New Member in NJ
12-23-2015, 08:37 AM
#1
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1985 W126 380SE
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Just purchased this beauty over the weekend. 1985 300SE with 128k original miles. I'll have to snap more pictures - been raining a lot here lately. She is unbelievably clean. I used to own a 1991 300D and selling it was the biggest car regret of my life, been looking for another old Benz since. When I heard the fella who had this car was planning on chopping and channeling it, I snapped it up.
12-24-2015, 04:24 AM
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Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new ride - it looks beautiful! May it provide unlimited fun and unhampered travel across all terrains for as long as you two are together. Enjoy the time behind its wheel!
12-28-2015, 06:35 PM
#7
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1985 W126 380SE
Thanks everyone - right now she's sitting at 129k miles. I was going around today greasing up the window regulators (all but one works, I call that a win) and I broke one of the plastic slides just by rolling down the window....so now I need to replace that or the entire regulator. I'm not sure if maybe I should just buy two regulators and fix the (now) two broken windows. Intending on making her my daily driver when my current lease is up in June. Below a list of a few items that are on my plan of attack:
1. Obviously, fix the window I broke...maybe the other one too.
2. Replace the shocks all around with Bilstein's, you can hear the shocks are you're driving. (Spring Project)
3. New brakes by Autumn 2016
4. Oil change, brake fluid flush & have specialist give her a once over for anything urgent that I'm missing. Brake fluid is black and oil is due, just pending a call back from a local specialist.
5. Install Plastic Radiator Neck Reinforcement from Mercedes Source (Spring Project)
6. Address minor rust where door meets bottom of door panel (passenger door) & small spot of bubbling rust on driver door. (Spring Project)
7. Order a set of correct floor mats, currently have none.
8. Replace rear windshield & mitigate rust if present. Currently fogging at lower corners & rear defogger not operational. (Summer Project)
9. Potentially replace stereo and speakers, undecided on this one so far.
10. Monovalve replacement (Winter 2016 - I'd like consistent heat next year)
That's about it, looking forward to working on her and keeping her for a while.
1. Obviously, fix the window I broke...maybe the other one too.
2. Replace the shocks all around with Bilstein's, you can hear the shocks are you're driving. (Spring Project)
3. New brakes by Autumn 2016
4. Oil change, brake fluid flush & have specialist give her a once over for anything urgent that I'm missing. Brake fluid is black and oil is due, just pending a call back from a local specialist.
5. Install Plastic Radiator Neck Reinforcement from Mercedes Source (Spring Project)
6. Address minor rust where door meets bottom of door panel (passenger door) & small spot of bubbling rust on driver door. (Spring Project)
7. Order a set of correct floor mats, currently have none.
8. Replace rear windshield & mitigate rust if present. Currently fogging at lower corners & rear defogger not operational. (Summer Project)
9. Potentially replace stereo and speakers, undecided on this one so far.
10. Monovalve replacement (Winter 2016 - I'd like consistent heat next year)
That's about it, looking forward to working on her and keeping her for a while.
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12-28-2015, 06:40 PM
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1985 W126 380SE
Ah, christ. I just spent 15 minutes writing out about the car and what my plans are for her over the next year and I think I lost it all 
Ok well instead of re-creating that again, she has 129k miles on her. Looking forward to taking care of her where her owner left off, she was clearly somebody's baby.
Ok well instead of re-creating that again, she has 129k miles on her. Looking forward to taking care of her where her owner left off, she was clearly somebody's baby.
12-29-2015, 07:52 AM
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1985 W126 380SE
Ok, what she needs....
Ok, now that I've relaxed a bit, here are all the things I"m planning on doing to Greta over the next year, it still hasn't stopped raining so no new pix yet:
1. Oil change, brake fluid flush, inspection & mechanic once-over for anything I've missed. (Pending Response from Local Specialist.)
2. New shocks all around, brake pads & parking brake, you can hear the shocks moaning as you drive, now very Mercedes like. Also the parking brake doesn't work. (Spring 2016)
3. R&R rear windshield & mitigate any potential rust there. Currently it is fogging in the lower corners. Looks like Rock Auto has some in stock. (Summer 2016)
4. R&R rear window regulators. One didn't work when I got it, and I broke one of the plastic slides when I was greasing them & the seat tracks. (By February Hopefully)
5. R&R front seats & clean up tracks, if their movement doesn't seem to be improved by greasing. (TBD)
6. New stereo and speakers, not sure on this one yet as my intention is to use her as my daily driver starting in Summer 2016, but my commute is only 2 miles so it's a very low priority. (Winter 2016)
7. Install a new monovalve, I'd like consistent heat (Winter 2016)
8. Repair some extremely minor rust at the bottom of the doors with Miracle Paint. Repair a small rust bubble on drivers door. It's about the size of a nickel and I'm not sure how to approach this as it's highly visible.
9. Install Plastic Radiator Neck Reinforcement from Mercedes Source. (Spring 2016)
10. I think there is slop in the steering caused either by a worn our idler arm or a dead damper, either way, that has to be fixed and maybe my specialist can tell me which it is when he has it up on the lift. (Pending response from specialist)
11. Vacuum leaks, there's an odd response from the throttle at a certain point in the travel of the peddle. This could either be the throttle linkage (simple) or a vacuum connection (simple but a pain to pinpoint all of them) Again, will probably ask the specialist to check this out too.
12. Install euro lights. Having had them on my 1991 300D I know how much better they are, however, the US Spec ones are in such amazing shape this is a "maybe" project.
Listing it out it all sure seems like a lot, but it doesn't occur as a lot - if that makes sense. Clearly someone loved this car, and I want to do right by it. Once Trenton stops acting like Seattle I'll be sure to pull her out and snap a bunch of pictures.
1. Oil change, brake fluid flush, inspection & mechanic once-over for anything I've missed. (Pending Response from Local Specialist.)
2. New shocks all around, brake pads & parking brake, you can hear the shocks moaning as you drive, now very Mercedes like. Also the parking brake doesn't work. (Spring 2016)
3. R&R rear windshield & mitigate any potential rust there. Currently it is fogging in the lower corners. Looks like Rock Auto has some in stock. (Summer 2016)
4. R&R rear window regulators. One didn't work when I got it, and I broke one of the plastic slides when I was greasing them & the seat tracks. (By February Hopefully)
5. R&R front seats & clean up tracks, if their movement doesn't seem to be improved by greasing. (TBD)
6. New stereo and speakers, not sure on this one yet as my intention is to use her as my daily driver starting in Summer 2016, but my commute is only 2 miles so it's a very low priority. (Winter 2016)
7. Install a new monovalve, I'd like consistent heat (Winter 2016)
8. Repair some extremely minor rust at the bottom of the doors with Miracle Paint. Repair a small rust bubble on drivers door. It's about the size of a nickel and I'm not sure how to approach this as it's highly visible.
9. Install Plastic Radiator Neck Reinforcement from Mercedes Source. (Spring 2016)
10. I think there is slop in the steering caused either by a worn our idler arm or a dead damper, either way, that has to be fixed and maybe my specialist can tell me which it is when he has it up on the lift. (Pending response from specialist)
11. Vacuum leaks, there's an odd response from the throttle at a certain point in the travel of the peddle. This could either be the throttle linkage (simple) or a vacuum connection (simple but a pain to pinpoint all of them) Again, will probably ask the specialist to check this out too.
12. Install euro lights. Having had them on my 1991 300D I know how much better they are, however, the US Spec ones are in such amazing shape this is a "maybe" project.
Listing it out it all sure seems like a lot, but it doesn't occur as a lot - if that makes sense. Clearly someone loved this car, and I want to do right by it. Once Trenton stops acting like Seattle I'll be sure to pull her out and snap a bunch of pictures.
