| This last week my 250SE has been at the workshop having an alternator upgrade. Back in 2020, my alternator gave up, and I replaced it with a rebuilt 35A alternator. Ever since then, that alternator has struggled to charge the car. It would charge the battery when driving along during the day, without any accessories. But as soon as the A/C was running or the headlights were on, it would barely make enough power. The charge warning light would come on at idle, and even faintly glow when driving. The W111 alternator is supposed to be a 35A model, and […] I installed the Classic Auto Sound Becker tribute radio in my 250SE a couple of years ago. The W111 series are supposed to have a slimline radio instead of a DIN size. Unfortunately, a previous owner cut my dashboard to DIN size. This meant putting the correct radio for the year was now practically impossible. Instead of putting a 70s Becker instead, I went with this tribute radio which is based on a Retrosound radio with an actual Becker faceplate. I’ve been happy with the radio in the car, and would recommend it to anyone who had their dashboard modified […] I attempted to attend the MBCNSW May night drive with two separate cars. Coincidently, I had the same brake issue with both cars. On both cases I experienced a soft brake pedal, and on further investigation a very hot drivers side rear wheel. The rear caliper was not releasing properly causing it to drag and boil the brake fluid. I knew the hoses were only a year old on the 560SEL, so the issue was likely to be with the caliper. The hoses were probably due for a change on the 250SE, so could have been either issue there. Based […] The other day I had to move the 250SE out of the way to access the 280SE. The 280SE was parked in a fairly inaccessible spot until I had sorted out the fuel injection. With that looking promising on the test gauges, it was time to take it for a proper test drive. I had not been driving the 250SE of late, as the rear brakes are sticking and its booked in to have that repaired in June. There are also a few other minor issues to look at, such as the bonnet being stuck closed. To get the 280SE […] My 250SE has not been running well lately. Back in April, I hit a Kangaroo and the car was repaired during May and June. In July, the state of NSW plunged into a strict lockdown for COVID-19, preventing more than minor trips up to the shops for necessities. It was during one of those trips that I noticed that car was stuttering and stalling. It felt like it was not getting enough fuel. In some ways it reminded me of a fuel delivery problem I had on my 1967 250SE Coupe. That car had been laid up for some years […] After the impact with a Kangaroo, my 250SE Cabriolet is back on the road and better than ever. While the damage didn’t look that bad at first, the repairs required were extensive. Unlike when you hit another car, A Kangaroo is ‘softer’ damage that isn’t as apparent to the naked eye. It would be the same for hitting a Deer or other medium sized animal. As outlined in the article linked above, there was a fair amount of body work required on the car. In addition, we required a good used headlight, the grille repaired and re-chromed, a NOS grille […] I’ve always been a little surprised that my W111 Cabriolet rear seatbelts were lap only. Mercedes-Benz were such pioneers of safety at the time that it seemed odd that they wouldn’t have fitted lap/sash seatbelts. It hasn’t been a problem for me as I so rarely had passengers in the rear of the car. That has started to change as my kids are getting old enough to want to ride in the back of the car. I wasn’t so keen in a convertible with lap only belts. I mentioned this when my car was at All Classic Car restorations being […] Today I went by to check out how things were going on the 250SE crash repair. Last week the panel work was nearly complete and the car was almost ready for pant. The paint was just done yesterday so it was good timing to take a look at the car. It’s looking really good! The front chassis, wing and bonnet are now all painted and they look perfect. The leading edge of the bonnet got a few scratches from the Kangaroo’s head. the area of the wing just to the left of the grille took the brunt of the damage. […] Back a couple of weeks ago, I hit a Kangaroo in my 250SE. I’m Insured through Shannons who handled the claim well. Surprisingly, impact with an animal does not impact my premium. The car is now with All Classic Car restorations in Brookvale, and I’ve popped down to take a look at it a couple of times. All Classic also did the repairs to my Citroen a couple of years ago. As part of the process, I helped them track down some parts. The grille shell will need to be repaired as they are no longer available. The two door […] Earlier this week I took my 250SE on an extended drive. I had wanted to try a route going north via the Putty road, across towards Mudgee and the back. The roads were really good but ultimately this is really a two day drive and would be more enjoyable with some more stops. You could make a really nice weekend road trip out of this route. Along the way I also witnessed a procession of pre-war Rolls-Royce cars on the Putty road. It is great to see these cars being driven and used on the road. It is really nice […] | |
