Total restoration
| 1969
Mercedes Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Total restoration |
Restoration Log by Dan Mooney |
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The following sequence of photographs show the trial fitting of the engine and 5 speed transmission conversion. Jake fabricated and welded sturdy plates either side of the transmission tunnel, with a heavy duty chrome-moly bar to support the weight of the transmission. This week we will begin the process of fabricating a set of custom headers and custom exhaust for the car.
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All of the sheet metal repairs and panel replacement have now been completed.
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Lots of progress with the big Mercedes in the Team CJ Coachworks.
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| New upper side panels required for both sides of the engine bay |
Front shock support welded in place |
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| Preparing to weld the new panels in place |
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| Captive nuts welded/bonded to inner wings |
Trial fitting the front panel and both front
wings |
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| Trial fitting the radiator |
Trial fitting the grille |
Back from being blasted back to bare metal. The news isn't too bad, but a few additional panels will need to be sourced or fabricated.
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The following sequence of photographs show some good progress in the CJ Coachworks this week. We also received the interior wood back from Madera Concepts who did a beautiful job refinishing the macassar ebony veneers.
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Time to get the sheet metal repairs underway.
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I am pleased to report that we now have this exciting project underway. With the engine and drive train removed, lots of corrosion and some very shoddy previous repairs are on display.
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| The silver car in the background will be the
source of several parts |
First job is to remove the engine and front
and rear suspension |
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| 6.3L V8 is crammed into the engine compartment |
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| With the axle removed, the first signs of
significant rust are exposed |
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| Engine and front subframe removed as one unit |
Engine and front suspension weigh about the
same as the orange car in the neighboring bay! |
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| Engine bay stripped, will be refinished |
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| A custom wiring harness will be made from
scratch |
In the restoration business 25 years and I
have never seen duct tape panel repairs before! |
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| More duct tape hole patching |
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| A lot of bondo beneath lower RH quarter panel |
Bondo was hiding these huge rust holes |
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| Original seat upholstery is in fantastic
condition |
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| Scraping away multiple layers of undercoating |
Interior wood being removed for refinishing |
