Way to set the bar super high. So very nice to see.

 

[maciejd]

Thank you all for the nice words.

There is still a lot to be done. You know, two items from the to do list are wiped out, three new are being added.
For now the engine compartment is washed and all engine accessories are cleaned, more or less.
This week all engine sealing / gaskets are going to be replaced and that will be the moment the engine will start being put back together slowly. Unfortunately the exchaust manifolds are going to be ceramized after new year, so we won't be able to put the engine back till then. On the other hand when assembling the engine, most probably a lot of smaller or bigger details will need to be ordered (some wire clamps etc.). It will take a time too.

More photos to come as only something new will happen.

 

[maciejd]

Not much has happened over last two weeks however new or refurbished pieces are coming.

New ignition barrel I had some troubles to order (MB Europe haven't the data on my car as it is USDM) and when I got the master key code from Mercedes Classic Center, it took another 6 or 7 weeks to get the part. Here it is and even the key fits!

Also cleaned exhaust manifolds got back with a fresh ceramic coat. What a pity the workshop doing this is not offering the white coat anymore. I've chosen aluminium colour instead. Gray or satin-black could be too dark.

Happy New Year to everyone!

 

[KoLoS]

Maciek, I keep fingers crossed for Yours project!
Good job, looking forward for progress pictures

 

[maciejd]

Not that nothing is happening. It is happening.

The engine is being assembled back together. Slowly. But it is. In the queue is the gearbox as well.





I have some time, the rest (remainings? ) of her is now in the bodyshop. Ok, not extremaly good looking one, but this is not the point. The point is that I'm allowed to disassemble her as well as put together myself. This is good as it's a perfect chance to review all the details and decide if these need attention or not.



All door and window seals are going to be brand new. All window and roof trims as well.

In the meantime, something for fun. Wait a minute, isn't all of it just for fun?



<strike></strike>

 

[albdentist]

wow

 

[darek_u]

Hej Maciej is your car being rebuild by Kamylek? Kam-Merc?

 

[tsuintx]

Nice job! Exactly the same year and color combos than mine.

 

[maciejd]

Hej Maciej is your car being rebuild by Kamylek? Kam-Merc?

Yes, the engine, gearbox and rear suspension is under Kamil's governance. Paint job is done by someone else. Assembling / disassembling, details etc. is on me or with my support to also have some fun
Personally my experience with M119 is too small to get such a job only on it. Kamil has done such rebuilds many times.

Nice job! Exactly the same year and color combos than mine.

Thanks. Keep it running - in 3-5 years not so many will left on the road.

Ok, to make the update "watchable", let's upload some photos of what is happening.

- engine is almost assembled - lacking freshly painted valve covers and some details
- the roof upholstery is being renewed - today I'm putting new material on it
- the body is reviewed, fixed where necessary, wrinkled out, primed, wrinkled out, primed again (the final primer not on photos) - the goal is to fix previous repairs faults and end up with not too thick filler/primer/paint layer on the body
- I also managed to get oil cooler lines and a brand new oil cooler - the lines were rebuilt (the flexible part) - hurray!
- the rear window shade also arrived, needs some cleaning, but I'm extremely happy I was able to get one in a reasonable price
- new door seals, side window seals, front lights (Automotive Lighting), door panels clips and some smaller things I don't remember about has arrived

Last two bullets reduced the "want to have" list to the CD changer and full option AC panel.




Considering last time I drove it (September last year) I cannot wait to put back the lady together and get for a ride...

 

[doolar]

Did you get a new key for your new lock cylinder? It's highly recommended since the old key(s) usually is very worn.

In all a very nice job! I have done about the same to my .034, bar the engine and transmission work. You will be so happy once finished!

 

[maciejd]

Did you get a new key for your new lock cylinder? It's highly recommended since the old key(s) usually is very worn.

That's the plan. As long as I wasn't sure if the master key number I got from MB from US is correct one, I ordered only the barrel. Once it is working (and it is) I'm going to order the key.
My set is not extremely worn. I would say it's OK. This way or another new key is on its way and... the ignition barrel is not replaced yet

In all a very nice job!

Thx!

You will be so happy once finished!

I hope so. It's getting way beyond what I initially planned for such a toy and way beyond any reasonable sell price. Who cares It's to be in the garage till the end. Her or mine.

 

[darek_u]

I hope so. It's getting way beyond what I initially planned for such a toy and way beyond any reasonable sell price. Who cares It's to be in the garage till the end. Her or mine.

Amen. This is exactly what happened to me when I rebuild my Porsche - costs sky rocketed beyond any reasonable limits but it was worth of, by all means Now it is sentenced for life in my garage
As far as Merc is concerned having the lesson learnt with previous car I want to keep up with the planned budget as far as possible, it is not going to be "hardcore resto", down to single bolt and nut, but definitely I want to start with engine and bottom of the car rebuild. I was thinking about Kam-Merc to do this but I have some doubts. I'll shoot you PM later.

 

[maciejd]

Ok, here it goes. An update. It's getting slowly to the end. Piece by piece, element by element... primer, grinding, primer, grinding.... paint... grinding, polishing... bla bla bla...

 

[TerryA]

Wow maciejd that looks like a first class job. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Keep up the good work.

Take Care

 

[maciejd]

Thank you Terry. I can't wait as well. Hopefully it's getting to the finish. Rather milestone named "able to be driven again". For now a little success is it is waterproof so all the seals are in place

 

[maciejd]

So, I haven't been here for a while as the "non-Mercedes" part of my life took ownership of the calendar. It doesn't mean nothing has happened. It has.

The car is put together and more or less stabilized. I'm not even counting what has been replaced/done. A lot and a couple of things more.

I know, if there are no photos it hasn't happened. So here they go:

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[TerryA]

Maciejd,

Your car looks amazing. After all of the work you put into it, now is time to enjoy your accomplishments.
It looks so good, I would almost be afraid to drive it.

I wish you many years of “Happy Motoring”

Take Care

 

[JC220]

So, I haven't been here for a while as the "non-Mercedes" part of my life took ownership of the calendar. It doesn't mean nothing has happened. It has.

The car is put together and more or less stabilized. I'm not even counting what has been replaced/done. A lot and a couple of things more.

I know, if there are no photos it hasn't happened. So here they go...

Your car looks fantastic – as new! Great job. It’s nice to see an Arctic White w124 too. Please keep the updates coming

 

[maciejd]

Thank you for the nice comments.

Yes, when finding a parking place or just driving in a city traffic I catch myself I'm doing doule calculations what is happening or what might happen around. The problem is that even small accident will be classified as total loss - the insurance companies in their books have 400E priced for 1000USD. More or less the price for the set of windows/roof trims and seals. Or OE door seals. I need to work this out and get individual value calculation, "just in case".

This way or another, driving her is a pleasure and all the workload/problems/maddening situations just pays off.

What is interesting, as many of you have a battle with aftermarket springs. Initially I assembled the car with H&R -35mm and 4 bump (front) / 3 bump (rear) pads. Front was OK, rear was just 15-20mm too low. After replacing all the metal/rubber elements in the rear suspension rear sits almost 20mm higher. As for now it's just OK and with correct wheel size (225/50/R16, 7.5J, ET41) it's not a problem anymore!

 

[TerryA]

Maciejd,

Speaking of the H&R springs. Your lowering looks perfect with your AMG Monoblocks. I think you stated you are using 225-50/R16 tires. Is that on those Monoblocks?

My experience lowering a 300E long ago (around 1995) was not a good one. I had used Eibach springs and 17” Monoblocks. The ride was very harsh on 17” wheels. It took lots of $$$ to fix the ride to my satisfaction. It took adding Koni Red Adjustables up front and Koni on the rear. Ended up changing tire size to 215-50/17 instead of typical 225-45/17. Had to roll the fender lips up front. All sorts of problems that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Maybe with today’s tire tech 17 tires might not be as problematic but if I still had that car I would be on 16s.

Also, can you purchase agreed value insurance like Hagerty or Grundy in Poland?
If you haven’t looked into it you should give it a try.

Take Care

 

[maciejd]

The exact setup of the wheels is:

- front: AMG spacers for the fendres + rolled lip of the arch; 205/55/R16 on 7.5J ET41; 4 bump spring pads, H&R -35mm spring, Sachs 115069 struts
- rear: factory archs; 225/50/R16 on 7.5J ET41, 3 bump spring pads with H&R -35mm springs, Sachs 106879 shocks, 500E stabilizer bar [sway bar]

Factory 500E settings for the wheels geometry.

I did a try with same setup but old suspension bushings (and factory rear stab) and 8J ET34 R16 gulli wheels. On the rear it was terrible and too low. Then I replaced rear H&R with sportline springs with 1-bump pads. Handling was OK, but way too high. Then, after rebuilding whole suspension I did another try to the H&R on the rear but with "narrower" AMG pre-merger wheels with quite high ET. Bingo. It's perfect, however visually it needs 3-5mm spacers on the rear

I was thinking of R17 wheels but considering Polish roads and the weight of the car, it won't end up any good.
Now the car is much stiffer than on factory (non-sportline) springs. Also all new (literally, all - OE or Lemforder) bushings, pads etc. did the job.
Now it is driving like a new car. Not sure how brand new W124 should behave, but it is comparable with brand new cars on the corners and comfortable on the road. Small bumps are much more perceptible than factory springs.

Sure there are companies that can professionally value the car and almost all insurance companies can offer insurance based on that. I need to finish couple of things and I will go that way.

Cheers!

 

[TerryA]

Maciejd,

I think you chose wisely using the 16s and it looks great.

 

[maciejd]

Just a quick update. I don't want to be too optimistic, but despite a need for tightening oil pan bolts it just drives

The Merc offcially got a name Marcelina (Marcelyn).

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[a777fan]

bravo sir!!!

 

[Steve119]

Amazing topic, good job!