"New" 250SEC question

[Ollie]

Received a 250 SEC this past weekend. It is a nice original car with just about no rust, original paint in very presentable condition.
It is a twin to my dark blue 250SL,  both 66 models.
I will post photos as soon as I can figure out how to resize them on my Mac. (Struggled tonight for a while then gave up)
Couple of questions - how does the windshield washer work?  The bag is just sitting loose against the battery which seems wrong/odd,  but has a plastic tube coming and going from it.
                            - where can I have the wood refinished in Canada/USA? 
                            - does anyone have access to detailed photo's of the engine compartment.  Mine looks original,  but slightly different from the SL with same engine.
Couple of observations - the build quality seems amazing. Wish my modern Mercedes felt as well engineered and screwed together!
                                - attention to detail. Leather and wood INSIDE the glove compartment anyone?

Thanks
Ollie

[Benz Dr.]

I have a guy who does all of my wood and his work is excellent. I'm waiting for him to finish a 300SE sedan but what I've seen so far is really nice.

 Contact me if you need any help.

[Garry]

Ollie,

Cannot help on the car side but for Mac, open the photo in iPhoto then go File and export, a window will come up for exporting the item and on the front window is a "size" question.  Suggest you try "medium" to export to your documents file. When you press "export" a new window will ask you where, suggest you rename and put in your documents file.

Then open your documents file in Finder and find the file, it should tell you the size of the Jpeg on the file details in the Rhand column. Make sure it is small enough to post and then just attach in the "Additional Options" note under the window when you hit reply.

Hope that helps
Garry

[Jordan]

Ollie, congratulations on your new addition to the family.  Looking forward to the pictures.  One question, is your 250SL in fact a 230SL, because they didn't make 250's in 66, or maybe it is a 67?  Just curious.

[Ollie]

Yes Jordan,  you are correct.  In my frustration trying to post photo's I did not read my post again.
Both are in fact 67's!
I like the fact that both were made before the sidemarker lights wre mandated on NA vehicles.

Thanks for the advice/help so far.
Ollie

[Ollie]

Here are some photos of the 250 SEC.

Garry,  you made posting the photo's seem so easy.

Thanks!!!
Ollie

[wwheeler]

Great car Ollie. If I had to do it over again, I would get a '67 because of the many things it has that changed on my '68. The wooden gauge pod, the chrome rear view mirror, lack of side markers, chrome seat hinges (no covers like mine) and the list goes on. I too enjoy the fabulous glove box as insignificant as it may seem. I attached a picture of my '68 W111.

I have attached pictures of my engine bay. I have restored several parts of it and have tried to keep the factory look. My '68 280 engine is probably just a bit different than yours but not by much. Another source of pictures is Bob's W108.
 
http://picasaweb.google.com/71.280SE/280SE#

While it is a bit different than our W111s, there are several details that are the same and it is very helpful. His car is almost perfectly original. Great resource.

Hope this helps!

[Garry]

Great looking car Ollie, and I love that shed.

Garry

[wwheeler]

That is amazing how much better your cars looks w/o those horrible side markers! I have often though about welding up those holes when I do a repaint a few years from now.

Ollie, What color is your paint and interior. Welcome to the W111 club! You have the best of both worlds.

[Ollie]

Thanks for the replies. Still would like more info re washer system.

I grew up in South Africa in the early 70's in the back of a 68 220D - slowest car ever...
The dentistacross the street had a white 230SL and a willow green metallic 280 SEC 3.5,  the prettiest car I have ever seen.
I vowed to one day own one.  Well,  I came close.

The colour for both is navy blue DB 332,  the coupe has dark blue leather,  the SL cognac.
These photos of the SL shows this better.
I'll take more when spring comes - as you can see we have snow on the ground in Alberta.

Cheers

[wwheeler]

The washer bag hangs on the upper battery frame as the attached picture. There is also a tang that is mounted on the lower frame that keeps the bottom of the bag pushed out. I will have to take a close up on mine in the next day or so. It is not really a bag but a plastic bottle on mine.

The pictures I attached earlier didn't have the upper frame on my engine. I was doing some tests.

[Ollie]

Thanks for the photo's.
What powers the washer? Is it an electrical pump and if where is it located?
 Nothing happens in my vehicle,  ie no pump/electrical motor sound.

Thanks
Ollie

[wwheeler]

On my '68, there is a foot pump about where you would expect a headlight dimmer switch. It is on the floorboard left side (LHD). It has a rubber bellows that compresses when you mash your foot on the metal hinge plate. There is a rubber tube that connects to the bellows that goes out to the washer bottle in the engine bay.

Another intersting feature is the switch on the pump that starts the wipers as soon as you mash the foot plate. So you squirt water on the windshield and the wipers come on automatically. I believe the wipers stay on for a couple of cycles each time the switch is closed.

I guess each time you compress the bellows, it pressurizes the bottle and sends the pressurized fluid to the squirt nozzle on the air intake.

How about that.

[Ollie]

Thanks for the help.
Will check it out on Monday.

Ollie

[GGR]

These are two superb cars. The W111 coupe is so elegant. I owned several, and sometimes regreted not to have it in the form of a convertible. The problem with the W111 convertible is that I like it with the top up, and I find it ugly with the top down: it looks like some kind of a big barge and loses all the elegance of the Coupe (at least in my view). On the other hand, the Pagoda is a very nice little roadster. I like it with the top down, or with the hard top, but not with the soft top up. The solution then is to own both. And the good news it that in an equivalent condition, one can buy a Pagoda AND a Coupe for the price of a W111 convertible. So, like you, this is what I did, and I'm a happy man, like you surely are also.

Congratulations!

[wwheeler]

I do like the coupe's look better than the cab with the top down. I also like the much lower maintenence and complexity that the coupe offers. The view from the inside out in a coupe is outstanding in comparison to new cars these days. And when both front and rear windows are down, it feels very open. I have had many people comment on the openess of the coupe when they first get in. Great design! 

[Ollie]

Thanks GGR,
any photo's of your pair?
I am with you on the top down issue.  The SL looks just right top down.  Not so the SE droptop, in my view, unless you need to transport 4 people.
The coupe is far more elegant - one of the best looking MB designs ever.
As always of course,  beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder!!

Ollie

[GGR]

Below is one of the only two pictures where they both appear. The other one was already posted in this other thread, and I couldn't attach it here again:  http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=15521.0 They were both taken the day I bought the Pagoda and we were on our way back from where I got it.

I also have a few videos of my Coupe in this thread: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=14796.0