My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton

mbz180 · 18th January 2010, 14:40

Note : This thread has been split from the original thread here : Link

Quote:

Originally Posted by the mole

Welcome to the forum mbz180 how about a dedicated photo essay of your tryst with your beautiful Ponton.

Thanks for the welcome. As you know, my car is currently with Bumpu Sircar, undergoing a total restoration. But since he had a number of cars to complete before mine, so far the progress on the car is not much to write about. I will however post some pics of the differential, which was the first major part to be overhauled, and is now nearly complete. Now that both the Statesman Rally and the Tolly Club show are over, I have been told that work will start on my car full swing. In the mean time, I would like to take the opinions of Team-Bhp members as what would be a good colour combination of body paint and upholstery that would suit a 1958 Mercedes Benz 180a ponton.

I have come up with various paint and interior combinations all to be rejected by my father! So any suggestions would be highly appreciated. She was originally DB-40G, which is jet black when she was new, which grey MB-Tex interiors. I find that too common. The Moles ponton on the other hand is in a lovely combination but its already taken so please help!

Regards
mbz180

the mole · 19th January 2010, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbz180

Thanks for the welcome.

Well to begin with this a nice essay you wrote on your car on MBZponton.org I would like to share it with everyone.

Prithvi Tagore's 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton sedan © www.mbzponton.org

IndrojitSircar · 19th January 2010, 00:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbz180

I will however post some pics of the differential, which was the first major part to be overhauled, and is now nearly complete.

Hi guys

I have already put some pics of the differential,springs,axels etc. when it was being removed off the car.Here is a link to those pics - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1395071

mbz180 · 28th January 2010, 16:13

Hi everyone,

Since I haven't yet gotten any suggestions yet for the colour of my car, here is a picture of a particularly nice ponton 220S that belongs to a fellow International Ponton Owner's Group (IPOG) member in Japan. I really like the 2 tone combination, especially since it's an original Mercedes 2 tone factory option. The downside on the other hand in my car is, that mine has a shorter bonnet or hood, and this 220S has a longer hood which in my view makes it look better proportioned, so a 2 tone in my car may make my car look shorter. Apart from that, the 2 bodies are nearly identical. Please let me know what you guys think of this colour combination.

mbz180 · 28th January 2010, 16:28

Wanted to share with everyone my latest purchase for my car; it's a period 1958 Becker Europa Tube radio. At that time, transistorized radios were not yet available for cars, and the metal box that you see next to the radio unit is the power output box with glass tubes, valves etc. The radio was ordered by me from a seller in California, then shipped to a friend of mine in New York City and was carried by my friend to Mumbai (couriering would be very expensive as the 2 pieces combined weigh nearly 8 kgs) where I picked it up from and brought it back to Kolkata! The actual radio itself looks much fresher and better than what this picture shows, and I was surprised to find the original "Becker" stickers still intact and quite fresh after more than 50 years. Note that the volume and tuning knobs are from a slightly later period and do not match the dash knobs on my car. This was addressed by the seller by replacing the pictured knobs with correct bakelite and chrome knobs that are an exact match with those on my car's dash. The radio also comes with a 1 year warrantee, though should anything go wrong, I will have to bear the shipping expenses to the US and back! Still, it was an extremely good deal considering that i paid less than half of what similar condition working radios currently sell on e-bay. Mercedes offered a wide range of Becker, Motorola, Telefunken and Blaupunkt tube radios for pontons, as extra paid options.

shankar.balan · 28th January 2010, 16:31

in reference the colour combo suggestion request -perhaps a Dark Green or Deep Burgundy Body with an Off-white / cream roof would look nice? what do you think?

mbz180 · 28th January 2010, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

in reference the colour combo suggestion request -perhaps a Dark Green or Deep Burgundy Body with an Off-white / cream roof would look nice? what do you think?

The colurs are good, but dark green and off white have already taken my my friend's Mercedes 130H, pictures of which are in the Statesman Concours thread, so that's out, though it is a much older and completely different car. Burgundy and off white is good, but what about the upholstery? I was thinking another option could be a deep silver grey for the whole car, and deep red interiors, very Jaguar MK II like, though 300SL Gullwings quite often came in this combination. I'm confused!

the mole · 28th January 2010, 21:00

Black with red interiors if you ask me, incidentally Black is your original colour. Go for O REE GEE NALITY

mbz180 · 29th January 2010, 00:56

Here are a couple of scans of my car's original data and paint code plates, both of which were mounted inside the engine bay area of the front right fender. As I have said earlier, my car was painted DB-40 G, which is the MB code for black, and the "G" denoting the paint manufacturer Glasurit. Both the plates will be refurbished at a later date, to original appearance. Luckily, it turns out that Glasurit still goes by the old MB paint codes, and it is available in select stores in Kolkata

sameern.85 · 29th January 2010, 15:05

Amazing.
Simply amazing!
Please put up some restoration pics as well.

Congrats once again.
Cheers!

IndrojitSircar · 31st January 2010, 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by sameern.85

Amazing.
Simply amazing!
Please put up some restoration pics as well.

Congrats once again.
Cheers!

The car is under restoration you can see some pics of it on this thread - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...-sircar-5.html

mbz180 · 31st January 2010, 19:26

Hi guys,

Here are some pictures and scans of some new trim and other cosmetic items that I have recently purchased which will add the finishing touches (though it's a long way off) to my car's restoration. These are some of the pieces that I am particularly proud of and am grateful that the Mercedes Benz Classic Center and other vendors across the world still manufacture, to original quality.

New amber bee hive lenses with gaskets & seals

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-beehivelense_2.jpg

Notice the 3 pronged locks

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-beehivelense.jpg

New door and fender stainless steel trim from Lebanon

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-doortrims_1.jpg

Old and new hood star, the new one is not from Mercedes, but from a vendor in Bangkok. I've only bought it for regular use, when the car is parked. Otherwise, the original star is in great condition, only requires a bit of polishing and will be used when the car is safe from vandals!

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-hoodstar.jpg

New and old white horn cap. It's from MB USA and is beautiful.

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-hornbutton_1.jpg

Interior lamp old and new inner side from Spain

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-innerside_1.jpg

Interior lamp new switch 3 position

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-interiorlampswitch.jpg

Old and new rear license plate lenses to be mounted on the bumper guards from Spain

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-licenseplatelense.jpg

New decal stickers from E-bay, as was fitted to the car originally. 2 stickers are already on the radiator

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-newdecals.jpg

NOS speedometer cable from E-bay

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-newspeedocable.jpg

Outer side of old and new interior lamp. Even MB does'nt make this anymore, but a vendor in Spain does, and it's beautifully finished.

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-oldnewinteriorlamp.jpg

Tail lamps old and new from the US. One of the more expensive trim items. MB USA only has red, white, red lenses and I wanted the red, white, amber lenses, which I was able to get from another classic MB vendor in the US

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-oldnewtaillamps_1.jpg

International Ponton Owner's Group (IPOG) leather key fob

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-ipogkeyfob.jpg

Reproduction chassis plate

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-newchassisplate.jpg

The current IPOG grille badge with the laurel wreath motif, used with permission from MB with a 220S featured

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-newipogbadge.jpg

Reproduction paint code plate

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-newpaintcodeplate.jpg

First IPOG grille badge, note the car featured is a 4-cylinder ponton

My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton-oldipogbadge.jpg

mbz180 · 31st January 2010, 19:34

Here are a couple of pictures of my Becker Europa Tube radio now installed with the correct bakelite and chrome knobs. The words "Becker Europa" cannot be seen from a front angle, one has to be at a higher position than the radio to see the words, as one would be when driving the car.

manishalive · 31st January 2010, 20:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbz180

Hi guys,

New decal stickers from E-bay, as was fitted to the car originally. 2 stickers are already on the radiator
Attachment 278452

This is lovely, the quality of components is awesome. I particularly like the decal stickers set, I have been looking for the same for my Fiat but with out much luck.

mbz180 · 31st January 2010, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by manishalive

This is lovely, the quality of components is awesome. I particularly like the decal stickers set, I have been looking for the same for my Fiat but with out much luck.

Thank you, yes the quality is very good and the photos I took don't do justice to how the items look in real. The tail lamps, bee hive lenses and horn cap look like they will last for a long time, so it's money well spent.

The decals on the other hand were the cheapest purchase of mine, USD 19 for a set of 18 decals, and I was really fortunate that they are regularly offered for sale on e-bay. Have you searched hard enough on e-bay for decals? Some times, they have the most hard to find things up for sale. The only pictured items that were made in Kolkata are the reproduction chassis and paint code plates!

28th January 2010, 16:13	#4
mbz180 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 893 Thanked: 1,023 Times	Hi everyone, Since I haven't yet gotten any suggestions yet for the colour of my car, here is a picture of a particularly nice ponton 220S that belongs to a fellow International Ponton Owner's Group (IPOG) member in Japan. I really like the 2 tone combination, especially since it's an original Mercedes 2 tone factory option. The downside on the other hand in my car is, that mine has a shorter bonnet or hood, and this 220S has a longer hood which in my view makes it look better proportioned, so a 2 tone in my car may make my car look shorter. Apart from that, the 2 bodies are nearly identical. Please let me know what you guys think of this colour combination. Attached Thumbnails
	(4) Thanks

28th January 2010, 16:28	#5
mbz180 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 893 Thanked: 1,023 Times	Wanted to share with everyone my latest purchase for my car; it's a period 1958 Becker Europa Tube radio. At that time, transistorized radios were not yet available for cars, and the metal box that you see next to the radio unit is the power output box with glass tubes, valves etc. The radio was ordered by me from a seller in California, then shipped to a friend of mine in New York City and was carried by my friend to Mumbai (couriering would be very expensive as the 2 pieces combined weigh nearly 8 kgs) where I picked it up from and brought it back to Kolkata! The actual radio itself looks much fresher and better than what this picture shows, and I was surprised to find the original "Becker" stickers still intact and quite fresh after more than 50 years. Note that the volume and tuning knobs are from a slightly later period and do not match the dash knobs on my car. This was addressed by the seller by replacing the pictured knobs with correct bakelite and chrome knobs that are an exact match with those on my car's dash. The radio also comes with a 1 year warrantee, though should anything go wrong, I will have to bear the shipping expenses to the US and back! Still, it was an extremely good deal considering that i paid less than half of what similar condition working radios currently sell on e-bay. Mercedes offered a wide range of Becker, Motorola, Telefunken and Blaupunkt tube radios for pontons, as extra paid options. Attached Thumbnails
	(3) Thanks

28th January 2010, 16:31	#6
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,158 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	in reference the colour combo suggestion request -perhaps a Dark Green or Deep Burgundy Body with an Off-white / cream roof would look nice? what do you think?
	() Thanks

28th January 2010, 21:00	#8
the mole Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,189 Thanked: 825 Times View My Garage	Black with red interiors if you ask me, incidentally Black is your original colour. Go for O REE GEE NALITY
	() Thanks

29th January 2010, 00:56	#9
mbz180 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 893 Thanked: 1,023 Times	Here are a couple of scans of my car's original data and paint code plates, both of which were mounted inside the engine bay area of the front right fender. As I have said earlier, my car was painted DB-40 G, which is the MB code for black, and the "G" denoting the paint manufacturer Glasurit. Both the plates will be refurbished at a later date, to original appearance. Luckily, it turns out that Glasurit still goes by the old MB paint codes, and it is available in select stores in Kolkata Attached Thumbnails
	(3) Thanks

29th January 2010, 15:05	#10
sameern.85 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 84 Thanked: 3 Times	Amazing. Simply amazing! Please put up some restoration pics as well. Congrats once again. Cheers!
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 19:26	#12
mbz180 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 893 Thanked: 1,023 Times	Hi guys, Here are some pictures and scans of some new trim and other cosmetic items that I have recently purchased which will add the finishing touches (though it's a long way off) to my car's restoration. These are some of the pieces that I am particularly proud of and am grateful that the Mercedes Benz Classic Center and other vendors across the world still manufacture, to original quality. New amber bee hive lenses with gaskets & seals Notice the 3 pronged locks New door and fender stainless steel trim from Lebanon Old and new hood star, the new one is not from Mercedes, but from a vendor in Bangkok. I've only bought it for regular use, when the car is parked. Otherwise, the original star is in great condition, only requires a bit of polishing and will be used when the car is safe from vandals! New and old white horn cap. It's from MB USA and is beautiful. Interior lamp old and new inner side from Spain Interior lamp new switch 3 position Old and new rear license plate lenses to be mounted on the bumper guards from Spain New decal stickers from E-bay, as was fitted to the car originally. 2 stickers are already on the radiator NOS speedometer cable from E-bay Outer side of old and new interior lamp. Even MB does'nt make this anymore, but a vendor in Spain does, and it's beautifully finished. Tail lamps old and new from the US. One of the more expensive trim items. MB USA only has red, white, red lenses and I wanted the red, white, amber lenses, which I was able to get from another classic MB vendor in the US International Ponton Owner's Group (IPOG) leather key fob Reproduction chassis plate The current IPOG grille badge with the laurel wreath motif, used with permission from MB with a 220S featured Reproduction paint code plate First IPOG grille badge, note the car featured is a 4-cylinder ponton
	(5) Thanks

31st January 2010, 19:34	#13
mbz180 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 893 Thanked: 1,023 Times	Here are a couple of pictures of my Becker Europa Tube radio now installed with the correct bakelite and chrome knobs. The words "Becker Europa" cannot be seen from a front angle, one has to be at a higher position than the radio to see the words, as one would be when driving the car. Attached Thumbnails
	(3) Thanks