That "CHOPTOP" - MB W115 / 1975

[JuusoEt]

So, couple of years has pass by. Doing what? Everything. Just fuckin everything. Everything else except the cars. Sisters house, new roof, work, she got two beautiful kids, one of them is my godson. Really love that kid. In time, when those small kids just wanna play with you and looks you with small beautiful eyes, you don't say no. I don't wanna lose a second hanging with them.

Now about six months have been really doing cars again. W108 priority, also my dads Volvo PV from -61.
Promised to help him with metal work in the car, and thats a lot. A lot. That car have been shipped to Finland somewhere in 1980-82, and some guy in Sweden welded three layers of metal together. Three. Just why.

Dads friend got the car from Sweden and stored it till March 2020 when we got the car.
Few photos of the Volvo here. Both rear inner wheel wells will need re-doing(also every other part), been working now 2 weeks with those. Needs something on the car to hold the frame when re-doing the outer panels of the car.

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Already got the spare tire well and position where the fender stick to with bolts fabricated ready but still, much work ahead.
Piece by piece coming along. Got the english wheel built up, also bought shrinker/stretcher. Everything else is still hand made. No fancy equipment or power tools, have to do everything by what you got. More pictures coming for the panels what have been done.

Also few pictures of W108. Got fabricated and repaired fenders and few doors, epoxy painted the body and few parts have been blocked few times and primed. Tried the new color for hood and right-side fender. Loving the color, OEM Mercedes color code from the -60.
In these pictures only painted and clear-coated, 3 layers of clear. Not yet wet sanded and puffed, thinking of spraying 2 coats of clear again after wet sanding. Want to get that extra shine with clear.

Thats for now, have hundreds of photos but so little time to get to computer. Waiting to show every piece we have made, everything getting that little extra time now when just got the time. Thinking of getting new post in the weekend when Volvo gets little bit further and got the panels back in place so pictures will speak more than words.

Take care everyone in this Covid situation.

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[Deutschland201]

Still love the hubcaps.

[JuusoEt]

Some update to you guys. Been working now with the W108 because the MOT time is coming and I need this thing ready to the summer.
Started rippin the undercoat from the car, first front wheel wells and little upgrade to those king pins etc at the same.
Using heat gun and small chisel that went pretty easy, just needs to be really carefull. Not quite much rust, but some small areas needs work.
Here's just a picture when I started, will get more photos to you as soon as both sides are done and fenders are removed, so you see the bigger picture.

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After then I dismantled the king pin and more, not yet picture from those because I wait more parts to come. I need to paint and brush all the parts.
And then it was time to dismantled the steering gear box, I have a rebuild kit and all new bearings to that now. It was leaking and making noise while driving so it needs rebuilding, new one costs around 600 euros so thats no to me
Heres a few pictures of that. I have a lot of pictures about dismantlin that gear box so if anyone needs advice on theirs just send dm to me. Many diagrams can be found online.
This is the gear box.

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And here you can see it definitely needed opening and rebuildin.

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This is what I got done yesterday, tonight I will be rippin the undercoating down from right side and maybe take off the fenders to get more updates to you.

[aye.itseric]

Very impressed

[JuusoEt]

So heres couple of pictures of the photoshoot we took for the car in the summer to the magazine.
Great photographer this man is, awesome photos. I've got around 20 photos, thinking of maybe making some poster from some photo.

Here they are, also burned some rubber with the old lady at the photoshoot
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[JuusoEt]

Here we are again.

Sorry guys for the lack of motivation with the W115, but it's on good hands and something is coming with that. I get the updates to you as soon as I reveal the progress.
The summer pretty much went only driving and enjoying with the bagged W108 I bought.
It revealed more attention than I ever thought it will, It made even in GTI-Magazine! Thats an auto magazine here in Finland. They did full 6-pages story of the car. Will need to send a few photos in this forum with that.
Boys asked me too to take apart with the FittedFest, 100 cars invited to Show-area from Skandinavian to Lahti harbor and a lot more cars with the Meet-area. Cool cars and great people.

But for the updates..Been restoring the W108 woodparts because cold weather keeps me away from the garage now with the W115.
This is from what I started.
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This is now what it looks like, 5-layers of urethane alkyd lacquer for boats, floors, furnitures etcetc.. 320grit sanding after every layer. 24H drye time, full surface hardness in 2 weeks.
Now this is the final layer with this, next is 600/1000grit sanding and then 2K-lacquer with spayer.

Also bought a new daily, VW Passat 3B from 1998. 2.8 30V quattro 5-speed manual. Only 247000KM driven, full service and recently passed MOT.
Has KW suspension and I bought new winter wheel, Ronal Flat Fives from Audi A8. Resprayed with original paint and packed with "semi-stretch" winter tyres.
Heres some photos.
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Thats for now, I will update as soon as i get more progress on neither W108 or W115.

[JuusoEt]

NIce, how is your rear bag held on from the top part?

It's inside the old spring placement(or what should i call it?), what is 74mm inside diameter. 45mm long tube and 74mm diameter welded on stainless plate that is bolted to the bag. The tube to the frame is bolted with two M8 bolts.

Here's two pictures what it looks like. Only full welded of course. Hope this helps!

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[JuusoEt]

This is awesome so far, the work looks really good! I've done a bit of bodywork welding before and it's not easy, you look like a pro. Do you work at a bodyshop?

Hoping you get motivated again soon, I'm looking forward to the finished product.

Thanks. No, i dont work in bodyshop. I work with compressors and that kind of technology in the production facility. This bodywork and every kind of thing that i do is just a hobby, i just love to work materials with my hands.
Hope i will get the motivation back again.

[d_alpine_m]

NIce, how is your rear bag held on from the top part?

[Lukey]

so goood!

[Byron]

This is awesome so far, the work looks really good! I've done a bit of bodywork welding before and it's not easy, you look like a pro. Do you work at a bodyshop?

Hoping you get motivated again soon, I'm looking forward to the finished product.

[grmz]

cool! radical!

[JuusoEt]

So like said before i was thinking of baggin the W108 i bought. And now i did it. Looks so f*ckin amazing, still thinking maybe need new wheels. Better drivin and smooth on taking road trips like i wanted for that. I dont remember did i tell you anything about this car so here's the info:

MB W108 280S from 1969. Engine is M130 straigt-six with two Zenith carburetors and 4-speed manual gearbox. It has passed the museum MOT in 1997 and driven after that only 3000km!! Bought it from a guy who bought it for himself for 50 year birthday present but he saw one -69 SEL on Germany and wanted that one so i bought this for him. Original condition, exterior and interior. Someday in the 90's it has been painted but on the sad side, the bed on the paint has been done pretty bad so some work on that it need, few places of rust etc. Nothin much.
Here's some pictures my friends took from it.

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Looks pretty good but still need some work. When driving in low speed (maybe 0-30km/h) my differential sounds weird and somethin knocks but nothin isnt hitting anywhere or anything.
In six months it's time for MOT so need to start workin on that in few months. Also the W115 needs some work.....stupidy to work so few days with that car, really need some more time on that.
Setup on this car:
Airlift Dominator D2500 x 4 (DIY brackets)
Airlift 11Gallon tank (needs bigger)
Viair 444cc x 2
Manual valves for lifting + 8mm air lines


Nothin more much, hopefully some more upgrade with both cars on next post.

[JuusoEt]

So here's couple more pictures of the W108. Washed it yesterday and went to little drive because the weather was awesome. It runs like a new car, nothin to complain with the engine or transmission.
No extra sounds anywhere, only some adjustment needs those carburators. Model is Zenith, dual-upright carburetors. Need to search some info about them.

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[low94]

Amazing work