Saved from the crusher
09-02-2014, 01:57 AM
#1
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1996 C36
Saved from the crusher
Just when I thought the journey would end with this 1994 C280 it has been revived and postpones an appointment with a crusher. About a month ago I was involved in an accident where I was rear ended and sandwiched. As the car is twenty years old I knew right away the insurance company would total the car. With two destroyed bumpers, tented hood and coolant leaking from under the car, I thought this was it.
Before the accident
After the accident
In the end the insurance did deem the car a total loss with repair estimates over $9K. I received a decent settlement for a car of this age and then they told me the salvage value should I want to keep the car....$250. Well against the advise of everyone I know, I bought the car back. This of course leads me to the first part of my journey. I started tearing things down and started putting together a list of things that were needed. The radiator had a hole carved into it from the power steering pump so that was first on the list. The radiator support was shaped like a Pringle so that was added to the list. It was only later that I discovered I also needed a fan clutch bearing, fan clutch, and fan blades. All these items took the brunt of the hit and although visually looked fine, nothing was salvageable. Here is where a bit of luck came my way. Through a classified on another 202 specific forum I was able to get the hood, radiator support, radiator, ac condenser, electric fans and power steering cooler lines. This left me only to have to source the headlight lens and the mechanical fan parts. While I had everything apart I also decided to change the water pump. This delayed the reassembly for at least a week as I waited for parts delivery. Slowly everything started to come back together but it was hard at times as seeing a broken up car in the garage everyday makes you wonder if the right decision was made. Slowly things started to come together and the car started to look like a car again.
Fitting of the support, electric fans, power steering cooler lines and radiator
One of the more difficult parts to source was the headlight lens as I had retrofitted the Factory Xenon headlights. Prices ranged from $396 to $125 with the cheaper one online. As you can already guess I went the cheap route and while I had to wait for a week and a half for the lens, it was indeed the correct xenon lens and for that I'm thrilled. The headlight wipers had to be deleted as the motors took a big hit and were mearly a bucket of small parts. The focus has now shifted from making a C280 the factory should have built to a cheap daily runner. Also gone is the C36 look.
Waiting for the waterpump, belt drive parts and headlight lens (the blackeye look). Used hood installed with a new genuine grill.
Once the mechanicals were done it was discovered the ac system had completely discharged. The system held the previous charge for three weeks after the accident so I thought this could be at the condenser connections as those were shifted a bit getting the waterpump and radiator sorted. One o-ring and two punds of freon later and the ac is again working. Pulled a vacuum before charging the system and it held overnight so this recharge ends the mechanical repair of the car. It is fully operational abeit a bit ugly.
Beginning to look like a car again
Testing the o-ring repair
Now that the car was running I was able to drive it over to my storage garage where I had kept the stock bumpers after I did the C36 body kit upgrade. Just for consistency I removed the AMG side skirts and painted door moldings as with the stock bumpers the car would look "off". In anycase here she is just waiting to get the hood painted. BTW if anyone in the SF Bay area has a hookup for someone who can paint the hood, please let me know. Thanks.
Current state just waiting for paint
Prior to side skirt removal
Before the accident
After the accident
In the end the insurance did deem the car a total loss with repair estimates over $9K. I received a decent settlement for a car of this age and then they told me the salvage value should I want to keep the car....$250. Well against the advise of everyone I know, I bought the car back. This of course leads me to the first part of my journey. I started tearing things down and started putting together a list of things that were needed. The radiator had a hole carved into it from the power steering pump so that was first on the list. The radiator support was shaped like a Pringle so that was added to the list. It was only later that I discovered I also needed a fan clutch bearing, fan clutch, and fan blades. All these items took the brunt of the hit and although visually looked fine, nothing was salvageable. Here is where a bit of luck came my way. Through a classified on another 202 specific forum I was able to get the hood, radiator support, radiator, ac condenser, electric fans and power steering cooler lines. This left me only to have to source the headlight lens and the mechanical fan parts. While I had everything apart I also decided to change the water pump. This delayed the reassembly for at least a week as I waited for parts delivery. Slowly everything started to come back together but it was hard at times as seeing a broken up car in the garage everyday makes you wonder if the right decision was made. Slowly things started to come together and the car started to look like a car again.
Fitting of the support, electric fans, power steering cooler lines and radiator
One of the more difficult parts to source was the headlight lens as I had retrofitted the Factory Xenon headlights. Prices ranged from $396 to $125 with the cheaper one online. As you can already guess I went the cheap route and while I had to wait for a week and a half for the lens, it was indeed the correct xenon lens and for that I'm thrilled. The headlight wipers had to be deleted as the motors took a big hit and were mearly a bucket of small parts. The focus has now shifted from making a C280 the factory should have built to a cheap daily runner. Also gone is the C36 look.
Waiting for the waterpump, belt drive parts and headlight lens (the blackeye look). Used hood installed with a new genuine grill.
Once the mechanicals were done it was discovered the ac system had completely discharged. The system held the previous charge for three weeks after the accident so I thought this could be at the condenser connections as those were shifted a bit getting the waterpump and radiator sorted. One o-ring and two punds of freon later and the ac is again working. Pulled a vacuum before charging the system and it held overnight so this recharge ends the mechanical repair of the car. It is fully operational abeit a bit ugly.
Beginning to look like a car again
Testing the o-ring repair
Now that the car was running I was able to drive it over to my storage garage where I had kept the stock bumpers after I did the C36 body kit upgrade. Just for consistency I removed the AMG side skirts and painted door moldings as with the stock bumpers the car would look "off". In anycase here she is just waiting to get the hood painted. BTW if anyone in the SF Bay area has a hookup for someone who can paint the hood, please let me know. Thanks.
Current state just waiting for paint
Prior to side skirt removal
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LOUD APPLAUSE from the crowd!
09-02-2014, 02:59 PM
#9
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1996 C36
Thanks for the support. Unfortunately, I need a rear bumper. The front one survived and merely needs paint. Even for a San Francisco car there is no rust. I just realized I need to slide over to the regular 202 section now...
09-05-2014, 06:39 PM
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Resurrection of the Week: C280 for a Cool $250
For a while now, the "Photos of the Week" feature has been about beautiful images of beautiful cars. But as some of us (some more than others) are aware, even beautiful cars can have their off days. An off day is a slight understatement for member mbsickness when his 1994 C280 was sandwiched between two cars after being rear-ended. The front/back bumpers were both destroyed, the hood tented, and coolant bled from under the car. He did what many of us would do: called his insurance company and prepared to say "goodbye" to his car.
Read the rest on the MBWorld homepage.
09-05-2014, 07:44 PM
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'97 c36
09-07-2014, 11:34 PM
#15
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2000 C280
