[V8] Touring car musings.

Fri Jul 10 07:13:53 PDT 2009

One expensive part - that is probably already unavailable, is the  
electric fan motor. (radiator cooling)
If you take the time to rebuild this motor, it should last another 10  
years or more.  If you let it burn up, there is little choice but to  
find a used motor or adapt a smaller motor.
I found a motor (from a Chevy Truck I think) that fits but has far  
less power.  The V8 fan motor appears to be nearly 1 hp.  A rebuild  
consists of replacing the front bearing and oiling the rear.  If  
brushes are needed, you will probably have to sand down some larger  
ones from a starter motor (yes - they are that big) but this is cheap  
and easy.

I have also grabbed things like climate control head/control module/ 
fan speed module, cruise control module, anti-lock module, and a box  
full of all the various relays and controls in the fuse panel. I also  
have a spare MAF - which is probably a critical part and one that will  
reduce your car to a lawn ornament it it fails.  I may be lucky in  
that my local used auto parts place regards most of these parts as  
junk and I get most of them for free since nobody ever buys them.   
Probably because so few people actually repair their own cars anymore,  
and no reputable shop would install a used part without good reason.

No one ever accused me of being reputable though...

Dave

On Jul 9, 2009, at 4:13 AM, Roger Woodbury wrote:

> Yes, well, I have always wanted to have a W123 Coupe and the 300SD  
> is a
> handsome car, and perhaps the best of Mercedes "generation"  
> cars...the type
> that they no longer build.
>
> But in the end, you are probably right.  It is very hard to get past  
> the V8
> and there are many things that I would like to do with the car that  
> can be
> done for short dollars.
>
> For instance, I am working up my nerve to push the pocket book a bit  
> further
> right now to buy some BBS wheels.  But first it goes to the wrench  
> next week
> for an oil change and a couple of tweaks that have needed tweaking,
> including a new bomb, new cruise control module and a fix for the ABS
> circuit. Then an inspection sticker.
>
> Then next up will probably be tackling the Blows radio issue.  I loose
> signal from time to time, and the antenna is stubborn about going  
> down all
> the way...sometimes it stops about 3/4 of the way down.  Needs a new
> antenna, I'll bet.  Most of the time it works fine, but I suspect  
> that the
> antenna connection in the rear is not tight or something.  I can fix  
> that
> myself and will sometime.  For now, I am content to ride and muse,  
> ponder
> and dream up new inanities to write on the V8 list.
>
> And listen to the engine. ALWAYS listen to the engine.
>
> Yeah, I really want some Euro headlights sometime, and then as you  
> suggest,
> just stocking up on V8 parts is a noble pursuit. Even if only to  
> sell one to
> some other fool who can't let the car go.  When the barn is built,  
> I'll
> start.
>
> No, that's not right.  I have started already.  About six months  
> before I
> bought my V8, I found a new in the box hvac motor on eBay.  I bought  
> it for
> pretty cheap dollars and it is now sitting in its box on the top  
> shelf of my
> closet.  Just in case....
>
> Frame gaskets.  Haven't thought about frame gaskets.  Hmmm....going to
> Bangor today, maybe I'll stop in at the Audi dealer and have a chat  
> with the
> parts guy.....
>
> You guys will be the first to know.
>
> Roger
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: diemarthadie at aol.com [mailto:diemarthadie at aol.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 7:25 PM
> To: rmwoodbury at roadrunner.com
> Cc: v8 at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: [V8] Touring car musings.
>
> Roger,
>
>
>
> I think you already know that you'll never escape the V8.  So, that
> settled, why not begin stockpiling OEM parts?  Buy new, perhaps in  
> bulk
> with Bastian's help.  Buy the things you know will go unobtanium like
> frame gaskets, UFO rotors, and other oddities.  Pick up spare sensors,
> and maybe fuses and such.  Instead of spending $9k on a car you won't
> like as much, spend $2k a year on spares.  Talk to a dealer or two and
> ask if they have leftover V8 parts on the shelf that they'd like to
> offload cheaply.  I bet you'll find some.
>
>
>
> Maybe look at some of those amazing interior options that were only
> available in Europe and add one of those to your car.  So many things
> could be done for the $9k and leave you happy and with change in your
> pocket.
>
>
>
> You know the V8 is your automotive ring, it's precious and you won't
> give it up ;)
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> PS - but if you really want a diesel Benz I'll see if the one locally
> is still for sale, it was ridiculously clean with full service  
> history.
>
>
>
> PPS - Ed has a 928 you can buy :)
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Roger Woodbury <rmwoodbury at roadrunner.com>
>
> To: cobram at juno.com; tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net
>
> Cc: v8 at audifans.com
>
> Sent: Sun, Jun 7, 2009 5:16 pm
>
> Subject: Re: [V8] Touring car musings.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Ah, yes.  The perils of buying a car from the rust belt. ANY car.    
> And
> if
>
> you ever have a chance to buy a car that has spent more than ten
> minutes in
>
> Maine, don't.  Here in Maine they have given up sanding the roads with
> salt
>
> and sand combinations in large measure.  Instead they water the roads
> with
>
> some sort of noxious liquid that is supposed to melt the ice and snow
> and
>
> wash it away.  It works great.  And it washes all that nasty ice,  
> snow,
>
> shock absorbers, shock mounts, exhaust flanges, exhaust pipes,  
> mufflers,
>
> suspension bushings and assorted other rubber gizzies right before you
> eyes.
>
>
>
> So, I have few illusions about how long a W123 Mercedes that was rust
> free
>
> might last in Maine at all now, and it isn't long.  So, even if I
> really,
>
> really wanted one of these cars, it could only be for very late  
> spring,
>
> summer and early fall driving, then to bed and asleep in the barn  
> until
> next
>
> spring.
>
>
>
> But what really scares me is what I am going to do when my V8 either
> can get
>
> parts or gets so corroded that it won't pass inspection.  Then what?
> Maybe
>
> a walker of wheel chair by that time.
>
>
>
> Roger
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: cobram at juno.com [mailto:cobram at juno.com]
>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:50 PM
>
> To: tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net
>
> Cc: rmwoodbury at roadrunner.com; v8 at audifans.com
>
> Subject: Re: [V8] Touring car musings.
>
>
>
> The rose colored glasses of time?
>
> I was buying 300D's, 240D's et. al. for export by the (half) dozen in
> the
>
> late 80's early 90's, and even 20 years ago the examples to be found
> here
>
> in the rust belt were rot buckets.  They rust, they rust big time,  
> they
>
> rust everywhere and anywhere.  Early 70's were rust buckets, late 70's
>
> were rust buckets, early 80's were rust buckets, mid 80's were rust
>
> buckets.  Thanks to a friend with a Mercyless Benz shop, I bought  
> mostly
>
> one owner cars owned by people who maintained them better than factory
>
> recommendations.  The owners all loved the cars, they all hated to  
> part
>
> with them, they all parted with them for very cheap to  
> nothing...because
>
> they were rust buckets.  Non-turbos are underpowered, smoky, noisy and
>
> the second reason we still can't convince people diesel is an option.
>
> Countries I shipped them to would completely disassemble the cars (I
> mean
>
> completely) and rebuilt them from top to bottom.  I followed the  
> work on
>
> many of them, and can even remember how strange some of the rust was.
>
> The 123's?  They're sneaky and tend to rot from the inside out, under
> the
>
> cowl, between fender panels etc.  I've seen 123's that looked  
> pristine,
>
> beautiful, but try and lift it by the jack point....and the distinct
>
> sound of crunching corn flakes.
>
>
>
> I'll do anything mechanical, but I hate body work, chasing rust is  
> even
>
> lower on my list of things I enjoy than dental work is.  If it wasn't
> for
>
> that, I never would have looked twice or put up with the kind of
>
> mechanical "peculiarities" that all the type 44's are known for.
>
>
>
> I still have an '87 300TDT I drive regularly, it was supposed to go
>
> abroad but the buyer never came up with all the cash.  Figured it was
>
> better to keep it limber.  After driving this one, which has the 6
>
> cylinder turbo, I can't see an MB diesel head ever going back to the 5
> or
>
> 4 bangers.  Will be selling it soon, I have a small pile of notes left
> on
>
> her over the years asking for dibs on it when I decide to sell.   
> There's
>
> a cult out there for these cars,  having been baptized and ex
>
> communicated, I'm sure I"ll wane nostalgic for it a few years after  
> it's
>
> gone.
>
>
>
> BCNU,
>
> http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
>
> I enjoy escargot, but I prefer fast food.
>
>
>
> "Tony and Lillie" <tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net> writes:
>
>
>
>> The only significant thing that appears to go wrong with the w123's
>
>> is the
>
>> compressor. Built by GM of course, and thirty plus years old to
>
>> boot. Do
>
>> that, the R/D, and expansion valve, and you are good to go. BTW,
>
>> when I was
>
>> younger I always dreamed of a souped up 300SD (turbo five cyl)
>
>> engine
>
>> stuffed in an older body style (mid 60's) 190 or 220.
>
>
>
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