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C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
So I guess the issue is is that the internal bits that the bumper and headlight Mount to got bent. Picture is worth a thousand words I could not understand what it was you were trying to do before. I have to laugh when people say gee $2,500 is too much to spend for a good condition perfectly running low mileage vehicle that probably cost close to 50 Grand when new. Used cars are so cheap these days it's amazing. But then most people don't end up buying cars that require the front ends to be repaired. that being said you've inspired me to help my lady get her 164 fixed. She was hit from the side years ago and the suspension was repaired on the driver's side front wheel but the fender damage Still Remains. From your photos it appears it's just a bolt on operation. I got the diagrams and part numbers from the dealer the other day. It looks like it's just the fender and the plastic pieces that extend from the fender along the side to the rear fender. Hoping to find one that's the same color already painted from LKQ.
I don't take the best of photos, and truth be told, while I have a 3 car garage, the third bay is filled with 3 jetskis, a 1995 Seadoo XP, 2012 Yamaha Superjet, and 2015 Yamaha Superjet. Also have a 1981 Kawasaki KDX 250 Dirt Bike, lawn mower, snowblower, and other misc crap.
On the driver's side of this ML500, my son has a small woodworking shop set up with table saw, miter saw, and stand where he's building a bandpass subwoofer enclosure he's designed. He's really into physics and engineering and will be attending the University of Kansas this fall.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, my space is really really limited right now, however, he's about done with his project and will be moving the stuff out of the way so I can reposition this vehicle and get better photos with better lighting. It's supposed to be in the 50's this weekend also so I'll be able to open the garage up. I'd like to get the fender and bumper mounted this week/weekend and finish up all the little bits. I'm learning a lot as I go. While I've rebuilt transmissions, engines, and other misc stuff before, I've always stayed away from body work since there's a certain artistic element to it and I have none of that. In the end, its all about getting the panels to line up and make things look good,and I'm desperately trying to get a handle on that part of it.
Good luck in your endeavor. I hope you post it on here and take plenty of photos.
Body straightening is done. Fender and headlight line up now and when not under tension and I'm pretty sure the front bumper will be fine, but I haven't test fitted it yet,however since the headlight and fender fit well, i think the bumper will be fine. I'll try to get to it tomorrow or Friday but its getting cold again and going to be rainy tomorrow
Body straightening is done. Fender and headlight line up now and when not under tension and I'm pretty sure the front bumper will be fine, but I haven't test fitted it yet,however since the headlight and fender fit well, i think the bumper will be fine. I'll try to get to it tomorrow or Friday but its getting cold again and going to be rainy tomorrow
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
Found a fender in Saca-tomato for $250 in perfect shape, same color..
me lady is excited. Not sure how much it is to ship, or just make the 2 hour
drive and make a day out of it...been wanting to try this burger joint up there
that puts so much damn cheese on the sandwich, you get a sort of crispy cheese
'skirt' going all the way around...and then there's the bacon...
hmmmm....looks like heart attack material...look forward to seeing your completed project!
been wanting to try this burger joint up there
that puts so much damn cheese on the sandwich, you get a sort of crispy cheese
'skirt' going all the way around...and then there's the bacon...
You must be talking about the SQUEEZE INN, ........
So hungry right now!!!! That sammich looks Awesome.
With jetski season around the corner, I need to start cutting weight. I had cancer a few years ago and went from 281 down to 187. Got it under control and have been cancer free since July 2, 2015 but have gotten back up to 212 lbs. Granted, I work out daily and lift but my cardio has slowly gotten less and less. I need to get back into cutting carbs and doing more cardio.
Anyway, I think I may take tomorrow off, depending on my workload. If so, I'd like to finish this up enough to get the vehicle inspected and get a rebuilt title issued so I can go get it tagged and start driving it. Front tires are pretty bare and I could use new rubber all around, but I am going to try to hold off until the memorial day sale at discount tire.
Anyway, I think I may take tomorrow off, depending on my workload. If so, I'd like to finish this up enough to get the vehicle inspected and get a rebuilt title issued so I can go get it tagged and start driving it. Front tires are pretty bare and I could use new rubber all around, but I am going to try to hold off until the memorial day sale at discount tire.
Inspection complete! Car is registered and tagged! Here's what I ended up with for now. I need to find the center trim and an waiting on fog light buckets to arrive to put those in. When it warms up, I'll adjust the mounting a bit to get it looking better but this is where I'm at now. I have the washer covers that need painted and put on as well. I'm going to put some touch up paint in the hood and fenders until I can do better.
Inspection complete! Car is registered and tagged! Here's what I ended up with for now. I need to find the center trim and an waiting on fog light buckets to arrive to put those in. When it warms up, I'll adjust the mounting a bit to get it looking better but this is where I'm at now. I have the washer covers that need painted and put on as well. I'm going to put some touch up paint in the hood and fenders until I can do better.
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
Ah, the infamous "Cheese grater grill". Comes in handy in a pinch when you have some Italian food, a block of Parmesan and no kitchen utensils.
I have the updated version on my C Class from the 2005 facelift. A great OEM mod.
Great work!
Originally Posted by slagdemon
Inspection complete! Car is registered and tagged! Here's what I ended up with for now. I need to find the center trim and an waiting on fog light buckets to arrive to
put those in. When it warms up, I'll adjust the mounting a bit to get it looking better but this is where I'm at now. I have the washer covers that need painted and put on as well. I'm going to put some touch up paint in the hood and fenders until I can do better.
Grill and Foglights are going in this weekend as well as the valve cover gaskets. I'm going to take the front bumper off to try to align it better. On a side note, my wife has been driving the beast and she noticed that there's a sharp clunk/pop in the steering sometimes when going over a bump. It's not a dull thud, but a pop of sorts. I haven't had time to look at it yet, but didn't know if there was a common problem with the steering on these. A quick search of "steering clunk" or "steering pop" brought up a couple hits, but nothing definitive.
I'm checking out the rack this weekend, but you can't feel anything, just hear it.. it's very odd. It's a distinct popping noise, but without any vibration or feel.
Long laundry list of things to do if I have time. Drain transmission fluid in the C240 again #2, remove bumper from ML500 and put foglights and other trim pieces in it. etc etc etc.. And I might not even be home on Saturday if we go see the vehicle my son wants to buy.
The linkage between the column and rack was a little loose. I tightened it down a bit and will see if that did the trick. I have yet to test it on the road. Foglights are ready to go in and will fix the front bumper also. I'm jockeying for garage space lately as my son is working on his 4runner in there as well.
One valve cover gasket has been replaced. Thought I'd tackle the "easy" side first so I took the driver's side off. My crankcase ventilation hoses were brittle so I figured I'd hit them with the heat gun to soften them up so I could remove them. Nope.. they didn't get soft, so despite my best efforts, they broke when trying to remove them. I placed an order at noon today from amazon for same day delivery of new hoses and finished up that side around 9 pm tonight. I soaked the valve cover in cleaning solution in my cleaning tub and scrubbed it clean to get rid of all the oil residue and dirt. I also resealed the crankcase ventilation portion and it took forever to get the old sealer off. I'll tackle the other side this upcoming weekend when I have more time. Also got new sway bar bushings in but haven't had time to replace them yet.
New tires were put on yesterday and it rides so much better with all 4 balanced. I am going to attempt the sway bar bushings tonight and see how they go. /Cross fingers, it should be a relatively simple install.
I wanted to add that the factory valve cover gasket I took off had the exact same markings as the one I replaced it with.
I decided to purchase new aftermarket engine mounts. I think one or more is broken so I bought both fronts and the rear mount off ebay using some ebay bucks I had saved up. Man, this vehicle accelerates fast!
Also going to change the transmission fluid. I haven't searched yet, but am hoping that someone can recommend the procedure and type to get. I know with the W203 (C240), i bought the valvoline maxlife and have done 1 of 3 swaps to date by draining the pan and replenishing what came out.
03-13-2019, 02:39 PM
