W124 - Philip's Old Man

 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 and registered in the year 1990 W124 260E. This car is powered by a 6 cylinder Black engine that was known for its reliability. Philip did mention that this car was of a UK spec and it has some extra that was not available to the locally assembled car (CKD).

When Philip got this car, there were a number of things that needs attention, among others:

  1. Dash lights
  2. All four power window
  3. Air conditioning
  4. Gearbox
  5. Engine blowing smoke
  6. 1 of the 2 fuel pumps failed
  7. Injectors perished
  8. All of the rubber components were worn out
  9. The gear shifter was faulty on the E and S mode
  10. Leaks from the cylinder head (which is common among the M103 engines)
  11. Perished tires
  12. Worn out suspension all round
  13. Bushes were worn out
  14. Brakes were gone
  15. Seat leather was ripped
Over the 4 years of owning the Old Man, Philip has poured in his labor of love and turn this car around. He has fixed almost all the issues on this car and also moved in to ensure that this car is brought back from the grave. As it stands now, the meter cluster is working fine, the woodwork has been reconditioned and even the remote headrest release for the rear seat works, sunroof repaired. Philip is a proud man for the work he has done on the Old Man. After a long time, this car will finally be making it to the paint shop for a new fresh coat of paint. Between now and the paint job is a new issue that Philip discovered.

He noticed that the front passenger floor was wet. The initial suspect was thought to be caused by a leak in the air cond system. Upon diagnosing the issue, he noticed that the car may have some rust and that needs to be sorted before it gets worse. 

To have this issue addressed, he got the car sent to a body shop. Upon inspection, it was noticed that the Old Man has some rust on the floor, but the front windscreen is checked to be in good condition. Besides the few spots of rust that were found, the Old Man had a fairly straight and clean floor which is in good condition. That took away some stress from Philip who was working on a budget and also on a strict timeline to have the car checked in for the paint job.

By the time the work is completed, the rust spots would have been cut and new sheet metal welded in. Some work on giving the undercarriage a protective coat that protects the car from stone chips (leading to rust when the metal is exposed) and also to a certain extend helps with soundproofing. We have just been updated that the work is almost complete and it definitely looks neat. Philip is a happy man now and is inching towards getting the car painted.

The Old Man is set to see some interesting changes that would make it look much more handsome from where it currently sits. I am rooting for Philip to see this beautiful phoenix rise from the ashes. All the very best Philip and the Old Man...

Pictures:
Before Repairs:






After Repairs:








Videos:



Completion of undercarriage rust repairs and protection:





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