Project Alpha 201.2.3-16

My current glovebox door showed a nasty crack on the left corner. It also badly squeaked and seemed flimsy from age and use. So I'd purchased a new-used one from Ed up in Canada. He sent me down a replacement that is in much better shape than my current one. Below is an example of the glove box.

So, I managed to somehow install the replacement. The toughest part was getting the carpet flap to slip between the glovebox's frame. That required some patience, but I did manage to get it done. After I finished the job, I noticed an instant improvement as far as that squeak and flimsy feel. That was really cool. Note that on replacement that I no longer have the blue Mercedes Service sticker.

    Today I started on the radiator. I received the new-used radiator from apm the other week, and I can't thank him enough. He's been supportive about me doing this and givin' me advise. Very cool. This is where I started: 

    The hoses look to be in good shape from the outside, however, my dad advised that I replace them anyway. He explained to me that the internal wall of the hoses can loosen after a period then cause a "lock" or "clog" from the vacuum that's created from the pressure of the coolant system. So that'll be $80 for the lower radiator hose, $30 for the upper, and the other hoses are like another $25. Yeehoo. 

    The hardest part about this job was getting the current radiator removed. There's the two bolts on the driver's side. The lower bolt ended up spinning because the square nut behind the bracket had worn out. My father and I ended up taking a long, large screw driver and a hammer and breaking off the bracket to free the radiator. Luckily the air-to-oil cooler didn't get damaged. Anyway, this is the finished product... for now.

Tonight I took the 16v for a joy ride and to see how the heating would go. I really hadn't taken it for a long ride so I was excited to do it. I went for a 14.7 mile ride from home, down some back roads, and back home on an open highway. I didn't go past sixty though.

I noticed that the heat stayed between 100 to 110 degrees celsius. When it gets that hot, the car rattles and shakes badly at idling/stopping points. Then when I returned home, I discovered a consistent drip tucked back under the body. I'll need to investigate that later. Oh, and the shocks are crappy... I felt every last bump on the back roads.

But, it was cool to have such a long ride after my prior attempts. I can't wait for those really long rides once I resolve the heating problem. Anyway, here's a photo from the gas station where I fueled up.