Ownership Verified: Mercedes 280 SE (1981) aka. the ugly duckling...

Not to mention, that bondo needs to dry properly if you want the paintjob to last a long time. Never good to rush those things.
 
Also as we were about to leave Nitra, we found we couldn't close the bonnet fully...fun times doing 100km/h with only safety latches.

You have some balls there my good sir... Hoods have crashed open for less... I've sorta seen it happen.

Interesting statistics and post btw.

Mad props for driving all the way there :thumbsup:

Also: you must spread some highfives around before you can give them to matyas again :(
 
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Well... quality rust repair and repaint takes time.

The guy who will do the e30 said that it'll take 2 months for a quality job. It takes up to a week for the bondo to dry up completly, so it can be sanded and then painted.
 
Also I don't want to bring it back during mid-winter, when there is a lot of snow.

Jupix: I had a small test-drive on a quiet road before we decided to proceed with the bonnet as is. As well as ignorance is bliss :)
 
hi matyas, i am Jack, i am from Viet nam. i also using 280se W126. some parts too old like your car. All Electric parts on your car still working normaly ? And do you have the electric diagram of this car ?
 
hi matyas, i am Jack, i am from Viet nam. i also using 280se W126. some parts too old like your car. All Electric parts on your car still working normaly ? And do you have the electric diagram of this car ?

Most of the electric components work. The fibre-optic lighting is not as good as it used to be, but few of them work as far as I have seen. I have had my indicator relay fail on me, the alternator also failed. I do not have an electric diagram though :(
 
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On request, here is a short update about the car:
-Original deadline long passed, estimate is now 2015 Summer.
-New engine and gearbox (~100,000km), airconditioning and lots of small bits and bolts
-Lots of rust removed and car in the paintshop at the moment

Lots of rust repairs:
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New engine
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Shiny parts for the engine
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Wow, you're really going the whole nine yards! Good choice ;)

Protip for restoring an old mercedes: take out the servo pump, and replace the fluid and filter if you haven't done it previously. My W116 still had the original filter (and probably the fluid too)
 
Were the bodywork weld joints soldered as well, looks like it in the pictures? If so, nice work on the bodywork front, looks like the repairs wouldn't need much filler at all. Nice work! :)



Also the 280TC M110 is one of the best looking Mercedes engines ever. Please polish the cam covers :p
 
The original colour of my previous car. The current one was a bright blue, but it had so many shades of it, that it was hard to see which was which.

I don't know about the soldering, but apparently very little filler was needed, which makes me happy :) I think the engine will stay unpolished for now, as the new one is quite original. Let's see if it will start first though...
 
A small update for Christmas. The car looks amazing, but work in progress for a while still.

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Fantastic transformation! It looks really, really great, I can't wait to see it in real life. :)
 
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