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New 1984 300SD
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CarGuru > Mercedes > New 1984 300SD 4 May 2005 23:44:15

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New 1984 300SD

Guest 18 April 2005 06:59:39
 Hi,

Just bought a 1984 300SD MB with 120,000 miles, all records down to
purchase day, even original invoice for $41,000, private party, old man
drove it and maintained it, no rust, everything works, guy sold it
needed money asap. Test drove it - drives like a dream, woderful car.
Bought it for under $5,000.

Besides your usual valve adjustment, oil and lube, etc., what else
would you do RIGHT NOW on this car to make sure it lasts?

Thanks,

Mia

Add comment
T.G. Lambach 18 April 2005 07:16:29 permanent link ]
 Congratulations on your purchase and for waiting to find the "right car."

Review the complete records and make a log thereof on a spreadsheet so
YOU have a one or two page summary of the car's maintenance and repair
history.

Then YOU will KNOW what prospective maintenance is due and when.

Something that's often overlooked is the small paper filter element in
the power steering fluid reservoir - costs about $2 but is often
forgotten. And see when the coolant and brake fluid was last changed.
Ideally two years brake fluid and I believe four years for the coolant.

These all iron fives are tough, durable engines that are easily
maintained by an interested owner.

Good luck with it and post your questions here when they arise.

Add comment
Guest 18 April 2005 23:29:47 permanent link ]
 Thank you so much for your advice. I did wait for about 8 months to
find this car.

I recently called the dealer just for the hell of it, and asked for a
price of scheduled maintenance. It was around $650+tax to do oil and
lube, inspection, trannsmission flush, etc. "Insanity", I thought, and
started looking for a good manual on DIY maintenance. Any ideas, T.G.?

Also, maybe sometime down the road, I was thinking of updating the
headlights to Euro. I found some for $180, some for $290. What's the
deal? Is Hella better than Depo?

Thanks.

Mia

Add comment
Marlinspike 18 April 2005 23:38:43 permanent link ]
 AFAIK the real euro lights are Bosch, and AFAIK capitolwest.com sells
them. Also, call an independant Benz shop and I bet that $650 drops to
$#00, but the Benz manual is great to have for DIY maintenance (Benz
makes a service manual and IMHO it's the best).

Add comment
T.G. Lambach 19 April 2005 02:38:20 permanent link ]
 You see why there are many independent M-B repair shops. Once a car's
warranty expires one must shift to an independent.

If you want to DIY most of the work on your car I'd suggest you buy a
M-B manual for it. There's a $100 CD-ROM which is not indexed and
appears to be a scan of the paper manual. The paper manuals are no
longer published so one needs to buy used ones, probably on ebay.com.

The maintenance on these old diesels is quite simple, as follows:

Lube oil and engine oil filter every 5K miles - use diesel grade (CF to
CI-4) oil, 10-30, 20-40, 20-50 in the summer.
http://api-ep.api.o­rg/filelibrary/API_M­otorOilGuide_2004.pd­f

Adjust the engine's valves every 15K miles, particularly if that
interval occurs in the fall. I can send some instructions if you're
interested in doing this.

Change the transmission oil and filter every 30K or 35K miles, check
your Owner's Manual for which it should be, then also replace the
engine's air and both fuel filters.

Change the brake fluid every two or three years, engine coolant every
four years.

That's about all the scheduled maintenance that's needed, the fabric
covered fuel injector bleed off hoses fail after some years, leak fuel
and need to be replaced. Buy about 3.5' of hose and, using a utility
knife, cut the old hose off the injectors - one piece at a time so you
can cut the new hose to the proper length - and push the replacement(s)
onto the barbed fittings with a plier. Don't overlook #5's stub which is
terminated with a small metal plug that you should insert into the stub
BEFORE attaching that stub onto #5 injector.

When something bad happens always look at the simple possibilities
first. These diesels are tough and durable so assume the major
components are OK and check the small components like the fuel filter etc.
Add comment
Guest 19 April 2005 04:13:34 permanent link ]
 You are very knowledgeable. I appreciate your input.

How would you go about repainting a classic Benz such as my 300SD? I
love the way it looks, but the paint is a bit dull and is of unusual
brown color. Any thoughts on new paint vs. original, good new paint
vs. bad new paint, etc.?

Thank you in advance.


Mia

Add comment
Ernie Sparks 19 April 2005 05:17:26 permanent link ]
 
"T.G. Lambach" <tlambach@comcast.n­et> wrote in message
news:irOdnWFKdK1Cq_­nfRVn-sA@comcast.com­...> You see why there are many independent M-B repair shops. Once a car's> warranty expires one must shift to an independent.>
If you want to DIY most of the work on your car I'd suggest you buy a> M-B manual for it. There's a $100 CD-ROM which is not indexed and> appears to be a scan of the paper manual. The paper manuals are no> longer published so one needs to buy used ones, probably on ebay.com.>

I bought a complete set of "factory" manuals from my local MB dealer for the
240D and 300D. It was a set of 4 rather large manuals that cover everything
except the auto trans. As I recall it cost me in the $125 range for all of
them.


Add comment
Marlinspike 19 April 2005 06:00:02 permanent link ]
 When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for
years.

Add comment
Mia 19 April 2005 06:38:08 permanent link ]
 My stealership said 'it would have to be a special order from Germany
to get those manuals'. But then again, according to them, a set of
Euro lights for my 300SD would cost $950, an oil change and lube is
$600 + tax, and they would even "clean out the cassette player". At
that point, I started laughing and hung up in the rudest of fashions.
Very ironic - the dream DIY car is one of the most expensive ones to
fix.

Add comment
Marlinspike 19 April 2005 07:30:03 permanent link ]
 I'd be very surprised if they could even special order the books from
Germany any more. According to the MB Classic Center they are out of
print and will never go into print again.

Add comment
Mia 19 April 2005 09:33:53 permanent link ]
 I don't doubt that. Do you think $100-150 is reasonable for a CD of
scanned images of the manual on Ebay?

Also, I'm starting to make myself anxious thinking about possible
repairs that I cannot do on my own. We are moving in a few weeks, and
it seems there are no independent mechanics working on MB diesels
around our new home. My new 300SD is in pristine condition, every
repair done on time at the dealership in Florida, every receipt saved.
It's at 130,000 now. Should I just replace things that
could-maybe-possibl­y stall my new Benz NOW while I still have the
access to somewhat decently-priced labor? What are the chances of a
well-maintained vehicle like that blowing a tranny, or snapping timing
chain, etc? It's a 21-year-old car, after all ...

Add comment
Mia 19 April 2005 09:49:44 permanent link ]
 I don't doubt that. Do you think $100-150 is reasonable for a CD of
scanned images of the manual on Ebay?

Also, I'm starting to make myself anxious thinking about possible
repairs that I cannot do on my own. We are moving in a few weeks, and
it seems there are no independent mechanics working on MB diesels
around our new home. My new 300SD is in pristine condition, every
repair done on time at the dealership in Florida, every receipt saved.
It's at 130,000 now. Should I just replace things that
could-maybe-possibl­y stall my new Benz NOW while I still have the
access to somewhat decently-priced labor? What are the chances of the
transmission going out on a well-maintained vehicle like that, or
timing chain snapping, etc.? It's a 21-year-old car, after all ...

Add comment
Marlinspike 19 April 2005 18:43:11 permanent link ]
 $100 to $150 on ebay is a legitimate price only if the CD is legitimate
(I believe it costs $150 direct from MB). Bootlegs usually go for about
$30-$40. As far as big stuff going, it never goes without long warning,
the only one that can go without warning is the timing chain, but I
don't know how timing chains are on the diesels. I know when my 380 has
needed a timing chain it always gave me fair warning with that too,
though I wouldn't expect it.
Richard

Add comment
Mia 19 April 2005 20:28:19 permanent link ]
 I've heard horror stories about fuel pumps failing at 80mph, but I
guess it could happen on any car. A couple more questions/opinions:­

- I guess the bottom line is even a Benz can fail. With mine, I took
every possible precaution when I bought it, but I guess if it's God's
will, it can go, too :)­ Also, I've been driving a 1993 Chevy Cavalier
for 4 years, bought it from a nice old lady. I changed oil when I had
the money (not too often), replaced nothing, not even sparkplugs,
jumped off curbs, hit a deer, and my brother straightened the front end
with a 2x4 ... The thing has a rusted out bottom and sides, but it
still drives!!!

- When you guys bought your Benzes, did you ever have to explain to
your family why you bought a Mercedes-Benz as opposed to a Ford Taurus?
I think some members of my family are ready to disown me. No
reasoning about MB's superior quality / dependability can persuade them
I DIDN'T 't drop $10k on this car ...

Add comment
Randall Brink 19 April 2005 21:31:27 permanent link ]
 Change every filter, using ONLY german OEM filters, Mann, Bosch, etc. and
give it a thorough washing with Zymol and wax with Carnauba--several coats.

Have wheel bearings packed. Check suspension. Drive. Enjoy. You have one of
the best cars Mercedes ever built. They're not making any more of these, and
probably never will.
--
Randall Brink
Author
randallbrink@adelph­ia.net
1970 VW Type 1
1975 Mercedes-Benz W115 240D
<maxvalery@gmail.co­m> wrote in message
news:1113793179.505­084.123920@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..> Hi,>
Just bought a 1984 300SD MB with 120,000 miles, all records down to> purchase day, even original invoice for $41,000, private party, old man> drove it and maintained it, no rust, everything works, guy sold it> needed money asap. Test drove it - drives like a dream, woderful car.> Bought it for under $5,000.>
Besides your usual valve adjustment, oil and lube, etc., what else> would you do RIGHT NOW on this car to make sure it lasts?>
Thanks,>


Add comment
Mia 19 April 2005 23:36:08 permanent link ]
 Keep original paint for as long as possible or repaint at decent local
body shop?

Add comment
Marlinspike 20 April 2005 00:01:29 permanent link ]
 Depends what shape the paint is in, but a good repaint will cost around
$7000-$8000, so perhaps it's not something you want to do. It's better
to keep original paint than it is to get a bad paint job so don't waste
your money on that. As far as fuel pumps failing, I know on the
gasoline ones they will whine and squeal for thousands of miles before
they fail. The only thing you might want to replace (though perhaps
it's no so important on a diesel) is the voltage regulator.
mercedessource.com seems to have a nice little kit with instructions to
replace it.

Add comment
Mia 20 April 2005 00:09:01 permanent link ]
 Any ideas on Euro headlamps for W126? The prices on them are all over
the place, and the compatibility is sometimes questionable. Some on
Ebay say their lights will fit any W126, but then there are people who
say they needed to replace/fabricate some parts.

Add comment
Marlinspike 20 April 2005 00:33:57 permanent link ]
 While I've never bought euro lights because i actually prefer the look
of the pre-1986 US light to any other light, I hear capitolwest.com
sells the real deal.

Add comment
T.G. Lambach 20 April 2005 03:22:23 permanent link ]
 The timing chain can be checked for wear at the next valve adjustment.
The engine is turned by hand until a mark on the cam aligns with a fixed
reference mark - that sets the cam to 00 degrees. Then the crankshaft's
angle (scale on the balancer down at the pulleys) is read. The chain is
worn and ought to be replaced if the crankshaft angle exceeds 5 degrees.
Have it checked so you'll know it OK, or not.
Add comment
Pool Man 20 April 2005 04:51:35 permanent link ]
 you would be suprised that some polishing compound will do to bring out
the real color

as for every thing else just do what the guys are telling you.

my tranny has been slipping on shifts now for 3 years .
changed filters fluids they have tried every thing.

still driving it shifting it my self

its an 82SD with 270,000
when it goes it turns into a parts car

the case, minus a few cans!


Add comment


Mia 20 April 2005 06:12:27 permanent link ]
 I checked out Zymol Carnauba site. They've got about a million
different kinds of waxes. I guess I'll need to read up more on what
kind would fir my car ...

Thanks for all your input.

Add comment
Martin Joseph 20 April 2005 11:26:39 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-18 19:00:02 -0700, "marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> said:
When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for> years.

I bet this place has 'em

http://www.books4ca­rs.com/

Add comment


Marlinspike 20 April 2005 15:45:44 permanent link ]
 Zymol, IMO and many others, is a big waste of money unless you want to
show your car and wax it the same day you show it. If it stays inside
go with P21S if it stays outside go with One Grand Blitz Wax.

Add comment
Mia 20 April 2005 22:27:00 permanent link ]
 Conrad,

Can you give me a play-by-play on what you did with your car - you
mentioned polishing compound. My car is dull brown - judging by
absence of rust it's been washed, but done so in commercial washes.
What did you do and what should I?

Thanks,

Mia

Add comment


Pool Man 21 April 2005 00:10:24 permanent link ]
 sorrry Conrad
yer just going to have to wait.
hope the tranny waits also

the case, minus a few cans!


Add comment
Randall Brink 21 April 2005 00:43:58 permanent link ]
 Keep as long as possible, and if eventually need to, spend plenty of time
finding the right foreign/classic car painter.

--
Randall Brink
Author
randallbrink@adelph­ia.net
1970 VW Type 1
1975 Mercedes-Benz W115 240D
"Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.co­m> wrote in message
news:1113939368.461­789.44640@f14g2000cw­b.googlegroups.com..­.> Keep original paint for as long as possible or repaint at decent local> body shop?>


Add comment
Randall Brink 21 April 2005 00:44:46 permanent link ]
 Why do it?

--
Randall Brink
Author
randallbrink@adelph­ia.net
1970 VW Type 1
1975 Mercedes-Benz W115 240D
"Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.co­m> wrote in message
news:1113941341.148­448.212180@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..> Any ideas on Euro headlamps for W126? The prices on them are all over> the place, and the compatibility is sometimes questionable. Some on> Ebay say their lights will fit any W126, but then there are people who> say they needed to replace/fabricate some parts.>


Add comment
Randall Brink 21 April 2005 00:47:25 permanent link ]
 Get the expensive Carnauba that is intended to be hand applied. Clean with
Zymol cleaner first. Then get the wax started before taking the car out
again. You'll waqnt to put on numerous coats, but each one takes a long
time.

--
Randall Brink
Author
randallbrink@adelph­ia.net
1970 VW Type 1
1975 Mercedes-Benz W115 240D
"Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.co­m> wrote in message
news:1113963147.567­452.189810@g14g2000c­wa.googlegroups.com.­..>I checked out Zymol Carnauba site. They've got about a million> different kinds of waxes. I guess I'll need to read up more on what> kind would fir my car ...>
Thanks for all your input.>


Add comment
Marlinspike 21 April 2005 01:09:04 permanent link ]
 Why do euro lights? Well some like the look better. Why do E-code
lights (euro or drop in cibie's sold by danielsternlighting­.com)?
Because they put out much more light and at the same time have less of
a blinding affect on oncoming traffic.

Add comment
Conrad 21 April 2005 01:54:27 permanent link ]
 On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:27:00 -0700, Mia wrote:
Conrad,>
Can you give me a play-by-play on what you did with your car - you> mentioned polishing compound. My car is dull brown - judging by> absence of rust it's been washed, but done so in commercial washes.> What did you do and what should I?>
Thanks,>
Mia


Here's a play by play of what I did.

1) first, as I mentioned above I tried waxing - multiple times.
It was an improvement, but left much to be desired.
2) I washed the car carefully - it's amazing how much dirt
can stick to your car - and all of that dirt is a great
source of scratches when you start rubbing the car.
3) Repeat step 2. Really
4) I bought some polishing compound (not rubbing compound)
at the local car parts place. I also got some paint cloths,
which are supposed to be clean and free of any potentially
abrasive things.
5) I found a place I wouldn't have to look at (in my case,
the center of the roof) just in case I did something bad
to my paint.
6) I moistened one of the paint cloths, dabbed it into the
polishing compound, and started rubbing. When I saw how
nice and shiny the paint was, I promptly wore my arm out doing
the rest of the roof.
7) I awoke the next day unable to move my arms.
8) Back to the parts store to buy a buffing machine.
Don't get the simple circular kind. Get the random orbit
type.
9) apply the buffer to all the flat surfaces of the car. Be
VERY careful on sharp curves and corners - I still did
all of these by hand. It's possible to do them with a buffer
but you've got to have a light touch, or you can burn
right through the paint with a power buffer.
10) wash the car again.
11) wax
12) enjoy

Conrad

Add comment
Conrad 21 April 2005 08:44:31 permanent link ]
 On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:54:27 +0000, Conrad wrote:
On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:27:00 -0700, Mia wrote:>
Conrad,>>
Can you give me a play-by-play on what you did with your car - you>> mentioned polishing compound. My car is dull brown - judging by>> absence of rust it's been washed, but done so in commercial washes.>> What did you do and what should I?>>
Thanks,>>
Here's a play by play of what I did.>
1) first, as I mentioned above I tried waxing - multiple times.> It was an improvement, but left much to be desired.> 2) I washed the car carefully - it's amazing how much dirt> can stick to your car - and all of that dirt is a great> source of scratches when you start rubbing the car.> 3) Repeat step 2. Really> 4) I bought some polishing compound (not rubbing compound)> at the local car parts place. I also got some paint cloths,> which are supposed to be clean and free of any potentially> abrasive things.> 5) I found a place I wouldn't have to look at (in my case, > the center of the roof) just in case I did something bad> to my paint.> 6) I moistened one of the paint cloths, dabbed it into the> polishing compound, and started rubbing. When I saw how> nice and shiny the paint was, I promptly wore my arm out doing> the rest of the roof.> 7) I awoke the next day unable to move my arms.> 8) Back to the parts store to buy a buffing machine.> Don't get the simple circular kind. Get the random orbit> type.> 9) apply the buffer to all the flat surfaces of the car. Be> VERY careful on sharp curves and corners - I still did> all of these by hand. It's possible to do them with a buffer> but you've got to have a light touch, or you can burn> right through the paint with a power buffer.> 10) wash the car again.> 11) wax> 12) enjoy>

I forgot the last step - watch in amazement as every bird
within three counties uses your new finish for target practice.

Conrad


Add comment
Mia 21 April 2005 09:26:56 permanent link ]
 Very informative, thanks. Bonus: bird joke is funny :)­

I'd like to wash, dry, and wax in the same spot. But I can't wash
around my apartment building, and the nearest carwash is across the
dirt road. So I can't wash, then drive home, let it dry, then wax. I
can't sit at the wash and let it dry, either. Do I hand-dry it?

:)­

Add comment
Marlinspike 22 April 2005 05:10:31 permanent link ]
 I would find someone with a hose, because car washes are no good, and
those wash your own car things always use high pressure hoses.

Add comment
Martin Joseph 22 April 2005 10:37:08 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-18 22:33:53 -0700, "Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.co­m> said:
I don't doubt that. Do you think $100-150 is reasonable for a CD of> scanned images of the manual on Ebay?

No, 50 maybe, but not more. It would be worth paying that much for
the actual books though...

Marty

Add comment
Martin Joseph 22 April 2005 10:39:35 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-19 12:36:08 -0700, "Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.co­m> said:
Keep original paint for as long as possible or repaint at decent local> body shop?

ALWAYS try to keep original paint.

Add comment
Dori A Schmetterling 23 April 2005 00:12:10 permanent link ]
 There is a school of thought that says high-pressure hoses can lift paint
off.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message
news:1114132231.786­156.100720@g14g2000c­wa.googlegroups.com.­..>I would find someone with a hose, because car washes are no good, and> those wash your own car things always use high pressure hoses.>


Add comment
Mia 23 April 2005 10:57:43 permanent link ]
 I wish I took a class in that school of thought, because it's true.
Thank goodness the lifted paint happened on the Cavalier, and not of
the Benz.
There is a school of thought that says high-pressure hoses can lift
paint>off.

Add comment
R Parris 23 April 2005 22:00:45 permanent link ]
 I think there is a Haynes manual for that model, just to get you
started. Also get a parts catalog from Performance products featuring
a blowup of all systems, parts and prices......good luck......Rick

Add comment
Marlinspike 23 April 2005 22:48:01 permanent link ]
 Benz service CD is better than Haynes manual

Add comment
R Parris 24 April 2005 01:35:49 permanent link ]
 Bad photography, no prices, but I agree more information (Mercedes
photographer must have been a relative)

Add comment
R Parris 24 April 2005 01:42:33 permanent link ]
 Some Asian imports have plastic lenses instead of glass....even the
Bosch yellow boxes are made in Malaysia

Add comment
Ernie Sparks 24 April 2005 03:05:30 permanent link ]
 
"T.G. Lambach" <tlambach@comcast.n­et> wrote in message
news:neqdnf-VrYINu_­7fRVn-gA@comcast.com­...> Congratulations on your purchase and for waiting to find the "right car.">
Review the complete records and make a log thereof on a spreadsheet so> YOU have a one or two page summary of the car's maintenance and repair> history.>
Then YOU will KNOW what prospective maintenance is due and when.>
Something that's often overlooked is the small paper filter element in> the power steering fluid reservoir - costs about $2 but is often> forgotten. And see when the coolant and brake fluid was last changed.> Ideally two years brake fluid and I believe four years for the coolant.>
These all iron fives are tough, durable engines that are easily> maintained by an interested owner.>
Good luck with it and post your questions here when they arise.


Probably a really bad deal. Contact me and I'll give you $100 over your
purchase price just to take this lemon off your hands and save you a lot of
grief.


Add comment
Ernie Sparks 24 April 2005 03:11:05 permanent link ]
 
"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message
news:1113876002.462­097.113730@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..> When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for> years.>

Had to be in the last four years cause that's when I bought the car. It
could have been possible my local dealer (S. CA) had some in stock but I
doubt it since I had to wait several days for them to arrive. Maybe I'll
check with them to see if they have any more. Could be a fantastic eBay
item!


Add comment
Ernie Sparks 24 April 2005 03:13:41 permanent link ]
 
"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message
news:1113876002.462­097.113730@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..> When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for> years.>

Wonder what the implications would be of making good copies of these
original factory manuals and offering them for sale? The pictures alone are
worth loads.


Add comment
Marlinspike 24 April 2005 03:28:57 permanent link ]
 I think the biggest problem with the photos is that the whole cd is
scans from the books, and they aren't the best scans in the world
either. If you start looking at them at about 300% things start to
clear up though.

Add comment
Marlinspike 24 April 2005 03:31:06 permanent link ]
 You know, I really don't know. All the same information is still
available from Mercedes on CD, but the CD's aren't nearly as good as
the books (not the greatest scans in the world, harder to navigate, and
oddly my CD doesn't cover brake pad and brake rotor replacement).

Add comment
Ernie Sparks 24 April 2005 03:34:30 permanent link ]
 
"Martin Joseph" <mercedes@barknatur­alpet.com> wrote in message
news:20050420002639­50073%mercedes@barkn­aturalpetcom...> On 2005-04-18 19:00:02 -0700, "marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu>
said:>
When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for> > years.>
I bet this place has 'em>

Wow! Just checked the site suggested above and they really get a price for
those books. Service manuals are obviously the most expensive.
I have:
1. Service manual Engines 615, 616, 617.91 about 800 pages!
2. Service Manual Chassis and Body, Series 123, Volumes 1 & 2, at least
1,300 pages for both,
3. Servicew Manual Heating, Air Conditioning Automatic Climate Control Model
123, approx 400 pages.
All were published by Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc., One Mercedes
Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645, and have been an incredible source of
information.


Add comment
Ernie Sparks 24 April 2005 03:47:48 permanent link ]
 
"Martin Joseph" <mercedes@barknatur­alpet.com> wrote in message
news:20050421233935­50073%mercedes@barkn­aturalpetcom...> On 2005-04-19 12:36:08 -0700, "Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.co­m> said:>
Keep original paint for as long as possible or repaint at decent local> > body shop?>
ALWAYS try to keep original paint.>

I agree. Original Glasomax (sic?) is still the best paint I've ever seen.
You would not believe the paint jobs I was able to produce in Germany with
this paint in the early '60s. Don't know if those enamels are even available
in Germany anymore.
In any event here's a trick we used in the fiberglass industry to put a
finish polish on molds and I know it works on cars because I've done it.
After doing all of the rubbing, polishing, etc., we did a finish polish with
baking soda mixed with plain ole water into a paste and used to remove any
remaining polishing scratches. There are similar compounds used by really
good paint/body shops that can probably do a similar job. In any event I
remember one guy in our shop sliding a dry polishing rag from one end to the
other of a fairly long "plug" used to make female fiberglass molds. It slid
up hill from the stern to the bow with a flick of the hand. Have not seen
anything as shiny since with the possible exception of that $500k+ MB
McLaren at our local MB dealer last week.
I'm too old to do any serious polishing anymore but if I really wanted to
have a car polished out right I'd take it to a reputable auto body shop and
ask them if they have someone who might be interested in polishing out my
car. You might be surprised what they can do in a relatively short time. And
I wouldn't worry about going through the paint if it hasn't been polished
much in the past. The biggest mistake people usually make is too much
polishing and not enough waxing. Polishing removes paint, waxing protects
it.


Add comment
Mia 24 April 2005 03:53:51 permanent link ]
 Spoken like a pro.

So you're saying to take a MB with dull paint to a body shop and have
them use polishing compound on it, then wax?

Mia

Add comment
Marlinspike 24 April 2005 06:36:41 permanent link ]
 Glasurit is the paint. I don't think it's the same stuff as it used to
be since IIRC it is now water based and used to be alcohol based. Also,
it is sadly still produced using a method that is illegal in the US, so
you cannot have your car repainted in the US using it. At the same
time, I've seen American paint jobs that are amazing, so I think it
coms down to just using a good shop.

Add comment
Martin Joseph 24 April 2005 22:47:54 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-23 14:35:49 -0700, prairedog@webtv.net­ (r parris) said:
Bad photography, no prices, but I agree more information (Mercedes> photographer must have been a relative)

I don't think it was the photographers fault? Looks to me like it's
was the printer that was in the family, or maybe this is only on the
CD version.

Marty

Add comment
Martin Joseph 24 April 2005 22:48:49 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-23 16:28:57 -0700, "marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> said:
I think the biggest problem with the photos is that the whole cd is> scans from the books, and they aren't the best scans in the world> either. If you start looking at them at about 300% things start to> clear up though.

Yeah, they basically scanned printed half toned material. This
produces really crappy looking scans. Too bad, as this is kind of big
problem with these manuals.

Marty

Add comment
Marlinspike 24 April 2005 23:04:51 permanent link ]
 Well, even in the books, the pictures tend to be underexposed, or
perhaps just printed that way, and I think they should have done, not
in ever instance but in some, what BMW did and draw some of the
"pictures" because sometimes it's much easier to show something in a
drawing (like when showing something that is behind something, the MB
photographs make you lose perspective while the BMW drawing allow you
to see through the object in front, while still providing an outline
for perspective.

Add comment
Martin Joseph 25 April 2005 20:59:46 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-24 12:04:51 -0700, "marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> said:
Well, even in the books, the pictures tend to be underexposed, or> perhaps just printed that way, and I think they should have done, not> in ever instance but in some, what BMW did and draw some of the> "pictures" because sometimes it's much easier to show something in a> drawing (like when showing something that is behind something, the MB> photographs make you lose perspective while the BMW drawing allow you> to see through the object in front, while still providing an outline> for perspective.

I have only dealt with one BMW manual and one Benz manual, so be warned
about my generalizations :~)

The BMW manual was incredible. I would pay $250 in a heart beat for a
comparable manual for my 190e... Too bad there isn't one.

Marty

Add comment
Marlinspike 25 April 2005 21:19:02 permanent link ]
 Hehe, I'm going to guess you weren't useing the BMW service manual
stuff that pertains to the E39 5 series? I find the BMW stuff for the
E39 to take much more user knowledge for granted. They put all the
stuff on the sam CD set now btw, and interestingly while the real deal
CD set costs about $700 the bootlegs cost no more than the MB bootlegs.

Add comment
Ernie Sparks 26 April 2005 08:51:00 permanent link ]
 
"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message
news:1114298937.671­660.289260@l41g2000c­wc.googlegroups.com.­..> I think the biggest problem with the photos is that the whole cd is> scans from the books, and they aren't the best scans in the world> either. If you start looking at them at about 300% things start to> clear up though.>

You're absolutely right Marlinspike. I talked to the people At M-B of North
America in New Jersey this a.m. and that's what I was told......they just
scanned the old, reliable, service manuals and put them all on CD. The 240D,
300D, etc., sells for $99 for the whole set which is, I believe, 5 printed
manuals. I have all but the electrical manual and would sure like to have
one.
The problem with scanning halftone pictures is that you are scanning photos
printed, at best, on a 133-line-screen basis. What this means if you count
the number of dots per inch you will come up with 133 of 'em, both
vertically and horizontally . In order to achieve a picture resolution you
either increase or decrease the size of the dots. Smaller dots, lighter
areas. Larger dots, darker areas. When you try to scan a halftone print with
a scanner, even at very high resolution, you get pretty crappy results. I've
even tried scanning at 6,000 dpi and I still get scans with heavy lines
running through them. Don't know if there is a simple way to correct this
but I've tried just about everything I know (which isn't always enough) and
still make it work right. Anyone know the answer?


Add comment
Martin Joseph 27 April 2005 22:54:12 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-25 21:51:00 -0700, "Ernie Sparks" <earnest37@sbcgloba­l.net> said:
Don't know if there is a simple way to correct this> but I've tried just about everything I know (which isn't always enough) and> still make it work right. Anyone know the answer?

The best way is to rescan the original photos of course... Programs
like Photoshop also have a "descreen" option that attempt to help this.

Unfortunately the people that made the MB manuals on CD did neither,
so all photos look really sucky (technical term).

Marty

Add comment
Martin Joseph 27 April 2005 22:56:13 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-25 10:19:02 -0700, "marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> said:
Hehe, I'm going to guess you weren't useing the BMW service manual> stuff that pertains to the E39 5 series? I find the BMW stuff for the> E39 to take much more user knowledge for granted. They put all the> stuff on the sam CD set now btw, and interestingly while the real deal> CD set costs about $700 the bootlegs cost no more than the MB bootlegs.

No, mine was an old 1978 320i. Came with the car too! Man it was sweet.

My official MB service CD for the 190e cost $35.00 on ebay. It's
certainly better then nothing, but not by very much.

Marty


Add comment
Martin Joseph 2 May 2005 21:50:51 permanent link ]
 On 2005-04-23 16:13:41 -0700, "Ernie Sparks" <earnest37@sbcgloba­l.net> said:
"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message> news:1113876002.462­097.113730@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..>> When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for>> years.>>
Wonder what the implications would be of making good copies of these> original factory manuals and offering them for sale? The pictures alone are> worth loads.

You would be violating copyright law to do this...



Add comment
Ernie Sparks 4 May 2005 17:53:15 permanent link ]
 
"Martin Joseph" <mercedes@barknatur­alpet.com> wrote in message
news:20050502105051­16807%mercedes@barkn­aturalpetcom...> On 2005-04-23 16:13:41 -0700, "Ernie Sparks" <earnest37@sbcgloba­l.net>
said:>
"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message> > news:1113876002.462­097.113730@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..> >> When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for> >> years.> >>
Wonder what the implications would be of making good copies of these> > original factory manuals and offering them for sale? The pictures alone
worth loads.>
You would be violating copyright law to do this...>
And.....your point is.......>




Add comment
Martin Joseph 4 May 2005 22:17:36 permanent link ]
 On 2005-05-04 06:53:15 -0700, "Ernie Sparks" <earnest37@sbcgloba­l.net> said:
"Martin Joseph" <mercedes@barknatur­alpet.com> wrote in message> news:20050502105051­16807%mercedes@barkn­aturalpetcom...>> On 2005-04-23 16:13:41 -0700, "Ernie Sparks" <earnest37@sbcgloba­l.net>> said:>>
"marlinspike" <rishayegan@davidso­n.edu> wrote in message>>> news:1113876002.462­097.113730@f14g2000c­wb.googlegroups.com.­..>>>> When'd you buy them? They haven't printed the manuals in book form for>>>> years.>>>>
Wonder what the implications would be of making good copies of these>>> original factory manuals and offering them for sale? The pictures alone> are>>> worth loads.>>
You would be violating copyright law to do this...>>
And.....your point is.......
You would be a criminal. So you should prepare yourself for your legal
defense.


Add comment
Pool Man 4 May 2005 23:44:15 permanent link ]
 OOOOOOO
i am scared

the case, minus a few cans!


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