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few questions

1081 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  benz w126, 
B
3
sorry if any of these have been answered before I cant make the search work, keeps timming out. Anyways, thanks for the help.

1. The front windows dont work. they both get power as the the light does dim. would this be motors? Is it hard to DIY? Also the back right window is off its slide.

2. Both the driver and passenger side doors have the bottom plastic not connected in the corner. Is this a snap or some sort? Picture below

3. The Paint on the car is in fairly good shape and is orginal. The trunk and roof are the two exceptions? If I get it painted would it be alright to just have the trunk and roof painted? or would it never match? Picture below

4. The driver seat is ripped and almost gone. Can I swap it with the passenger seat or are they different cuts? Picture below

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dtkw
1: Did you check the fuses?

2: The one on the rear door looks like it pushed in.

3: Depends on the bodyshop you go to.

4: Probably slap in and out and replaceable. Not 100% sure tho.
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blue420sel
by the looks of the car, you are in for a full makeover. my trunk too was in similar condition and the leather was torn in a couple of places. i would paint the whole entire car. that is removing all exterior accessories and painting from the there. the leather looks pretty beat up. a full re-upholstery is the only answer. the carpet can also be replaced maybe just a shampoo. i don't kow, that condition is really hard to work with, maybe just concentrating on the mechanics is a better thing for now. bringing the life back to benz cost.
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Benzonline
Do yourself a favour....dont bother with it![:)]
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MBeige
For the trunk and roof, a temporary fix might be to use paint cleaner. I use Meguiar's Deep Crystal paint cleaner (maroon bottle). Worked wonders on my neighbor's car. The reason I suggest this is that the spots on your trunk look like oxidations so they're not embedded in the paint and could be removed. Might take a while to remove, but a good rubbing should do the trick.

For the seat, you might be able to find one at a local junk yard. Just get the lower part if the donor seat is in good condition, or the entire thing if you can. However I am not sure if your car has memory seats, and if it has, if it will matter to replace the old one with a used one.
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B
I cleaned the carpets and they look great. Tried the mcguires 3 step on the trunk with alright results. got rid of some of the oxidation but still pretty scared up. atleast its shinny now [:)] also did the lexol 2 step. the passenger came out great. Too bad lexol doesnt get rid of rips. I also played with the fuse box and got most of the electrical working. Some reason the gas gauge doesnt work, however it does give me hints every once in a while. I'll post some pics when I get it all cleaned up. The hood turned out great. Thanks for the advice
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jdc1244
It’s hard to say: on the one hand I’d hate to see you spend time and money on a restore that may not work out– on the other hand I’d love to see your 500 SEL brought back to life and what could be for you a good looking, reliable car.
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B
5
here are some before and after pictures from using mcguires 3 step, cleaning carpets, lenox 2 step, and general cleaning.

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AxelWulff
benz w126,

The car looks a lot better after you cleaned her up.[:)]

Small rips can be repaired and you'd hardly notice (see this write-up on mbcoupes.com, http://www.mbcoupes.com/repairarticles/leatherrepair/leatheriquetreatment.htm).

From the photo it looks like the rips in your driver's seat are too long for that kind of repair though. You can get a new leather seat cover at World Upholstery (http://www.worlduph.com/mb22.htm), but matching the color of the rest of your interior would be tricky, as your interior has probably faded a bit over the years.
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MBeige
Looks great! It will take a while to restore but I'm sure it will get there. I hope you like the results, it looks like you're determined to get her in the best shape you can. Glad that my advise worked on your car.
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B
I have high hopes for her. I think with a little work she will be in better shape than the 86 300sdl. I bought and then sold that car for $6,000. The only thing I worry about is lack of service record and not knowing anything about the history of the car. The major problem I see is the ac system, however being in florida that wont be a problem for a couple of more months. I'm still wary of driving it long distances. I take her to work which is about 4 miles away with no trafic, basicly all neighborhoods with one red light in my way. My shop tells me its in good running order now I'm just paranoid about a timming chain or oil pump or somthing not working right. Again thanks for all the advise and encouragement.
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