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It's getting empty inside... Spend a few hours today to strip the "loom of doom" and the heater and trying to not forgett where anything goes (which lasted about - 2 seconds ;D).  On the other hand, the engine loom doesn't look terribly difficult... But it's a single piece with all the others. Need to look close at it - but it looks like it'll still be easyer to chnage the whole loom then to cut up two good looms and make 1 DIY loom... Hmmm... |
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Nov 21, 2011 14:50:49 GMT
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Had a bit time today, so I started to drain all the fluids from the car. Finaly got a key and was able to remove the wiring loom. Removed the hydraulic lifters and the - brand new if old - MB exhaust + Wurm cat. Draining the fluids (olive oil containers from Spain, best olive oil in the world! Reson enough to go to Spain next year ;D):  This time I had adequate loading capacity...   Well yeah, not done too much, but slowly getting there. I'm simply unbolting everything that can be unboltet, every little bracket, clamp and clip. I'd even keep most of the shell, if I had the space to keep it ;D Cheers, Jan |
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Nov 25, 2011 16:38:29 GMT
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Proof positive that old car owners are good for the environment, I see you offsetting your carbon footprint with all the recycling there. Also, Twingo!
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Nov 29, 2011 17:10:57 GMT
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Proof positive that old car owners are good for the environment, I see you offsetting your carbon footprint with all the recycling there. Also, Twingo! I'm recycling 'cause I'm a cheapskate  But who cares, the outcome is the same - no matter what intentions are behind... Truth is: if everyone would be doing that, our system would fail terribly. It's based on people buying new stuff - continuously, no matter if they'r old stuff is still good or not (think about iPhone junkys who think they always have to have the newest generation of iPhone (or Pod, or VW - doesn't matter what it is). Or a new 56" plasma TV, "'cause the neighbours got one too" (or whatever reasons are behind). Anyway - rant over; one mans trash is another's treasure. I can happily live with old, 'recycled' stuff - especiallyif it is greasy and smells of petrol or diesel ;D And speaking of which; I swapped a "butchers pan" (what'S the english word for that??) for a special circlip pliers. Also fit's the W124, if not perfect. But good for loading oily, dirty bits into a carpetet trunk:  I wanted to score that very pan for quite a while - and when my mate had no chance (plier or the Jeep would stay in the garage with broken transfere case), I took my opportunity. Also removed a pair of extra-loud two-tone horns from the spares car. This was a factory option, but only for use on "country roads". I hope they'r REALY loud ;D  In other news; I'm runing out of space to store curse word precious spare parts...   Cheers, Jan |
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Hi! Today was good weather and 15°C+ - so a very good day to lift the engine out the shell. The prop shaft was way, way easyer to disconnect than I thought (after my experience with the W124's prop... Which was a PITA). I'm more and more enjoying working on RDW cars. Anyway... Made a easy exit for the engine with the angle grinder... ;D  And then it all went very fast. So fast I didn't take a single photo... But I guess the following shots tell the story quite good ;D   And since I don't have a tractor at home to lift the engine, the Tea has to spend a night in the open, 'till I figured out how to get that damn thing off the bloody trailer... ;D That's what I actually didn't think about...   Tomorrow I will hopefully also be ablke to remove the rear axle. It's only 6 bolts, but two of them are mighty rotten buggers. Got one loose, but the other is stuck solid. I'll see if I can put the compressor in the W124 and bring the rattle gun. This should do. If not, I have my secret weapon in form of a 2m exhaust pipe ;D Cheers, Jan |
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The Tea was carefully observing delivery of more donor organs today, with his one eye...  I removed therear axle of the donor car today. Was quite easy, except one of the large bolts holding the frame was rotten solid in it's rubber bushing. It took a 2m pipe and still lots of force to break the rubber bearing and turn the bolt. But when it came lose, the rear axle basically fell on the ground. It's only 6 bolts holding it... Springs fell out when I dropped the rear of the frame. Conveniently easy to work on those cars. Got only a phone pic...  Rear axle was quickly dismantled (again 6 bolts) and carried home...  Togetehr with a good steering box with surprisingly low amount of play...  And also a good pressure regulator (no sagging rear end) & testicles for the rear suspension. The testicles are IIRC ~100€ each new   And of course the hydraulic jacks (often mislabled as shock absorbers  ), which are over 500€ each new... I will store them extra carefully I had planed on removing the front axle as well today, but it got so stormy that I quit for today... Freezing! That's all. Cheers, Jan |
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That's the culprit that caused me so much trouble and swea(r)ting ;D  |
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Finaly some welding again...     Not on my W123 though. But I earn my living with that kind of work & car for now Sorry for picture quality, forgott my cam and my phone is realy showing it's age there Cheers, Jan |
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Sooo - today was time to remove the last moving bit from the car; the front suspension. First of all: I had no spring compresser of any sort. But: I promise that neither nuns nor kittens have been harmed! ;D None that I know of anyway ;D *Yikes* - what power those springs have!!   Was worth it, though. New upper controll arms & brand spanking new ball joints and everything rubber. Also the spring seats are not too rotten, they'r actually very solid. I have receips for all the work carried out on the suspension, some of the new bolts were over 11€ each . Those crazy fothermuckers at Mercedes!   So - that's the shell stripped off everything, it'S only bare metal with some sound deadening that's left. And I'll even cut out some parts of the shell to recycle them. Haaah! I'm soooo green ;D Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 12, 2011 18:01:14 GMT
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Hi! I'll go on to bore you - as today it wasn't raining. And took the chance to cut some panels out the shell. And there'S basically not much more left of it, but a bare shell. I stripped it of almost every rubber plug, grommet, clip and screw. It's surprisingly light now, I guess ~400kg. Which means all the parts fitted weight literally a ton ;D Gave me some thoughts about a lightweight-W123, stripped of everything. Wonder how light it would be possible to go... There's so much unneccesary stuff on those cars... The rear bench must weight 50kg alone! Anyway... That'S what it looks like now...   If everything goes well, I might even be able to do some work on the Tea this year, maybe allready weld in some of the panels I've removed. Which would be great! Buying and breaking that car - as much time as it consumed - was a huge leap forward getting the Tea on the road next year. Cheers, Jan |
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Mark
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,097
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Great work dude, there is something very satisfying about breaking a car and knowing that you've got every usable piece, especially one as well built as the w123!
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Dec 14, 2011 13:05:59 GMT
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I bet you got a few parts you didn't even know you needed too.
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Dec 16, 2011 12:33:10 GMT
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Great work dude, there is something very satisfying about breaking a car and knowing that you've got every usable piece, especially one as well built as the w123! Thanks! Though I ran out of storage space for all the parts... Minis are easyer to store (not just in parts) ;D  But after some re-arranging, I can acces the work bench again... The two totaly knackered dashboards (WTF!? I have 3 dashboards!?) sold for ~25€ on eBay. Crazy!  I bet you got a few parts you didn't even know you needed too. About 80% of the parts ;D Pure opportunism, to be perfectly honest  I'm a real compulsive hoarder when it comes to car parts ;D In other news; the white W123 ('82 230E) has a new sill head - and work has started on the rear wheel arch...   Looking forward to do some work on MY car again soon, as I have just arranged collection of the donor car for next week. There's nothing left that can be salvaged And last but not least: Thank you mr. camerashy for the nomination for "most anticipated car of 2012", my humble self feels truthfully honoured Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 21, 2011 15:34:09 GMT
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The W124 was violently attacked by some brainless monkey last night... It's beyond me, how one can't be able to break it off... And then after using brutal force and pulling it out - leave it hanging there; unhooked... If this is the future generation - good night world...  That's a a level of stupidity I've not observed ever before...  Anyway... I took the opportunity to investigate, if I might use the star for the Tea. The broken star is one of the last replacement-stars made specifically for the W124 (ARGH!) - nowadays they'r unifit for W123, W201 and W124 - and sit at a different angle on a 124... Looks weird. On the Tea there was the remains of a original W210 star.  Which is good, as the base looks similar to the original W123 base. The W124 and repro-one is different and has a smaler diameter, which leaves a dirt mark on the grille, where dirt has been 'masaged' into the chrome. It aslo has - unlike the W123 base - a slight curvature to it.  W123 on the left, W124 to the right Combining the W124 star with the W123 base & pivot ball - and ta-da! a 'genuine' W123 star is recreated ;D  And unless mister brainless monkey attacks the car, the base almost always survives the attack and can be repaired with aftermarket stars. Disassembling them is easy. Pull the smal spring, remove the little bar. Now the retaining clamp falls off. Next take a water pump plier and compress the other U shaped metal thing holding the large spring - and the whole assembly pops apart. Unhook spring from star-remians, replace star and assemble in reverse order. Probably not important or of any significance to the untrained eye - but I like details like this Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 22, 2011 10:38:06 GMT
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Hmmmm... What do you guys think? I think it's a tad too dark or blueish? Can't realy make up my mind. But in either case, the headlihgts need to be painted the same colour... It's just a quick dusting with the spray can to see how it looks...  Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 22, 2011 16:54:53 GMT
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Soooo - the car is gone. Not that there was much car left...  Dear Santa: don't let this one become a Toyota I'm glad that's over with - no more stress and I can recommence work on my own car. and the weather isn't half as bad as it was the last three years that time of year. Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 22, 2011 20:51:57 GMT
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Damn, I just read your whole thread dude. You have some great skills there, must feel great to do it all yourself. Wishing you good luck with the rest and hope it doesn't cause too much ball ache for you!
Feel very lucky I got mine in such good condition!
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Dec 23, 2011 12:23:32 GMT
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Damn, I just read your whole thread dude. You have some great skills there, must feel great to do it all yourself. Wishing you good luck with the rest and hope it doesn't cause too much ball ache for you! Feel very lucky I got mine in such good condition! Thank you! I'm growing with the task. Yes, it's a good feeling to know you'r building your car. And it gives me a connection to the car, it means something to me. Yes - you ARE lucky! ;D Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 28, 2011 15:53:51 GMT
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Woohoo! No rust there... Only lots of dirt  Swapped over the first parts from the donor car; the boot flooring.  New & old Looks a bit better now. I hope I can get the rest of the carpet to the same colour by cleaning. I have all the carpet parts, but they'r glued on...  How it looked before:  And: I found the factory spec sheet under the jack:  This was used in the factory, so workers would know what to put on the car (what the customer ordered), weld in special parts etc. Looks like new. Itwas glued to the back of the plastic cup holding the foot of the jack. Cheers, Jan |
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But who cares, the outcome is the same - no matter what intentions are behind... 
), which are over 500€ each new... I will store them extra carefully 
I'm a real compulsive hoarder when it comes to car parts ;D
That's a a level of stupidity I've not observed ever before...