This weeks ad tries to link the mainstream 60s models from Mercedes Benz to the racing programmes of the 50s. It is actually not that far fetched as the overhead cam motor in the W108 250SE pictured did have fuel injection and there would have been lessons learned from the racing programme. The ad would have been referring to engineers like Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Ulenhaut...
I had ordered a few parts for the 250SE a few months ago but had not yet had a chance to fit them. The first was the winder knob for the front quarterlight on the drivers side. I had found a reproduction one of these on ebay and mine was slightly warped, so the inner disc that hides the screw kept falling out....
This year the NSW Mercedes-Benz Club concours and the German car show were combined into a single event. Overall this seemed to work reasonably well as they opened up additional paddocks and it meant one of the best turnouts of Benz’s for some years. For some reason the turnout for the other German makes was rather poor, and perhaps they were assuming...
This weeks ad has a great photo of the W111 Coupe. While this car is a 220SE, it looks very similar to the 250SE that I used to have – this car has a red interior and mine had a red wine coloured one, but they look similar. It also wears the zoll plate for European delivery programme. This Mercedes-Benz Invites You...
The 280CE came back for a visit this week complaining of groaning power steering. Turned out that the belt was slipping once the wheel got toward full lock. On further inspection, the belt had become too loose – not because it was stretched, but because the bolt that allows the belt adjustment had lost its threads in the critical area and it...
This is a great ad for the 300SL roadster. It would probably be seen as Sexist today but it tries to cover the softer personality of the 300SL in roadster form but still the maintenance of the Gullwing’s performance. The Velvet Glove or Male Fist caption and some of the wording in the ad invokes powerful imagery. Unlike most of the...
I went to look at an 2006 E350 W211 Estate today and had learned on the Topklasse forum that the M272 engine manufactured from 2005-2007 suffers from a potential defect. From what I understand as this engine is a 90 degree V6, there were additional components required to make it run smoothly and these and the timing gear can suffer from premature wear....
In 1955 direct fuel injection was a big deal, and I believe the 300SL was the first production car to have it. It certainly provided fearsome performance out of only 3 liters. This weeks ad focuses on the 300SL and in particular the direct fuel injection.
This weeks ad covers the 300SL Roadster after it was launched to replace the Gullwing. The Ad focuses mostly on performance – a strong point for these cars. Great Getaway Car: Mercedes-Benz Escape to the great green world of spring and summer. Motor to the mountains, drive down to the sea. Slip the surly tethers of the working day and learn that how...
A display at the Gosford Car museum offered an interesting comparison between the Mercedes Finny and Ponton 220S models with two parked next to each other in the same colour. The W111 finny set a design trend through the 60s and early 70s for Mercedes. The side by side comparison in the same colour really shows the similarities and differences. Obviously the major...
This is a great Ad for the Mercedes 230SL W113 depicting it as a temptress preying on well heeled men. It would been seen as Sexist today but I think it is rather clever and fits in well with the car. Meet Mercedes (230SL). She has designs on men with money. Men of whatever age or means might do well to stay out...
The 450SLC is complete and I picked it up over the weekend. What a difference from the faded original paint at the front of the car – it is like having a new one. The respray took place over three weeks (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3). In addition, rust was cut out, and the air cleaner was re-painted.
The 450SLC is now completed. Last week the actual spraying was done, and this week the car was polished, re-assembled and checked. I do my final inspection and collect the car this weekend. In addition to having the car re-sprayed, I had the air cleaner resprayed in black and the chrome arch covers removed as they can attract rust. The brackets that...
Another week has gone by at the panel beaters on the 450SLC and the car is getting much closer to completion. Last week was mostly rust repair and preparation, this week completed the preparation and started the actual re-spray. Where components could be reasonably removed, they were to ensure that they were painted correctly. The 450SLC is 906G which is Grey/Blue metallic. ...
My 450SLC has now spent a week at the panel beaters having rust removed and being prepared for paint. The starting point was the chassis rail on the drivers side. This is as very common W107 rust spot. This was welded and then painted. From there, work moved to the boot where both sides were rusting and there was some rust starting in the...
The big Achilles heel in the R/C107 chassis is its propensity to rust. They are pretty much bullet proof mechanically, but the rust proofing from the factory was poor and there are a lot of areas where they can and do rust, even in climates such as Australia that are not prone to it. Once the rust gets to a point, the...
Today I joined the Mercedes Club on a drive to Wollombi, which is a small town on the way to the Hunter Valley. The town was used in the 1840’s for convicts to stay while they built a road from Sydney to the Hunter and ultimately beyond. The Mercedes club has been organizing some rather interesting sounding drives recently so it was...
There are three main ways of getting Mercedes-Benz workshop manuals. The most common these days is via CD-ROM. However the quality of the scans are woeful, and the pictures are generally next to useless (the diagrams are ok if not too detailed). You can also find the old printed manuals on Ebay. Many sellers want silly money for the manuals, but...
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