Restoration of my fin tail Mercedes Benz

[VEEeight]

I wish I could be of more help. I always have had my cars painted at home ( final application ). I don't knw your location so can't be of much help in any case! I have had atleast one car re sprayed in glossy black. The trick was always to spray enough water around the work area and to start spraying soon after daybreak. Yes, dust particles DO collect but get rubbed out during cutting, polishing etc ( except a kamikaze mosquito once!). I also have the bonnet and boot lid propped vertically and OFF the car thus minimising blemishes.

Good luck !

[VEEeight]

Work has been at a standstill but not quite. Atleast one issue got sorted as these pictures will show.
Owing to the mech mods on this car, I wanted to use 15 inch rims wider than the 14s. As it is I wasn't being able to source the 205/70 R 14 tyres i wanted without doing somersaults , financial or otherwise..... However what I DID have lying around and not doing very much was a set of BBS look alike 15 inch 6.5J alloy rims with the Mercedes bolt pattern which i really didnt like. However, that changed when I was offered a set of the original style chrome and colour coded hubcaps in the VERY rare 15 inch size, I saw the potential.....

I thought to myself that if I could fit these caps onto these alloys I would have, what to me, would be the ideal combination of rim size, tyres and wheel look after the right paint. All I had to do now was to acquire a set of 205/70 R 15 tyres ( which is easy enough in this size) and would be home and dry!

The pictures show the basic alloy rim which had two holes drilled and threaded so that the metal plate shown could be bolted to it. This plate in turn has had 3 holes drilled on it so that the caps could be literally bolted onto it in turn. Of course that meant drilling holes in the cups as well and tiny screws have been used for fastening. It was a small price to pay for the overall effect

[Teeboyuk]

what a GREAT looking car and a 6.3 to boot!
You mention Coventry in your status. Is that where u live?

Yes bro coventry back home i live near gujar khan.

[Teeboyuk]

Work has been at a standstill but not quite. Atleast one issue got sorted as these pictures will show.
Owing to the mech mods on this car, I wanted to use 15 inch rims wider than the 14s. As it is I wasn't being able to source the 205/70 R 14 tyres i wanted without doing somersaults , financial or otherwise..... However what I DID have lying around and not doing very much was a set of BBS look alike 15 inch 6.5J alloy rims with the Mercedes bolt pattern which i really didnt like. However, that changed when I was offered a set of the original style chrome and colour coded hubcaps in the VERY rare 15 inch size, I saw the potential.....

I thought to myself that if I could fit these caps onto these alloys I would have, what to me, would be the ideal combination of rim size, tyres and wheel look after the right paint. All I had to do now was to acquire a set of 205/70 R 15 tyres ( which is easy enough in this size) and would be home and dry!

The pictures show the basic alloy rim which had two holes drilled and threaded so that the metal plate shown could be bolted to it. This plate in turn has had 3 holes drilled on it so that the caps could be literally bolted onto it in turn. Of course that meant drilling holes in the cups as well and tiny screws have been used for fastening. It was a small price to pay for the overall effect

It won't work bro ur wheels will never balance out.

[msabbasi]

Work has been at a standstill but not quite. Atleast one issue got sorted as these pictures will show.
Owing to the mech mods on this car, I wanted to use 15 inch rims wider than the 14s. As it is I wasn't being able to source the 205/70 R 14 tyres i wanted without doing somersaults , financial or otherwise..... However what I DID have lying around and not doing very much was a set of BBS look alike 15 inch 6.5J alloy rims with the Mercedes bolt pattern which i really didnt like. However, that changed when I was offered a set of the original style chrome and colour coded hubcaps in the VERY rare 15 inch size, I saw the potential.....

I thought to myself that if I could fit these caps onto these alloys I would have, what to me, would be the ideal combination of rim size, tyres and wheel look after the right paint. All I had to do now was to acquire a set of 205/70 R 15 tyres ( which is easy enough in this size) and would be home and dry!

The pictures show the basic alloy rim which had two holes drilled and threaded so that the metal plate shown could be bolted to it. This plate in turn has had 3 holes drilled on it so that the caps could be literally bolted onto it in turn. Of course that meant drilling holes in the cups as well and tiny screws have been used for fastening. It was a small price to pay for the overall effect

Asim Sb. Nice to see a bit of movement on the Fintail. The setup looks the part... well, almost. The cast spokes of the alloy wheel are visible through the cut-outs of the hub caps. Looks a bit off. Painting the alloy rim black will solve that.

Regarding balancing; in my opinion this set up that will not cause balancing issues. The reason for saying that is because if you were using the original pressed steel wheels, balancing would have been done without the hubcap. So the impact of the weight of the hubcap is negligible to cause the wheel to go out of balance once on the car. However what you need to do is to balance the wheel complete with the bolts minus the plate. The plate needs to be removed because the balancing machine spindle needs to poke out of the wheel centre but the bolts nee to be there as they will improve upon the balanancing accuracy.

Another thing to support the argument that this setup will not induce wheel wobble is the fact that what you have done to secure the hubcap is almost the same arrangement to fix the hub cap one finds on American cars of the 80's. The Caprice spoke type caps securing method is one example I can think of rightaway.

What is the latest on the wood?

[VEEeight]

Greetings:) Apologies for replying late, should have checked earlier.

For now, I have had the basic "rims" painted in the body colour and you're right, it IS a bit intrusive. I think will try having one painted a shade of matt black and then see. Another option, atleast in theory, could be to somehow cover the cut-outs.....

As for the balancing issue, I didn't dwell on it overly , precisely bec of how hubcaps were used on older models without bring a problem. If indeed there IS one, then can always revert to the "123" alloys that came with the car Ironically a set of 205/70 R 14 tyres has come to light, so you never know!!

The wood on both the Fintail and the 109, has been finally finally repaired but the wood pieces that should go on the inside of the Fintail door windows are being fabricated by a carpenter who was definitely a bureaucrat in a prev life if his speed is anything to go by!!

I plan on resuming the resto' from around the 10th of next month.

---

On a totally different note, a group of CCOG members , incl Agha Qasim ( '53 Vauxhall...) and myself, are making a run to khajot ( murree hills) via Islamabad and are hoping to get together at the F9 park on Saturday afternoon. It'll be a very casual unannounced affair and we are hoping to meet some of the local enthusiasts.

It would be an absolute treat if you could fire up the old duchess and join us. There is going to be, inshAllah, atleast one car there that may well have shared garage space with yours in an earlier life

Will forward details nearer the time . Hope you can make it. Looking frwrd to finally meeting up.

Cheers!

[VEEeight]

That maybe so, but I hope it will.

[faisalayub]

Work has been at a standstill but not quite. Atleast one issue got sorted as these pictures will show.
Owing to the mech mods on this car, I wanted to use 15 inch rims wider than the 14s. As it is I wasn't being able to source the 205/70 R 14 tyres i wanted without doing somersaults , financial or otherwise..... However what I DID have lying around and not doing very much was a set of BBS look alike 15 inch 6.5J alloy rims with the Mercedes bolt pattern which i really didnt like. However, that changed when I was offered a set of the original style chrome and colour coded hubcaps in the VERY rare 15 inch size, I saw the potential.....

I thought to myself that if I could fit these caps onto these alloys I would have, what to me, would be the ideal combination of rim size, tyres and wheel look after the right paint. All I had to do now was to acquire a set of 205/70 R 15 tyres ( which is easy enough in this size) and would be home and dry!

The pictures show the basic alloy rim which had two holes drilled and threaded so that the metal plate shown could be bolted to it. This plate in turn has had 3 holes drilled on it so that the caps could be literally bolted onto it in turn. Of course that meant drilling holes in the cups as well and tiny screws have been used for fastening. It was a small price to pay for the overall effect .......

Zabardast Asim bhai... You have done the same thing with the hub caps as it is Caprice classic models from 1977 to 1988, their wire hub caps are secured with one bolt in center with the fastening plate on rim. But on caprice the plate is secured by the wheel bolts it self, and you have also done the exceptional job. Even it will not create any problem in wheel balancing... just try to color the BBS rims in Black and voila... ab aya na sahi classic look...

[msabbasi]

On a totally different note, a group of CCOG members , incl Agha Qasim ( '53 Vauxhall...) and myself, are making a run to khajot ( murree hills) via Islamabad and are hoping to get together at the F9 park on Saturday afternoon. It'll be a very casual unannounced affair and we are hoping to meet some of the local enthusiasts.

It would be an absolute treat if you could fire up the old duchess and join us. There is going to be, inshAllah, atleast one car there that may well have shared garage space with yours in an earlier life

Will forward details nearer the time . Hope you can make it. Looking frwrd to finally meeting up.

Cheers!

That is great news. I am guessing that car you have eluded to is the Humber. Which Saturday are you aiming for? I am in the process of removing the rear leaf springs in order to replace the bushes. Luckily, all I have done so far is to have removed the rear bumper and the spare tire tray; those being the per-requisite for the removal of the leaf springs. I shall now stop all further work and at least fix back the rear bumper in anticipation of your visit so as to give the car a complete look.

Cheers.

[VEEeight]

Gd mrng:)

It's all on this coming Saturday, March 1. Yes indeed, the car have referred to IS the ex-bwp Humber Pullman. It's the CCOG mascot and integral to all that it stands for:)

Am glad u haven't gone too far with work on the bushes etc , it would have been a shame otherwise. I have heard SO much about the Jag from all those who have seen it in the metal incl the present owner of the H, so am looking frwrd to it gracing this venue and being the star at what is hopefuly going to be an informal, relaxed kind of gathering with the no of cars barely making it to double figures

Cheers!

[VEEeight]

Finally , here are the wood pieces of both the Fintail and the W109, ALMOST done. Wood has been repaired/ replaced as needed, then re-veneered, rubbed, primed , hardener and lacquer applied and now drying out. After a few days it will be rubbed down using the finest grade sand paper available and given a final polish before fitting.

The rest of the interior will then be finished.

The 109 wood ( which is actually part Formica as well) is in a darker shade to provide a bit of a contrast in the interior.

[msabbasi]

Finally , here are the wood pieces of both the Fintail and the W109, ALMOST done. Wood has been repaired/ replaced as needed, then re-veneered, rubbed, primed , hardener and lacquer applied and now drying out. After a few days it will be rubbed down using the finest grade sand paper available and given a final polish before fitting.

The rest of the interior will then be finished.

The 109 wood ( which is actually part Formica as well) is in a darker shade to provide a bit of a contrast in the interior.

Wow!! that is a lot of wood. Didn't think these cars had so much wood work. Nice so far. For a morror like shine, after you have done all the final rubbing with the finest grade paper (I think it is 2000 wet/dry paper), follow with a fine rubbing compound such as Maguire’s scratch and swirl remover or Formula One scratch remover. Then apply the final polish.

Cheers.

[Proverbial_Slang]

Very nice indeed.

Sent from an advanced handheld device.

[VEEeight]

Hello Abbasi sb, can always count on you for an early response. It's a pity cudnt get to spend more time during your sojourn to lahore and see these two old biddies! Something on the lines of what you suggest is already on the cards particularly swirl removing. Hopefully the next lot of pics will be of these items after re installation:)

Cheers! !

Sent from my SM-N900 using PW Forums mobile app

[VEEeight]

Proverbial _ slang: thank you! !

Sent from my SM-N900 using PW Forums mobile app

[a_k]

MASHALLAH, Great!

[msabbasi]

Asim Sb. it is very quiet on the fintail front!! Very eager to see progress so far.

[Xulfiqar]

buff the wood with a soft buffing wheel like the factory did, Dont use any car body product on it, it will contain silicones and you do not want any sort of silicone near wooden finish.

[msabbasi]

buff the wood with a soft buffing wheel like the factory did, Dont use any car body product on it, it will contain silicones and you do not want any sort of silicone near wooden finish.

I think clear lacquer has been applied which makes it like the finish on car exterior. Asim Sb. can confirm application of lacquer.

[VEEeight]

Apologies for the lack of postings on this thread. Work is at a very slow pace as other projects are taking precedence and also because the main parts are all done and its "just" a case of putting it all together for closure......or so I thought.

At this stage I have noticed imperfections that need to be sorted. In the two pictures of the front left and right wheel arches, it is the left one that needs to be set right. The steering geometry is fine as far as the mechanics and I have been able to ascertain.

This pictures shows the ill-fitting headlamp sorround. This needs to be carefully set up....

Compare it with the one on the right.

Finally and hopefully during my lifetime, the interior work will be done