[gsc1996]

Good morning,
I have created this thread to keep you updated as this project progresses. We have never owned a Mercedes before so this is all new to us. The car was my brother in laws and they just wanted to get it out of their garage. It's been in their for 13 years! Before he took it off the road he had the lifters and timing chain replaced. It ran well when he parked it! The car is due to picked up by the auto transport company we hired to get it from Colorado to NJ on or about October 12th. So we should have it about a week after that. So as this project progresses I will post pics and status.

One issue I am finding is locating new tires. Has anyone swapped over to 15" from the 14"? Is it even possible clearance wise?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Yes it is possible, I bought my car with these 15 inch wheels but swapped back to 14 inch.

I started with these 15 inch.

Then went to steel 14 inch.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Yes it is possible, I bought my car with these 15 inch wheels but swapped back to 14 inch.

I started with these 15 inch.

View attachment 2606214

Then went to steel 14 inch.

View attachment 2606215

Nice pics. Mine came with 8-hole 15 inch wheels, and I bought some 15 inch AMG penta-like Melbers. You beneefit from a wider choice of tyres wuth 15s. et 25, 7j are the key bits to look for. You can stuff a lot more tyre than that in there though. Plenty of threads here on the topic.

 

[rowdie]

We have seen 18" but in my opinion 16" is the biggest that looks good. These are 16"x8" ET 11.

 

[miko1aj]

An obvious downside of 14" that I'm about to suffer for is the price tag as all premium / time-correct tyres cost $250 and up per rubber :-( 15" and higher are much cheaper obviously.

 

[gsc1996]

Thanks guys, that make me feel better for tire choices (15"). The 14" are hard to come by and $$$$$

 

[gsc1996]

My sister in law with some help got the car cleaned off and all the tires inflated. Car looks better then I last saw it! It's still ontrack to get transported on the 12th.

 

[rcrmonte3]

Nice car, but the wheels are fugly.... Personally, I like the steel wheels with the painted hubcaps, but I don't know if they are available in 15". Good luck with your project. Lots of knowledge here.

 

[gsc1996]

Car was delivered today

 

[ryson]

I originally had 14" bundts but went with these 17" wheels.

 

[P Jones]

I originally had 14" bundts but went with these 17" wheels. View attachment 2607954

That is really sharp!

 

[ryson]

Thanks. I love my wheels as well with a great selection of tires when needed. Below is a side view as well for a better look at how close they resemble the original Penta AMG wheels. I took the chrome fenders off in this pic. Deciding if I want to put them back on.

GSC, I saw a dark blue 450SL for sale a while ago like yours with the AMG Penta wheels and it looked great. I'd consider finding a set of those if you can find them.... Or a set of the HWA wheels I have in the 17" size.

 

[ryson]

GSC, here is a quick Photoshop to give you an idea what it would look like if you switched over to the 16" AMG Pentas. I kept your overall tire diameter the same with more wall height that the 16" wheel size would give you. If you went 17" HWA's, obviously less wall height would be seen.

 

[Neelyrc]

. . . . I took the chrome fenders off in this pic. Deciding if I want to put them back on. . . .

Much better IMHO, leave them off!

 

[gsc1996]

Ok, that’s pretty cool!!
I got the car in the garage last evening and took notice of a few things. It is mechanical fuel injection. Have some rust by the jacking points by the front wheel wells. Yes, I do have the original jack in the trunk in its storage spot. Seems both the rocker switches for the windows need to be replaced. The trunk seal leaks (it rained hard yesterday). Needs all new belts and radiator hoses.
I was able to find BF Goodrich 205/70R/14 at a local shop. So for now I will stick with the factory size.

 

[andya]

I took the chrome fenders off in this pic.

This looks much better in my opinion - much cleaner. Andy

 

[Ianwright40]

Nice car, but the wheels are fugly.... Personally, I like the steel wheels with the painted hubcaps, but I don't know if they are available in 15". Good luck with your project. Lots of knowledge here.

I think there are 4, 15" Dog Dish wheel trims in the world and Fonzi has 3 of them. Not sure of the true story but if I remember they were fitted to German Ambulances and Fonzi was on a mission to get a full set. Of course this could all be bull shit I made up in my sleep but it sounds good.

 

[P Jones]

Thanks. I love my wheels as well with a great selection of tires when needed. Below is a side view as well for a better look at how close they resemble the original Penta AMG wheels. I took the chrome fenders off in this pic. Deciding if I want to put them back on.

GSC, I saw a dark blue 450SL for sale a while ago like yours with the AMG Penta wheels and it looked great. I'd consider finding a set of those if you can find them.... Or a set of the HWA wheels I have in the 17" size.

I think it looks cleaner without the Fender Chrome. One of the things I want to do as part of reviving my dads old 1974 450 SL is upgrade the wheels. I have always liked these AMG type wheels on Benzes. Tires/wheels that were offered on newer cars is what I want to use. Nothing huge or outrageous. Just a clean look. You have nailed it with you car for sure!