my 72 280SE 4.5 [heavy w108 content]

[lewda]

Finally got the motor mounts aligned and installed. As for my Hydropneumatic Compensator, I just purchased a used one for 300.00 U.S dollars on ebay. I installed it and it works like a charm. I removed my compensating spring due to the positive camber. I still have the compensating spring and noticed that both ends are flat. In the future I would like to get my car bagged and probably use Accuair. DW Cali recommended that air system. It seems like you are familiar with the w108 chassis and you mentioned you have manuals. I've been wanting to buy a good service/work manual but have only found a really bad Haynes manual with terrible pictures. The paint on my car is fading and peeling and is shot. I really want to get the car painted. I have no experience painting a car and I have never had any of my cars painted so I will need advice. I know that the prep work is important and it needs to be done right. I will upload some pictures or send them to your email so that you can take a look at the paint and advise me on what to do or what not to do. My interior looks really good except for the cracks on the dash. I removed the dash to work on the heater levers and decided not to reinstall the cracked dash. Back to the suspension, I might end up purchasing 4 suspension springs to then cut them down little by little. I know that I will have to replace the hydro-pneumatic with the hydro-spring if I decide to cut the coils on the springs. Congratulations again on your clean looking w108.

Sounds like youve done quite a bit of work already, let me know if you need something out of the manual, I have the digital CD, so all the sections are in PDF and I can email them to you.

Ive been debating on what to do with my dash pad since mines pretty bad and finding a replacement that isnt expensive is tough...i may attempt on refinishing it myself, but am in no rush...when that happens ill be doing the levels and refinishing the wood at the same time...but after Springfest, i need to start working on my wifes 190E, so after this up coming weekend, I probally wont be doing anything else to the 280SE

[SickFinga]

Hey lewda, do you have any rubbing issues in the front with your drop? After removing 2 coils in the front my wheels rub when they are turned.

[Mushroom_Toy]

Hey lewda, do you have any rubbing issues in the front with your drop? After removing 2 coils in the front my wheels rub when they are turned.

A fender rolling is in your future sir. And trust me when I say these are not the easiest cars to roll.

[DaHawaiiKid]

omg old euros <3!! keep it up man she is gorgeous!!!

[gbenz]

Lewda, what type of wood did you stain. Looks good and looks like the wood should of been there from the beginning. Gives it a surfer/ocean package to your car. As for cutting the upright coils, could the horizontal coil be the culprit and could that same coil be the one thats not allowing the car to go further down. I think your car looks really good at that height especially if you are seating people in the rear. I got a feeling that the horizontal spring might be holding that last bit of drop that you have but if you cut that one more how will it hold in place. Don't forget that the horizontal spring needs some tension or it will just fall compared to the vertical ones where they are held in place by the weight of the car and the spring themselves are seated and upright. My 2 cents but I'm no professional. I'm telling you that piece of wood is looking really good and the decoration emblem (280se) takes it to the next level. As for the dash, there is a place that sells MB tex or leather by the yard. http://gahh.com/.
If you have MB tex be sure to get the right texture because early models came with smooth MB tex and later models came with Textured MB tex. Where did you get the CD?

Would like to see more pictures of your car uploaded on this site. I think everyone will agree with that request. I don't get tired of looking at your w108. How is it that i'm not able to upload pictures?

Have a good one

[soab]

Ok, so springfest in Virigina Beach is now about 5 days away, been busy prepping the car for the drive and getting other things squared away on the W108. The rear deck was trashed so I made a new one and did it in mahogany veneer. I put perforations in the actual deck before i veneered it as i didn't want to see the speakers or grills, will have better shots soon.



thoughts?

Wait is it vinyl wrapped or did you just drill the holes just shy of the top surface? It looks amazing

[lewda]

Hey lewda, do you have any rubbing issues in the front with your drop? After removing 2 coils in the front my wheels rub when they are turned.

Oh yeah, haha, when the wheel is turn hard over, the car literally rides the tire on the fender, but the fender is pretty sturdy, sturdy enough to pick the car up

A fender rolling is in your future sir. And trust me when I say these are not the easiest cars to roll.

Mine rolled themselves! haha, but yeah, the sheet metal is crazy thick, I wouldn't suggest doing a wheel roller if you really wanted to roll them, but actually hammering them out finished out with some body work, you probably could be able to roll it, but not nicely without a whole lot of paint cracking.

[lewda]

Lewda, what type of wood did you stain. Looks good and looks like the wood should of been there from the beginning. Gives it a surfer/ocean package to your car. As for cutting the upright coils, could the horizontal coil be the culprit and could that same coil be the one thats not allowing the car to go further down. I think your car looks really good at that height especially if you are seating people in the rear. I got a feeling that the horizontal spring might be holding that last bit of drop that you have but if you cut that one more how will it hold in place. Don't forget that the horizontal spring needs some tension or it will just fall compared to the vertical ones where they are held in place by the weight of the car and the spring themselves are seated and upright. My 2 cents but I'm no professional. I'm telling you that piece of wood is looking really good and the decoration emblem (280se) takes it to the next level. As for the dash, there is a place that sells MB tex or leather by the yard. http://gahh.com/.
If you have MB tex be sure to get the right texture because early models came with smooth MB tex and later models came with Textured MB tex. Where did you get the CD?

Would like to see more pictures of your car uploaded on this site. I think everyone will agree with that request. I don't get tired of looking at your w108. How is it that i'm not able to upload pictures?

Have a good one

Thanks for all the kind comments, I am really loving the wood deck, I actually used a Minwax stain: I did walnut stain that was cut back with natural stain, then finished it out with Lacquer. I originally wanted to use Varnish, but was in a rush getting it ready for Springfest as I am working on other things on the car and the Varnish I had went bad over the winter, had a bunch of Lacquer hanging around...I can always make another one.

On the compensating spring: I cut only 1.5 off that, its still pushing the diff out, but the actual springs on the differential to the body are really cut down, when the car is jacked up, i can force them out by hand, Im not going to cut more off the diff, at least for now. If I were to cut anymore in the rear, I would need to run shorter shocks or at least build a strap [like how they are done on the alfa romeo spiders] for the diff to keep the diff from extending all the way down...but for now this is a good height for me, being static, if I go any lower, i'll never make it into my garage.

The CD I have had forever, i got it for the first 280 i did over ten years ago, let me know if you need anything from it.

Ive bought from GAHH before, their great! I am now contemplating building a nearly all wood dash, with some leather accents....soo stay tuned, although dont wait too long, after Springfest im not working on the 280 anymore, be time to start on the wifes 190. Will definitely have more photos from Springfest to post after this weekend!

[lewda]

Wait is it vinyl wrapped or did you just drill the holes just shy of the top surface? It looks amazing

Thanks! No its actually mahogany veneer onto composite/masonite board [same material used on the OEM decks].

As for the holes, those were drilled first into the composite board, then the veneer was applied. The veneer was sanded with 180 to 220 grit paper, then the veneer was made moist with a paper towel to pull the grain back out then sanded back with 220 to make it ultra smooth. Lacquer sealer applied, then 7 coats of lacquer.

[lewda]

omg old euros <3!! keep it up man she is gorgeous!!!

thanks dude!

[SickFinga]

Oh yeah, haha, when the wheel is turn hard over, the car literally rides the tire on the fender, but the fender is pretty sturdy, sturdy enough to pick the car up

Did you try rolling your fenders? Are you running 205/70/14 tires? I'm not really worried about the fenders. Just don't want an "unsafe vehicle" ticket.

[lewda]

Did you try rolling your fenders? Are you running 205/70/14 tires? I'm not really worried about the fenders. Just don't want an "unsafe vehicle" ticket.

im running 195/75/14's on mine, some rubbing, but only in the front and when I turn.

[lewda]

alrighty, so Springfest in Virginia Beach came and went, had a blast, but not driving there. The roads in Virginia Beach suck so bad, thrashed the under side of the car and the bumps shook the gas tank so much, i got all kinds of nasty rust sediment in my clear inline fuel filter before the fuel pump. The car stalled probally 6-7 times, more so on the way back, had to pull the filter out and dump the crap out of it.

anyways, pics:





the wife passed the hell out on the way down...


stuck in traffic:


clearing out the fuel filter....for the 4th time:

[Exami]

These old mercs are so cool, i wish i had one.

[gbenz]

Hey Lewda, how difficult is it to take off the chrome window trim? Do you need a special tool?