Bipolar Mercedes W115

[kipperhughes]

Hi all

Some of you might seen my former car, 2002 MINI cooper s on banded steels floating round the net while back on the forums. Well eventually I came to my senses and got shot of it as it was turning into a money pit as well as becoming unreliable. So in November it was finally gone and so began the search for a new car.


DSC00857 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

IMG_6516 by dannyhughes, on Flickr


I wanted my next car to be something unique, something rare and not too common in the UK so I narrowed my choices down to either a Toyota BB or a Mercedes W114/115. I love the look of both but W114/115 have always been on my bucket list of cars to own and so began the search for one that was around £5000 and not a complete rust bucket. Turned out to be a lot harder than I thought…..

Until a 1976 W115 popped up on gumtree although it was a couple years newer than the model I was after, however it was going for a steal and well the colour…. well the colour caught my eye!

So drove up to Derby saw the car and fell in love with it there and then and had to have it so paid for it in full on the spot. Its had one owner from new 91,000 miles, original colour, just been restored, body wise next to perfect and interior was all new. The guy just bought another Mercedes and wanted a quick cash sale so he could start work on it so took full advantage of this. So week later drove it back from Derby to Brighton with no issues at all.


DSC05386 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

DSC05626 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

DSC05628 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

DSC05631 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

DSC05640 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

IMG_7693 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

DSC05641-2 by dannyhughes, on Flickr


However the issues started to show after a couple days of driving it, but at the price I got it for I was expecting some issues… Dropped it off to Mercedes and gave them a list of the issues I've found and asked them to do a full health check to see if there was any others. £1700 lighter and I got the car back after having:

Drive belt
Exhaust rubber mounts
New instrument cluster
Bushes
and finally a new carburettor all replaced.


So plans for the car are pritty simple:

Air ride
16s steelies
White wall tyres
Swapping the interior for the pre 1975 style
Swapping some exterior parts for pre 1975 bits
Plus few old skol touches

[HoTWire]

Car looks great... plans sound spot on (also your old Mini was very cool)

[fr€$h&m1nt¥]

looking forward to seeing this

I liked the mini too - I got a photo of that at a show somewhere but i can't think where as usually i only do Japanese car shows.

[106e30]

What a colour. Ridiculously cool car

[BenzBoy]

Nice! Did you get a new instrument cluster from Mercedes? They are excellent at supplying parts for all their classic cars but I reckon I'd have bet against them being able to supply one of those. The carb too for that matter! Great service.

I think that colour is one of the Mercedes "safety" colours - there was a bright yellow too. I've never seen one in the metal!

What pre-facelift parts do you want to fit?

[Mark]

Cool car, I love my w115 - not that it's seen the road in a long time! Brave man dropping the car to Mercedes though!

[foxye28]

Lovely car. Look forward to progress on this

[fred]

I can see why you wanted that
Gorgeous colour.
I could polish that 24/7 !

[Dez]

well, as first posts go, thets pretty damn good. looking forward to seeing more.

[surprisingskoda]

Lovely car. What's the "Bipolar" in the title about?

[hkr91]

Lovely, we've got a '72 250 (twin carb). What are the differences in the pre and post 1975?

[kipperhughes]

Aug 27, 2014 13:48:06 GMT HoTWire said:

Aug 27, 2014 13:54:29 GMT fr€$h&m1nt¥ said:

looking forward to seeing this

I liked the mini too - I got a photo of that at a show somewhere but i can't think where as usually i only do Japanese car shows.

Cheers yeah the MINI was good while it lasted and before everything went on it. Probably might of caught it at santa pod?  

Aug 27, 2014 19:57:01 GMT BenzBoy said:

Nice! Did you get a new instrument cluster from Mercedes? They are excellent at supplying parts for all their classic cars but I reckon I'd have bet against them being able to supply one of those. The carb too for that matter! Great service.

I think that colour is one of the Mercedes "safety" colours - there was a bright yellow too. I've never seen one in the metal!

What pre-facelift parts do you want to fit?

Luckily I'm pally with the head service guy at my local Mercedes garage so he was very honest with me about parts, like you said they amazing for having parts for all their classic models but some are discontinued normally the part you actually need. Him and his chief mechanic did a lot of research into a replacement carb as Mercedes have officially stopped making that part and luckily they found a guy that modifies SAAB ones to fit this model, so they ordered it from him and fitted it for me however to make it work they had to convert the car to a manual choke which was a bit of a down side but tbh don't notice it now its second nature hasn't affected the driving experience in anyway. The instrument cluster again they did some research and found and ordered one from a classic Mercedes specialist garage that had one in stock. All in all though brilliant service tad pricy but totally worth it.

Yeah defiantly a noticeable colour. I saw a yellow one when I was looking but had hideous green interior so wasn't for me. Never seen an orange one before not even in pictures, a lot of white and black ones but never orange its amazing in the flesh colour really pops just one of the main reason I just had to get it. Lot of people don't believe me when I tell them its a factory colour they always think Ive had it sprayed that way. 

Main things I wanna change are the doors I really dislike the chunky wing mirror and love the old style doors with the smaller mirrors and quarter windows. Also thinking of changing the wheel hubcaps to the old style dog bowl dishes but still undecided about that. Also wanna change the interior seats to the old style e.g. without the headrest and nicer chrome dials. Luckily the steering wheel was already changed before I got the car otherwise that would be top list to change.  

Aug 27, 2014 20:29:20 GMT Mark said:

Cool car, I love my w115 - not that it's seen the road in a long time! Brave man dropping the car to Mercedes though!

Thanks! Yeah there is fewer and fewer on the road now a days and even fewer that are daily runner rounds. Hahaha yeah a lot of people say that but luckily friends with the head service guy so got a lot of discount plus Mercedes like to give classic owners a discount of services and repairs when you take it to them. Also I just got the car and wasn't sure of any the hidden issues that would be hiding so thought better be safe than sorry and take it to a reputable garage. 

Aug 27, 2014 21:09:13 GMT fred said:

I can see why you wanted that
Gorgeous colour.
I could polish that 24/7 !

Hahaha feel free to polish mine I hate washing my car myself rather get some one else to do it for me. Plus couple pannels on the car that colour is fading on so get to work . 

Aug 27, 2014 21:23:55 GMT Dez said:

well, as first posts go, thets pretty damn good. looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks, I aim to please. 

Aug 27, 2014 21:44:16 GMT surprisingskoda said:

Lovely car. What's the "Bipolar" in the title about?

Hahaha wondered when that would come up. Well its a nick name my friend come up with when I told him i was ganna put it on air he said to call it Bipolar as sometimes its up but most time it will be down. But as that hasn't happened just yet everyone just calls it the boat. 

[kipperhughes]

Aug 27, 2014 22:45:52 GMT hkr91 said:

Lovely, we've got a '72 250 (twin carb). What are the differences in the pre and post 1975?

Its mostly lil cosmetic changes they made such as the doors: 

On my 1976
 
DSC05626 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

On a pre 1975

shoot9_zps56066120 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

As you can see they had smaller wing mirrors and the addition of quarter windows. 


Rear lights:

post 1975

DSC05631 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

pre 1975

995607_1004396052920001_7372614843429530216_n by dannyhughes, on Flickr


Interior seats:

post 1975

DSCF1979 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

Pre 1975

yja3ety3 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

y9yqa2u7 by dannyhughes, on Flickr

As you can see the main difference is lack of headrest and more retro hot rod look rather than the more modern look. 


Steering wheel:

post 1975

280CRecent Interior by dannyhughes, on Flickr

pre 1975

7001662_220-2 by dannyhughes, on Flickr


Also some engine changes where done but mostly tiny cosmetic changes where the main difference. 

[hkr91]

Thanks for clearing that up, I didn't even realise that was the case!  Post 75 styling looks more towards the W123 it seems.








That's mine ^

[fr€$h&m1nt¥]

Aug 27, 2014 22:47:48 GMT kipperhughes said:

Aug 27, 2014 13:48:06 GMT HoTWire said:

Aug 27, 2014 13:54:29 GMT fr€$h&m1nt¥ said:

looking forward to seeing this

I liked the mini too - I got a photo of that at a show somewhere but i can't think where as usually i only do Japanese car shows.

Cheers yeah the MINI was good while it lasted and before everything went on it. Probably might of caught it at santa pod?  

Ah yes course - it must have been fast show in 2012.

[grifterkid]

My word, that is stunning...!!! Just wonderful...

It seems a shame to mod' it (I'm an originality freak!) but it sounds like you've got some really firm plans that sound cracking...

I will be watching this very closely I think! Brilliant...

[Dez]

The bonnet, grille, front wings and front valance are also different early/late, and only interchangeable as a whole lot, not individual bits. Personally I prefer the early rear lights and doors, but the later front end (valance is a better shape) so I did exactly what you plan and fitted the earlier bits to a later car.

[BenzBoy]

Funnily enough the new wings and front valance I have for mine are the early ones, but mine is a facelift 1975 one. It was what I could get hold of at the time. I'm still keeping the wider grille but I'll need to make some modifications to get it all to work together. I agree the later front valance is better looking. I'm still unsure about what to do there...

That auto choke on the Stromberg carb is a real pain to get information on, let alone parts! I remember mine playing up and in the end I de-activated it. Never had any trouble starting without it.

[Dez]

BB, want some correct front wings? forgot to put those on the list of w115 parts i have....

[rob0r]

That colour.... Stunning car