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Mercedes 250 se re- commision

105K views 177 replies 80 participants last post by  weedougall78 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi every one, I dont normally post any of my work on here but do get a lot of pleasure from reading all the other posts and if im honest after 38 years of repairing, restoring, and detailing (as its now called) it helps to keep my enthusiasm and quality of work up to a reasonable standard.
Anyway a little background that led to this car being put back on the road.
I was recommended to the owner by one of my friends and was asked if I would go and inspect a vehicle that had stood in a garden for twenty years to see what it would need to get it back on the road, so arrangements were made and at the beginning of September 2011 I arrived at the chaps home to view the car, well i wished I had taken my camera because I was led to the rear of the house and up to the back of the garden where I could see a green mound in the shape of a car,i cant print what i then said but it it was on the lines of I am not a gardener so call me when you have dug it out, I am not joking when I say you could not see any part of the car.
Well I left the premises thinking what a waste of time and quit honestly was angry at the stupidity of some people.
By the time I got home I had calmed down and was now finding it quit funny but thought I wont hear anything from the chap again, wrong, in December the phone goes "when can you come back and look at the car again as its now on the drive and we have cleaned it for you" this iv got to see I thought so I arranged to go the next day this is what I found.

















Well it looked like a car now, and not as bad as I expected it to be, the owner had put some part worn tires on it so it could be towed out of the garden and he said he had washed it five times, what with Iv no idea.
Do you think it will start ? he said, no f..... chance I replied, 20 year old petrol for a start, electric fuel pump for another, well Iv got the pump working, I hit it with an hammer was the reply, well you already know its not going to start dont you I replied.
Just tinker with it and see if it will go.
This is how it went on for a good 15 minutes before I could convince him that we needed to check certain things before trying to start the car and that it would need the petrol tank checking and new fuel in it.
Next episode, the mechanical checks and the outcome.
 
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#168 ·
Just read this all the way through Ted. What an excellent thread, what a glorious story and what a final result.

I noticed you said you had a call from the owners brother a year or 2 back, was there any outcome from that?

Serious props to you for going well over above and beyond for the owner, like you say regardless of their reaction, many things could have affected their spirit but the underlying truth to this is...you're a good man, you love cars and wouldn't have put in the time, effort and money if you weren't a seriously committed car guy.

You're a man that gives hope to us that there are 'real' car people who mechanic and restore cars rather than doing it 'just' for the money as a career because they can.

Real enjoyment in your work, no matter how knackered you are at the end of the day, week, month, year...you never get the same satisfaction as if you were only in it for the money and it shows big time.
 
#169 ·
Just read this all the way through Ted. What an excellent thread, what a glorious story and what a final result.

I noticed you said you had a call from the owners brother a year or 2 back, was there any outcome from that?

Serious props to you for going well over above and beyond for the owner, like you say regardless of their reaction, many things could have affected their spirit but the underlying truth to this is...you're a good man, you love cars and wouldn't have put in the time, effort and money if you weren't a seriously committed car guy.

You're a man that gives hope to us that there are 'real' car people who mechanic and restore cars rather than doing it 'just' for the money as a career because they can.

Real enjoyment in your work, no matter how knackered you are at the end of the day, week, month, year...you never get the same satisfaction as if you were only in it for the money and it shows big time.
Thanks very much for your very nice comments, I do think as you get older, you appreciate the work that you do far more than when you are young and chasing the dream, I realized a long time ago that working on these cars would never make me well off, but the satisfaction that you get when you see the finished car, is worth more than money, and the peoples faces when they see their car, cannot be bought.
I am now finishing my last 2 part restorations in between my Detailing work, once the 2 Mercedes pagodas are finished I will only be doing the Detailing.
If you are interested in seeing some of my Details, they can be seen either on my Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/456137521202386/
or type ted whitehall into youtube and They should come up.
Again thanks for taking the time to comment it does mean a lot to me.
Thanks Ted
 
#175 ·
Fantastic read Ted, it has everything!

Certainly the early engine bit I found myself willing you along "Come on Ted, get it to fire!!!"

As someone else said earlier on, much of what you've done should be classed as TRUE DETAILING, in that you've gone more than the extra mile, putting heart and soul into it.

A true inspiration, love your passion for what you do & It's why I love the projects & restoration section. [emoji1303]

Regardless of the owners reaction, you've surely made everyone who's viewed this thread smile & sit and think, that's pretty damn impressive.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#176 ·
Thank you for your kind words, not sure that I deserve them but very nice all the same, I think that most of the people on DW are just as passionate about cars, I am just lucky to have spent my whole life working on them, I am now 60 years old and still love going to work to create something beautiful.
I am very happy that you and many others have enjoyed this thread, I will have to update one of my other threads the 230 sl as I have done loads more since the last update.
 
#177 ·
I have just read all this thread for the first time since completion looking at all the great comments it reminds me that we have lots of car enthusiasts out there and these comments where the fuel for me to finish this job in sometimes sub zero temperatures, I would like to thank everyone of you that supported me through this and my other threads, Have a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Thank You, Ted.
 
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