Dag's 1956 Mercedes Benz 220 S "Silkesvarten"

Brothers!

2011-07-10T22:10:00.015+02:00

My brother and I have been working on our own projects for years. We live a 6 hr drive away from each other. But finally "they" met! Panta Rei and Silkesvarten. A hightech karbonfiber trimaran racing sailmachine, and a high quality luxury sedan from the fifties. You can read more about Panta Rei here. The sailboat will hopefully taste water for the first time in a couple of weeks.

By the way. This is the fifth time Silkesvarten is outside the garage this summer. Not very much in use these days......

W i n t e r

2011-02-21T19:12:00.003+01:00

It's a cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, freezing cold winter. Not a good season for Silkesvarten. And no big projects waiting, so both me and the car can relax a couple of months more.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T12:15:00.002+01:00

Last year I went for a drive with Silkesvarten at christmas eve. This year it is way too cold. -18 degrees C. I keep the car in the garage!

Ponton meeting at Helgøya

2010-11-07T09:10:00.000+01:00

Silkesvarten is now parked in the garage for the winter. There are a few small details I will fix before next season.

Are you OK Dag?

2010-08-16T17:23:00.005+02:00

Oh yes!! But I am sorry for the lack of updates lately. We have been driving Silkesvarten at special occations this summer, but we have also spent a lot of time boating. Oh, I love to drive that car!!

This weekend we participated in Lillehammerløpet I will come back with a update from this.

Dag.

Flåklypa Grand Prix 2010

2010-05-30T21:53:00.004+02:00

This weekend we participated in Norways largest vintage car event. Flåklypa Grand Prix This year about 350 cars was at the start line. The cars should be from before 1970 to be allowed to start. This was a fantastic experience!! Hundreds of people was standing along the roads with flags and cheering when we passed. And the scenery and atmosphere was breathtaking. We already look forward to next years event!

Of course we took some pictures.

On our way to Lom.

Lomseggen

The hotel we stayed at. A hotel with long traditions, and known for good cuisine.

Hmm. Looks like the guests have good taste in cars too.....

Silkesvarten ready to start.

What a beauty! Maybe if I get rich, and don't have to go to work....

Oh yeah!

100% perfect. Respect man!

A view from Bøverdalen:

Going home.......

400 kilometers this weekend without any problems. Cruising in normal (norweginan) highway speed is no problem for this car. The sound from the engine is like music. But there is one thing I am wondering about. Why does a 54 years old car with two carburettors and a inline six use less fuel than a car from 2010 with twohundred and fifty sensors and electronic fuel injection? Something must have gone wrong somewhere!! (and the new car is boring to drive too.....)

A big event for Silkesvarten

2010-05-21T23:11:00.005+02:00

Last weekend I had the honor of giving a friend from the youth help with transportation at their wedding. Events like this is what Silkesvarten is made for, and the car behaved like it should. The wedding couple had engaged one of the words most famous snowboarding photographer to take pictures. And I am allowed to publish some photos from the big event. When I look at photos taken by a professional I have no problems to see the difference in quality by an amateur.

A beautiful couple in the (beautiful) car!

I love this photo!!

Maybe there will be more pictures to share with you.

Welcome to Lillehammer

2010-05-03T20:00:00.001+02:00

I am waiting for the summer. Its been a long and cold spring this year. Instead of showing pictures of the car on the towing car, I went out to take some photos of Silkesvarten and my hometown. These pictures are for you Rolf!

Ooooops!!

2010-04-18T22:27:00.001+02:00

Silkesvarten came home on a towing truck a few days ago. I lost the brakes! Luckily it happened in low speed driving, and nothing is broken besides my pride. A leak from the front end of the slave cylinder on the brake booster. I do not really understand why. Now the problem is solved, and I had a really nice ride this afternoon.

This week I will spend a lot of time polishing the car.

This seasons first cruising.

2010-04-05T22:20:00.002+02:00

Today my wife and I took Silkesvarten out for a drive. Nice weather and good and dry roadconditions. It is good to be back behind the steering wheel. I just have to get familiar with the effective brakes! I look forward to a new season driving the car. The first event is already 23. of april. Joseph Lucas Memorial. Starts 10. pm and is a honest to the man who “invented the darkness…..”

Restoration is officially completed!

2010-03-31T22:03:00.002+02:00

Today I mounted the air ducts to the car, and connected it to the fan/heater assembly with the large rubber tube. This was the last parts missing on the car. So I now declare the restoration completed!!

I am not so stupid that I don’t think there will be more work on the car, but from now on I will call it maintenance and upgrades.

This has been an challenging process, and I have learned a lot! I have also learned that for me one complete Mercedes Benz restoration is enough in a lifetime…. Now I look forward to keep the car in perfect condition, and to run with it at appropriate times.

As soon as the weather becomes better (no rain and snow…) I will take the car out of the garage for a photoshoot.

But I do have some photos of the air ducts mounted on the car.

Happy easter everyone!!

Air duct and windshield washer

2010-03-27T20:01:00.004+01:00

I never had time to finish the air ducts for the ventilation last year, so I used the car without them. That caused the problem that the air from the ventilation system always was warm, added with a smell of warm engine....

This had to be fixed before this years season. To buy the air ducts new was out of the question!

This is how last years work ended.

Welded and grinded.

Almost ready for paint. Maybe tomorrow?

And then I had to install the windshield washer. First I had to make a mounting bracket. I had the VDO bag and a foot pump.

The bracket to the upper left.

Installed. Works great.

A close up of my rebuild brake booster.

I think the engine compartment starts to look ok. The only thing missing are the air ducts for the ventilation. Will be finished very soon…..

The next picture shows the same engine, brake booster and many other parts,installed in the donor car.

Testdrive

2010-03-11T18:45:00.003+01:00

The brakes works great!! Actually I am surprised of the effect from a correct working booster. Many modern cars don't match this.

Brake booster part III

2010-03-10T20:48:00.002+01:00

Today I finished the reassembly. I am very proud of the result. If it works I will be even more proud!!

Electroplated parts

The power piston is mounted. It has been dipped in alcohol for a couple of days, (what a waste….) for cleaning. I used white grease with teflon to lubricate it before installing in the vacum cylinder.

And the vacum cylinder and fittings are in place.

And the characteristic blue slave cylinder mounted.

It is now mounted in the car, but I still have to bleed the brake lines. I need a helping hand, or foot, for that job..

I really hope I put it together right!!

This has been really fun work, but it needs a lot of precision and patience. I love the design of the booster!! Almost like a sculpture.

Brake booster part II

2010-03-06T19:15:00.001+01:00

First of all. The starter is back in place and works perfect.

Today I started to reassembly the booster. I got the front plate back from glass beading yesterday, so I could reassembly the parts mounted on the front plate. Air cleaner, valve cover, diaphragm and the sealings for the power piston axle. I am still waiting for some parts I sendt for electroplating. Right now the slave cylinder is being primed, and will get a layer or two of blue paint later today. Multona #0800. I found this information on this restoration page. A page I will recommend for enthusiasts. Great work!

Painted in ATE blue. Nice!

Starter overhaul

2010-02-28T18:39:00.002+01:00

I had a few problems with my starter last summer. Sometimes the solenoid didn’t push the bendix drive ahead. So I had to fix this. A solenoid for an over 50 years old starter motor is not longer in stock at the local Bosch dealer… Hmmmm. But I found one (!) on ebay! This was in new condition and I bought it. $ 60 including shipping. I picked it up last friday. Today I reassemblyed it, an I guess its running perfect. I just have to get under the car to install it. Any volunteers?

Parts cleaned.

A “new” solenoid from 1956.

Ready to install.

The “to do list” is getting shorter. And the spring is getting closer.

Brake booster part 1

2010-02-09T22:46:00.001+01:00

Why didn’t they put more parts in there???

The numbers match the ATE T-50 manual. For my own and others use.

Updates will follow!

Time for brake booster rebuild

2010-02-01T17:11:00.004+01:00

In June I discovered a leak in the brake booster. White smoke came out of the exhaust. After some googling I came in contact with Will Samples who runs S&S Imports. He is an real expert on these ATE T-50 brake boosters. I decided to remove the vacum hose, and run the rest of the season without the booster. I just had to push a little harder on the brake pedal.

I ordered a rebuild kit from Will, and have now started the work. It is a lot of parts in this can, and a lot messy old brake fluid..

And here are the parts, hardly worth $240…… :-)

This will keep me busy for a period!

I will strongly recommend Will Samples for other who needs to do this job. He can also do the job with factory precision and finish.

S&S Imports

And a gallery of rebuilding different types of boosters

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T14:25:00.003+01:00

When we are getting closer to the spring, I will come back with some minor projects. Brake booster rebuild is one of them. Enjoy the winter, or the summer you guys down under!

2009, a good year for me and Silkesvarten.

2010-01-03T12:41:00.004+01:00

A short resume

I managed to complete the car..
We took the first price in Lillehammerløpet. My first race ever.
Won the price for best original car in "Strandheimtreffet 2009"
Finally came to Frognerseteren with my wife for applecake... :)
And last but definitively not least, I received the restoration price from my hometown classic car club. This means a lot to me, because this price is the highest achivement you can get for your restoration.

Who knows what 2010 will bring?

Christmas eve/ Julaften

2009-12-24T11:52:00.010+01:00

Today, I just had to!!! It is christmas eve with cold dry weather and snow. A good opportunity to drive the Mercedes.

Merry christmas to all of you, and a happy new year!!

Best regards

Dag.

End of summer.

2009-10-12T16:37:00.005+02:00

Finally applecake!

2009-09-20T14:23:00.008+02:00

Ten years ago, when I started the restoration of Silkesvarten, I promised my wife to take her to Frognerseteren in Oslo for applecake with cream when the car was finished. Now I have kept my word. Last saturday we took the 200 km drive to this famous restaurant in Oslo, next to the even more famous Holmenkollen ski jump.

Whow, this was good!!

My wife is waiting to be served....

This is the view from Frognerseteren. Oslo is below us, and we can see Oslofjorden all the way to Drøbak.

We had a really nice travel without any problems. A total of 400 km this day. I missed seatbelts. Maybe I will try to install belts this winter.

The famous (at least in Norway) Frognerseteren, Holmenkollen Oslo. A great place to visit with a classic Mercedes Benz.

Strandheimtreffet 2009

2009-09-20T14:09:00.006+02:00

The first "Strandheimtreffet" was arranged two weeks ago. This was a small local classic car meet. About 35 cars showed up. And Silkesvarten did well!

1.th price for best original car.

Silkesvarten with a 58' 219 behind.

Egils 76' Jeep CJ7 Levi's edition. Original and not restored!
The Cadillac in the middle won "Peoples choice". A beatiful car. 5,73 meters long....

An old norvegian "kiosk".

A very nice day at Strandheim. This meeting will now find place the first weekend in september every year.

Classic car race debut.

2009-08-15T15:51:00.017+02:00

Today my wife and I started in our first classic car race. "Lillehammerløpet" It was a great experience and a lot of nice cars to study. Of 108 cars, the oldest a 1909 model, it was three 220s and one 220s cabriolet. And some 180 and 190's. The race was about 60 km and there were 4 posts with different topics to solve. My restorationfriend Egil and his wife were passengers. We were all dressed in clothes from the 50's. Really fun!!

The weather was ok from the morning, but unfortunately the rain came just after the start. I felt sorry for all the people in cabriolets.

Myself.

Silkesvarten before start.

Cars are waiting for the start.
Can we have a look at the inline six? Of course..

Many different cars in this race.

A 180 arriving.
Nice!
A 219.
This is a 58' from my hometown.

My wife.
The last post. As you can see the weather is not the best for classic car driving. We are now at a historic olympic area. This is were the cross country skiing found place at the olympic games in Lillehammer 1994.
The race is over. We had a fantastic day, and now we just have to wait for the results. I think (hope) we collected a lot of points..

It's amazing to see so many beautiful cars at once. I am willing to accept the fact that other brands than Mercedes Benz also have made nice cars......

I washed the car yesterday, and now it's time to do it again. But that's nice work!

I am still going strong!

2009-08-11T16:55:00.006+02:00

I am sorry there have been few updates this summer. I have been to busy driving Silkesvarten, sailing with the boats, painting the house and other things.

A few days ago I passed 1000 driven kilometers. The car is a dream to ride. And especially at small roads. I try to stay away from the highways. And I stay away from rain and wet surfaces... Unfortually we have had a lot of rain this summer. I haven't done very much maintenance, but last week my big brother was visiting, so it was a good opportunity to do some work on the car.

As I wrote earlier, I had some problems shifting to 3.rd gear. An IPOG member from Sweden gave me a tip we wanted to test. After a small adjustment the shift became perfect. And I meen PERFECT! When I installed the engine,I didn't adjust a thing, so I also wanted to do some adjustments. Well, I had done a valve adjustment earlier. And also checked the timing chain tensioner. So we started with the timing point. It was correct. Then the dwell angle. Also correct. (35,7. Should be 36). Now we just had to balance the carburettors. With a good tachometer it was easy to follow the instructions on my dearest webpage. mbzponton.org.

The result was really satisfying. The engine runs smoother than before, and I can run with a lower idle and less need of choke at cold engine.

Yesterday I also gave the car a inside "enginewash" from Würth, and new oil and filter. The oilpressure at idle rised a little. It's about 1,5 at idle, going up to 3 with a small touch on the throttle.

The only problem left is that I have some firing in the exhaust when the car is going down a hill with no throttle. If you have a tip, please leave a comment! In Norway we call it "pottesmell". I don't know the english word. It sounds: pa pam pa pa pam pam pam pa pam.

A little update

2009-06-10T19:28:00.006+02:00

I have had many fantastic trips with Silkesvarten so far this summer. Aproximately 500 km until now. Most of them in my hometown, but last saturday we went for trip to "Skafferiet" at Helgøya in lake Mjosa. The car works perfect!! We travelled at the small local roads. It gives time to look at the nature. The only problem so far is a small brake fluid leak in the brake booster. I have been in contact with Will Sampler at S & S imports who is an expert on these boosters. I have now removed the vacum hose and the leak has stopped. I will rebuild the booster with Wills help next winter. Now I have to push a little harder on the brake pedal. (it feels like driving a ordinary car..... )

The feeling of driving a Mercedes Benz from the 50th, is the feeling of quality, luxury, comfort, joy and happyness!

Actually I think I should go for a ride right now!!

What a beautiful day!

2009-05-17T20:17:00.015+02:00

First of all. Happy birthday to all norwegians!! And to the foreigners: Today we celebrated our national day. The 17th. of may is always a great day for all of us, but this year it was very special for me. I have been looking forward to this for many years, and worked hard the last years to finish the car. To drive around in a classic Mercedes at this day is very satisfying. People are dressed up, everybody is happy and the city is decorated with the norwegian flag and flowers. The car behaved as it should, with no technical problems. I am so pleased!!
These pictures are taken at our local marina. It is going to be a busy summer. Drive the Mercedes, or go with the boat? Is that what they call a luxury problem?

A beautiful rear end.
Lunch in the garden.
Proud owner and his wife.

"Drilltroppen" in front of the parade.

A lot of people in the city. No beer for me today, but that is ok!

I can't wait...

2009-05-16T21:07:00.003+02:00

......for tomorrow. 17th. of may is Norways nationalday, and a big day for us with classic cars. I have spend half the day in the garage cleaning and polishing Silkesvarten. A friend of mine came over with some magic swiss products costing a fortune. But I have never seen a better result. I can use the hood as a mirror and read the newspaper! I will take a lot of photos tomorrow, so you foreigners can see how we celebrate "17. mai."

Back to the beach.

2009-05-11T22:26:00.013+02:00

Tomorrow it is one year since last time we had a photoshoot at this place. I called the post for "Time for a break and outdoor activity" Last time the pictures showed Silkesvarten and Egils Austin Mini. The Mini is sold, but today Egil proudly could present his new car. A 1976 Jeep CJ7 Levi's edition, imported from California. A car in very good original condition!! Egil have been my helper the last two years. I couldn't done this without his help. Thank you Egil.

I hope you will enjoy the pictures of our cars.

Heaterboxes part eight-thirteen

2009-05-09T16:03:00.011+02:00

In the morning today I finished project heaterboxes. Both boxes are in place and the flaps inside operates as intended. My brother did an exellent job with the repair, and I just had to do the finish. The flaps for floor/window regulation had to be a little modified to move free. After days of thinking and testing I found out how to connect the correkt wire to the correct flap.. (Without cutting a big hole in the innerfender.)

Here is the result of the heaterbox repair:

Water hoses and wires in place:

Right side. As you can see there is not much room between the box and the body.
Left side. The fan is not in place yet. Maybe today. After som gardening...

99,99%

2009-04-29T20:46:00.015+02:00

The observe reader may think "where are the heaterboxes?" Now I am at part twelve, and not finished..... They have to get in place. Mercedes guys: Why did you make it so damn uncomfortable narrow?

Ok, when we are waiting for part thirteen, mounting the heaterboxes, we can look at some pictures.

Waiting for the painter

2009-04-21T22:15:00.006+02:00

The painter is not yet ready, so I have used the time to do some work under the car. Gear and rear axle oil change, (shit, it was in time) valve adjustment, greasing up all nipples, tightening and checking bolts in suspension and steering, mounted the plate under the main brake cylinder, mounted the bracket between the gearbox and the front silencer (I hope I don't have to do that again!) and then I took a testdrive. The test drive is always the most fun part!! Surprised....?

Some pictures of my work on the heater boxes.

Sit back and enjoy!

2009-04-19T20:21:00.002+02:00

The last details

2009-04-18T01:07:00.003+02:00

After spending the eastern holiday in Copenhagen, Denmark, it is time for the last details. My brother came with the heaterboxes, and he had made a great job. Today they had one layer of etch primer, and a couple of layers with dark filler. It is just a few spots I have to grind before I am satisfied with the finish. I am also working on the inside details.

On Sunday I take the car back to the painter. He will make some paintrepair, and fix some small paintfailures. And finish with a real polish. When the car returns I will mount the front and rear bumper. And hopefully I have completed the heaters, so I can get them in place.

I will then spend some time on engine adjustments, change gear oil and rear axle oil, and grease all the service spots. Then the car is ready for the road!

Updates will follow.

The heaterboxes arrives tomorrow!!

2009-04-07T20:33:00.005+02:00

Follow the story of my brothers heaterbox repair here.

Impressive work. I look forward to my brothers visit tomorrow, and to see the result of his intence work. A few months ago I didn't think the heaters would be ready at this side of the summer. Now it looks promising. I just have to finish the work on the air intake pipes. More cutting, welding and grinding. Can you hear me Egil.......?

Wheels

2009-04-06T21:20:00.009+02:00

This looks like an almost completed car. I didn't put money on that in october 2008.

Look at this! Are they nice or what?

Should I have painted the nuts?

A taste of spring in the garden. And four nice rims.

Say goodbye to a Ponton

2009-04-06T21:12:00.006+02:00

My donor cars job is done. It is just a very rusty body left. Here it is on its way to the car graveyard. Take a moment and say goodbye.

I have used a lot of parts from this car. Small parts and big parts. And I also have many parts in the garage. I would not be able to finish the restoration without it.

Rest in peace.

A picture update

2009-04-05T00:24:00.010+02:00

A sneakpreview of the wheels. 185/80 R 13. Yes, I know it is not original!! Maybe when I get old an rich....

Panels at the firewall in engine compartment. Soundinsulation on the backside. The old was totally broken, so it took a couple of hours to reconstruct the shape. And some cardboard in the garbage.....

From the right side of the car.
New sunshades in place. The same fabric as the headliner. Different type on newer models.

New rearview mirror in place. Nice.
Repair of air intake tubes for the ventilation. Still a lot of work on these.

Heater boxes

2009-04-05T00:05:00.008+02:00

My cardboard heaterboxes where in bad shape. A year or two ago, my big brother offered to fix them. I gave him the job without any doubts. Right man for the job!

These days he is working with a close deadline....

You can follow the progress in his blog.

Heaterboxes part one.

Heaterboxes part two.

Sandblasting metalparts on boxes.

Heaterboxes part three.

Heaterboxes part four five and six.

Heaterboxes part seven.

Heaterboxes finale.

This man is a genious! I am sure this is going to be the strongest and most weatherproof heaterboxes in the world! Thank you Tor.

I will put the next updates in this post.

Tired.....

2009-04-03T22:38:00.002+02:00

Little progress the last days. I needed a little break. But today I sandblasted the rims. Hopefully I will get them painted this weekend. And then finish the polishing of the wheel hubs.

Sorry for no pictures. I will try to publish many pictures later.

Update

2009-03-26T21:24:00.007+01:00

Since last time I have been working on sunshades, cardboard panels at the firewall in engine compartment, rearview mirror mount, carpet adjustment and the fresh air intake pipes. The metal parts in front. The heater boxes are sent to my brother for repair. I guess we can follow the prosess in his blog later.

Unfortunatly I have been too busy to take photos of everything, but I will try to post some another day.

Yesterday I also drove the car out for a nice warm shampoo wash. I think the car enjoyed it...

I have to remember to order license plates. It is soon time for a ride!

Wooden frames

2009-03-22T09:40:00.007+01:00

I have been working on the wooden frames for about a week. After have them repaired by my friends father. He had to glue them together and make the right shape. I am very thankful for his help, and the result was very good. Then we had to grind them. What a boring job....

When I am writing this, the doors on the left side is finished, and the right side parts is ready for mounting. I took the last layer of paint before I went to bed yesterday.

The panel for the ventilation control knops is in place.

Rear door, with a luxurious ashtray.
The frame around the windshield. The most difficult piece to mount. This also appeared two number to big, but I managed to get it in place. Tight fit. Another friend of mine is making a new rear view mirror. There are no outside mirrors on the 56'.

Sound insulation and carpet in floor and firewall

2009-03-13T19:35:00.009+01:00

Carpet in place. It still needs small adjustments and the edges will be sewed. I did not buy original carpet this time. My budget says no. I think this carpet looks right.

The carpet on the tunnel is glued in place. The rest will not be glued in place, but fastened with buttons as original.

The sound insulation is glued in place. I made it in two pieces. One over the tunnel, and one big piece around.

Dashboard. The last part.

2009-03-07T13:46:00.011+01:00

This is a day I have been looking forward to for a long time. Now the wood is in place. I am really satisfied. And I am the boss!

B-pillar

2009-03-07T13:42:00.005+01:00

And paint them with Arcanol. The above picture shows them covered with grey leather.
These metal frames were very rusty, so I had to sandblast them.

Seats

2009-03-07T13:33:00.009+01:00

Front seats
From the rear door

Nice tool for textile work.

Some videos and pictures

2009-02-27T11:38:00.008+01:00

And some pictures of Silkesvarten in the norwegian winter.

Spark plugs and cables

2009-02-26T22:04:00.005+01:00

A serious clean, some paint and new cables is what there is needed. I have also replaced the rotor and the distributor cap. And of course the spark plugs. Whow, it ran nice when I started up the engine yesterday!! No engine runs as smooth as a well balanced inline six. I had to take a drive in the neighborhood just to get the good feeling again. A feeling that is difficult to explain with words. My smile stopped close to my ears.

"Gutta boys."

2009-02-23T20:58:00.005+01:00

My good helpers and myself. Arne, Egil and Dag. Look at the smiles! (we are not the German skijumping team, even if it looks like it.....)

After installing the windows, we started on the seats. The work will continue another day. Look for updates.

Windshield installation

2009-02-23T20:48:00.008+01:00

A great happening today. We installed both front and rear window without any difficulties. This article was very helpful, and some friends with experience gave me a lot of advices. Silkesvarten is now sealed, and look forward to a real wash. The only problem is that it is winter....

A 2,5 m2 electrical wire is fitted.
Done with new rubbersealing.
Inserting the chrome. (I was alloved to do this in the livingroom.)

Panels in the fire wall and leg area

2009-02-22T00:51:00.011+01:00

Mercedes used cardboard for the panels under the dashboard, at the sidepanels in front of the doors and in the enginecompartment. There was not very much left of these panels so I had to make new ones. The panels were grey with a structure like skin. I bought a plate 3 mm thick designed for the roof in houses. Waterproof. I also bought grey syntetic skin. Then I had to reconstruct the shape of the panels using the old as a model. On the back I glued in place sound dampening material.

Under the dashboard
Sidepanel right side.
Cutting.
Can you guess which one is new and which one is old? Not?? Give me a break!!

I have not finished the parts in the engine compartment. I think I need to remove the hood to get access.

My working bench...

2009-02-22T00:44:00.006+01:00

Probably it is a bad idea to show you this mess, but it shows the work on the heaters. The flaps were stuck so I had to take the heaters apart to fix the problem. There is a lot of work left on these parts. The heaterboxes are covered with fiberglass, but the finish is really BAD. I am not sure what to do yet. One idea is to send them to my brother and say: "Fix this", but I think he is busy with his own project..... (Tor, can you hear me?)

The work will continue.

Headliner installation

2009-02-15T22:29:00.011+01:00

I bought the headliner from K.O Habostad auto interiør Stranda, Norway. The fabric is original quality. The fit was perfect and I am very satisfied with this dealer. The best service you can ask for. And the price was good.

This article gave me a lot of tips for the installation. I also got a lot of tips from Habostad. The installation was straight forward, but I took it slow. Clean hands is rule #1. The most difficult part was to get the headliner behind the fixing rails, and then the rubbertube. Some places I did not manage to get the rubber tube in place. In front and rear the headliner is glued in place.

Rear area.

I decided to "lock" the rear bow in place at the rear dome lamp area. This to prevent vibrations and to be sure that the bow will keep in place. I used this clamp and drilled a hole in the plate around the rear dome light, and bolted it in place. I am not sure if this is necessary, but I feel more confident with this patent. What a bad photo.....
Headliner is hanging loose.
Insulation in the roof.

Windlass and fixingrails

2009-02-15T22:17:00.007+01:00

Before installing the headliner, the windlass must be mounted. I decided to order new windlass, because what I had was not original and it was not in the best shape. It is not very easy to replace this after the headliner is in place. So I ordered new ones from Habostad auto interiør. The same company I bougt the headliner from. Excellent quality. The windlass is held in place with the fixing rails, that also needed a makeover. They were very rusted so I sandblasted, primed and painted them. It took us one evening to install it on the car. It is important that it is mounted straight and in line with the dooropenings.

Windlass and fixingrails in place:
Windlass and fixingrails:
Fixingrails:

Adjusting bodypanels

2009-02-15T21:57:00.005+01:00

Car restoration is not my profession and I never have done this before, things sometimes are done in the wrong order. As I have wrote earlier I have troubled with adjusting doors to flush with each others, and at the same time with the fenders. And the fenders should be aligned with the hood and trunk. And the hood and the trunk with the body.... After mounting the rubber gasket on all four doors and the luggage compartment, I again started to adjust. I had to loosen the rearfenders, and the panels under the doors. After a couple of hours thinking, looking and adjusting everything was surprisingly correct!! If there should be a next time, I now know where to start..... The sound of a well adjusted Mercedes Benz door is the sound of quality. And with even gaps between the panels, the car looks like it should.

Now I have started to replace the screws, nuts and washers with primed and blackpainted new ones. Also at the door hinges. Important details.

So far this has been the hardest part to get right.

Finally....

2009-01-28T21:09:00.009+01:00

Finally I managed to mount the front turning signal. I have tried and tried, and tried again. Today I succeeded. The problem was to get the rubber gasket around the chromeplate. It seemed to be two numbers to small. My dealer told me it should be possible, and he had did this many times. You just need a lot of time and patience he said..... Not the best combination. Me and patience......

This is the gasket. Why didn't they make it a bit wider? I guess there is a reason.

Doors part II

2009-01-24T22:33:00.010+01:00

All chrome in place. The windshield will be mounted after the headliner. And the headliner soon arrives at a post office near me.
One piece of wood mounted. These doorpanels are not "original style" but they have to do the job a year or two.
Doors completed with sidewindow and ventilation window.
The reardoor.
Ventilation window. New sealers around the side window. Not the easiest part to adjust and glue in place. But I am satisfied with the result.
New sound dampening in all four doors. At least as good as the original. I will put in a lot of sound dampening material. The only sound I want to hear, is the sound from the inline six, and from the exhaustpipe. (and my self smiling)
New sealings around the doors. Glued in place. Very nice fit. Original from Mercedes Benz. (of course...)

Still going strong

2009-01-17T14:12:00.004+01:00

I just want you to know, that I work on the car every day, even if there are no updates. I am working on the doors. The reardoors are almost ready, and it is going forward with the frontdoors as well. It takes time to fix up every part, and get it in place nice. Chrome needs to be cleaned, polished and the mounts needs to be repaired. The same with the window mechanism. Yesterday the doorsealinglists arrived. My schedule is to be finished with the doors in January. It is realistic I think. I also received the headliner yesterday, but I think it is for a 180 or 190. Way to short....

I also think it is realistic to complete the car within May 17. (this year....) The national day of Norway.

And then it is time for the ride I have promised my wife for 9 years. To Frognerseteren in Oslo to have "Eplekake med krem" (applecake with cream?)

Time will show. There will be picture updates when there is something to publish.

Doors. part I

2009-01-08T20:48:00.010+01:00

The flashlight on the camera makes the paint and chrome look awful. After a clean up and a serious polish, I guess Silkesvarten shines like it should again. Actually I am SURE it will shine!

We have had a very cold weather the last weeks, so the working temperature in the garage is low. I had to spray the inside of the doors with rustprotection, so the heater has been running inside the car.

The chrometrimming is in place, and so is the little window. On both sides. I have also mounted the door handle. With new rubber.

This screw is a pain in the ass....... And there is one at both sides. Argh!!! This picture, and the pictures below are from the donor door....... There should not be any rust left on Silkesvarten.

I need the chrometrimming! They need loving care to come loose in good health...

These doors are from the donor car. They have a lot of good parts. I have new doorpanels, so I am not going to use these. I have not yet started with the woodframes on the doors.

Dashboard part 1 1/2

2008-12-28T22:40:00.003+01:00

It is not very often I am this satisfied with my work.

Some update pictures.

2008-12-22T17:10:00.014+01:00

I love the "look".

Just waiting for the wood.....

A main switch is mounted behind the battery. Operates from the gloves compartment. This is required by the insurancecompany. The battery is also secured.

There's been a long way from the rusted wreck I found back in 99, until now. But it is worth it. I think....

The engine compartment is getting complete. It just needs a clean up. And the heaterboxes are still missing.

New telescopic antenna mounted. (The windshield is not mounted.)

Rear end waiting for the bumper.

Nice wheels?

Fuel filter and tank selector

2008-12-22T17:06:00.002+01:00

A fuel leak appeared from the tank selectorhousing. No problem on a 50 years old Mercedes Benz. Just go to your local dealer, and order new parts. They will arrive from Germany after a couple of days. Amazing!! I ordered both o-rings, the spring, the fuel filter and the broken gasket.

Dashboard part I

2008-12-20T11:02:00.006+01:00

Grinded and painted with the same paint as my friends car. "lys antikk". I really hope this will be nice and original. It should have been used this oldstyle Chellack, but this is way too expensive for me. 20 000,- NOK... When a professional does the job.

Fog lamps

2008-12-20T10:59:00.004+01:00

These lamps are not from the 50's, but the design is acceptable I think. They are Bosch lamps.

Beltline chrome

2008-12-19T18:17:00.011+01:00

I have started the mounting of beltlinechrome. The homemade T-studs was perfect. Maybe I should start to manufacture them? On the inside I used washers with larger diameter, and butyl to seal.

Visit in a friends garage for further inspiration!

2008-12-04T21:30:00.004+01:00

This car is in extremely good shape. It was impossible to take a good photo, because of bad space. This is a 58'
I borrowed the paint for the wood. I think this is the right color.

Someday it is me behind the wheel...... dream dream dream dream.......

Little things

2008-12-03T20:22:00.008+01:00

I have started to grind the wood for the dashboard.

Production of small chrome belt fasteners. These are really expensive, so I decided to produce them myself. The picture under shows the result after Egil has primed them. Ready to use. The chrome details are almost ready for assemblying. This afternoon I have polished them with Autosol, with a good result.

As I wrote earlier, two bulbs in the instrumentpanel was dark. I decidet to open up the panel to locate the problem. There was a burned wire, that had to be replaced. You can see a green wire missing in the right and middle of the picture below. I am impressed of the art of engineering also in the instrumentpanel. I guess Mercedes was lightyears ahead of all other car producers in the 50's.

Apart:

Head lights

2008-11-23T18:00:00.007+01:00

Ready for a ride.....

Just a few loose ends left...

2008-11-22T10:43:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I made the connections in the steering wheel. Turning signal and horn. I also replaced the blinker relay with a new old style type. And it works perfect. So now all lamps works as they should. Headlights, parking lights, positioning lights, turning signal, brake lights, reverse light, instrument and clock lights and instrument control lights.

The only thing left to connect is the rooflight in front and rear, and the doorswitch. I have to made new cables for this. I hardly remember how this was connected, but I don't think this should be a problem. The car is now turning back to life these days! It is a great deal of fun for me, because when I bought the car nothing worked. This gives me a new energy to continue the restoration!

The Ponton page, http://www.mbzponton.org/ is very helpful in my work.

No pictures today.

2008-11-19T20:31:00.002+01:00

I am sorry to tell I have no pictures to publish today. I have done "invisible" stuff. Most of the time was spent investigation why the instrumentpanel was dark. The problem was bad connection inside the panel, but I have made a "Dagfix" on the outside. Now there is light in all the bulbs. I have also started to connect the the horn and turning signal. The horn works seriously well, but I am not sure about the turning signal. I think I need a new relay.

I have also started to clean up and refresh the headlights. The reflector and glass is in good conditon, but the frame around is very rusty. The work will continue during the weekend.

Rear lights

2008-11-17T19:44:00.008+01:00

Today I have finished the repair and mounting of the rear lights. Over 50 years old lights is not as new... I had to drill out old bolts, and replace them with new. I had two set of lights, and used the best parts.

Behind the housing I sprayed with bodyprotection to avoid rust.

It was a great pleasure too experience everything worked as it should. Rear lights, backing light, positioninglight, licenseplatelight and brake light. Turning signal are not yet connected in the steering wheel.

This is a bad photo, but shows inside the trunk. The licenseplatelights also works as a luggageroom light. Nice....

Back in business!

2008-11-12T21:43:00.005+01:00

Today we had this seasons first official meeting in the garage. We are trying to meet once a week this winter too. We had a lot of fun last year, and manage to complete the Mini, and did a lot on the Merc. Today we changed front wheelcylinders and brake shoes. And then bleeded the brakes. We also cleaned and greased up the hub(?).

Hopefully there will be a lot of progress.

Motivation trouble

2008-11-09T16:48:00.012+01:00

It's hard to start again after a long break from restoring. And this weekend I had to fix some problems with my everyday car. I think the headgasket is broken. Damn. And that after only 371 000 km.......

2001 Opel Omega 2,2 Elegance (at least it had elegance back in 2001....)

But I have finished the exhaust pipes on the Mercedes. I will take it down and replace the clamps with a good weld. This doesn't look nice. (I have to admit that the rear silencer is a for a Volvo 240. And that is not my favorite car!! But it fits well.) Luckily it doesn't sound like a Volvo. Thank god.

What a mess.....

Charging. I have to let it run tonight. It gives me a great satisfacton!!

For the first time in my life, I have my own garage. Makes things a lot easier.

Added. 7.16 pm.

I started up the engine. Only 5 cylinders fired. I need new sparkplugs.

Is it time to start working on the Benz soon?

2008-10-16T07:54:00.002+02:00

I start to feel ready for more Mercedes restoration. It is no secret that it was a little intence last winter. The car is in my garage, and now it is waiting for a friend with 30 years experience in a bodyshop. The doors and fenders need some more adjustment before I am satisfied.

If I can raise enough money, the car will be done next spring. But I would't bet on it.....

Dag

Time for a break, and outdoor activity

2008-05-12T17:13:00.001+02:00

This is the result of what Egil and I have produced in Egils garage this winter. Egil had a 72 Austin Mini 1000, that he had "forgotten" a few years. In october 2007 we decided to get together and finish it, and then finish the Mercedes. Every monday we met in the garage. And some days in between. We are proud to show you the result of our work! The Mini is ready for registration, and we hope the 220S is finished next spring. I will be working on the interior this summer, and we have planned to install everything next winter.

But first, we are taking a break from restoration and enjoy the norwegian summer.

Thank you Egil for the good teamwork and frienship.

The first drive, ever!!

2008-04-12T12:52:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I drove the car for the first time! And this was also the first time I drove a Ponton ever. It is difficult for me to explain in English how I feldt, because this is not my mothers tongue, but in norwegian I would say: Fy f..... for en herlig følelse!! (sorry dad...) What a feeling! The nice view through the windshield (eh. Where it should have been) and the quick trottle responce. The curves on the hood is beautiful from behind the steering wheel. The gear shift worked almost perfect. It is just a little difficult to not hit reverse when I want 1. gear. Maybe I just need some practice? This was a nice experience after nine years with blood, swet and tears. Literally! And yesterdag I also became a member of IPOG. International Ponton Owner Group. I look forward to get familiar with that group.

Transmission

2008-04-09T21:51:00.000+02:00

I wrote earlier that I had problems with the gear shift. I didn't find reverse, 1. and 2. Suddenly the stick got stuck so I could not move it at all. I found out that there was no way around to take the transmission out. It was not very difficult, but not very little space and clearance. I didn't find the problem on that transmission, so I decided to put in the other transmission I had. It seemd ok.

Today I manage to do the work finished. I also rinsed the starter when it was already out. We used a LOT of time trying to adjust the rods to the transmission. And before that we used a LOT of time trying to find out how this works. I have to get some information about how this should be adjusted.

I was very exited to test the gearshift. And it worked ok!! 2. gear is difficult, and reverse and 1. gear is very close to each other. I think this is just an adjustment job. Comments wanted.

Doors

2008-04-01T19:11:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we manage to mount the doors. Hopefully permanently, but I am afraid I have to take them off for mounting rubber around the doors. (what's the english word??)

This was a difficult job, where we needed a lot of patience and care. And the engineers at Mercedes didn't give us much space. I think the clearance between the panels are supposed to be 5 millimeter. I am close to that all over, but some places it is more, and some places less. The right front door was most difficult, becauce the doorpost is replaced with a new. This is probably 2 millimeter out of position, and that is too much. Some "adjustment" with the grinder at the hinges, and some shims made it fit. There are also some adjustments left at the rear fenders.

I learned that it is a bad idea to tighten the bolts at the fenders before the doors are mounted. This should be done in one operation so it is possible to adjust easily.

I also continued the work with the exhaust system. The cone asbestosbushing between the manifold and pipe costed a "fortune" at the Mercedes dealer. By looking thru the racks at a sparepart dealer, I found out that Mazda 323 is fitted with the same dimension...... (it is almost impossible to see this part...I promise!!)

The car starts to look nice! Agree??

Hood and front fenders

2008-03-25T21:55:00.000+01:00

My good friend and helper and I, have done a great job today. I was told it was a good idea to start with the hood because it was easier to "adjust" the innerfenders after the edge of the hood. So we did. We had to testmount the fenders a couple of times to make it fit right. A kind of difficult work I think. And we made a few scratches...... Arrgh. Then we rustprotected the fenders, and had a chokolate and Coca Cola. When the rustprotection were almost dry, (we are very effective some times.....) we mounted them permanently. We used butylband before mounting. And this special plastic band. Even the frontplate we manage to mount today. A very good job think. It is a good feeling to see the shapes of the car is coming true.

Radiator and water hoses

2008-03-20T16:10:00.000+01:00

I installed new waterhoses all over the engine. I used 16 mm, 32 mm and 38 mm hoses. At this time I have by-passed the heaterboxes. They need serious restoration at a later time. The radiator was in good condition, and is just painted. After starting the engine, and let it warm up, I could not find any leeks. And the thermostat opened as it should.

At this stage of the restoration I have not used original band clamps. But maybe in the future I will change....

Electrical wiring

2008-03-20T15:54:00.000+01:00

As I wrote earlier, I should use the electrical wiring from the donor car. The wiring from my original car was in a very bad shape. On the donor car I could test the funktions before disassemblying. I also marked everything when I was disassemblying. I did not thrust my memory. I had to change some parts of it. Mostly in generator area. I removed all bad textile, and wraped with new fleecetape. And plastic tubings at areas where that is intended. I measured resistans in all cables. I am very satisfied with the result, but I have not been able to test all functions yet.

A happy day

2008-03-18T19:07:00.000+01:00

Today I was able to start the car, with the new engine installed. It ran really smooth, and after a while it also ran at idle speed. You should have seen my smile! The clutch seemed ok, but I could not find 1. and 3. gear. And not revers. Not that I know where to find it.... I have never been driving a ponton.

If anyone have a good tip about adjusting gearshift on these cars, please let me know.

Today I also was able to test the brake booster. The brake pedal went out when I started the engine. Is that correct? Opposite of what I am used to.

Refreshing and rustprotecting.

2008-03-16T08:28:00.000+01:00

It was time to refresh the paintjob in the engine compartment, and then give the car a good rustprotection. Inside, under and behind. All products used are from Würth Norge.

Changing front axle

2008-03-16T08:21:00.001+01:00

I found out that the front suspension on the donor car was in a better condition than my rebuild from the first car. So I decided to change. I lifted the body off the subframe with the engine mounted. Simple. I have not changed any parts on the front suspension. Dont fix it if it's not broken!!

But I bought new enginemounts. Cheap? NOT.

Pictures from the donor car

2008-03-15T18:47:00.000+01:00

Nice?

Disassemblying

2008-03-15T18:35:00.000+01:00

It's a dirty job to disassembly a 50 years old car. And some times a real pain. I have now done it twice, and is satisfied......

Engine out.

Testing, testing.... It ran like it should.

New house

2008-03-14T16:00:00.001+01:00

Today we bought a new house. Whow!!! We look forward to move in. Now I have a good garage to drive my baby into.

Donor car

2008-03-13T22:05:00.000+01:00

In october 2007 I bought this donor car. It was running and complete, but the rust had found this car too. I bought it mostly for the engine (very good condition), and the electric wiring. It turned out that the car had a lot of good parts, so this was a very good investment. The donor car is a 58 and my car is a 56, so there are a few differenses on the two cars. Some people may say it's wrong to put a 58 engine in a 56 model, but it works fine for me. And I am the boss.

Painting

2008-03-11T20:03:00.000+01:00

From hell to heaven. The paintwork is very nice, and the car shines for the first time in many many years. This has also been a long prosess. The first problem was to find a painter who was willing to do the job. Most painters run when they hear the color and the shape of the roof. The painter who took the job did a very good job, but the price .....No, I dont think we should talk more about that.

Brakes

2008-03-11T20:00:00.001+01:00

New brakecylinders, master cylinder, pipes and hoses. Brakes are important!

Front and rear axle

2008-03-11T19:55:00.001+01:00

Cleaning, painting and new rubber.

Body work

2008-03-11T19:47:00.000+01:00

Some pictures after the car was stripped down, welded, sandblasted, primed and painted. Then I could start mounting some parts. The prosess with the body took my a couple of years. I had no idea of how much work it should be on the bodywork. Rustwelding takes time. The critical areas I let a professional take care of. Cheap? NOT!

From the beginning.

2008-03-02T13:42:00.003+01:00

Now I have made digital copies of the first pictures I took of the car. This was back in 1999. When I look at this pictures I understand why I am still working on the car. It wasn't very nice....