Restoring an 8,000 Mile 2.3-16

[shingleback]

Originally Posted by MTI

yes, it can work with the smokey oil lamps

Thanks, perhaps one day my oil lamp can stay lit longer

[lomtevas]

$5,900 covers it all. Receipts and old parts photos to follow. Pick up tomorrow.

[lomtevas]

Got the car and ran it around Queens this late afternoon. Runs tight and crisp. Haven't heard an exhaust sound like that in twenty years.

Question: should the tan and red pinstripe stay or go?

[drewprof]

Will the pinstripes make it go faster?

[Samoila Stefan]

The pinstripes are the ricest mod of the early 90's imho. So, gotta go!

[amg36power]

good deal.

[shingleback]

Originally Posted by lomtevas

Got the car and ran it around Queens this late afternoon. Runs tight and crisp. Haven't heard an exhaust sound like that in twenty years.

Question: should the tan and red pinstripe stay or go?

They need to go. The nicest look for that car is completely stock.

[lomtevas]

Completely stock in NAM form is the objective for this car: NAM headlights; seating and carpeting all stock; zebrano all stock; all interior black plastic stock. Stock!

So the pinstripes go. Pure 199 blauschwartz to follow by Speis Hecker.

Here are some of the replaced items.

Replacing the OVP restored the radio to full operation. The antenna still does not go up and down but that is a minor part. I am debating whether to install Pioneer AVIC pop-out touch screen navigation in this case.

I put it to a vote. Who recommends I keep the original radio?

Also, the OVP replacement repaired the ABS light problem.

The fuel tank will get its own series of photos. Please hold all dibs because this 70 litre tank is in horrific condition and I would not allow a 16v to be fouled up by it.

The sound deadening bulkhead plate is completely shot and has been removed and replaced by a fresh, new one.

The rustiest part on this 16v is this fuel line connector (photo #4). No other metal part on the car compares to its appearance.

The fuel float was in serviceable condition but the gunk on it could have dissolved and entered the motor so it had to go.

Today, I had the car's engine compartment steam cleaned, polished and chemically blasted. Also, the entire chassis was steam cleaned, soaped, chemically blasted and blow dried. The interior proved to be a surprise. A thorough flood cleaning of the transmission hump carpet piece and the rear molded carpet piece yielded a new looking, fresh smelling carpet. After cleaning and oiling, the leather seats looked stunning.

Lastly, Paul at Helms Brothers said that these carpet pieces are not a dead issue. They may be in the system in another country because a flag comes back that they exist somewhere as new equipment old stock.

Body to begin shortly.

[lomtevas]

Some more of the replaced items.

The passenger rear window regulator was found to have had an internal short in the motor. A new one sits in its place as well as a fresh piece of weather sheeting inside the door card.

A fresh positive battery cable sits atop the fresh Mercedes battery. The negative cable with the clipped on terminal took a hike and a new negative cable sits atop the battery too.

I did not photograph each and every tube, pin, clip and hose in the fuel system. However, the two fuel system items (the fuel pump and the accumulator) were interesting because they were fully packed with 22 year old gasoline sludge. They got canned as did the fuel distributor which was returned to the dealer for future rebuilding and resale.

The car runs with a vicious edge: sort of like a scalded greyhound.

[lomtevas]

The recall repairs did not include the ECU, so I get to keep the original.

However, the fuse box bridge and the parking brake lever update were installed.

However, now my blower stopped working. I'll tend to it later.