Previous Owner "Gifts"

[dwilli3038]

I suspect I am not the only one who has found some very intresting modifications or repairs made by the PO. Here are a couple of very Strange examples. Apearently the Tach cable failed and the PO decided to shorten the sheathing and then put it back together with Duct tape. When the Spedo cable failed he made a splce in the cable using a copper tube, then to make room for the diameter of the copper he removed part of the sheathing and replaced it with hose. Enjoy the attached pics of these repairs, and be glad this guy never owned your car!!!!

Download Attachment: Tach Cable 1.jpg
34.46 KB

Download Attachment: Spedometer cable 1.jpg
32.84 KB

Daryl
'64 230 SL Buckeye Benz Scarlet interior and Grey top Serial # 508
'77 280SE

[mdsalemi]

Daryl,

I don't find this strange at all, sad to say.  This is what we used to call "Mickey Mouse Mechanics" with all due respect to Walt Disney and the mouse-empire.

This is precisely what happens when someone expects to pay x dollars for a part, even though x is completely unrealistic, and they find the price is 2X, 3X or higher.  Then comes the duct tape, jerry-rigging, coat hangers, glue, bondo, GM parts, and what have you from wherever.  I've seen this stuff on all manners of used cars; more so with foreign then domestic.

Thank goodness your car has found a savior.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[Mike Hughes]

Yep!  A truly "Rube Goldberg" repair!

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[merrill]

don't laugh,  I broke the last inch of my tach cable off one year and used a spring from an ink pen as a flex joint and soldered the last inch back on the remaining tach cable.

worked for about 2 years befoe the solder failed.  not perfect but in a pinch some fixes will work.



Matt
Austin Tx
66 230 sl - "white"
78 300 D - Blue
98 C230

[Mike Hughes]

"Rube Goldberg" visually defined:

 http://tinyurl.com/36qj7f

I'll bet that the guy who made this is now living alone.


- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by merrill

don't laugh,  I broke the last inch of my tach cable off one year and used a spring from an ink pen as a flex joint and soldered the last inch back on the remaining tach cable.

worked for about 2 years befoe the solder failed.  not perfect but in a pinch some fixes will work.

{With only the utmost of respect for your ingenuity, Matt...}

...and, sometime prior to this failure, you hypothetically sell the car.  The new owner is happy until the tach stops working.  He opens the hood and finds a SPRING from an old RETRACTABLE BALL POINT at the end of the tach cable, along with a broken SOLDER JOINT!  That's when he writes a post about Previous Owner "Gifts"!

"In a pinch" is a repair to get you home when you are stuck somewhere; soldering a spring onto a tach cable is simple avoidance of the inevitable.

PLEASE tell me you didn't try stronger solder and a bigger spring...

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[merrill]

Michael,
a new cable was installed this year when I had the motor and tranny out.

I would not have sold the car with the old cable installed.

I have found that over the years there were many modifications to my car that I have had to correct.

incorrect rear shocks installed
csv plugged with a bolt
front grill missing

I am sure I will find more as the restoration continues.



Matt
Austin Tx
66 230 sl - "white"
78 300 D - Blue
98 C230

[enochbell]

Mike,

Thanks for sharing that clip on the rube golberg contraption.  What is more disturbing than your observation that the "author" is probably living alone is that, at least in the making of the film, he had accomplises!  In the words of Arlo Guthrie..."pretty soon, you've got a movement".

Best,
g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon