Dev's Thoughts on Experiences, Projects and Lessons

In the process of planning the restoration of the W124, a component that I wanted to also work on is the audio. I have always wanted an SQ set up and build a setup within a decent budget (healthy but not too much). At first, I wanted to just use the original speaker placement for the audio, which is 4 inches in size for the front and 5 or so inches for the rear (I am not sure of the exact size). And speaking of SQ setup, the emphasis of the speaker is the front ones and not the rear. So with that in mind, I was looking around for options and was saw some from brands like Audison, Alpine, and many more. 4 inches of coaxial is plenty, but I was looking for something above the average range for the setup. One Sunday, while browsing through a Facebook group that discusses mid to high-end car audio, I came across a post for a used Alpine CDA 9887 head unit for sale. This used to be high-end maybe 10 years ago and is still regarded as an amazing head unit by many for the sound quality it pro...

 Executive Summary: This post is an article that I am recording to assist in a rust and leak-related problem that was experienced by Philip on his W124, which he calls the Old Man.  Details: I have been friends with Philip for a long time now, we had worked together and we were linked by our passion for cars. Coincidentally, the W124 is one that kept us talking a lot. Philip's journey in the Mercedes world started about 6 years ago where he first purchased a W123 and worked on it. As luck would have it, the title of the car wasn't transferred and the previous owner passed away. It was a disheartening moment for Philip to lose a friend and he eventually submitted in selling the car, which he has largely worked on as scrap/parts. Now coming to Old Man, Philip bought this car in a rather sad state and paid only RM 1,500 for it. When he got this car, it was far from proper and let alone being of the legendary status a W124 is known for. The Old Man is the year 1987 manufactured an...

Executive Summary: I bought a 1995 Mercedes W124 E280 Masterpiece. Plans of restoration are dissected in phases and this phase focuses on interior refurbishment. Also detailed is the plan for the audio setup and components that I have gathered to date. It also turned out that the person I got the car from was a conman. Details: Wanting to own a W124 has always been a dream, a dream of over 15 years to be precise. In the initial years of wanting to own one, I wasn’t financially capable to buy one of these. About 9 years ago, back in the year 2011, while I was in the midst of changing my then car, which was a locally made the year 2005 Perodua Kelisa 1.0 GXi, I was out looking for one in a decent condition but I did not find one that suited my liking. As I badly needed a car, I went ahead and got another locally made car, the 2012 Perodua Myvi 1.3. Fast forward to 2020, the desire to own a W124 was reignited, and out I went on a hunt. In the process, I found a mint condition example, how...

Executive Summary: Avoid a conman, never pay until proof of purchase is done or progress of work is reported! If a person does not have any money to fund the start of his work, just walk away. This is the first phase of the work to be done on the W124, and estimated to be completed within a month. Work includes re-upholstery, restoration of Masterpiece interior trims, and repair of electrical for the interior. Details: The work on the E280 has now started, the focus for the first phase would be to refresh the interior and commence the Masterpiece trim build. In this phase, the focus will be on the interior and the work includes: Stripping of the current interior Replacing the old carpet with one that of a better condition Sourcing of the Masterpiece bits such as: Half wood steering Chubby/storage box Gearknob kick panels replace/repair the instrument cluster front electric seats door cards with seat control units fresh leather for the upholstery Treating the floor with an undercoating ...