Restorations and Repairs on a Budget
Written on December 19, 2009
I’ve never been much of a car guy - never understood the appeal of one make over another or the allure of the newest models. I agree that new cars smell nice, but no odor is worth that amount of depreciation. I’ve always looked at cars in a utilitarian way. A means of getting from here to there when Point A is too far from Point B to skateboard and there is no good mass transit option.
Most of the cars I’ve driven over the years have been hand me downs. I’ve never owned one with less than 100K miles, and I usually drive them into the ground then donate them to charity for a tax write off. That is not to say that I’ve never developed a bond with a car. My old Blazer still holds a special place in my heart. Mostly because it wasn’t just a car, it was my home for more than a year while I traveled the back roads of North America. On long trips in unfamiliar lands the Blazer was my safe haven and I relied on it profoundly. But I still never washed it or waxed it or swooned over it in any way, and driving it never gave me any particular pleasure. The relationship between me and my 300TD is different.
When the rear view mirror fell off The Blazer going down a rutted dirt road I just tossed it under the seat and forgot about it. When the sun roof was leaking I just sealed it with duct tape. And when I hooked the rear bumper on an iron gate in La Jolla, CA I just backed into a concrete wall afterward to bend it back into shape. So when I bought The Benz I told myself that little things like the passenger side mirror being cracked, or a missing wood panel on the console didn’t matter. But a strange thing happened. All those little things started to bother me and I found myself wanting them fixed.
Something about the turbo diesel brought out a new side of me that wanted to nurture it and restore it to it’s original grandeur. Something about the turbo diesel had turned me into a car guy. I started feverishly scouring the internet for parts. I spent way too much time on sites like Mercedes Source and Performance Products and eBay Motors. I even started reading forums.
One day I found myself standing in the aisle of a local auto parts and tire warehouse store. My nostrils were burning from the overwhelming stench of rubber as I tried to decide between the myriad brands of wax and polish when it finally dawned on me. The whole idea of waxing a twenty five year old car with over 250K miles is just plain silly. And so is the idea of spending tons of money to replace worn out cosmetic parts.
So I made a compromise with myself. I would only fix the most offensive and/or pressing issues, I would source the most inexpensive used parts, and I would try to do as much of the work myself as possible.
Cutting birch veneer to fit missing console section.
Before and after of veneer console panel replacement - not a perfect match, but good enough.
Thus far I have mended the missing wood panel on the console by fitting a $2.50 piece of veneer from Rockler, and replaced my cracked passenger side mirror with one I got from a guy named Terry in Camden, Maine parting out the exact same vehicle. Incidentally, he also just sold me the fan motor which restored my heat and made it possible to drive my car again without dressing for a polar expedition - thanks a million Terry.