A couple of months ago an eagle eyed viewer of my Instagram feed asked my why my 560SEL doesn’t have a Hirschmann Antenna. Given how original the car is, it was a good question. I had never really noticed what antenna the car had, other than it worked. Since I have the original Becker, I really should have the original Hirschmann Antenna...
I recently spent two weeks in Surat Thani, Thailand. On the way back, the flights from Surat Thani to Bangkok do not line up with the flight back to Sydney. Therefore, I had an afternoon to spend in Bangkok before returning home. It turns out there is an amazing classic Mercedes (and select other models) restoration shop very close to the airport. It...
Surat Thani is a mid sized city in southern Thailand. It is home to about 120,000 people and is a regional centre for agriculture. The main business is trade in crops such as Rubber, Coconuts, Palm oil etc. It is not a tourist destination, but it does function as a connection point for those traveling to islands like Koh Samui via ferry. I’ve...
Citroen / Jaguar / Daimler / Mercedes / Misc
by admin · Published December 19, 2022 · Last modified September 15, 2024
With yet another year almost finished, time for an update on the Classic Jalopy fleet. Similar to last year, I will go over what I did with each car, any issues, and future plans. As with last year, I don’t own (or desire) a modern car, so these cars are used as a combination of hobby and everyday transport. Last year I had a...
Ever since I owned my 560SEC, it has always ridden too low in the rear. I have attempted to adjust it a couple of times, but was never able to get the correct height. Using the factory procedure to set the neutral height did not work. At this point a lot of workshops would suggest to rip out the system. This is a really...
The Mercedes club is planning a feature in the magazine for models of the late 60s and early 70s. They have previously done features on the 107 series and 124 series. To accompany the article, the club organised a 60’s models photoshoot for some nice examples of various models this morning. I was asked to attend, as my W111 Cabriolet is one of the...
Today was supposed to be the annual Sydney German car show. It would have been the first one held since 2019 due to Covid. I missed the 2019 event due to work travel, so I have not attended the show since 2018. Sydney has been very rainy of late, so last week was torrential rain, pretty much the norm for 2022. Based on...
Last night was the monthly MBCNSW night drive. This drive was in the western part of the city. Starting from a McDonalds on the M4, we would drive west until we hit Mulgoa Road. Mulgoa road meanders through a semi-rural area with few traffic lights and minimal other cars. Nearly all of it is signposted at 80km/h, which is reasonable for this road at...
Previously, I had installed a Becker Mexico 1402 Cassette in my 1987 560SEC. This is a very similar model to what it left the factory with. My setup looked factory, but was running a hidden Bluetooth FM injector, amplifier and USB charging ports. After driving around for a few weeks, I realised I needed to make a few changes. Overall, I was...
Back in September, my 560SEC was at the mechanics to fix a sticking brake caliper and fix the A/C. At the same time, I asked for the source of two oil leaks to be investigated. One was from the power steering and one was engine oil. The power steering leak was confirmed to be from the steering box itself. I had already changed the...
Yesterday was the 2022 ACT German car show. It was the first since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 events unfortunately cancelled due to COVID. The ACT show always punches above its weight in that it attracts not only the large base of cars from the Canberra region, but normally has cars drive in from southern NSW, northern Victoria and often a few...
I am currently in the process of installing a period correct Becker Radio in my 560SEC. In part 2, I had the system up and running. The final task was to tidy up the installation and re-install all the trim. The first step was to properly organize and tidy up the wiring. I wanted a neat install, and to hide all the wires out...
In part 1 of this series, I had begun installing a Becker Mexico 1402 in my 560SEC. I had planned out my install and done the core wiring for the Becker itself. Today, my goal was to complete the wiring of the ancillary components and test the system. I decided to use two X30 harneses for the install. I had four available plugs on...
My 1987 UK Market 560SEC was originally sold with Becker Mexico Cassette player (option 251). I’ve been planning for a while to re-install a period Becker radio, with a few of my own upgrades. My first task was to research the radios and purchase a suitable unit. I ended up purchasing two radios, Becker 1402 and Becker 1480. As the skills and parts to...
I’m currently planning to re-install the Becker Radio in my 1987 560SEC. At the same time I will be installing a small amplifier, a bluetooth FM Injector and a couple of unobtrusive USB charging ports. The second generation W126 wiring harness provides a factory way of adding additional accessories. This is the X30 power block. Up to 8 accessories can be connected using factory...
The Becker 374 Mexico Cassette Vollstereo Reverse was the standard radio installed in the S-Class from 1979-1981 models in Australia. It was seen on the last of the W116s and I believe the early W126 too. This radio replaced the 485, the last of the pinstripe models in the W116s. It was the last of the older style radios with knobs to be found...
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