Is it just me?

   / Is it just me? #22  
I saw a list of English speaking countries that included Australia, I think that was a misprint. :laughing:

Smiinjak

Strewth!

Ya reckon we've all got a roo loose in the top paddock? Blood oath we've b'n givin' ya nought but the good oil. She's ridgy-didge, Mate, no furphy.
 
   / Is it just me? #23  
Mate, that's funny, Here's my solution for mounting the Alternator, Look Familiar?

What do they say about great minds?

View attachment 487079



Had a good day yesterday, The HooDoo has lifted, Hooray!!! Replaced all the Gauges and rewired all the lights and they all worked first time!
and yes my sender still work fine (.5 ohms empty - 32 ohms Full).

Then rebuilt the Fuel lift pump, straight forward, doesn't leak anymore!

I think I'm finally at a point where everything works, so I started on the body work , removed and dis assembled the Bonnet , and removed the guards.
Hopefully it should be plain sailing from here on.

I too am glad I'm not the only one gets frustrated at times - I know what your talking about drama and repairing European cars!

I've had several, currently only a 1974 280E Merc (had it since New) Biggest mistake/Nightmare 1976 Alfa Sud Horrible!

I mainly stick to Pommie Cars, Currently have a 1979 MGB and a 1970 Mini K, Dead easy to work on and like you after 30+ years owning several MGs and Minis
I pretty well know how to fix most things.

HooRoo, John

Strewth John :p That fuel sender must be worth an Opera House Lottery ticket! :D

I hope our overseas friends are catching on to at least some of the on-going Australianese - they'll be looking for their local pub before we know it! :laughing:

Nothing beats a bit of good old Aussie ingenuity - when you live out in the mulga, rely on something and it goes bung, you need to find a way to make it work. :thumbsup:
I reckon mine looks neater though :p But seriously, did you recognise the alternator in my pic? I'll give you a big clue ..... take a close look at the alternator on your 280E ..... then another look at the pic ;) Yep, that's right, you hit the nail right on the head! :D A partly-dismantled 280E - one of about nine or ten unwanted/damaged/written-off/abandoned MBs in our back paddock here donated it for such a good cause :licking: A great source of spares for our own cars, and the odd hard-to-find part for a select few really appreciative clients - actually more like friends - at work. I fitted it a couple years ago when I reco-ed the engine - it was such an improvement over a rubbish Motorcraft unit someone has fitted in a real half-a$$ed manner - it had almost fallen off!

While on the subject of cars, our daily drivers: Me - '88MB 300TE; Son - '95MB C180; Dtr - '86MB 190E; and the exception ... My wife - Honda CRV (was her Mum's). Others in "collection": 2 x 450SEL6.9; 300CE; A160; 300E. We aren't one-eyed, I just know real cars when I see 'em! :thumbsup:

You're spot-on there, older cars are much easier to maintain, much less complex and it seems much more reliable too.
Why do Pommie cars seem to persist with Lucas "Prince-of-Darkness" electrical equipment? :confused: Bosch electrcial equipment appears much more durable and reliable, although their batteries (at least here in Australia) are garbage.

Italian cars seem to be the least reliable of all! I remember hearing FIAT (cars) is an acronym for Fix It Again Tony! But, to be fair, Fiat tractors and other Italian machinery are quite good, and the Italians make the very best batteries - Varta - second to none.

DSC01962.jpg

Here's a exceptional Varta battery - in the loader: I can leave 5 x 55w lights on for close to an hour, and it will still start a 3cyl Perkins diesel. :laughing:
That battery was manufactured in the 2nd week of 2004! :thumbsup: Best part of it ..... it was free :D Owner wanted it changed because it was 5 yrs old! :confused: Incidentally,that's a bit of one hydraulic hose you can just see on the LH edge.

I almost forgot: Your panels are a lot prettier than mine (they still have some of their paint :rolleyes: You should swap with me and refurbish mine instead, especially after seeing how good Sarah looks! :drink:
 
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   / Is it just me?
  • Thread Starter
#24  
Nice collection of MBs, always wanted a 300 wagon, maybe one day.
I've had a few MB cars over the years, My first ( and best) 1974 280E, 84 230E, 190E (2.6) probably the worst handling car I've ever driven, but god it had some mumbo, '92 380 SEL

You wouldn't have a rear window glass for a w114 4 door, I broke the rear glass on my 280E while mowing, been having some trouble finding one at the right price.

I spent the last couple of days trying to get the grill straight on the MF135, just about got it right. Amazing how something looks good until you have a close look, then you notice just how dented and twisted it really is.

Hooroo, John
 
   / Is it just me? #25  
Right-O Johno, SMOKEO! Time to drop yer swag and snag a tinnie... what's on for tea? You can get back at it at a sparrow's fart.

(It's fun to spout the Aussie-isms :))
 
   / Is it just me? #26  
This is a very entertaining thread Johmarq... I can tell you are a much more talented man than I. I often say take my estimated time to complete a project and quadrupal it... even that isn't enough sometimes.

I will find the hardest possible way to do it but "I will get it done". :laughing:
 
   / Is it just me? #27  
Right-O Johno, SMOKEO! Time to drop yer swag and snag a tinnie... what's on for tea? You can get back at it at a sparrow's fart.

(It's fun to spout the Aussie-isms :))

Yep, she's tellin' me it's tea-time now, but he'd better whack it back together pretty smartly - he's got to put on the slasher and level them thistles in that front paddock. Then there's half the veggie patch needs the rotary hoe through it; and that long flat's waiting to be chisel-ploughed - might need doing twice too. Don't forget we need to mow the lucerne paddock tomorrow or the day after with the conditioner on too. It'll need baling and getting into the shed in case we snag a storm, it'll be a bonzer cut this time too. I hope all his lights work - he'll need 'em baling at night, might find himself doin' some chisel-ploughing after tea one or two nights too. :thumbsup:

That's today's Aus-speak lesson done and dusted. Sounds like me as a teenager during school holidays - after including moving six lines of 4" irrigation pipes a day there didn't seem to be enough minutes in a day! :rolleyes: Kept me fit though. :laughing:

John, I have only W123s and W116s onwards. I'll check if a 114 & 123 rear glass is the same, but I doubt we'll be lucky enough.
BTW, do you need window or quarter glass; and which side?

I love my wagon - grab yourself one of the best models they built. Several times I've been hundreds of miles down south visiting family, with half a ton of equipment aboard - absolutely no problems at all. It's now on about 315000km. As a co-incidence, just today saw a nice-looking Pajett-red 300TE in Just Cars mag - $4000. I'll note their ph no - it's somewhere here in Qld too! :thumbsup:

A few years ago driving the green 6.9 we did a social rally for MB enthusiasts - from Adelaide to the Gold Coast! We and two other parties had to drive from Brisbane to start in Adelaide. Loved it - saw a lot of Australia I'd not seen before, enjoyed a well-earned break. In short, we did 6500km in 15 days ..... only problem we had ..... a blown headlamp globe! :thumbsup: I did some substantial work prior to leaving though :laughing: The car being driven by the service manager of a well-respected MB specialist workshop was not going to break down! :p

Here's the only pic of the Beast I can find:
Edit Alert: That was the first ..... found some more:

DSC00073.jpg DSC00070.jpg DSC00071.jpg
 
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   / Is it just me? #28  
Yep, she's tellin' me it's tea-time now, but he'd better whack it back together pretty smartly - he's got to put on the slasher and level them thistles in that front paddock. Then there's half the veggie patch needs the rotary hoe through it; and that long flat's waiting to be chisel-ploughed - might need doing twice too. Don't forget we need to mow the lucerne paddock tomorrow or the day after with the conditioner on too. It'll need baling and getting into the shed in case we snag a storm, it'll be a bonzer cut this time too. I hope all his lights work - he'll need 'em baling at night, might find himself doin' some chisel-ploughing after tea one or two nights too. :thumbsup:



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But when did you get time to stop for a slash ??
 
   / Is it just me? #29  
But when did you get time to stop for a slash ??

Ha Ha Ha :laughing: Ya can have a slash whenever and wherever ya want! :D

The slasher goes on the back of the tractor :thumbsup: Get 'em mixed up and you'll wind up in pretty hot water! :eek:

I've got to get my shoulder to the wheel - we're under the pump here, and there's a willy-willy bearing down on us - could be hail in it too :eek:
 
 
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