[mbz180]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

The person who said that the floor might sink the moment someone steps on is free to come to Our workshop and step and see if the floor goes through the shell or not. Also to add to this, once the flooring was completed we had two of our mechs sitting inside the shell and cleaning the floor boards using a wire brush and after the cleaning process the Expoxy Primer was sprayed on. My father has worked old cars for longer than your friend has probably and has much more experience of working on many more variety of cars.

For your and your friend's reference i can put up the pics right here of it was and what it is now.

Indrojit,

I never said that my friend said the floor was wavy, I said some of his other friends told him this. Also you make it sound extreme; I only said that the floor was wavy, never did I say that the floor would sink through the shell!

I had also spoken to you father about it and he himself said that he would look into it, so I don't see why you have taken offence to this, after all, people on this forum are free to make their views known, correct or not.

Best Regards
Prithvi Tagore

[IndrojitSircar]

Yes they are free to make their views known. He also told you the story of the father,son and the donkey. Don't forget that.

Who ever those friends of your friend are, don't think know very much about restoration and that is probably the reason they made such a statement. Have they even on their own done any work on any car using their own hands, forget restoration. And they are trying to find faults in my father's work. To also remind them that the restoration is still not over. Let the restoration be over and then let's see what they have to say after that.

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Yes they are free to make their views known. He also told you the story of the father,son and the donkey. Don't forget that.

Who ever those friends of your friend are, don't think know very much about restoration and that is probably the reason they made such a statement. Have they even on their own done any work on any car using their own hands, forget restoration. And they are trying to find faults in my father's work. To also remind them that the restoration is still not over. Let the restoration be over and then let's see what they have to say after that.

Hello,

You misunderstand. No one is saying that your fathers restoration standards are at fault. He is not to blame at all for the problem mentioned, it is the tinkere who is responsible and I'll be the first one to agree that you father cannot whole time supervise the tinkerers work as he has other cars to.

This was a simple observation, by bhpians who have restored their own cars and use them regularly. In fact the friend who told me, himself said that when the floor sheets of his car were welded in they had waves and make a "plop" noise when getting in or out of the car".

I don't want this to happen in my car, and like I said I have spoken to your father and the tinkerer regarding this and I am sure that they have attended to the problem.

Best Regards
Prithvi Tagore

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by mbz180

This was a simple observation, by bhpians who have restored their own cars and use them regularly. In fact the friend who told me, himself said that when the floor sheets of his car were welded in they had waves and make a "plop" noise when getting in or out of the car".

I don't want this to happen in my car, and like I said I have spoken to your father and the tinkerer regarding this and I am sure that they have attended to the problem.

Don't you think that there is a difference in the quality of work that is done at our workshop and the quality of work done by someone else who has restored their car on their own ? Is the quality of restoration the same? The time taken is much more in our workshop compared to anyone else but there is also a difference in the quality and workmanship. And as mentioned by you above, your friend, has had a problem but that does not necessarily mean the same thing will happen here at our workshop with you. There is always a difference in the work done by restorers than other so called restoration experts who claim to have loads of experience and you have been a witness to that world as well.

[mbz180]

I was first told that the previous and only owner of my Mercedes, Mr. S. K. Das, was posted to the Saudia port city of Jeddah, and he bought the car from the Mercedes dealer there in 1958. He then returned after finishing his stint, to Calcutta in 1961. Now Jeddah would explain the left hand drive, but not the optional heater blower motor.

Yesterday, a very close family friend and my dad's ex-boss's son and schoolmate, narrated a very different story. He said that the owner was posted to Tokyo, and in 1958 bought it from a dealership there. That would explain the heater but not the left hand drive.

Can any one shed light on this mismatch of options and layout?

The car was then passed on, shortly after Mr. S. K. Das returned to Calcutta, to his only son, Mr. P. K das, an aspiring barrister. Mr. P. K Das took such good care of the car that unbelievably, this car was the only mode of transport for the family till 1996! I was also told yesterday, that in the 60s, Mr. Das and his friend requested if they could park the Merc at a family friends place on Wood Street, more than 2 kms each way to see a movie in Metro Cinema Hall in Esplanade because he did'nt want to risk parking opposite the hall!

It was only after 1996, when Mr. Das had a mild heart attack and was told to stop driving (at the age of 70+) that the car started to deteriorate. It was left in an open field which used to get flooded in the monsoons.

When dad bought the car in 2000, it came with 2 old style rexine suit cases stuffed with used and new parts, all from Mercedes UK delaerships (Normand's Mercedes).

Till date, apart from consumables, and the innards of the waterpump, I have not found any local parts on the car. And now even the water pump is going to be original, and the paint shade too


Best Regards
Prithvi

[asdfvinay]

Originally Posted by mbz180

park the Merc at a family friends place on Wood Street, more than 2 kms each way to see a movie in Metro

True car lover.

Knowing the cars history and the finer things of how the owner cared for the car inspires us more and bring the car back to its glory.

I hope you have imported all the parts required, when are you showing us the completed car? eagerly waiting.

-Vinay.

[wasif]

Prithvi.

It is more likely that the original story of the car being bought new from Jeddah must be true as the cars sold then in the GCC were European spec cars with no changes at all.

Later from the early seventies onwards soem car makes introduced GCC spec cars with uprated engien cooling and air con systems and better dust seals.

So in 58 the cars sold by the Mercedes dealver in KSA would have been just standard model cars brought in from Germany hense you have the heater option

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by asdfvinay

True car lover.

Knowing the cars history and the finer things of how the owner cared for the car inspires us more and bring the car back to its glory.

I hope you have imported all the parts required, when are you showing us the completed car? eagerly waiting.

-Vinay.

Hi,

Yes, knowing the stories and history is a valuable and good thing.

I think the car should be done just before the monsoons.

As for the parts, there are several small rubber seals, grommets etc. that have to be imported, plus some larger stuff like reflectors front and back, tail lamp housing, spear lamp lenses, a couple of gauges, emblems, linings and the list goes on and on. Oh, I've bought a brand new pair of triangular blinkers, and with it are included the reflectors and holder assembly as well as seals, which is very very hard to get. Even MB doesn't sell them any more. Also picked up the 2 trunk mounted early style separate license plate lamps, these being the rarer type as the right side piece has lenses on both sides, the right one to illuminate the oval 'D' plate!

Even when the car completes its time at the restorers workshop, there will be a few things that I will keep buying till the end of the year, and complete it all just before the next Statesman Rally in January next year. That way, I can afford it all

Wasif,

Thanks for the information. I too have a feeling the Gulf story maybe the truer one.

Best Regards
Prithvi

[asdfvinay]

Came across this Ad in the latest edition of Lawyers Update mag, thought this author could be the previous owner of your car as you mentioned the name earlier(p.k.das an aspiring barrister). Posting the Ad here just in case you want to file it.

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by asdfvinay

Came across this Ad in the latest edition of Lawyers Update mag, thought this author could be the previous owner of your car as you mentioned the name earlier(p.k.das an aspiring barrister). Posting the Ad here just in case you want to file it.

Thanks for the interest. Just did a quick check on the net. This is another P.K. Das, he has written a whole series of books on very different subjects. I am quite certain this is a different person.


Best Regards
Prithvi

[Alvis]

mbz180

I was under the impression that the heater was standard equipment on the 180 series but your post makes me think otherwise now.

Our 1955 180D was also left hand drive and did have a heater but it was a European spec car because it was owned by the CEO of Siemens in Pakistan from whom my grandad bought it in 1956. There was a version of these cars which was called "Tropical use", I believe they had quite a market in what was then East Africa.These would probably be without heaters.

I loved that car and actually learnt to drive on it in 1969, the car was later on given by my grandad to the mechanic who had looked after it in 1974 after years of loyal service.

I remember the oval plates with the illuminated "D" in them, they looked lovely at night.

Attaching some pictures of our beloved 180D taken around 1964. Note that one of the front fog lights has a different lens as new ones were unattainable at the time.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by Alvis

attaching some pictures of our beloved 180D taken around 1964. Note that one of the front fog lights has a different lens as new ones were unattainable at the time.

Hi Alvis what superb pics! do remember to submit them for publication on the Mercedes-Benz Pontons (1953-1962) © www.mbzponton.org site . She will be immortalized there with other pontons.

The original foglights seem to be Bosch and I had a similar scenario when i acquired my car many years ago, where one foglight was of a totally different make. I was lucky enough to find a glass for the missing one though locally.

In anycase would you have any record of her engine no and chassis no by any chance? My car is also a 55-56 model with a 55 engine in a 56 body. Another thing i noticed from your pics is the way the hub caps were painted. The original hubcaps from my car were totally unpainted. I guess there was more than one way to do so. rgds Amol

[Alvis]

Amol,

Yes, I always promise myself to send the pictures but somehow this has been put off for one reason or the other.
You are right the fog lights were Bosch, in those days the yellow lenses were not available so a local substitute worked for about 15 years or so!!

I do not have the chassis number of the car but can find out after going through some papers, if I do get it I will let you know.

The original colour was a dark maroon, it was such a pretty colour but the heat in Peshawar had got the better of it and it had faded so the change to black took place in 1964. The hub caps followed the original pattern and the gaps in the star were painted as body colour.

The 180D was primarily used for in city driving and short runs of upto 50/60 miles because on the longer runs between Peshawar and Lahore my grandad used his Bentley R type.

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by Alvis

Amol,

Yes, I always promise myself to send the pictures but somehow this has been put off for one reason or the other.
You are right the fog lights were Bosch, in those days the yellow lenses were not available so a local substitute worked for about 15 years or so!!

I do not have the chassis number of the car but can find out after going through some papers, if I do get it I will let you know.

The original colour was a dark maroon, it was such a pretty colour but the heat in Peshawar had got the better of it and it had faded so the change to black took place in 1964. The hub caps followed the original pattern and the gaps in the star were painted as body colour.

The 180D was primarily used for in city driving and short runs of upto 50/60 miles because on the longer runs between Peshawar and Lahore my grandad used his Bentley R type.

Hi Alvis,

Thank you for sharing the story of your ponton and pictures with us. Nice to see whitewalls on the car, even back then.

Coming to the foglamps, my car never had this option and I bought a great used Bosch piece from Bangalore. Thereafter, I bought a Hella lamp from Kolkata, so I too have mismatched fogs. However, there are a number of Bosch lenses available on EBay of which I will be picking up one.

I have seen 3 paint schemes on the caps.

1) Full chrome no paint

2) Paint only in the centre star portion

3) Start portion and outer edges painted

Best Regards
Prithvi

[mbz180]

Just received yesterday from Portugal, a pair of used earlier style license plate lamp holders. I prefer them to the later bumper guard mounted ones, as they have a more classic touch in my opinion, and serve more functions as below:

1) License plate illumination

2) Handle to open the trunk lid

3) Trunk interior lamp

4) Illumination for oval country (D) plate

They also look lovely. A pair of these has been on my wishlist for a long time, and am very happy to own them finally.

You will see in the pics that the right side piece has lenses on the left and right side, the later being to illuminate the country plate as I said before.

May have to change the lenses though, definitely the rubber seals and screws.


Best Regards
Prithvi