W110 'Heckflosse' revival

[lower99]

The last shot is beautiful.
I know dat feeling about mossy and rotten cars

[amotion578]

The last shot is beautiful.
I know dat feeling about mossy and rotten cars

It's been my desktop wallpaper on my home PC ever since

I kinda wish my dad had never (low) pressure washed it... I came out a few nights after buying to it being this clean suddenly, I had mixed feelings about it!

[lower99]

Sometimes it really destroys the soul of a car if you clean it up...
I'm really excited what ur goin to do with it

[amotion578]

This weekend I'm gonna see about getting the springs in! And hopefully finish the front brake job so that can go back together and be closer to driveable again!

I love this picture. It was at this moment did I realize that the dream of owning a classic Benz was real!

[bennkishh]

Once you get the car on the trailer is the best feeling! This thing is sweet, I loved the moss and shit growing on it. I'd love to own an older benz like this, I had a W123 not too long ago and it was pretty neat.

[amotion578]

Changed the oil yesterday and getting closer to putting together the front passenger hub and brake assembly. Still have to tear the caliper apart and replace the seals (might as well do it while it's all apart, it's a PITA but since the rear drums are worthless, well worth the effort to have reliable brakes).

Still trying to figure out what I need to take apart to get the springs out in the front. I hear the rear is very easy (unbolt shocks, swing axle falls away, pull spring out)

This is what I'm looking at:



I believe what I need to undo is the horizontal bolt at the top of the kingpin/spindle assembly. That's what the guy with Hardtail Sally believes is the key to getting the spring out in one piece. I'd just cut it out as is but that won't help me try to fit the new spring nor do I wanna hack up unobtanium (basically) parts (just in case).

Also started her up for the first time in two months, with no choke (it's not set right on the carb, that's what I get for opting for an electric choke over a manual... $40 for a conversion plate to manual choke lol)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG5Xn6eP-eo

OH and I sourced a set of 13" wheel beauty trim rings in Virginia at long last! Two are meh one is good one is decently okay, I just needed the one and for under $40 shipped I can't go wrong! I'll finally have a full set of the beauty rings! As much as I kinda liked the hubcaps only/black on black, I wanted those rings :P

The tires it has now are skinny whitewalls, turned around. I might just have to get a tire rotation and have the shop flip the whitewalls out (they're stained from rust, dirt and brake dust... but they're still whitewalls!)

[AMGwheelwhore]

You need a klann style spring compressor, can be bought off ebay for cheap.

[amotion578]

You need a klann style spring compressor, can be bought off ebay for cheap.

I hear AZ rents compressors like this? I'll look into it

[amotion578]

Spent most of my non eating food Turkey day tinkering with the Benz. The choke is now more properly set, as is the fast idle (starts right up now, it's amazing what choking a cold engine does!) and started tearing into replacing the caliper seals for the front right.

I got one piston out no problem, but the other one has a rust deathgrip going on. AZ has the spring compressor I need to rent to tackle the front springs, after I get the brakes and wheel bearing back together I'll push forward with doing the front springs tomorrow or Sunday hopefully!

[amotion578]

Stuff happened last night.







Front right is now on a Foxbody Mustang spring. I ran out of time last night doing the other front spring (undoubtedly the difficult ones). I hear the rears are easy to do with the swing axle so I'm saving those for after. Can't wait to get it on the ground and see what kind of difference they made!

[TeckniX]

Can you keep a log of part numbers and years used.
Any pics of the ei conversion?

Looking mighty nice although I wish it was still a diesel

[amotion578]

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6935565-Saving-Fintail-Charlotte-MB-W110-progression-thread/

If I miss listing something here, check this link for my TCL progression thread that was my only progression thread for awhile!

Starting from the beginning:

Tune up stuff: diesel battery came from AutoZone, I bought a set of plug wires through IMC at work, the boots didn't fit on the plugs right (can't remember what plugs, check mbzponton.org as my head is off a Ponton 190) so I made my own boots. Distributor cap, rotor, coil, came from PelicanParts, points and condenser came from NAPA.

Carburetor- Weber DGEV 32/36 progressive 2 barrel (redline weber direct, about $250 free shipping brand new with filter, went with the shorty filter)

Carb adapter- Trans-Dapt Performance #2125 (Jeep Weber 2 barrel to single barrel Solex plate), I found it on Summit

Custom adapter plate to adapt down the slightly too big Trans-Dapt plate to the MB intake (see the TCL link above, page 4 for pics of the 2nd plate) made out of aluminum about 3/4" thick, counter sunk screws and all that to make it flow nice and easy.

Exhaust- cut the crappy stock muffler off, ran straight pipe, and then tossed on a 2" glasspack to a 2" chrome turn down tip. The muffler came from my buddy's Datsun 521 truck and the turn down was found at a garage sale lol

Electronic Ignition- my distributor: Bosch VJUR 4 BR 27 T which according to an incomplete service manual I found cross references to Bosch 0-231-115-027).
Pertronix, at the time, did not have the VJU part number on their website, I sent them pictures about the same time I found the cross reference and they agreed that Ignitor 1 #2843 should fit (Ignitor 2 is #92843 and should also fit). I do not have pictures on hand (stupid me) but I will get some this week. I had to modify two things to get it to fit in the distributor- used a hammer/punch to tap over a small metal clip holding the dust shield in place, and shave about 1/4" off the bottom of the rotor.

Brakes and wheel bearings- I don't have part numbers for these. The rotors I got off PelicanParts, pads, bearings, and the caliper seal rebuild kit came from IMC at work.

Suspension- Mustang springs from Foxbody era to mid 2000's I hear are all the same size and about the same spring rates and will fit a W110. I will confirm the Foxbody sit very comfortably if you can get the stupid stock springs out. This should drop me 5" or so and maintain a good ride, so I'm told. I've found the front shocks are VERY old KYB Gas-A-Just and are likely going to blow up the second I start driving around lol.

That's all I can think of right now off the top of my head!



EDIT: and yes, I wish it was a diesel too there is hope- if Hardtail Sally gets a small block transplant, I get the 2.0L diesel for either cheap or free and then I'll have a real 200D again! One day! Until then I'll enjoy the 80hp racecar (compared to the 40hp econobox)

[amotion578]

Both front Foxbody springs are safely in their new homes! I don't think you can fully comprehend how much of a tool those springs were to get out. I must have spent a total of 8 hours in the last two days fighting with them.

Once they were out, it was downhill, until it came time to get the eccentric bolt holding the top of the spindle back in and all right. This car does not want to be low, run well, or in general want me around it haha

OH and I got my package from Virginia- a full set of 13" wheel beauty rings! This week she should be on the road looking mighty fine and running awesome!

[amotion578]

Front brakes have been done (pending bleed) and the car is on the ground again! I had to see how far down the springs would take me. Easily a 5" drop.







Ran out of time to do anything else tonight. Tomorrow the rear goes in the air and I'm praying to the car gods that the "easy" rears act like it! I might have to change the differential fluid while I'm under there... probably is a good idea

[amotion578]

Well, I made a huge mistake!

So the rear Foxbody springs I mistook for fronts (and now that I think about it, duhhhhh), so I have Foxbody rears up front, and will not fit the rear spring perches at all. Luckily, getting to the rear springs is one bolt, pry bar, and jack work to remove.

I took out the stock rear, and upon discovering my blunder, took a gamble at hoping the cut front stock springs would do something to the rear. Got it back on the ground and.... no change. WHOMP.

Soooooooo I'm gonna cut two coils off the rear tonight. And we will see how the front rides on rear springs. Where before there was lots of hydro hopping that could be done by pushing down on the front fenders, there's little to none now. I care more about the front not being bounceland than I do the rear- oil pans and such.



Before... and after... sadly lol



Foxbody front* on the left, W110 stock rear on the right. Benz has larger diameter springs and slightly shorter, and the foxbody rears (which I have another set actually) would just need the smaller part of the coil cut off in order to fit the spring perch in the rear, I will likely cut two coils off the stock and cut the smaller coil off of the other set of rears to see what works!



This guy found me on IG, has 3 coils cut off the front and 2 off the rear IIRC on stock springs, he claims the ride is pretty bouncy (which I'm trying to avoid). Still a pretty car, sitting perfect IMO and I love the color!