It's what Saturdays used to be like.

PlugsnPoints

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I had been looking at them for the past year since i bought it. I restored the wheels a few weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed taking my time to wash, rub down(up to 2500 wet and dry), etch prime then respray with the matched silver and finish with laquer. Nearly perfect.

However, I looked at the brakes when the wheels were off. No matter how many times I studied the full Mercedes Service History' I realised they needed some attention now.

What a pleasure to put my overalls on(with wooly hat of course) and set about it. Yup, so it's not my van and need it back on the road for Monday to wire up a Barratt/Persimmon box, but then again a real pleasure to get the tools out.

It's a piece of pizza if you get my drift? Why don't more Mercedes owners' do it?

I replaced the front discs and pads on Friday, and today I was distracted but I did one side on the back (nearside, thanks for asking). Tomorrow I'll complete it, and replace the discs and handbrake shoes.

My point is, I spent most of my childhood watching my dad weld, change head gaskets/big ends and do a respray on a multitude of vehicles. Not only on Saturdays, but as a necessity to get to work.

I was brought up to fix things, be it a bicycle, motorbike and cars amongst other things. It's not just about cost and the satisfaction of not paying someone to do something you can do yourself, it's the pleasure of getting out there and doing it properly.

What I found today just confirms what main Dealers are known for- cutting corners! The rear brake disc/drums hadn't been off for years.

I might be a grumpy 53 year old, but I don't care today.

Happy next weekend Easter. ;)
 

Wighty

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Nice one buddy , I'm right there with you in the fixing bits yourself . I love it , it doesn't always work but doesn't stop me trying .
 

Jkh112

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I enjoy working on my Porsche (planned maintenance only, the breakdowns are annoying), but I leave the Mercedes to the dealer as I need it for work and as it has not yet worked it’s way into my affections I find the thought of working on it to be a chore.
 

Ken_R

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I also like to spend my Saturday's (and a few other days), fixing things. Not my car though as, apart from my 'Bus pass, it is my only form of transport.

In my case, 'fixing things', is ****** great Railway carriages.

Image24653.jpg
 

LostKiwi

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Totally with you there. I was brought up fixing things. I was forever doing my bike, skateboard bearings and then when I progressed to cars it was everything from rebuilding suspension through to porting heads and fabrication of custom parts.
A few decades of newish cars and that all went away pretty much till I found Land Rovers. That brought it all back with a vengeance.... fabrication and fixing on the Defender became a weekend way of life!
Since moving to MBs its abated but with a 25 year old car in the stable there's always something to do and it's a great change from the week day job with a side benefit of getting out from under Mrs LKs feet and resulting 'jobs'. :)
 

00slk

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Yep, same here LK, my Dad was a pioneer for using over the week, break it on Friday night and fix it over the weekend ready for driving (or riding it) to work on Monday. He was an engineer so made most things car and bike related. I bit did rub off on me and when I didn't have the right tools I would make one to do the job, still got a few home made tools :D
I did an engineering apprenticeship, then worked for Triumph and then Audi in the motor trade and have stuck with cars ever since, though sometimes when it comes to having some quality time with your loved ones one tends to palm off the car maintenance to the dealer now, shame on me.................You have just inspired me to go and hand wash the 55 myself instead of taking it to the car wash :rolleyes: Thanks for the thread PlugsnPoints ;)
 
OP
PlugsnPoints

PlugsnPoints

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  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
I had been looking at them for the past year since i bought it. I restored the wheels a few weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed taking my time to wash, rub down(up to 2500 wet and dry), etch prime then respray with the matched silver and finish with laquer. Nearly perfect.

However, I looked at the brakes when the wheels were off. No matter how many times I studied the full Mercedes Service History' I realised they needed some attention now.

What a pleasure to put my overalls on(with wooly hat of course) and set about it. Yup, so it's not my van and need it back on the road for Monday to wire up a Barratt/Persimmon box, but then again a real pleasure to get the tools out.

It's a piece of pizza if you get my drift? Why don't more Mercedes owners' do it?

I replaced the front discs and pads on Friday, and today I was distracted but I did one side on the back (nearside, thanks for asking). Tomorrow I'll complete it, and replace the discs and handbrake shoes.

My point is, I spent most of my childhood watching my dad weld, change head gaskets/big ends and do a respray on a multitude of vehicles. Not only on Saturdays, but as a necessity to get to work.

I was brought up to fix things, be it a bicycle, motorbike and cars amongst other things. It's not just about cost and the satisfaction of not paying someone to do something you can do yourself, it's the pleasure of getting out there and doing it properly.

What I found today just confirms what main Dealers are known for- cutting corners! The rear brake disc/drums hadn't been off for years.

I might be a grumpy 53 year old, but I don't care today.

Happy next weekend Easter. ;) 2018-03-24 13.18.54.jpg
It's got to be done :)
 

ajlsl600

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Totally with you there. I was brought up fixing things. I was forever doing my bike, skateboard bearings and then when I progressed to cars it was everything from rebuilding suspension through to porting heads and fabrication of custom parts.
A few decades of newish cars and that all went away pretty much till I found Land Rovers. That brought it all back with a vengeance.... fabrication and fixing on the Defender became a weekend way of life!
Since moving to MBs its abated but with a 25 year old car in the stable there's always something to do and it's a great change from the week day job with a side benefit of getting out from under Mrs LKs feet and resulting 'jobs'. :)

lk. did you not start on penny farthing ..?
 

LostKiwi

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lk. did you not start on penny farthing ..?
To be honest I started with a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine on a welded tube steel space frame chassis using lawn mower wheels when I was 7 years old....
My dad made it for me from an old lawnmower and some reclaimed school desk frames and introduced me to the delights of paying for petrol at a very young age!
 

00slk

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To be honest I started with a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine on a welded tube steel space frame chassis using lawn mower wheels when I was 7 years old....
My dad made it for me from an old lawnmower and some reclaimed school desk frames and introduced me to the delights of paying for petrol at a very young age!

Blimey Alistair, we must have been doing the same type of stuff from and early age, lawnmowers for me too, Briggs and Stratton, Masport lol......then cars all before the age of 15 with my make do technology and number 8 fencing wire :D
 

LostKiwi

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Blimey Alistair, we must have been doing the same type of stuff from and early age, lawnmowers for me too, Briggs and Stratton, Masport lol......then cars all before the age of 15 with my make do technology and number 8 fencing wire :D
We must have Peter!
I rolled mum's Mini when I was 15 (got a right bollocking!) passed my test when I was 16 (Dad made me wait following the Mini episode!) first car 12 months on and a year later after a rebuilt engine in the first car bought my Cooper S.
Number 8 was the fixing of choice (though mild steel welding wire is pretty good too and was the fixing of choice for fuel lines!)
 

Tony MB

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At 11 years old my uncle had me helping at his yard where he had a small fleet of haulage trucks, my job was fetching and carrying but gradually evolved into fixing things. It's been with me ever since and has probably saved me a fortune in garage charges, I still maintain my own vehicles today at 75 years old as much as possible sometimes tools or weather make me resort to having them fixed at a garage.I still get a buzz when I do the work myself.
 

00slk

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We must have Peter!
I rolled mum's Mini when I was 15 (got a right bollocking!) passed my test when I was 16 (Dad made me wait following the Mini episode!) first car 12 months on and a year later after a rebuilt engine in the first car bought my Cooper S.
Number 8 was the fixing of choice (though mild steel welding wire is pretty good too and was the fixing of choice for fuel lines!)

Except I didn't crash or roll my parents car :p But did do 105 mph in my Dad's Triumph PI down Blockhouse Bay Rd one night going to the Off Licence (ran out of beer) :eek: I kind of stuck with Triumphs as they seemed to go really fast around town, then it was the Saturday urge to pull them to bits and make them go faster and louder for the week coming. Herald's with 6 cylinder engine was the 'got to have' and my mate biult up his rally car 13/60 with 2000 running gear and triple Dellorto's, sounded and performed well, gave the TR6's a run for their money :D Gosh I still got a Triumph or three and still do the Saturday thing :oops:
 

LostKiwi

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Except I didn't crash or roll my parents car :p But did do 105 mph in my Dad's Triumph PI down Blockhouse Bay Rd one night going to the Off Licence (ran out of beer) :eek: I kind of stuck with Triumphs as they seemed to go really fast around town, then it was the Saturday urge to pull them to bits and make them go faster and louder for the week coming. Herald's with 6 cylinder engine was the 'got to have' and my mate biult up his rally car 13/60 with 2000 running gear and triple Dellorto's, sounded and performed well, gave the TR6's a run for their money :D Gosh I still got a Triumph or three and still do the Saturday thing :oops:
I think we do tend to stick with the first car we get - familiarity I guess.
I had a succession of Minis before finally getting a RWD car. First RWD was a VH Pacer (a quantum leap from a Mini!) followed by a Capri 3000S which someone had fiddled with (belonged to an RNZAF chap at Whenuapai who it transpired was very active in the base Car Club).
Had the distinction of being out in that late one night with a girl I was a bit keen on. Caning it down a road on the Bombay Hills had an 'ahead at T' moment (the perils of watching telephone lines to see where the road goes on a blind crest). Luckily we got away with it though the farmers fence wasn't so lucky!
Missed a strainer post by about an inch as we sailed into the field at over 80mph (we'd crested the rise at well past the ton).....
Quietly slunk out the way we went in and limped it home with bent bottom arms....
Never did get any further with the girl concerned!
 

00slk

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Lol........I had an E31 Bathurst Pacer fully optioned and an E34 4 Barrel (raced that one for a season) the E31 was the better car, had an E37 Charger 3 on the floor and A84 track pack option it was the budget entry one, and had many VH and VJ's too I was a bit of a Moper man amongst other makes, if it had an engine it was tracked :D I was short of a suitable race car one season so had the engine specced up on my wife's Corolla and competed in that, AE82 and it kept pace with the AE86!! Gosh those were the days.............The best race car I ran was the 280SE it really performed well and could mix it up for the XU1's, MK2 Jag's Fiat's great times The 280 out paced the 350SL and 3.5 108's in a race. I have some photo's of a Saturday met at Pukekohe where I was on grid with a MK2 Jag 3.8, Escort, Capri 3litre and after the first lap we all held our positions, a lot of people were astonished at the Mercedes performance. That was until a friend of mine came along in his 6.3.........There was no hope for me in my 2.8 :shock:
 

LostKiwi

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They were good times. Most of my racing was on gravel - hillclimbs and rallies though I did do a Hamilton Car Club tarmac rally in the Cooper S.
We had a mystery oil leak just after we started. The whole left end of the engine was dripping in oil and the fan (transverse engine of course) picked up the oil and chucked it through the radiator all over the left front wheel (and brake) and caked the passenger side of the car. We did the entire event though and managed 10th and 11th overall on two successive stages - much to the astonishment of finish marshalls who were totally surprised we were faster than a lot of V8 and rotary powered stuff let alone a few BDA escorts!We started seeded as 86 but finished in the top 30 which I thought was a pretty good result given the problems we had (alternator failed during the event - probably from oil! - which wouldn't have been such a problem if it wasn't a night event!).
Only took the Pacer on the track once - at Baypark. We had a sprint event there and I'd arranged to share a mates car but he wasn't happy with it so prompted me to use the Pacer. Mine was a 4 on the floor E37 spec with the 3.23 diff (usually had 2.92) in that lovely 70s Chrysler dog poo metallic brown laughingly referred to as 'Hot Mustard' in the sales brochure.
Lined up alongside one of my other mates in his full rally spec Cooper S and managed to pip him off the line and he couldn't stay with me after that. That Pacer was pretty quick. I got second over all on the day only being beaten by a 289 Mustang powered Capri on slicks. At the end of the day we bolted the CNG bottles back in the boot, hooked on the car trailer and towed my mates car home. He was seriously peeved at being beaten by the tow car! Those VH Pacers are worth a fortune now.

They certainly were great times. I feel for the youth of today - motorsport has become so highly and tightly regulated compared to what we enjoyed.

Don't know if you remember Dave Strong? I was heavily involved with him in his Mini Seven racing, rallying and class winning B&H 1275GT (I built the B&H car for him).
 

ajlsl600

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To be honest I started with a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine on a welded tube steel space frame chassis using lawn mower wheels when I was 7 years old....
My dad made it for me from an old lawnmower and some reclaimed school desk frames and introduced me to the delights of paying for petrol at a very young age!


my first tinker was a bsa bantam, and a fine machine it was too, in those days,apprentice ,my employers provided the fuel
 

John Laidlaw

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I was a farm boy so tinkering with tractors was the thing. Drove combine harvesters in the fields at 11, ploughing at 12 first time...happy long days
 

Jimbo1959

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I was my Dad's gofer from the age of five, you know the thing, "Jim gofer the malky hammer, Jim gofer the 3/8 Whitworth open ended spanner.

I was car daft as a child and like most in the early sixties, you needed the car, van or motorbike for work so Dad was always working on something.

My favourite memories are of the years after he discovered "Stock Car Racing", Cowdenbeath every Sunday and needing to be scrubbed clean of the oil in the bath before bed.

Kids today haven't got a clue the fun they're missing, computers, X Boxes and Play Stations, who needs them?

Did my first gearbox out, clutch replacement on my Mum's HB Viva at thirteen and then progressed on to engine work. Those were the days, lol. At first it was about saving money and then the self satisfaction of doing it yourself, but, interest and just wanting to be able to say "I did that myself" took over.

I still do as much as I can to keep my hand in although the computerisation and bl**dy expensive special tools needed now limit me somewhat. I'm not above putting the car into the garage if I don't have a particular special tool or it needs to have all four wheels off the ground though. I grudge buying tools now a days as my quality of car has got to the stage that I usually only have to do routine servicing and the brakes from time to time, in fact when I think about it, I spend more time helping my son learn about his car these days.
 

Yugguy

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I work on mine when I have the time. Brakes are a very satisfying job.
 

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