Righto, so a couple of months ago, whilst trawling through old cars online in a state of deep longing, I spied something rather unusual.
It was a big old Mercedes, but unlike all the other big old Mercedeses on the interweb, it was a manual. Woah, thought I, this calls for a bit more inspection. There were only three pics on the listing, but they turned up something even more interesting.
A little badge on the back: AMG. Now, being ridiculously obsessed with cars of all shapes and sizes in high school, I immediately knew that this was no ordinary Mercedes!
However, after a few hours of research, it seemed pretty unlikely that the badge would be more than stuck on. If I was lucky, it might have a reproduction bodykit. Nevertheless, I organised to see it, and around 6pm I found myself in a darkened street in Ferntree Gully, being deafened by the sounds of the PO warming her up.
I should have really left it there, but instead I gave the bloke a hundred bucks so he wouldn't sell it to anyone else. I didn't want anyone but me to own this thing, with its slipping clutch and laggy accelerator pedal. A month later, after selling my 93 Subaru Impreza, I picked up the car, and barely went 500m before I stalled the curse word, and was stranded in the middle of a busy dual carriageway. After the PO gave me a jumpstart, and schooled me on just how far I'd need to stomp on the accelerator until it responded, I was off!
All was fine, including the ~500km drive to Bairnsdale, until next morning I decided to drive my gf to work, and show her my new car in all its glory. Of course, I dropped her off at work, went to start the car...and nothing. Not even a jumpstart could rouse her. Now feeling pretty stupid about my purchase, I had the Benz towed back home, where she stayed for quite some time, under the watchful eye of the drug dealers from across the street.
and my fave pic \/ \/ \/
So for the next week or two I fiddled around with it, found out what all the buttons did, or didn't do, and unearthed the cars treasures, including about $15 of hairy, greasy coins from under the front seats.
I also found why the accelerator was so dodgy
kudos to the original owner, who was some crazy eastern european ex-pat mechanic. The above throttle linkage broke at some point, so he thought it'd be a good idea to repair it with a nice bendy piece of metal, taking careful care to overlap the sections so it isn't even the correct length
I quickly rectified that with a sturdy iron nail and some cable ties ;D
Another lovely 'quirk' was found when I figured out how to remove the radio (an ancient Clarion unit) and discovered this disgusting display of a home wiring job..not a speck of solder in sight
I quickly put the radio back in, and pushed it from my mind hahah
All was fine until I had the bright idea of putting the battery from le gf's 92 Camry in my car. Miraculously it started, puny though the battery was. We proceeded to go for a spin around good ol' Bdale, until I it stalled yet again, and with the help of a housemate or two, pushed it the wrong way around a roundabout and back to the house.
Eventually I bit the bullet and bought a big new battery, filled up the tank so it wouldn't suck in curse word, and took in for a roadworthy inspection. $200 later I was presented with a list of 23 things wrong with the car, and strongly advised by the mechanic to cut my losses and get rid of the beast. Fat chance! said I
and ordered about $1300 worth of parts, including clutch, driveshaft couplings, brake hoses, door seals, a ball joint or two and innumerable suspension bushings.
While I waited for the parts I attempted to remove the exhaust from the car. No amount of blowtorches, swearing, hammering or WD40 could get those sections apart! So I went the long way, removing the downpipes from the headers, and taking out the starter motor for a bit of wiggle space.
Success! However to repair the little hole in the centre muffler, it still all had to come apart, so with the help of a hacksaw, a large mallet, and this obliging tree...
...it eventually yielded. 1 down, 22 to go!
A trip up to the big smoke (Melbourne) and the numerous wreckers turned up this tasty little collection
taking care of the tear in the drivers seat, and my lack of a tacho.
two tone upholstery? Yeah? I toyed with the idea of going all cream seats, which is closer to what it woulda been if the exterior was originally dark blue..I'm glad it was resprayed though. Love the blue!
Next up was the control arms and sway bar bushings, which I received to great excitement
and the following day I had them installed. Luckily, the car came with an ancient Haynes workshop manual, and despite it being for a W123 I torqued up the bolts and stood back to admire my handiwork.
..unfortunately that's as far as I've got. Useless parts supplier in Queensland has had several delays, the clutch and couplings are apparently still in America, the rest is with a courier somewhere. That will be fun, as my parents place, where the Benz currently is, is in the middle of the bloody bush, ie completely courier proof!
On the plus side I've found a panelbeater that'll sign off the papers when I've dealt with the rust, despite the mechanic saying in no uncertain terms that I needed to pay (an arm and a leg) for someone qualified to do it. Balls to that!!!
So currently I'm stuck at uni, dreaming over what I should do to the car when she's fixed, (lowering springs, chrome wire rims, you get the idea) and hoarding parts from wreckers. OEM CAI and body coloured hubcaps are definitely on the cards!
..and if anyone from my neck of the woods is looking for some parts (mainly front body panels) for a 93-00 Impreza, I might be able to help you out, I've got a few that I'd like to be rid of to fund the Benz!
Cheers, Chris
It was a big old Mercedes, but unlike all the other big old Mercedeses on the interweb, it was a manual. Woah, thought I, this calls for a bit more inspection. There were only three pics on the listing, but they turned up something even more interesting.
A little badge on the back: AMG. Now, being ridiculously obsessed with cars of all shapes and sizes in high school, I immediately knew that this was no ordinary Mercedes!
However, after a few hours of research, it seemed pretty unlikely that the badge would be more than stuck on. If I was lucky, it might have a reproduction bodykit. Nevertheless, I organised to see it, and around 6pm I found myself in a darkened street in Ferntree Gully, being deafened by the sounds of the PO warming her up.
I should have really left it there, but instead I gave the bloke a hundred bucks so he wouldn't sell it to anyone else. I didn't want anyone but me to own this thing, with its slipping clutch and laggy accelerator pedal. A month later, after selling my 93 Subaru Impreza, I picked up the car, and barely went 500m before I stalled the curse word, and was stranded in the middle of a busy dual carriageway. After the PO gave me a jumpstart, and schooled me on just how far I'd need to stomp on the accelerator until it responded, I was off!
All was fine, including the ~500km drive to Bairnsdale, until next morning I decided to drive my gf to work, and show her my new car in all its glory. Of course, I dropped her off at work, went to start the car...and nothing. Not even a jumpstart could rouse her. Now feeling pretty stupid about my purchase, I had the Benz towed back home, where she stayed for quite some time, under the watchful eye of the drug dealers from across the street.
and my fave pic \/ \/ \/
So for the next week or two I fiddled around with it, found out what all the buttons did, or didn't do, and unearthed the cars treasures, including about $15 of hairy, greasy coins from under the front seats.
I also found why the accelerator was so dodgy
kudos to the original owner, who was some crazy eastern european ex-pat mechanic. The above throttle linkage broke at some point, so he thought it'd be a good idea to repair it with a nice bendy piece of metal, taking careful care to overlap the sections so it isn't even the correct length
I quickly rectified that with a sturdy iron nail and some cable ties ;D
Another lovely 'quirk' was found when I figured out how to remove the radio (an ancient Clarion unit) and discovered this disgusting display of a home wiring job..not a speck of solder in sight
I quickly put the radio back in, and pushed it from my mind hahah
All was fine until I had the bright idea of putting the battery from le gf's 92 Camry in my car. Miraculously it started, puny though the battery was. We proceeded to go for a spin around good ol' Bdale, until I it stalled yet again, and with the help of a housemate or two, pushed it the wrong way around a roundabout and back to the house.
Eventually I bit the bullet and bought a big new battery, filled up the tank so it wouldn't suck in curse word, and took in for a roadworthy inspection. $200 later I was presented with a list of 23 things wrong with the car, and strongly advised by the mechanic to cut my losses and get rid of the beast. Fat chance! said I
and ordered about $1300 worth of parts, including clutch, driveshaft couplings, brake hoses, door seals, a ball joint or two and innumerable suspension bushings.While I waited for the parts I attempted to remove the exhaust from the car. No amount of blowtorches, swearing, hammering or WD40 could get those sections apart! So I went the long way, removing the downpipes from the headers, and taking out the starter motor for a bit of wiggle space.
Success! However to repair the little hole in the centre muffler, it still all had to come apart, so with the help of a hacksaw, a large mallet, and this obliging tree...
...it eventually yielded. 1 down, 22 to go!
A trip up to the big smoke (Melbourne) and the numerous wreckers turned up this tasty little collection
taking care of the tear in the drivers seat, and my lack of a tacho.
two tone upholstery? Yeah? I toyed with the idea of going all cream seats, which is closer to what it woulda been if the exterior was originally dark blue..I'm glad it was resprayed though. Love the blue!
Next up was the control arms and sway bar bushings, which I received to great excitement
and the following day I had them installed. Luckily, the car came with an ancient Haynes workshop manual, and despite it being for a W123 I torqued up the bolts and stood back to admire my handiwork.
..unfortunately that's as far as I've got. Useless parts supplier in Queensland has had several delays, the clutch and couplings are apparently still in America, the rest is with a courier somewhere. That will be fun, as my parents place, where the Benz currently is, is in the middle of the bloody bush, ie completely courier proof!
On the plus side I've found a panelbeater that'll sign off the papers when I've dealt with the rust, despite the mechanic saying in no uncertain terms that I needed to pay (an arm and a leg) for someone qualified to do it. Balls to that!!!
So currently I'm stuck at uni, dreaming over what I should do to the car when she's fixed, (lowering springs, chrome wire rims, you get the idea) and hoarding parts from wreckers. OEM CAI and body coloured hubcaps are definitely on the cards!
..and if anyone from my neck of the woods is looking for some parts (mainly front body panels) for a 93-00 Impreza, I might be able to help you out, I've got a few that I'd like to be rid of to fund the Benz!
Cheers, Chris
but the radio works! 
the car itself only cost me a grand! Hopefully when it's roadworthy I'll bring it up to Melbz, it'd be great to see other people's cars! 
gah.
really jammed on. an extensive collection of blunt old chisels and jimmy bars soon fixed that.
is there any reason for that other than the PO being a knuckle dragging simpleton? got my OCD fix anyway haha
may have broken a bench vice compressing the front bushes..and the rear ones, whilst they needed no compression onto the splines of their fellows, were wriggly little b.astards