Highlights and Lowlights

The big highlight of the year from an automotive point of view was my trip to Longreach in my 560SEL.   I also did a great trip to Brisbane in my 240D at the start of the year, then trip from Victoria in my 450SE later on.   After a few false starts it was great to drive the 450SE up the Hume.   It was pretty cool to visit the MBCA New Jersey June Jamboree too.

It was also a highlight to finally get my 1973 Daimler Double-Six Vanden Plas.  From the lowlights point of view, the biggest one was a P-plater hitting my 300TE.  I also managed to put a scratch on my DS when trying to test the oil pressure which was really annoying.   I also found out I’ll need to have the intake manifold gaskets done on my 560SEL in the new year.

Fleet Changes

I sold the 1987 420SEL parts car during the year.  while there were a few more things I could have taken from it, it was getting down to diminishing returns and I needed the space.  I also replaced my wife’s 2007 E350 Wagon with a 2012 E350 wagon, this time an S212 instead of an S211.

Added this year was my 1978 Mercedes 450SE that replaced my 1979 Mercedes 280SE, and my 1973 Daimler Double-Six Vanden Plas.

Of the cars I’ve sold in prior years, I know the whereabouts of my 1981 280CE, 1986 300SE and 1979 280SE and all three are still on the road and loved by their owners.

Fleet Stats

The average age of my cars is 48.3, having owned each car for an average of 8.4 years.   I did around 18,000km across all of them this year,  which included 8,600km over 20 car club events, half of them being the monthly night drives.   The oldest car is still my 1965 Jaguar E-Type, built in September of 1965, just edging out the 250SE which was built a month later, and the newest is still my 1990 Mercedes 300TE.   While most people buy cars that are newish, the average age I buy a car is 36.

Both the E-Type and the 250SE passed 60 years old this year.  I also passed 100,000km across all five W126 cars I’ve owned.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL

For a car that did 5,600km this year, I actually didn’t drive it as often as it might seem.  Its had two separate coolant leaks that have kept it off the road for large parts of the year.   In the first half of the year, that turned out to be a leaking radiator.   And in the second part of the year, it seems that coolant is getting out through the intake manifold.

However, when it counted, I could rely on the car and it took me on an amazing trio to Longreach and back without incident.   I also took the car on a drive up to Newcastle and back as a proving run, going to view the Rolls Royce concours event.

As of this year I passed 20,000km since I bought the car during one of the COVID lockdowns about five years ago.   It has proven to be smooth, comfortable and powerful.

• KM Driven: 5,600km
• KM on Odometer: 347,000km
• Spend Level: Moderate
• Availability: Moderate
• Highlight: The drive to Longreach
• Lowlight: Finding out I had to do the intake manifold.
• Ownership:  6 yrs / 20,500km
• Fuel Consumption:  14.5l/100km (2025) 16.4l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Preparing the car for the Longreach trip.
• Plan for 2026:  Fix the coolant leak related to the intake manifold.  Pass 350,000km.

1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D

I used my 240D a lot this year.   There really is something special and endearing about the W123 diesel.  While they make great city cars, they are quite capable of doing road trips and I went on a roadtrip to look at the Daimler I now own.   There was something for driving the most frugal car I own to go and inspect what would become the thirstiest.

• KM Driven: 3,500km
• KM on Odometer: 192,000km
• Spend Level: High
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight: Very good
• Lowlight: Having to regas the AC after new compressor, drier, condenser etc.
• Ownership:  2 yrs / 4,500km
• Fuel Consumption:  10.0l/100km (2025) 10.1l/100km (all time)
• Work this year:  Bluetooth box for the Becker, Instrument cluster grounding, Auxiliary fan, grille insert and Mercedes star, AC upgrade, glow plug relay.
• Plan for 2026:  50 Years of the W123 events.

1990 Mercedes-Benz 300TE

I mostly used the 300TE for family outings and personal errands this year.  Its a car I often use when taking my kids to various events and its very reliable and versatile.  Its great to have a classic wagon in the fleet.

This year I used the car for general family stuff, plus a night drive.   I finally got the wiring harness in the tailgate done, but unfortunately was in a small collision.

• KM Driven: 2,000km
• KM on Odometer: 386,000km
• Spend Level: Low
• Availability: Good
• Highlight: Having the wiring harness fixed
• Lowlight: Being hit by a P-Plater
• Ownership:  3 yrs / 11,000km
• Fuel Consumption:  14.3l/100km (2025) 12.5l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Wiring harness.
• Plan for 2026:  Finalize collision repairs.

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SE

The 450SE replaced my 280SE and I couldn’t be happier with it.   In my mind, the 450SE is the one to have.  In my view, the short wheelbase cars are better to drive.  The 450 is powerful and without some of the extra hassle of the 6.9.

The W116 is an underrated classic.  It has a sportier and more ‘raw’ feel than the W126, but is still modern and comfortable to drive.  It can be thirsty around town, but is quite good on the open road.

My car is exactly the sort of classic I like.  Its in very nice condition, fairly original but not so perfect that I can’t use it.

• KM Driven: 1,600km
• KM on Odometer: 117,000km
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight: Driving up from Victoria
• Lowlight: None.
• Fuel Consumption:  14.0l/100km
• Work this year: Fitting a Bluetooth box behind the becker.
• Plan for 2026:  Get the AC fixed and drive the car.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

I had quite the scare with my 560SEC this year.  The work to repair the crank pully on the car showed that the nose of the crankshaft was damaged.  Worst case would have required a second hand crankshaft and an engine tear down.  Luckily it could be repaired by drilling into the crankshaft and inserting a pin.

I also had the front suspension rebuilt.   The highlight was probably using the car for the Youngtimer Sacco event.  I also drive the car a lot generally, as while it may not be cosmetically as nice as some of my other cars, its great to drive.

• KM Driven: 1,600km
• KM on Odometer: 177,000mi (285,000km)
• Spend Level: Very High.
• Availability: Very good.
• Highlight: Youngtimer Sacco Day
• Lowlight: Finding out damage to the crankshaft
• Ownership:  6 yrs / 20,500km
• Fuel Consumption:  17.0l/100km (2025) 15.8l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Crank Pully repair, front suspension.
• Plan for 2026:  Nothing specific.

1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC

It was a uneventful year for the 450SLC.  Last year there was a lot of mechanical work and a big road trip.   This year I mostly used the car for personal drives.   I fitted some 3D printed rear speaker trims which are the same design as the factory trims, but a bit larger.  I also experimented with brighter bulbs in the headlights and removed the old window tint.

After owning the car so long I still enjoy driving it.   There is a minor vibration that comes and goes on acceleration.  I would like to try and trace that in 2026.  I’m wondering if the exhaust is touching so I sprayed some black paint where it might touch the body under acceleration and will look to see if any of it has rubbed off.

• KM Driven: 1,300km
• KM on Odometer: 319,000km
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Excellent
• Ownership:  23 yrs / 57,700km
• Fuel Consumption:  20.1l/100km (2025) 18.9l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Speaker Trims, Headlight Bulbs, Tint Removal, Oil Change.
• Plan for 2026:  Trying to trace a minor vibration.

1965 Mercedes-Benz 250SE Cabriolet

This year I mostly used the 250SE for club events.   I did six this year including the MBCNSW Cars and Coffee, The eastern Creek car show, Two night drives, The Sydney German Car Show and the MBCNSW Chrome bumper day.

I didn’t have any major issues with the car.  At one point I had a lot of vibration from the power steering, but that turned out to be a loose belt.  I also had an issue where the A/C would work very well for about 30 minutes then become warm.  My mechanic thinks it could be a TX valve, but since its an aftermarket system, we need to work out what TX valve to buy.

• KM Driven: 1,100km
• Spend Level: Moderate
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight: Multiple club events
• Lowlight: None
• Ownership:  14 yrs / 16,000km
• Fuel Consumption:  17.6l/100km (2025) 15.5l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Major Service
• Plan for 2026:  Fix AC issue.

1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 OTS

This year I took the E-Type on one of the night drives, plus displayed it at the All British Car show.   It was quite rainy in Sydney this year so I found myself not driving it as much as I wanted.  Every time I got the car down from the hoist and ready, it would then start a few weeks of rain.

• KM Driven: 600km
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Very good.
• Highlight: All British Day and Night Drive
• Lowlight: Brake fluid leak.
• Ownership:  15 yrs, 14,000km
• Fuel Consumption:  16.6l/100km (2025) 15.1l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Nothing.
• Plan for 2026:  Get a minor leak from the brakes fixed.

1970 Citroen DS21 BVH

It was a year that I really didn’t drive the DS very often, which is a shame as I very much enjoy driving it.   In the first part of the year, it had quite a bad LHM leak, and I was reluctant to drive it like that.   With work travel and family commitments, it took me time to get that fixed, as I assumed it was a suspension boot and it turned out to be a seal for one of the rear spheres, which I could have done in minutes.

In the second half of the year, I was worried about low oil pressure, due to the light coming on.   It turns it the oil pressure is fine, and the instrument cluster is faulty.

• KM Driven: 350km
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Poor
• Highlight: Finding out the engine is very healthy and is not suffering from an oil pressure problem.
• Lowlight: Not using the car much this year because I was worried about oil pressure.
• Ownership:  13 yrs, 12,000km
• Fuel Consumption:  15.5l/100km (2025) 13.3l/100km (all time)
• Work this year: Oil pressure investigation and a suspension seal replacement.
• Plan for 2026:  Drive the car more now I know it has good oil pressure.

1973 Daimler Double-Six Vanden Plas

The highlight of the year for the Double-Six was getting it registered again for the first time since 2005.  While it was driven sporadically on a trade plate, its been basically unregistered since 2005 and has only done about 6,000 miles since the year 2000.

As the car was only registered and on the road late in the year, there were few opportunities to drive it.  In addition, I wanted to stay close to home during any initial drives to get used to the car.

• KM Driven: 200km
• KM on Odometer: 67,900mi
• Spend Level: Very High
• Availability: Poor
• Highlight: Getting the car registered, on the road and driving it.
• Lowlight: There was a bit more to do to get it on the road than I would have liked, but it was all good maintenance that would have needed to be done in due course.
• Work this year: Getting the car registered and on the road and doing a few small improvements.
• Plan for 2026: The big thing is to drive the car more and get to know it.  There is a leak from the diff that I need to get sorted out, and I would like to get the air-conditioning working.  There will undoubtedly be some teething problems as I start to use the car more.

The post 2025 Fleet Update appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The road I was sitting on had three lanes.  Two through lanes, and a right hand turning lane.  I was stationary in the middle lane, which was the right most of the two through lanes.   The Honda SUV (driven by a P-plater) had attempted to change lanes into the turning lane and been cleaned up by an Audi SUV.  The impact of the two SUVs had taken most of the impact of the accident, but the Honda had pushed into my rear bumper.

The drivers of the Honda and Audi could not agree whos’ fault it was.  I didn’t really care as it clearly wasn’t mine.  I just exchanged details with both drivers and let them continue their argument.   Both the Audi and the Honda were in a bad way.  It would not surprise me if both cars were written off.  It doesn’t take much these days.

My 300TE is insured with Shannons.  Since being integrated more into the Suncorp parent company, I’ve heard mixed reviews on claiming with them.  Having talked about this with a friend who owns a panel shop which does insurance work, his comment was:  “They are all pretty terrible these days, but they are probably still the best to deal with”.   Having said that, my experience was very good and I was able to put my claim in quickly, and choose my repairer.

I took the car to be assessed recently.  The bumper bar took most of the impact, and we’ve found a good second hand bumper cover in Melbourne, minus the impact strip.   There is a small amount of damage to the paint underneath the tail light, so the rear quarter will need to be painted.   The tail light also has a crack.   Still, this should easily be doable in the insured value of the car.

The post 300TE rear end crash appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

As with 2023, I drove my fleet of classics around 18,000km and suffered no breakdowns.   Classics need regular use and life is far too short to drive a boring modern car.   The cars are listed below in order of roughly how many kilometers I travelled this year.

Highlights and Lowlights

The two car highlight of the year were ‘The Long Way Euround‘ – my big road trip to Victoria, and my family road trip to Tasmania.  I took the 450SLC on the Long Way Euround and put almost 4,000km on the car. The Tasmania trip was in the 300TE.  I didn’t really have any major lowlights this year – some repairs were more expensive than I would have liked, but most of the work I had to do was general maintenance.   I had a couple of annoying issues that meant certain cars were waiting for repairs at various times, but nothing major.

Fleet Changes

Only one change this year, the addition of my 1981 Mercedes 240D.  The 240D was not a planned purchase, but it was such a nice original car, that I could not say no to it.  It is my first W123 diesel and I now understand why these are such a cult car.  I didn’t sell any cars.

Fleet Stats

The average age of my cars is 46.7 having owned each car for an average of 9 and a half years.    The oldest car is my 1965 Jaguar E-Type, built September 1965, and the youngest is the 1990 300TE.    I attended 17 car club events this year, the majority being the monthly MBCNSW night drives.

1977 Mercedes 450SLC

It as a big year for my 1977 Mercedes 450SLC.   I had a lot of Mechanical work done on the car, to prepare it for the Long Way Euround.   Early in the year I took the car on a family road trip to Canberra, before having the timing chain, guides, tensioner, and vale stem seals replaced.   That cured the problem the car had with fouling #1 spark plug.

I replaced the under bonnet insulation, before having the front suspension rebuilt and an upgraded A/C condenser fitted.   Finally after so many years the car has cold A/C on hot days.   The biggest highlight was the Long Way Euround, my 3,900km road trip through Victoria.   The car performed admirably, especially on the twisty sections.   Just before the end of the year, I had a few issues fixed that cropped up on the road trip, including a leaking A/C hose, a broken handbrake spring and the starter replaced.

• KM Driven: 5,700km
• KM on Odometer: 318,000km
• Spend Level: Very High
• Availability: Good
• Highlight: The Long Way Euround
• Lowlight: Uses more oil than I would like after vale seals replaced.
• Ownership:  21 yrs / 56,000km
• Work this year: Timing chain and valve stem seals, Under bonnet insulation, A/C upgrade and and front suspension rebuild, post road trip repairs.
• Plan for 2025:  Replace the rear speaker covers with 3D printed covers that look factory but are slightly larger.

1990 Mercedes 300TE

The 300TE plays the role of a family car more than anything else I own.   Instead of taking my wife’s modern car, I took the 300TE on our family trip to Tasmania, and it did great.   I far prefer driving the W124 to the S211 and it was just as fuel efficient.   The blower motor started making more noise on the trip, but only failed on the very last day. Replacement was a bit of a pain as the first one I purchased didn’t fit.   I also have seen a couple of issues with the new starter running on.   The next issue to tackle is replacing the tailgate wiring harness.   None of the electrics in the tailgate are working anymore, and I suspect the ground wire is broken.   It looks like a rather painful job.

• KM Driven: 4,300
• KM on Odometer: 383,500km
• Spend Level: Low
• Availability: Good – was off the road for around six weeks changing the blower motor.
• Highlight:  Taking the car on a family road trip to Tasmania.
• Lowlight:  The whole saga replacing the blower motor was a pain in the neck, and I’ve had strange issues with the starter.
• Ownership: 2 yrs / 8,700km
• Work this year: Replacing the blower motor. (part 1, part 2)
• Plan for 2025: Replace the tailgate wiring harness.

1987 Mercedes 560SEC

2024 was an uneventful year for the 560SEC.  I ended up using the car a fair bit, putting on 2,400km.   This included a bunch of club events including a trip down to Canberra for the ACT Concours and some good drives.  Of the five W126’s I’ve owned, I’ve now owned this one longer and put more km on it than any of the others.   The only mechanical work was quite minor – repainting the battery tray and replacing the viscous fan coupling.

• KM Driven: 2,400
• KM on Odometer: 176,000mi (283,000km)
• Spend Level: Low
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight:  Day road trip & ACT Concours Event.
• Lowlight:  None.
• Ownership: 6 yrs, 19,000km
• Work this year: Painted the battery tray and replaced the viscous fan coupling.
• Plan for 2025: Nothing specific.

1987 Mercedes 560SEL

I didn’t drive the 560SEL as much as normal in the first part of the year.  The first reason was the drivers window was stuck down and it took me a while to fix it.  I assumed it would be a regulator and it turned out to be the motor.   Next the odometer stopped working.  As a rule I prefer not to drive a car where the odometer is not working, so I had to wait for the parts to arrive and then repair it.

In the second half of the year, I took the car on a few night drives, and on Youngtimer Sacco day.

• KM Driven: 2,000
• KM on Odometer: 342,000km
• Spend Level: Medium
• Availability: Medium
• Highlight:  Youngtimer Sacco Day
• Lowlight:  Minor issues preventing me from driving the car.
• Ownership:  5 yrs, 15,000km
• Work this year: Drivers side window motor, odometer and uprated AC Condenser
• Plan for 2025: There is a very minor coolant leak that I need to trace and fix. Plus the windscreen washer is not working.   At some point I want to fix the rear reclining seat too.

1965 Mercedes 250SE Cabriolet

After all the work last year, the 250SE was generally running quite well.   I took it on a road trip to Canberra for the 2024 Wheels car show.   During the drive to Canberra I noticed how bad the ride had become, so invested in a new set of tyres.  One of the belts had started to separate internally, and the new set made a big difference.  I also had an oil leak from the heat exchanger fixed.   The the second half of the year I started to notice a lot of vibration from the power steering.  Turned it it was a broken bolt holding the pump on.

I also installed a repaired Becker Grand Prix Stereo.  It is a later (1974) DIN size radio as my dash has been cut, but I have used the smaller knobs so it is not so apparent.   I’m very happy with how it looks and works.

As usual I displayed the car at the Sydney German Auto show.

• KM Driven: 1,200
• Spend Level: Medium
• Availability: Very good.
• Highlight:  Road trip to Canberra
• Lowlight:  None
• Ownership:  13 yrs, 15,000km
• Work this year: New tyres, Becker Radio installed,  Heat exchanger repaired and power steering bolt.
• Plan for 2025: At some point I need to have the cover for the soft top repaired.   A couple of the studs have come off.

1981 Mercedes 240D

The 240D was an unplanned purchase, but I am delighted with the car.   The 240D is a great example of not listening to people on the internet, as all the claims about how they are dangerously slow are total nonsense.  It is not a fast car by any means but it is a really enjoyable car to drive around the city.   There is something to be said for a very simple classic.

I’ve owned three W123s in my life, a 230E, a 280CE and now this one.  I think this is my favorite of the three, but I have other cars to drive if I want something with a bit more power.

• KM Driven: 1,000
• KM on Odometer: 188,500km
• Spend Level: Medium
• Availability: Average
• Highlight:  How good this car is having bought it sight unseen.
• Lowlight:  Nobody got a good photo of the 240D doing a lap of eastern creek raceway.
• Ownership:  8 months, 1,000km
• Work this year: Motor mounts and A/C regas, under bonnet insulation, radio repair, algae in the fuel tank (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7).and front brake rebuild.
• Plan for 2025: Take the car on its first road trip and re-install the original radio with hidden Bluetooth module.  Prepare the car for the 2026 W123 event.

1970 Citroen DS21 BVH

It was a fairly uneventful year for the DS.   With its four cylinder engine and comfortable suspension, it is a great car for driving around on local trips on Sydney’s bad roads.   I used it for a lot of drives like this, especially in the cooler months.   I also took it to a couple of cars and coffee events.   In 2025 I will need to look at replacing the rubber rail around the inner roof rail, as it has cracked and keeps falling down.

I had planned to display it at the All French Day which was cancelled twice.   The council is over sensitive to weather.

• KM Driven: 800
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight:  No mechanical issues.
• Lowlight:  All French day being cancelled twice.
• Ownership:  12 yrs, 12,000km
• Work this year: None
• Plan for 2025: Replace the rubber trim around the roof rail.

1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1

It was a bit of a frustrating year with the E-Type.  It was quite a wet year here in Sydney, and every time I planned to get the E-Type down from the hoist where it is stored, it was either raining or about to rain.   Based on that, I didn’t use it nearly as much as I planned. I even took it on a Mercedes Club night drive as the weather was good and it was an opportunity to use the car.

The only mechanical issue I had was a leak from the brake system.   Luckily the car has non-corrosive brake fluid as it dripped onto the 240D.  There is some very minor noise that appears to be coming from the throwout bearing, so at some point a clutch job is likely required, which is engine out on the E-Type.

• KM Driven: 400
• Spend Level: Low
• Availability: Very Good.
• Highlight:  British Car Show
• Lowlight:  Bad weather prevented me from driving the car.
• Ownership:  14 yrs, 13,500km
• Work this year: Leaks in the brakes repaired.
• Plan for 2025: At some point the E-Type will probably need a clutch job.

The post 2024 Fleet Update appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

I don’t own a modern car, so I use the logbook days across all my classics any time I need to go somewhere.

Highlights and Lowlights

The big highlight was the Concours Run, my road trip to Melbourne and back the scenic way.   I passed 20 years of ownership with the 450SLC, and It was also a highlight finally getting to the bottom of the issues with the 250SE.  While it was sad to see the the 300SE and 280SE go, it was a good first year with the 300TE.

Fleet Changes

I sold two cars in 2023.   The first was my 1986 300SE W126.  I was sad to see this car go, as it had been a great daily driver for the four years I owned it.   With my kids growing up, the 1990 300TE is going to be a better choice as a car that is used for family duties.    Therefore, I sold the 300SE and bought the 300TE.  My 300TE is a 1990 model and so far proven to be a great car.

I also sold my 1979 280SE.  I’m glad I was able to get that car on the road and running so well.   However, the opportunity to buy the W116 I have always wanted presented itself, so I’ll be unveiling the replacement soon.

Both cars have gone to great homes, so I’m really pleased with that.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

It was a very eventful year for my 560SEC.   I took the car down to Melbourne for the MBCV concours, and to Canberra for the MBCACT concours.   The car did very well on both trips, although I did have to limp it home 500km with no alternator.   In order to have the car ready for so much usage, I had the transmission rebuilt.   The car drives so much better now.   Since I returned from Melbourne, I’ve noticed the car is losing coolant, so I will need to get the bottom of that.

• KM Driven: 5,400
• KM on Odometer: 174,500mi (280,500km)
• Spend Level: High
• Availability: Very good
• Highlight: The concours run
• Lowlight: Losing my alternator on the concours run
• Work this year:  New speakers front and rear, rebuilt transmission, rebuilt alternator, drag link and alignment.
• Plan for 2023:  Work out why it’s loosing coolant.

1990 Mercedes-Benz 300TE

My 300TE was a new addition at the start of the year.  It replaced my 300SE.  It has proven to be a really good versatile family car.   I prefer it to my wife’s newer S211 E350.   So much so that I took it on a family road trip to Tasmania, where I still am as I write this.

I had a few things to do to the car this year, but overall I’m happy with the purchase.   I also got to know a great group of hands on W124 owners.

• KM Driven: 4,500
• KM on Odometer: 379,500km
• Spend Level: High
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight:  Taking the car on a family road trip to Tasmania.
• Lowlight:  Not being able to get the ignition barrel out.
• Work this year: Misc improvements, fitted factory cross bars, Fan clutch, thermostat, Becker radio, tailgate struts, refurbished the instrument cluster, front and rear speakers, center vent and various prep for the Tasmania trip.
• Plan for 2023: Fixing the tailgate soft close

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL

It was a fairly uneventful year for the the 560SEL.   I used it on quite a a few good club events this year, like the Amazing Rally and the Berry car show.   It also saw quite a lot of use as regular transport.    I had planned to take it to Sacco day, but the drivers side window regulator failed in early November, and I’ve not had a chance to look since.    I’m very close to passing 340,000km which will be a good milestone for the car.

• KM Driven: 2,200
• KM on Odometer: 339,500km
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Good
• Highlight: I took the car on some great club events this year.
• Lowlight: The drivers window regulator failing the night before Youngtimer Sacco Day.
• Work this year:  Rebuilding the Hirchmann power antenna.
• Plan for 2023: Fixing the drivers window regulator.

1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC

This year there were no major trips in the 450SLC like last year.   I used it on a few club events and quite a bit as a driver.   I’m really enjoying having the Becker Mexico in place, I should have done this years ago.    The car had a major service this year and in March will have the timing chain replaced.

• KM Driven: 1,800
• KM on Odometer: 312,000km
• Spend Level: Medium
• Availability: Good
• Highlight: Fitting my Becker Radio
• Lowlight: Having to pay for another motor mount job after the genuine mounts failed so soon.
• Work this year: Becker Mexico installation, major service, blinker flasher unit, lug bolt replacement.
• Plan for 2023:  Timing chain, guides and camshaft oilers.

1965 Mercedes-Benz 250SE

I continued to battle the running issues that have plagued the car for the last 18 months or so.   Finally, they seem to be solved with a 123 Ignition distributor.     I took the car on a couple of night drives and displayed it at the German car show before the power steering pulley broke.

Given all the time the car was running poorly or unavailable, I’m surprised I managed to drive as much as I did.

• KM Driven: 1,250
• KM on Odometer:
• Spend Level: High
• Availability: Poor
• Highlight: Finally fixing the running issues
• Lowlight: Losing my power steering pulley when the car was running so well.
• Work this year:  Fitted a 55A alternator and a 123 ignition.
• Plan for 2023: Replace the power steering pulley and fix leak in the heat exchanger.

1965 Jaguar E-Type

No major issues with the E-Type this year.   The E-Type gets used the least as everyday transport as compared to the other cars.  I find myself using it for many of the test runs for the Mercedes Club night drives.  It is in its element on the twisty roads we prefer for those drives.    I think I detected a hint of noise in the clutch throwout bearing this year, so I may have a clutch job in my future.

These cars got a bad reputation for reliability, but I find mine to be very reliable.

• KM Driven: 1,100
• KM on Odometer: 70,850mi (5 digit)
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability:  Excellent
• Highlight: Trouble free drives
• Lowlight: none
• Work this year: none
• Plan for 2023:  Nothing specific.

1970 Citroen DS21

I actually used the DS quite a lot this year.   I just didn’t take it on any long trips.   I think I ended up with 40 entries in the logbook.   Most of these were fairly short trips, hence only recording 600 km on the odometer.    It was a fairly trouble free year for the DS, I just had some work done to the spheres to fix the ride quality.

• KM Driven: 600
• KM on Odometer: 18,000km (5 digit)
• Spend Level: Low
• Availability: Very good
• Highlight: None
• Lowlight: None
• Work this year:  Regassed front spheres and rebuilt rear spheres
• Plan for 2023: None planned.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 280SE

I sold the 280SE this year, so only had access to it for the first few months.   Since selling the car, I’ve seen it a few times at club events with its new owner.    It now has even more work done and is looking great.

• KM Driven: 450
• KM on Odometer: 223,000km
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight:   The car went to a great home
• Lowlight: Selling the car.
• Work this year: Fixing the sunroof switch and adjusting the SLS.
• Plan for 2023: N/A

1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SE

The 300SE was sold first in the year, which was the main reason the KMs were low this year.    Since I sold it in January, I drove it pretty much daily until I sold it, as I knew I would not get an other opportunity to do so.

• KM Driven: 450
• KM on Odometer: 298,500
• Spend Level: None
• Availability:  Full until sold
• Highlight:  The car went to a great home
• Lowlight: Selling the car
• Work this year: None
• Plan for 2023: N/A

The post 2023 Fleet Update appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

Highlights and lowlights

The big highlight of the year was the Mercedes Benz Clubs National Rally in Glenelg.   The rally itself was great, but it was really the drive there and back that was the highlight for me.   There were also some good cars shows I attended, including the two in Canberra (Wheels 2022 and the ACT German Car show), The eastern creek show and the JDCA cars and coffee.   Lowlight of the year was all the events that were cancelled or impacted by the torrential rain.

On the cars themselves, it was great to have the 280SE running so well by mid year that I could enjoy using it.   And I just managed to get it going for the 50 years of the W116 event.

Fleet Changes:

None this year, although the 280SE and 300SE are now for sale.   I’ve been talking about selling the 300SE since the COVID lockdowns and I stopped needing a ‘daily’, but I am finally going to do it now.  I need to make room for a couple of other cars I have my eye on.

1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC

I took the 450SLC on two major events this year, the National Rally and Wheels 2022.   I’ve owned this car almost 20 years and 50,000km and this year was the most mileage I’ve put on the car since I owned it.   The car did really well on both trips and it was a lot of fun.    I’m really enjoying the small modifications I’ve done to the car – the Nardi steering wheel and AMG Penta wheels.    People are finally now waking up to what I have known for 20 years, what a great car the C107 is.

• KM Driven: 5,200
• KM on Odometer: 310,000
• Spend Level:  Medium
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight:  National Rally 2022
• Lowlight:  Finding out the genuine Mercedes-Benz engine mounts I had fitted only a couple of years ago are already collapsed.   They were not cheap.
• Work this year:  Preparing for the National rally (Shocks, steering box adjustment etc), Fitting a Nardi wheel.
• Plan for 2023: Refitting the Becker Mexico cassette.  Finally stopping the A/C condensate dripping on my feet.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

I drove the 560SEC a lot this year as everyday transport rather than big club events.    It’s a great combination of power and comfort.   The ECE version is so much better to drive than the Australian version.  This car with 220KW/455Nm is modern car fast.    It’s also great to have the proper Becker Radio installed in the car.

• KM Driven: 2,100
• KM on Odometer: 172,000 mi (277km)
• Spend Level:  High
• Availability:  Good
• Highlight:  How well the car is driving after all the work done this year.   I’m also very happy with my Becker radio install.
• Lowlight:   None really.   Was expensive this year but everything improved the car.
• Work this year:   Had the front brake calipers rebuilt, fixed a few suspension issues including guide rod bushings and rear SLS.   Upgraded the A/C condenser for really cold air and installed a period Becker Cassette.
• Plan for 2023: Fix the sunroof lifting arms.   Look at replacing the armrest cover.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL

After using this car a lot the last two years, this year I only drove it 1,500km.   I had planned to take it to the 2022 Sacco day, but that was cancelled.   Other than a slight wheel wobble at 110km/h the car drives really well now.  The final step was the new Bilstein front shocks that went in this year.    I should pass 340,000km next year.

• KM Driven: 1,500
• KM on Odometer: 337,500
• Spend Level:  Low
• Availability:  Good
• Highlight:  ACT German Car show 2022.
• Lowlight:   Having to turn back from the night drive with a sticky rear caliper.
• Work this year:   Rebuilt rear calipers and new front shocks.
• Plan for 2023: Fix wheel wobble and rear seat recline function.    Potentially fit the uprated A/C condenser I used on the SEC, should an A/C regas be required.

1965 Jaguar E-Type

It was a pretty uneventful year for the E-Type.   I took it on some nice drives, and had it serviced and tuned.   It had been a bit reluctant to accelerate in high gears.   The tune added some more fuel so its much better to drive now.    I had planned to take the car to the All British day.   That was cancelled due to wet fields so attended the JDCA cars and coffee event instead.

• KM Driven: 1,100
• KM on Odometer: Unknown, 70,000mi indicated.
• Spend Level: Medium
• Availability:  Excellent
• Highlight:  JDCA cars and coffee.
• Lowlight:  None
• Work this year:   Tune, rear wheel bearings.
• Plan for 2023:  Keep driving it.

1970 Citroen DS21

I had no real issues with the car this year.   I think all I ended up doing was a routine oil change.   I’ll have to do that again as its leaking, I suspect from the oil filter gasket.    Earlier in the year I took the car for a nice drive up to the blue mountains to see the Jensen National Rally display.   I also took it to a few cars and coffee events.    The ride is getting progressively worse, so I will need to have the spheres tested early 2023 and either regassed or rebuilt.

• KM Driven: 1,100
• KM on Odometer: Unknown
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability:  Excellent
• Highlight:  Excellent
• Lowlight:  Ride in the latter part of the year.
• Work this year:   None
• Plan for 2023:  Check spheres.

1965 Mercedes-Benz 250SE Cabriolet

It was a mixed year for the 250SE.   I’ve been having ongoing running issues with the car for the last 18 months.   After another tune it was much better in the second half of the year.    I also had all four brake calipers rebuilt after I had to abort a night drive with dragging brakes.    The weather this year was not very conducive to convertibles, but I was able to take it on a couple of night drives.     I’ve also had strange issues with my radio locking up.    I’m starting to suspect the rebuilt alternator I put on a few years ago, so I have a new one ready to go on.   Instead of the 35A alternator that was standard with the car, I plan to use a 55A from a 280SE.

I suspect the one that came out of the car was rebuilt with a higher capacity than standard even though it said 35A.   With a radio, the A/C etc, the 35A alternator is not really up to the job.    I’ve also got a few minor oil leaks to sort out next year and I suspect my subframe mounts may need a look.

• KM Driven: 1,100
• KM on Odometer: 282,500mi (455k KM)
• Spend Level: Medium
• Availability:  OK
• Highlight:  MBCNSW Photo shoot
• Lowlight:  Ongoing running issues
• Work this year:   Tune, brake calipers
• Plan for 2023:  Get the car back to the point where it is really nice to drive again

1979 Mercedes-Benz 280SE

At the start of the year the car hardly ran.   It had a collapsed drivers seat and an exhaust system made from swiss cheese.    Now, its reliable and great to drive.   However, I have my eye on something else so It will need to be sold.   I’ve enjoyed my year with a W116 280SE.

• KM Driven: 1,000
• KM on Odometer: 235,000km
• Spend Level: High
• Availability:  Poor
• Highlight:  60 Years of the W116
• Lowlight:  Stuck ignition barrel.
• Work this year:   Getting the car running well.   Fuel pressure testing, drag link and tie rod ends, exhaust, seat repair, stuck ignition barrel.
• Plan for 2023:  Sell the car.

1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SE

I originally bought this car as a daily driver.   It served admirably in that role.   Since COVID I work from home a couple of times a week.  I also have a different job where I take the bus from close to my house, vs previously having to drive to a park and ride.   Based on all that, I just don’t use the car like I used to.   This year it was used once a week to take the kids to soccer and general errands.   That resulted in lots of logbook entries but not many miles.   Owning two other W126s mean this car doesn’t get enough use, which is a shame as its very nice.  Time to find it a new custodian.

• KM Driven: 1,000
• KM on Odometer: 298,000
• Spend Level: Negligible
• Availability:  Excellent
• Highlight:  It’s been reliable and has cold A/C.  What more could you want?
• Lowlight:  None
• Work this year:   Routine maintenance such as oil change, transmission oil and filter change etc.
• Plan for 2023:  Sell the car.

The post 2022 Fleet Update appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

Highlights and lowlights:

The highlights this year are the 60th anniversary of the E-type celebration, and some of the extended drives I did while I was between jobs earlier in the year. There was also Youngtimer Sacco day and the 107 Bridge drive.   The lowlight of course was crashing my 250SE Cabriolet into a Kangaroo, although that was later tempered with how well it was repaired.   It was also a shame that so many events were cancelled this year due to COVID-19.    I’m also happy with the purchase of the AMG wheels for my 450SLC and 560SEC.   Overall I drove the cars 18,500km this year, quite high for me.

Fleet Changes:

I purchased the 1979 280SE, which will replace the 1986 300SE.   I also purchased the 1987 420SEL parts car, and have started dismantling it.   I didn’t sell any cars this year, but the 300SE will be for sale soon.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL

The 560SEL is  a fairly recent purchase (March 2020) and I managed to use it a lot.   As a one owner car that was well looked after, it had the foundation to be really nice and I’ve now done a lot of the things I need to do to get it up to the level I wanted.    You really wouldn’t know it has 336,000KM on the clock.  Despite no major issues, I ended up spending a fair bit on this car, but I expect it should be a lot less next year.

• KM Driven: 5,200
• Spend level: High
• Availability: Excellent
• Highlight: How well this car drives now I have re-instated the self-leveling rear suspension.   Youngtimer Sacco day.
• Lowlight: Front suspension rebuild was more expensive than I was hoping.   The sway bar mounts required the fuse box and brake booster to be removed.  Took a couple of goes to get the alignment right.
• Work this year:  I had the B pillar trim and sagging seat fixed, as well as the front suspension rebuilt, new brake hoses and oil level sender.  I also changed the wheels out for a refurbished set.
• Plan for 2022:  After doing a lot in 2020 and 2021, just routine maintenance.    I’ll see if I can hit 340,000.

1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

I’ve now owned this car for three years and it’s getting better and better with more use.   This year, I did a fair few things to this car, but they were mostly upgrades rather than mechanical work.   I’m really happy with the Cocomats, stainless steel exhaust and the AMG wheels.   It may not be next year, but at some point I plan to fix the rust under the rear window and fit an upgraded A/C condenser.   I’m glad I bought a 560SEC when I did as prices have started to climb.

• KM Driven: 4,300
• Spend level: High
• Availability: V. Good.  Was out of commission for about a month while I waited to do brake hoses.   The car had a spongy pedal.
• Highlight:  Some of the longer drives I did and how well the AMG Aero I wheels came out after refinishing.
• Lowlight: None.
• Work this year: After driving the car on a hot day and experiencing a very spongy pedal, I had all the brake hoses changed.   I fixed the in-dash outside temperature display, purchased, refinished and fitted the AMG Aero I wheels and had a new stainless steel exhaust system installed.  The A/C was also recharged.  There is a minor leak from the compressor.   The A/C is really cold when freshly recharged on this car.  For some reason it is much better than the 560SEL.
• Plan for 2022: Oil level sender is leaking.

1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SE

I originally purchased the 300SE as a daily driver.   These days, with my children a bit older so they don’t require fitted child seats, and regular working from home, I don’t have the same need for a daily driver as I once did.   The 300SE went on club rego and still got used when I needed to run errands or take the children to and from daycare and school.   Now owning the 560SEL, I found I didn’t drive it as much as last year.   I also had the strange issue of the oil pump catastrophically failing.  I was lucky I noticed the low oil pressure and was able to troubleshoot this and have the pump replaced before any damage to the engine.   This car will be for sale early in the new year with an asking price of $11,000.

• KM Driven: 2,500
• Spend level: Medium
• Availability:  Good.  Was unavailable for about a month while I waited to have the oil pump replaced.
• Highlight:  Its a great car to drive around town.   Its far more nimble than the V8 models.  I also really like the Signal Red.
• Lowlight:  The failure of the oil pump.
• Work this year: Replaced the oil pump, changed the brake hoses and bled the brakes.  I also changed the fuel pump, adjusted the self-leveling rear suspension and changed the passengers window regulator.    The car now has a USB port in the dash too.
• Plan for 2022:  Sell the car.    I’ll miss the car, but I’ve got two other W126 models and have never owned a W116.

1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC

I ended up doing a lot of work to the 450SLC, most of it not planned.   I discovered rust in two places that I addressed – on the passengers floor from the A/C condenser and under the rear screen.   The floor I tackled myself, but the rear screen needed a fair amount of work to be done.    Due to COVID, the car sat without a rear screen for months, meaning that I probably only had access to it for about half the year.    The driving experience had become progressively worse over the last couple of years, so this year I had the subframe mounts changed.

• KM Driven: 2,200
• Spend level: Very High
• Availability:  Poor.  I wasn’t able to use it for extended periods of time and it wasn’t running or handling well for much of that.
• Highlight:  The MBCNSW 107 drive over the bridge.   We had 47 cars, which which was pretty cool.
• Lowlight:  Finding rust under the rear screen and having to spend a lot of money to get it right.   I am very happy with the outcome.
• Work this year: Replaced fuel accumulator, drive shaft flex discs and centre support, installed a new foglight lens, replaced the rear screen, fixed the rust and had that part of the car repainted, purchased AMG ‘Penta’ wheels and tyres, fixed the A/C rust, replaced subframe mounts, fixed sticking odometer, new plugs  three new suppressors.
• Plan for 2022: I am planning to drive this car to the Mercedes-Benz clubs national rally in Adelaide, April 2022.   At some point, I would like to install a Nardi steering wheel and a set of cocomats. I’ve also got a noise from one of the rear wheels I need to sort out.   I think it is caused by a lug bolt touching the parking brake spring.

1965 Mercedes-Benz 250SE Cabriolet

The main occurrence this year was the crash.   I was also chasing some rough running issues.  I really enjoy driving this car and am glad I was able to have it repaired so well.

• KM Driven: 2,100
• Spend level: Medium
• Availability:  Poor:  Was off the road for months due to the ‘Roo incident.
• Highlight:  Having the car fixed after the ‘Roo incident better than ever.
• Lowlight:  Hitting the ‘Roo.
• Work this year: Repairing the car after the ‘Roo.    I also fitted a new battery,  had rear seatbelts installed and addressed some running issues.
• Plan for 2022:  Nothing major, drive the car.   Apparently the Mercedes Club are planning a Paul Bracq day next year.  I’m still getting some strange issues with the radio I need to sort out.

1965 Jaguar E-Type

I was able to take the E-Type on a few really good extended drives, where its in its element.   One of them went down to Oberon and then back up to Bathurst.   The other was also to Bathurst, but with the Jaguar Drivers club for the 60 years of the E-Type celebration.   The car was also featured in the November edition of the JDCA Jaguar Driver magazine.   I really enjoy driving the E-Type but its not the sort of car you use for errands, so it does slightly lower mileage than some of the other cars.   For all the stories about classic Jaguar reliability – I find it to be a very reliable car.

• KM Driven: 1,300
• Spend level: Low
• Availability:  Good.   Just a minor electrical problem in one of the tail lights.
• Highlight:  60 years of the Jaguar E-Type celebration.
• Lowlight:  None.
• Work this year:  Preparing the car for the 60th anniversary drive by fixing a minor electrical problem.
• Plan for 2022: None, just drive the car.

1970 Citroen DS21

I only used the DS a couple of times this year.   There were a series of minor issues that kept me from using it and COVID lockdowns exacerbated the time taken to get them fixed.   I started out with a very leaky hydraulic pump that was sent off for a rebuild.   There were a few issues getting it fitted, as at first it wouldn’t prime.   Once that got sorted out, I had two further problems.   One of them sounded like an engine knock.  Turned out it was just a broken air cleaner bracket.   engine vibrations were causing it to tap against the exhaust manifold.   I also had increasingly poor running.   This was caused by one of the idle jets working its way out of the carburetor.   Finally, I had a bad LHM leak from the brake accumulator.     The good news is that none of this was particularly expensive.

• KM Driven: 900
• Spend level: Low
• Availability:  Terrible.  A series of small issues have kept me from using the car much.
• Highlight:  None really.   The one decent drive I had the car kept stalling as the idle jet had fallen out.
• Lowlight:  Not being able to use the car much.
• Work this year: Rebuilt Hydraulic pump, broken air cleaner bracket, carburettor idle jet and leaking brake accumulator.
• Plan for 2022: Drive the car more.  At some point it will need a clutch, but not immediately.

2021 Fleet Update Summary

It was a an odd year in that I got to use the cars a lot in the first six months, due to being between jobs.   In the second half of the year we had lockdown for about four months and I had a new job that kept me very busy.   For most of the year, the fleet didn’t change much other than a parts car, but I was able to do some nice upgrades on a few cars, and managed to crash and repair my 250SE.   I’ve also started a change with the introduction of the 280SE.

The post 2021 Fleet Update appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

I already have various battery testers which are useful for standalone battery testing.    However, I didn’t have a good way of checking the overall charging system of the cars.    In particular, I have seen some strange behavior with the radios in my 250SE and Citroen DS that may be related to over or under charging.

I ordered the BM2 Battery Monitor devices a while back, and they finally arrived yesterday.   I had the E-Type at my house this week, so thought I would try out one of the devices.

There are two apps you can choose from.   The free app, that lets you connect to one Battery Monitor at a time, and a paid one that lets you connect to four.   I started with the free app.     You don’t connect your phone directly to the BM2 battery monitor bluetooth, you start the app and give it permission to use the bluetooth device.

When I first connected the phone, it showed the current status of the battery in the car.   As expected the battery was fairly low.   The last drive was quite short, in the rain and dark.

When I started the car, I was able to use the cranking test which passed (as expected).   Next, I tried the charging test.   This is where the unit somewhat fails on older cars.   According to the BM2 Battery monitor, the car wasn’t running, so I couldn’t start the test at idle.   Its not really surprising as modern cars have very large alternators that provide plenty of amps even at idle.    The E-Type has a 43 amp alternator.   It doesn’t produce a whole lot at idle.    I was only able to start the test holding the revs above 2000. I imagine it would have even less luck on an older model equipped with a generator.

In any case it showed that once the revs were up, the alternator created plenty of current.   This was even more apparent during normal driving where the Alternator was putting out plenty of power.  I was seeing a regular 14.5-14.6 volts while driving.

I did get an alarm at idle when the cooling fan was running and I switched on the headlights.   Once I took off again there was plenty of power.   The E-Type has pretty low power needs.   During normal driving only the fuel pump, the ignition system and sometimes the cooling fan are drawing power.

I think this will work well to test the charging system of the 250SE and Citroen DS.   I may even get a couple more to keep them on the older cars.     It would be good if the app could be put in a mode where the screen does not turn off, as it could function as a temporary voltage gauge.    The range is quite good as I was able to connect to the device from outside the garage.

The post BM2 Battery Monitor appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

At the time, I wasn’t really concerned with how many views I got as I really created the site more for my own records.  Some of these jobs take me quite a while to do, and it can be invaluable to go back and review some things that I have done before.   A great example was when I crashed the Citroen and took apart the rear of the car.   It was over a year before I had it back together and I am not sure I could have done it without the notes and photos I took for this website.

Some people prefer forums and social media, and while these have their advantages, I’ve seen too many times content lost as forums come and go.   Social media is very transient so try finding something from last week let alone 7 years ago.

Over that seven years, the site has now grown to average about 100 visitors per day.      I only installed stats a couple of years after I started the site, but the 10 most popular posts on the site have been:

• The M117.960 560 Engine – 6300 views
• E-Type differential ratios – 4600 views
• W108/W109/W111/W112 Mercedes headlight types – 4500 views
• The R107 560SL is not the best model in the series – 4000 views
• W126 Odometer Repair – 3600 views
• W126 Differential Ratios – 2900 views
• W123 Radio Upgrade – bypassing the factory fader – 2600 views
• Citroen DS Sphere removal – 2300 views
• CTEK MXS 5.0 battery recondition mode – 1900 views
• Mounting NSW Historic Plates – 1900 views

Of my own cars, The Citroen DS wins hands down in terms of the number of posts that have featured work on the car.

• 107 posts – 1970 Citroen DS21
• 29 posts – 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC
• 28 posts – 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC
• 27 posts – 1965 Jaguar E-Type
• 24 posts – 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SE
• 23 posts – 1965 Mercedes-Benz 250SE
• 18 posts – 1982 Mercedes-Benz 280CE (Sold)
• 18 posts – 1954 Citroen Light 15 (Sold)

As well as work I have done to my own cars, I have also featured countless photos from car shows and museums, as well as various events I have attended.   In addition, there are articles that cover random subjects I have researched.   In going back to look at some of the older content on the site to create this post, some of the earliest posts are quite cursory and have poor photos.   Quality has slowly improved over time and there is room to improve further as I evolve the site.   I would like to try some more with video, although this is quite time consuming.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read the content of this site, particularly those who are regular readers and leave comments.  Hopefully you’ll still be around after the next 500 posts.

The post 500 posts on classicjalopy.com appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

I liked how using the blank German plate filled in the spot for the plate rather well.   This plate is far too modern for the 250SE.   That style of plate was introduced in the early 90s.  It is quite contemporary for a late 80s car, but doesn’t fit so well for a mid 60s model.   Blank plates are also available for the older style German plates, which were white with a black boundary.    This is also the style that Swiss plates used at the time.   I have a photo of my car in Switzerland when it is new, on Diplomatic plates.   It would be great to find the square ‘CD’ tag one day to attach!

I also used the last of my older style MBCSW badges.  I’ve ordered a couple of new ones as well.    Like with the other blank plate I bought, it was just a matter of drilling the holes in the right spots.   As this is the same size as the original plates, it fits very well in the bumper indent.   The factory plastic mounting wedges are pushing the plate out a bit too much, so I may replace them with something flatter.   They are invisible once the plate is mounted anyway.

At some point I will probably mount a badge on the right hand side.   I’ll be keeping an eye on eBay for something interesting.

As a comparison, I am much happier with the result than my previous attempt.  I also used screws instead of pop rivets, which will make removing the plate to add the second badge much easier.   I used a dremel to cut off the excess length on the back of the screws.   The links to my other cars above will outline the other ways I have been attaching NSW historic plates.

The post Yet another way of attaching NSW Historic Plates appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

On the 250SE and Traction Avant, I made adapter plates out of sheet aluminium.   I’ve never been 100% happy with them.  On the 450SLC, I bought a blank novelty plate in black.    I think the novelty plate company was a bit surprised to sell one blank.   It made a great NSW Historic Plate Adapter.

Recently, I noticed that a friend from the Mercedes Club had bought a blank German number plate to make his adapter.  It looked good on his C123.    The EU style plates are wide, so he also attached a grille badge.   I thought I would try something similar for the 560SEC.  I also didn’t think  black would look all that good with the Nautical Blue W126.   As it happens, I had accumulated a couple of grille badges over the years I could use.

The blank European plates available on eBay come with the little stickers for the city the car is registered.   I asked for something near the factory so they sent me Esslingen.  The factory is in Unterturkheim.   It is about half way between Esslingen and Stuttgart.    For the rear, I had a European Delivery Program badge.    This car isn’t really European delivery car, but it is a private import from the UK.

For the front, I used an older Mercedes-Benz Club NSW badge.   I have mounted the plate on the original adapter.   The original adapter has provision for the exterior sensor probe.   It makes the plate stick out a bit – I may find another way to mount the temperature probe to my plate and then I can remove the original adapter.

These blank German plates make a great NSW historic plate adapter.  I’m happy with the end result.   The cost is only a little more than the other solution, although if I did it again I would have to buy the grille badges as I have no more lying around.    For comparison, a picture of the SLC solution is below.   I think the smaller plate in black looks better on the C107.

Last time I did this job, I used a hand drill.   I now own a drill press which makes it so much easier.   A drill press makes lining up the holes properly much easier.

Update: 7/10/19:  I ended up removing the factory backing plate and attaching the temperature probe to the new plate.   Looks much better.   

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