gazette - mercedes-benz club gazet… · or see features 26 car of the month 27 rob writes... 29...

GazetteMay 2019

AMG GT S FOUR-DOORRETRO CL ASSICSCONCOURS JUDGINGW115 REAR SUSPENSION

T H E O F F I C I A L M E R C E D E S - B E N Z C L U B F O U N D E D 1952

What’s inside...Regulars4 CLUBINFORMATION

4 CLUBPUBMEETINGS

5 DIARYDATES

6 FORTHCOMINGEVENTS

11 INVITATIONSRECEIVED

12 NEWS&VIEWS

18 YOURLETTERS

22 CLUBSHOP

24 ROSEMARIE’S

RAMBLINGS

53 REGIONALREPORTS

80 BACKNUMBERS

80 SPECIALNOTICES

81 NEWMEMBERS

85 CARSFORSALE

47 F1 news

48 Observations of an

apprentice Concours

Judge

TECHNICAL CORNER

50 Spares register

51 W115 rear end clonk

Editorial Office: Chris Bass, Tel: 01483 481836. 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ E-mail: [email protected]

Advertising, Design and Production: Hine Marketing, Tel: 01452 730770Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton Gloucestershire GL2 9LN E-mail: [email protected]

Gazette distribution queries: Catherine Barlow, Tel: 01780 482111 (9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday) 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ E-mail: [email protected]

Gazette copy datesJuly May 17 August June 14

Published by The Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd Gazette

First ever Mercedes-Benz Club – founded 1952

Only UK club recognised by Mercedes-Benz

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For membership and general enquiries telephone 01780 482111, 0345 6032660 (9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday) or see www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk

FEATURES

26 Car of the month

27 Rob writes...

29 The ‘other’ NEC classic

car show

32 BTCC

35 AMG GT S four-door

40 From deep in the Archive

41 European Editors’

Meeting and Retro

Classics

29

MercedesBenzClubUK

themercedesbenzclub/

32 41 51

FORTHCOMINGEVENTS

www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • MAY 2019 • 7

NATIONAL CONCOURS, MILTON KEYNES – SATURDAY JUNE 15

The 2019 Club Concours will soon be taking place, the final date for the receipt of entries is June 1. Entries are arriving on a regular basis so if you have not already sent yours, now is the time. Entry is free for spectators but competitors and exhibitors pay £12.00 per car (including VAT). The entry form is available from the Club’s website or by contacting Catherine Barlow at the Club Office (0845 6032660 or [email protected]). Pre-registration is imperative and the Club reserves the right to refuse admission on the day to anybody without an advance registration and Club membership card.

In addition to the competitive classes we will again be looking to offer some displays and are again hoping that Mercedes-Benz UK will have some of the latest models available for your inspection and test drives. As well as the cars there will be stands from some of the Club insurers, Meguiar’s will have products available for final concours preparation and the Club’s Technical team will be accessible to answer as many of your queries as they can handle. The Club Shop should also be in attendance and the Club Archive will have a stand selling surplus items from the collection – this could be a unique opportuity to snap up that brochure, price list or manual you have been seeking for ages. There will also be a clinic with Meguiar’s on how to prepare your car for concours, primarily aimed at those wishing to compete in the future, but current competitors are welcome to attend. Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

On site catering will be available for you to purchase snacks throughout the day.

Exhibition ClassThis year’s Exhibition Class is open to iconic vehicles pre-1979 and will have a special class to celebrate 60 years of the Fintail – saloons, coupés, cabriolets and estates. This is open to both competitors and exhibitors alike.

Judged ClassesFor many people it is the Concours itself that is the main focus of the day and the competition will be made up of three main sections – the

top level Masterclass, the middle level Concours d’Elegance and the entry level Enthusiasts Class.

Last year’s class winners in the Concours d’Elegance will automatically progress up to the Masterclass. Masterclass participants from 2018 may, if they wish, have another crack at the coveted top trophies, or else drop back into the Concours d’Elegance. This will again feature a smaller number of classes, reflecting the change in the profile of the numbers and models of cars entered. Enthusiast Class winners from 2018 will automatically have to move up to the Concours d’Elegance.

If you would like guidance on which level to compete at please contact me. We have retained the additional section in the Enthusiast Class for cars older than 30 years, so there will again be four age classifications.

As always we would like to emphasise that the National Concours is intended to be an enjoyable experience for all, with the additional element of some serious competition at Masterclass and Concours d’Elegance levels –the condition of some of these cars is remarkable and needs to be seen.

Previous competitors will know how much fun collecting an award can be, but as ever the Judges’ decisions on the day will be final and no subsequent correspondence can be entered into! The Judges will be operating on a tight timescale using their immense expertise.

All entrants are requested to bring their Club membership cards to facilitate registration on the day. It is also always a good idea to have with you the documentation you have for the car, such as service books and records, MoT certificates etc. All competing cars must be driven to the event under their own power, any vehicles arriving on trailers will not be eligible for the judged sections of the competition.

I am more than happy to answer queries on any aspect of the National Concours, by telephone (020 8958 3319) or preferably by e-mail ([email protected]). I look forward to seeing as many as possible of you there for what is one of the highlights of the Club’s calendar..

Malcolm Franks, National Concours Manager

As well as beautifully prepared cars... ...the Archive will be at the Concours with surplus items for sale.

W123 DAY, BRADFORD INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM – SUNDAY JUNE 23

The museum includes Jowett cars and Jowett-Bradford commercials such as this.

A call to arms for all W123 owning or interested MembersWe are only weeks away from our W123 Day. This is your opportunity to preserve the long and successful tradition of W123 Days. This year it will be held at the Bradford Industrial Museum, Moorside Mills, Moorside, Eccleshill, Bradford BD2 3HP. Overnight accommodation is available within easy reach of the museum, whilst the location is also home to the National Science and Media Museum, close to Saltaire Mill, the Yorkshire Dales or Harrogate should you wish to make a weekend of your visit.

Bradford has a proud history of engineering, manufacturing and early car production, all of which is captured on three

floors of this wheel-chair friendly museum. Members will have free access to see the Jowett cars and Bradford commercial vehicles, motor bikes, a railway engine,

The Bradford Industrial Museum.

NEWS&VIEWS

12 • MAY 2019 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk

These badges can be supplied with either provision for mounting on a bar or on a grille.

CAR BADGESCar badges are available from the Club Office. They are approximately three inches (76mm) wide and come with fittings enabling them to be mounted on most radiator grilles. The cost is £25 including post and packing. To order your badge please contact Catherine Barlow ([email protected] or 01780 482111).

Tony De Frates

NEW REGIONAL OFFICER AND PUB MEETING OFFICERMembers in Northern Ireland will be pleased to learn of the appointment of Andrew Steenson as their Regional Officer. You can see Andrew’s introduction in the Regional reports section of this Gazette and we all wish him every success on his appointment and in starting to organise events for our Northern Ireland Members.

We also welcome Mac Warner as a new Pub Meeting Officer in the Midlands – West Region. Again, his introduction is in Regional reports.

Trevor Mitchell, Regional Development Director

CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP TECHNICAL SUPPORT

John Wallis, Tony Leach and Jeremy Stevens of the Club’s Technical Team hard at work at the Classic Motor Show.

The Club’s Technical Team are unpaid volunteers who give up many hours to provide personal, telephone and e-mail support to Members in respect of problems with their vehicles. Some enquiries turn out to be quite complex and time-consuming. In addition, the team often provides technical support at major Club events. All the Technical Team members have ‘day jobs’. Through this voluntary service, it has been my privilege to guide committed Members through complex fault-finding and, in two cases, DIY rewiring, to successful conclusions. These Members, often working outside their own comfort zone, are prepared to learn about their individual vehicles.

Unfortunately, and this may be a sign of the times in which we live, we are finding that the technical help service is increasingly being used for purposes for which it is not intended. Significant examples of this include:• Telephone enquiries received from the trade or Members’ ‘specialist’ repairers.• Enquiries received from non or lapsed Members.• Members providing contact details to non-Member friends who then pass themselves off

as Members.• Protracted telephone calls where it is apparent that the caller is looking for a ‘silver

bullet’ solution and is not prepared to take the methodical steps needed to identify all contributory factors to a problem.

• Purchase support and asking price advice. We cannot provide advice for specific vehicles. Buyers’ guides for many models are already on the website in the technical section.In addition, many of the enquiries we receive are submitted with insufficient

information, the vehicle chassis number, for example, is essential. Having to repeatedly ask for this explicitly adds to the workload.

Technical enquiries have also been submitted via the membership link on the website which causes additional work for the membership office.

After consulting with my fellow Technical Team members and discussion with the Board of Directors, it has been decided to change the process by which Members access support, in order to be able to continue to provide genuine Members with a high-quality technical support service. From now on, day-to-day access to the Technical Team will only be available via the e-mail link [email protected]

We will also be devising a contact form for technical enquiries which will be available on the website and will be automatically submitted after all the relevant information is entered.

As part of this newly configured service, I am pleased to announce that Stefano Mazzoni has agreed to become a named member of the Technical Team. Stef has for many years been responding ‘unofficially’ to technical enquiries received by the team, supporting his brother Paul. Some well-deserved recognition at last for Stef!

The door is always open to Members wanting to share their expertise and if you are interested in becoming part of the Technical Team, please do get in touch with me by e-mail.

Of course, members of the Technical Team will still be offering advice at events during the course of the year and organising special days from time to time.

Jeremy Stevens, Technical Director

NEWS&VIEWS


Better aerodynamics for more track speed.

MERCEDES-AMG GT R PROOrder books are open now for the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO, with first deliveries arriving in July. The price is £188,345 and the GT R PRO uses a four-litre bi-turbo V8 engine with an output of 585hp and 700Nm of torque. It can sprint from nought to 62mph in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 198mph. It delivers 22.8mpg on the ‘combined cycle’ and emits 284g/km of CO2.

The GT R PRO adds aerodynamic ‘fine-tuning’ to the GT R, resulting in more down-force. It also has revised suspension, lightweight bucket seats and wheels, all of which contribute to enhanced track performance.

BOOK REVIEWSBunty – Remembering a Gentleman of Noble Scottish-Irish Descent by Halwart Schrader, published by Veloce, ISBN 978-1-787113-48-0, £19.99The name ‘Bunty’ Scott-Moncreiff could have come from the pen of P G Wodehouse, and his life might well have been invented by the same man. But of course the self-styled ‘Purveyor of Horseless Carriages to the Nobility and Gentry since 1927’ was a real person – and first Vice-President of this Club. His name lives on in the Club’s premier trophy awarded each year, but little else is now remembered of this likeable rogue. To some extent that is put right by this biography – replete with tales of Bunty touring Europe in a succession of old cars, Bugatti, OM, and Vauxhall amongst them, usually dressed in his lederhosen and taking ever more outrageous liberties at the expense of friends, hotels and customers as he went.

It is perhaps embarrassing that it has taken a German to write this life story, and sad that it makes no reference to the Club – but then, although Bunty wrote an outstanding history of the Mercedes-Benz company, he was much better known for his association with Rolls-Royces – the stock-in-trade of his ‘purveying’. This, understandable, omission aside, apart from the lack of an index and a few translation problems this is a fascinating account of a truly unique life.

Bunty turned to writing after the Second World War, when even the ‘Nobility and Gentry’ were not buying many ‘Horseless Carrriages’. He wrote magazine articles on a variety of subjects and books on veteran and vintage cars. His history of Mercedes, Three-Pointed Star, was not published until 1955, although it had been written earlier – with a lot of help from Daimler-Benz, which at that time must have been delighted that there was to be a book published that would promote Mercedes-Benz in the UK.

The company’s policy of making its historic records and photographs available to journalists and authors has continued and been developed – and its benefits are clear in the other books reviewed here.

Mercedes-Benz W126 S-Class 1979-1991 by Nik Greene, punished by Crowood Press, ISBN 978-1-78500-541-1, £29.95You might recall a review of this author’s ‘Buying and Maintaining’ guide to these models in the August 2017 Gazette. Now he has produced a full history of them. In fact it has such a welter of information from the Daimler archive that it is a history of much more than that – covering some of the people involved in the W126’s development (including an interview with designer Bruno Sacco), parts of the earlier story of the company

and modified versions of the W126 – as well as the production and specification of all variants. All of this is illustrated with copious photos and diagrams from the archive and elsewhere. On top of that there are six appendices.

In fact there is so much information that at times it becomes a little jumbled, but if you are an enthusiast for these important models in the history of the company this book will be a vital resource.

The Essential Buyer’s Guide – Mercedes-Benz S-Class – W126-series 1979-1991, published by Veloce, ISBN 978-1-787114-02-9, £13.99Produced to the well established format of Veloce’s buyers’ guides, this book includes the background information and check lists of things to look out for when buying one of these models we have come to expect from this series. Although originally written and published in German, it contains some details of useful contacts in the UK.

Sauber-Mercedes – The Group C Racecars 1985-1991 by John Starkey, published by Veloce, ISBN 978-1-787114-03-6, £30.00Originally published in 2002, this book has been reprinted by Veloce. Written by a widely respected motor racing expert it is an accurate and detailed account of the cars and races that saw Mercedes-Benz return to top level motor sport for the first time since the 1950s. It was this programme that ultimately led to the marque returning to Formula One and along the way saw a young driver called Michael Schumacher come to prominence.

The book is dedicated to Peter Sauber who later went on his own way into F1, his name only recently departing from that arena, and it was his leadership of the 1980s and 90s ‘silver arrows’ (and they were that, with very little advertising) that this book celebrates.

Of course Gazette readers are sometimes spoilt, and you might recall Tim Imrie’s story in these pages of how a Mercedes production V8 came to power the most successful of Sauber’s cars, starting from a kitchen table table discussion by some of the company’s engineers. If you weren’t around for Tim’s quite astounding series of articles on the history of Mercedes, Benz and Mercedes-Benz motor sport, published between 2003 and 2009, you should be able to find them courtesy of John Wallis’s scanning of Gazettes – all now available and searchable on the Club website. The Sauber story was in the June to August issues of 2004.

Chris Bass

The opinions expressed are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect Club policy. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters if necessary.They should be sent to the editorial office at 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ or [email protected]


Letter of the Month

As a thank you (and as an incentive for even greater efforts) we like to choose a letter of the month. Meguiar’s have kindly agreed to sponsor this and the Member whose letter is selected receives a Wash & Wax car care kit.

AN R107 SL FORGOTTEN PARTS QUESTIONDear Chris, In maintaining a vehicle there are three categories, those who say, ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’, maintenance and preventative maintenance.

I have noticed over the many years of membership in the Club and reading our superb magazine that the subject of timing chain, guides and chain tensioner replacement on a R107 SL V8 would fall into the preventative maintenance category (averting a catastrophic engine failure), and that this work should take place at around 100,000 miles. This comes up quite often and is well documented.

Camshaft sprockets, idler sprockets and the main drive sprocket on the end of the crankshaft are rarely mentioned, if at all. These are all subject to wear over time and at what mileage should they be changed?Also, and the one forgotten part that I have never seen mentioned, which is the chain which drives the engine oil pump. Is this because it’s an engine out, or alternatively the sub-frame out, to get access to the sump and it’s a difficult piece of work or what?At what mileage should this item be changed? And should the oil pump be changed at the same time? Also, and while one is ‘in there’, should the engine oil level sensor be changed at the same time (to be on the safe side)?

I feel sure that there is someone ‘out

SLS, SPELLING AND POLAROID PHOTOSDear Chris,On reading the letter from Chris Rayner (April ‘Astounded of Oxford’), I would say that the rumours regarding the next SL are, overall, rather promising. In addition to the soft-top, there will apparently be rear seats, as per the W113 (sort of), R107 and R129. This will, hopefully, render the SL much more ‘classic’ again. When an SL comes to mind, one visualises the soft-top as a typical trait. Also, one can choose various colours for the roof, something you cannot do with a folding hard-top. It mustn’t be forgotten that the Vario roof, great as it is, is only a modern feature. The face-lifted R231, however, (though some may disagree) has had the lines smoothed out and the design of the completely red rear lights, with their smooth shape, looks great too. It reminds me a little of the completely red rear lenses of early Pagodas. This has been a great start to the SL being more classic again. The air vents are a little like those of the R107, a great touch.

However, on another matter, regarding my letter (April ‘Car of the month’), I would like to point out that my name is spelt with an e, Terrington not Torrington. It’s not the first time this has happened, I don’t mind whatsoever! Also, I replaced only the grey plastic grille mesh, not the whole grille. May I recommend to Members Autoglym’s Metal Polish with grey polishing cloths – it always produces excellent results for the grille and star.

And finally, concerning Rosemarie Maslin’s paragraph in ‘News and views’ (April), I would like to mention that I have a 1970s Polaroid camera, with peel-apart film. Perhaps this would provide some great retro photographs for the 2020 calendar? I will be bringing the camera to the Simply Mercedes Day at Beaulieu.

Kind regards,William Terrington, Hampton

Editor’s note: Apologies for mis-spelling your name – my only excuse is that your letters are hand-written.

there’ who knows the answers to these questions or could indeed point me in the right direction to a guide on the subject.

If this subject has come up before, then I apologise in advance as it must have passed me by or gone over my head at some time or other. Best regards, Barry Ellis, via e-mail

Club Technical Director Jeremy Stevens responds: It is impossible to give hard and fast guidelines on something like this as the lifetime of the timing drive is very dependent on how the vehicle has been used, the oil used and the frequency of its changes.

Wear in the timing chain can be determined by checking the valve timing and the left/right camshaft marks at top dead centre.

Technical Adviser Tony Leach adds: It’s quite common to find fragments of the guides in the sump when the timing chain is replaced, which could lead to a restricted oil supply if they block the oil pick-up. The camshaft gears do wear as well.

Technical Adviser Paul Mazzonie adds: To assess the two bottom slides, crankshaft gear, oil pump gear and oil pump chain, you must remove the timing cover. This will allow you to fully inspect the relevant parts. I recommend only original Mercedes-Benz parts and the use of a semi-synthetic oil on the approval sheet MB229.1.

GEM-TECH TO THE RESCUEDear Chris,Our C220 CDI was due for an MoT test, so it was taken along to the local garage. On the MoT test they saw a broken coil spring and this would fail it, we were asked if we wanted them to fix it. We agreed as we had been hearing a rattling noise and guessed something may be wrong, so while they had it they could fix it.

Then we got a phone call from the garage and they advised they were unable to get the part undone, they said the last person had tightened it too much and they would need to change an arm and a mount also to be able to release it, costing another £163 on top of the coil spring change. We asked if we could drive the car and were told yes. We advised them that we would like to take it to a Mercedes-Benz specialist (Gem-Tech) for the work needed as we always use them. The garage didn’t seem to think anyone else would be able to undo it, but we said we would ring Gem-Tech to find out.

Gem-Tech said to bring it to them as you need a special tool to change the spring and they do it all the time. We phoned the MoT garage and they said they had lots of different tools for the job and still didn’t think it could be done. The car was taken to Gem-Tech and they had it ready for us to collect the next day, excellent service and it saved us money as they did it with no problem. We only had to pay for the coil spring change. The car went back to the MoT garage, as you have 10 days to get work done, and they passed it.

Well done to Gem-Tech again for solving the problem. They are based in Romford, Essex, but worth the journey for us, we are so glad they are there to help.

Monica and Gerry Blood, via e-mail

Editor’s note: Gem-Tech is already in the ‘Good Garage Guide’.

SOUTH WALES AND SHROPSHIRE RECOMMENDATIONDear Catherine [Barlow, Membership Secretary], Not sure if you are the right person for this, but you will know where to send it. I would like to recommend for inclusion in the ‘Good Garage Guide’ Rob Jones, Mercedes-Benz and BMW specialist, Unit E, The Glide, Morton Business Park, Morton-on-Lugg, Hereford HR4 8DS, telephone 01432 761873, www.robjoneshereford.com

I have used this small, specialist garage for the last six years, since moving to Hereford. I have always found Rob and Mark very helpful and knowledgeable about all our family’s cars (MB, Mini and previously BMW), their charges are reasonable and they will never do work that is unnecessary.

Gordon Llewellyn, Hereford

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Padded body-warmer with Club logo £32.00

Contact details Donna Butter To order please ring 01278 652340If we are unable to answer the phone, please leave a message on the answer-phone and we will call you back.

The e-mail address is [email protected] Sorry, but due to bank charges, we have had to introduce a minimum order value of £5.00.

Buy on the Club websiteVisit our Club website shop where all items can be viewed. Orders can now be made via the site with payment by credit card or cheque.

Log onto the Club website and start shopping the easy way. Please make cheques payable to Donna Butter. All orders will be despatched within 14 days, if there is a problem we will contact you. Post and packing is not included in the prices given above.

Goods found to be faulty through design flaws or postage damage will be replaced free of charge.

ClubShop

Softshell jacket in various colours £35.00

Keyrings from

£5.00

Reversible coat in several colours £58

Beanie hats in various colours £12

Baseball cap £12

More detailed clothing descriptions, sizes and colours shown on the website

Available from the Club website. Post and packing is not included in the prices shown.

Holdalls £25

Club fleece in various colours £32

Cufflinks £18Pin badges £7

24 • MAY 2019 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk24 • MAY 2019 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk

Rosemarie’s ramblingsby Rosemarie Maslin

You may have read in a recent Gazette that our Official, Malcolm Franks, has advertised for entrants

in this year’s National Concours. If you have the slightest inclination to enter your car, do it! It is a great fun day if you don’t take it too seriously and are not trying to win the Masterclass, at least not this year. Just give your car, young or old, a good clean and come along and spend a day with fellow Members.

The danger, of course, is that it becomes a bit of a habit and you then think about taking the cleaning to the next level. Having entered our 280SE coupé on a couple of occasions and managed to come second, Peter decided he would subject the car to a super clean for this year’s entry.

The coupé’s engine was in need of a good clean, but is not that easy to do and so the idea of using dry ice to clean it was investigated. Apparently it does not damage wiring or rubber components. We found a company in Leicester that produces dry ice machines, predominantly used to

clean industrial equipment, particularly in the food industry. Luck was on our side because, after a telephone call to the company, they agreed to let Peter loose with one of their smallest machines that they were developing for garage use. Now, the process requires a fairly powerful compressor to blast dry ice at the part that needs cleaning. On contact the ice vaporises and in the process dislodges the oil and grease etc. The lance which is used to direct the air and ice mixture is quite bulky and must be held about two or three inches from the component, so it is quite difficult to get to some places in the engine compartment. It would be a lot easier with the engine out of the car! Fortunately it was not one of those situations where ‘small hands’ were requested! What Peter did not consider when carrying out this procedure was that the oil and grease needs to go somewhere, and this is all over the operative. It did work well, but as I said some areas were difficult, impossible, to access so we (Peter) reviewed, using the

internet, what else was possible to take the cleaning to the next stage. Meguiar’s Super Degreaser followed by Aerospace Protectant 303 were considered to be the choice products, which we applied as follows.

Meguiar’s say its Super Degreaser is for professional use only, but we are all professionals aren’t we? So that was OK. It’s diluted with four parts water for heavy contamination or 10 parts for light contamination. It’s recommended that Super Degreaser is applied to a cool engine so a spray bottle comes in handy. Allow it to soak for 30 to 45 seconds and then rinse with clean water. It will rinse off without leaving any white residue, but you must not allow it to dry on the surface.

The next stage was to apply Aerospace Protectant 303 which can be used to protect anything from plastic and rubber engine parts to tyres, exterior trim, interior leather and so on. You simply need to wipe it on and off using a micro-fibre cloth. The finish is matt and clean looking and does not detract from the overall cleanliness of the car or parts. If you care to see a bit more gloss you can go with two or three coats – it does make quite a difference.

For the Concours some of the entrants travel down the day before to stay in the Novotel at Milton Keynes so they can clean their cars and chat with other like-minded Members. It’s not allowed to trailer your car to the event.

Peter is a Judge, so it normally falls to me to carry out the last-minute car cleaning as he is otherwise occupied. Never judging his own car incidentally, which, had that not been the case, we may have won!

Rosemarie and Peter Maslin’s 280SE coupé.


Car of the month

If you would like your car to be a Car of the month, please send a good photo (conventional or digital) and a few details to the Gazette Editorial Office: Chris Bass, 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ or [email protected]

Bob writes: ‘My C63 Edition 507 estate is a 2014 model year car and is one of just 21 ‘507’ estates which came to the UK.

The ‘Edition 507’ was a limited run of the C63s AMG produced as the last of the 6.3-litre V8 C-Classes. The model was available as a coupé, saloon and estate, which is the rarest. According to the DVLA, 233 Edition 507s were in the UK at the end of September 2015, however, that number may be lower now. The breakdown of numbers at that time was 178 coupés, 34 saloons and 21 estates.

The Edition 507 highlights above the standard C63 included an uprated engine

Bob Lendon’s C63 Edition 507

to 507hp and 450lbs/ft torque with an improved nought to 62mph time of 4.2 seconds (estate 4.3) and a higher limited top speed of 174mph. The car also has an uprated composite brake system with red painted red callipers and 19-inch AMG cross-spoke forged alloy wheels of a unique design.

Perhaps one of the nicest highlights is the Black Series bonnet with air outlets in high-gloss black along with the radiator grille border, LED daytime running lamp surrounds and door mirrors also in high-gloss black. Internally the instrument cluster has a red application and the

steering wheel and gear-shift lever are dinamica-trimmed with high-gloss black trim and ‘Edition 507’ badging.

I am the second owner, with the first appearing to be Mercedes-Benz UK. I have had the car for 2½ years. It has a number of factory fitted options including Keyless Go, a Harman Kardon sound system, illuminated AMG door sill panels, black wheels, a reversing camera, privacy glass and Extended Lighting package.

Naturally the AMG normally aspirated 6.3 sound track comes as standard!’

Car of the month

FEATURE


Rob writes... by Rob Halloway

The SLR – a spud lunch rendezvous Drip. Drip. Drip. A hole in the roof of the temporary tent in which we’d stored the cars had, somewhat, ruined the moment. Overnight torrential rain had pooled on the canvas and a persistent wet plop now echoed around the space. Parked right underneath the hole was the galaxite black metallic car scheduled to leave its Milton Keynes garage for an autumnal appointment with a senior journalist based in Essex.

The water drops were, in themselves, not really a problem. What was distracting me was the cause of the cascade – an almighty rainstorm that had settled over the south of Britain like a 100-mile-wide power shower. All we had to do was to get the machine safely to Ongar, and spend the day with the car and the writer.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was made in Woking pretty much entirely out of carbon fibre. It was an extraordinary machine. Ridiculously fast, rather expensive and costly to repair as its handmade composite bumpers and doors didn’t really buff out. Add in a 626hp supercharged V8 AMG engine, and a waterlogged run cross-country, in a left-hand-drive £300,000-plus hyper car, and there weren’t many takers for the delivery job.

Thinking that the calmest waters don’t make the best sailors, I stuck my hand up and figured it would either be a fun day in a bonkers car, or else it would accidentally become a spectacular way to resign from my job – backwards, through a hedge, in a cloud of shattering carbon.

Unperturbed, I swung up the driver’s door, dropped down into the berry red

semi-analine carbon bucket seats, flipped open the gear lever top and thumbed the starter button. The mighty V8 roared into life, with four side-pipes, and I eased the bellicose Benz onto the road.

Fortunately, despite slapping into huge pond-sized puddles, running through muddy rivulets of field run-off and doing the entire trip with the wipers on full speed, I made it to the motoring editor on time, and in one piece.

And, whilst he drove the car to the coast, I pretty much narrated the press pack to him, giving every detail I could remember. Our destination was a small seaside hut by the beach in Dungeness, where we parked the SLR – now with a brown-grey sheen up the sides from the road filth – alongside the assorted Micras, Meganes and Fiestas that the other occupants had arrived in. We tucked into a modest lunch of jacket potatoes and both chuckled at the absurdity of it all…

Fast forward seven months, to May 2005, and I’d just spent a week with another SLR – this time in fabulous crystal laurelite silver – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mille Miglia win of Sir Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson. I’ll tell that story next month…

Selflessly, to save the burden of paying to have a delivery driver return the car from Brescia to the now-fixed roof of the car storage building, I offered to bring the SLR home. A colleague from the press office joined me for the trip and we thundered north, out of Italy and found ourselves on the unrestricted autobahns of Germany.

It would have been rude not to try a decent high-speed run, so I went for it on a quiet, straight stretch. Given that I was already doing about 80mph when I put the

pedal to the carpet, I was staggered at how violent the acceleration was.

As the gearbox kicked down from fifth to third, the supercharger screamed and we were propelled forward at an eye-boggling pace. The SLR belted along, 100, 120, 130mph appearing and disappearing as quickly as I could call out the numbers. At above 140mph the side window view became a green and silver blur, as trees and crash barriers blended into one verdant smudge. My focus through the windscreen, now being battered by bursting bugs, narrowed and I kept my eyes locked, looking about two miles ahead. I stopped reading out the speed and really concentrated.

My passenger told me that we got to just over 170mph before I eased off the throttle and slowed down to a steady 150, where we happily sat until the tank ran to fumes. It was – and remains – the fastest speed I’ve ever driven on a road.

But it helped get us, via a pit-stop at the old track at Reims, to the Channel Tunnel in time for our evening train, and it was only then I realised we hadn’t been booked into the over-height (and wider) carriages.

So, if you take nothing else at all from this ‘Rob Writes’, you at least will learn that a hot and well-used SLR McLaren with its butterfly wing doors open fits in a standard carriage with about one inch of clearance all round. The door just misses the roof, and the alloys barely sit within the kerbs.

It was – and remains – the most nervous I’ve ever been at two miles per hour.

It squeezed into the Channel Tunnel carriage, just.

An extravagant arrival for a spud lunch.

This place is the pits.

FEATURE


You might be familiar with the annual Classic Motor Show, held at the NEC near Birmingham in

November – the Club has had a stand there for many years now. You might be less familiar with the Classic Car and Restoration Show, held at the same venue, and organised by the same people. This was its sixth year and it was held on March

The ‘other’ NEC classic car show – should we be there?

by Chris Bass22-24. I had never been to it before, but thoroughly enjoyed it.

Not as big as the November show, using only three of the NEC’s seemingly endless halls, it seemed to have a more light-hearted and informal atmosphere than the Classic Motor Show. There were not so many shiny cars but a large number being worked on. Although it’s overall smaller

than Classic Motor Show it probably has as much autojumble, tools and parts.

The club stands, of which there were many, are not as showy as those at the winter event and they tended not to have themes. In fact the show didn’t have a theme, but it wasn’t necessary because the whole point is the cars and how you maintain and restore them.

Many hands make light work of fitting a Sunbeam Alpine engine at the

Classic and Restoration Show.

Some serious work on a Porsche... ...and a Wolseley.


BTCC

BTCCMedia Day, Brands Hatchby Paul Kelly

The 2019 British Touring Car Championship season kicked off with the media launch at Brands

Hatch. Fans, who get free admission, were none too keen on the venue – this event has been held at Donington Park near Derby for years. The worst part about it was that we were to return to Brands 10 day’s later for the first round. The teams however got to test at the first round venue, giving all a vital opportunity to set up their cars for this circuit.

There were a few significant new drivers and some new cars, most notably WSR who had the new BMW 3-series saloon to replace the 1-series for current champion Colin Turkington, Andrew Jordan and Ciceley defector Tom Oliphant. Speedworks had ditched the ageing Toyota Avensis for the smart looking Corolla. They also had a new sponsor, Ginsters Pasties. Many joked that the driver will be carrying ballast by the end of the season! New drivers included headline act ex-F1 star Mark Blundell. The 52-year-old Le Mans 24-hour winner will drive an Audi, racing in blue chip sponsor Hewlett Packard’s livery. Nick Hamilton (brother of F1 star Lewis) was back for a full season with a Ford Focus, entered by Motorbase.

Ciceley Motorsport had usual driver Adam Morgan and alongside him was

Hever Castle hosts the BTCC.


FEATURE


Back end not as pretty as two-door GT S.

I have had the chance recently to road test the new Mercedes-AMG GT63 S 4-Matic+ four-door coupé. It is in fact

a five-door with a useful hatchback. My good friend Tony Price, Dealer Principal at Mercedes-Benz Cheshire Oaks, messaged me asking if I wanted to test the latest Benz offering – how could I resist!

This car is a new departure for AMG and Mercedes and is a head-on rival to the

Porsche Panamera. But the three-pointed-star is a little late to the party – Porsche is now into its second generation Panamera, the concept now in it’s 10th year, and it has lost a bit of body fat in the redesign. The AMG is very similar to the new ‘Porker’ in that regard.

The car waiting for me was the full-fat S model at £135,550 with, wait for it, 630hp – 18 up on its bonkers cousin the

E63 S. It is now the fastest four-seater ever produced by AMG, topping out at 196mph! It looked mean and nasty painted in selenite grey magna (matt grey to us, and a £2,100 option). Sitting on 21-inch matt black AMG alloys, it is shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, which are hefty 315/ 30s at the rear. In S spec you also get bigger brakes, a fantastic 23-speaker, 1,450-watt Burmester surround sound system, dynamic engine mounts and the bragging rights S badge on the boot lid. This car also features ‘Active Aero’, including a rear spoiler which raises under braking to help stabilise the car. It also has a locking rear differential and the ability to turn off drive to the front wheels in ‘Drift’ mode. There are other options to add, such as the carbon fibre pack etc, which could put the price up to close to £160,000. There is an Edition 1 version at a shade under £150,000. The range starts at £121,350.

It shares the floor pan with the E63 and the new CLS. Some say it looks like a CLS. Only slightly, but I think CLS owners would be glad of the comparison to think their car looks like a GT S. Some may be tempted to do a crafty re-badge, similar to the sad owners of Chrysler 300Cs who fit a chrome mesh grille insert and put on Bentley badges! Really! Who are you fooling guys?

Anyway, enough waffle and back to the job at hand. I climb into the fabulously finished cockpit, with swathes of leather and carbon fibre. The hand-stitched dash houses the now common full width info screen first seen on the new A-Class. Below are four air vents, again similar to the A-Class’s, which are illuminated by the ambient lighting colour in use and are high quality and tactile to the touch. These are mounted in highly polished carbon fibre of the highest quality.

It’s keyless go, so foot on brake and I press the ‘Start’ button, which I had to look

AMG GT S four-door

by Paul Kelly

The AMG GT S looks mean dressed in selenite grey magno paint.

FEATURE


From deep in the Archive

by the Archive Team

It’s spring, so it is likely that many Club Members’ thoughts are turning to the acquisition of a sporty little convertible.

And it so happens there is just the thing in the Mercedes-Benz range back-catalogue, the SLK Roadster – a model which now would appear to be on the cusp of being a modern classic.

As such, this pretty little car has a lot going for it. For starters the first generation SLK seems to have ceased depreciating, with values, while relatively low, apparently stabilising and even increasing. However, you must temper the apparent wisdom contained above in this paragraph with the fact that none of the Archive Team has managed to sell a car at a profit and thus have no track record of spotting a car set to appreciate.

Be that as it may, currently the SLK is relatively affordable and ticks many boxes for being a good ‘fun’ car. A newly catalogued SLK brochure, published in 1999, has reminded the Archive Team of the many benefits of this model. Overlooking the brochure’s out of focus front cover showing a silver SLK on a brown background, inside this publication the copywriters did an excellent job of selling the model to those considering it as a new purchase 20 years ago.

To make up for the frankly underwhelming front

cover the brochure makers soon discover their form. Cue a lot of expensively photographed pictures of SLKs in exotic locations followed by a big picture of a 190SL. The link between this historic small MB sports car and the new SLK roadster is explained in the accompanying copy.

A man called Martin Voit tells of his infatuation with the 190SL, after first seeing it as a five-year old in 1953 at the Frankfurt Show. Martin promised himself that he would own one of these cars – which he eventually did – and drives it only when the sun is shining. Now here’s the link, Martin explains, ‘If I were five years old again, today my childhood passion would be the SLK’.

And then follows the mark – which you have to admire – of a skilled copywriter, who adds, ‘Maybe that’s because with an SLK, he wouldn’t need to wait for good weather’. In a few words the copywriter has linked the SLK to a revered MB sports car and, also highlighted one of its unique features, the metal ‘varioroof’ (in MB speak), which enables the car to be an open roadster or a coupé at the touch of a button.

Then, after more stunning SLK in exotic location pictures (which begs the question why

such a poor cover photo was used) the brochure really gets down to business. Under a heading ‘Two of the safest places you could be in a sudden storm’ the benefits of the varioroof are explained. 25 seconds is mentioned as the time it takes for the electro-hydraulically powered roof to open or close. Also, to set the minds of prospective customers at rest about the reliability of the

varioroof’s mechanism, the brochure explains that it was tested over 20,000 operations.

The copywriter also engineers a link between the SLK’s four-cylinder supercharged engines and the legendary SSKL Kompressor car’s 1931 Mille Miglia victory, with Rudolf Caracciola at the wheel. The copy also points out that if the four cylinder engines were not enough for the prospective customer a 3.2-litre, 218hp V6 was available.

The availability of six-speed manual transmission is also highlighted. But, probably reflecting likely customer preference, more space was given to extolling the benefits of the optional five-speed automatic transmission with tip-shift manual function. This gearbox would adapt itself to not only to the driver’s style, but also driving conditions.

However, the biggest change that the passage of time has effected in the 20 years since this brochure was published is the choice of interior and exterior colours available for the SLK. Customers could choose colours that reflected the car’s cheerful, fun personality. These included bright red and yellow solid colours and a range of strong, metallic paint finishes, including bright green and blue. Far different to today’s monochrome choice of silver, black, 50 shades of grey and dark blues.

And the SLK owner could also make an interior colour choice to reflect the car’s personality. There were anthracite, blue and red fabric trims and five leather colours (blue, red, yellow, beige and black). Happy days are ahead for today’s buyer of a used SLK – who will have to be prepared to have their spirits lifted, not only by the car’s performance and good looks, but also by its cheerful interior and exterior colours.

The Mercedes-Benz Club’s digital archive is having new material added every month and now includes thousands of items. If you haven’t yet done so please take a look by registering. It’s a simple process, just go to: http://archive.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk and follow the on-screen instructions – happy browsing!

If you would like to dispose of surplus Mercedes-Benz literature or photographs please let us know. Whether it’s one brochure or a car-load your surplus material will benefit Club Members. Even early Gazettes are welcome, although the Archive does have a full collection of the later A4-format editions. Please contact the Archive team: Jon and Lynne Bell, Phil Reed, Sophie and Andy Holmes or Mike Walker ([email protected]). If you do not use e-mail please telephone 01932 346981 and leave a message.

...and interior seems to be much brighter than those offered now.

The photos inside this brochure made up for a rather drab cover. The benefits of the ‘varioroof’ are fully explained.

The choice of colours, exterior...

FEATURE


European Editors’ Meeting and Retro Classics

by Chris Bass, additional photos by Dan Olshed

Every year the Club Management division of Mercedes-Benz Classic (responsible for the Stuttgart

museum, Classic Centre, archives etc) holds a meeting for the editors from all the European clubs recognised by the company. 16 of the 34 clubs represented this year were from Germany, with the majority concentrating on one model. Of those from elsewhere in Europe most are centred on classics rather than all aspects of Mercedes-Benz cars and none of them have monthly magazines. Most have quarterly journals, some just websites. The German clubs included those for AMG models and SLRs.

This year’s meeting was held in Stuttgart. Sometimes, such as last year, they are in Essen – in conjunction with the Techno-Classica show. When they are in Stuttgart they are timed to coincide with the Retro Classics event held there. As well as a chance to see the show, the programme includes a day’s meeting when we are briefed on MB Classic’s activities for the year ahead, and have an opportunity to raise

Alternative energy was a major part of the editors’ meeting this year – and this display at Retro

Classics reflected that.

I don’t think it was a working prototype, but systems similar to this were tried in the Second World War.


F1 NEWSby Will Gardner

NEW SEASONAhead of the new season a bonus point for the fastest lap in each race was announced. A single extra point will be awarded to the driver delivering the fastest race lap, providing they finish in the top 10.

Also new for 2019 are stronger helmets, with the visor being lowered by 10mm to reduce the risk of facial injury, whilst drivers will wear biometric gloves. Working in the same way as the clip-on finger oxygen monitors your GP uses, the gloves will transmit details of oxygen and heart rate to the medical team during an emergency or crash situation.

CHARLIE WHITINGSadly, on the Thursday before the Australian race, Charlie Whiting, F1’s Race Director, died suddenly form a pulmonary embolism. Whiting was highly regarded and extremely influential within the sport and was due, as always, to start the Melbourne race. Credited with driving improved safety and seen as the go-to person for all technical issues within the sport, Whiting was a favourite with drivers who all paid generous tributes. Lewis Hamilton describing him as a “pillar of the sport” who he had known since he started in F1, whilst former champion Jenson Button said he knew Whiting had the safety of all drivers at the front of his mind; “A lovely, kind human being.”

AUSTRALIAWorries that Ferrari’s increased pace in pre-season practice would overshadow the Silver Arrows on the track proved unfounded as Hamilton, followed by Valtteri Bottas, locked-out the front row of the grid. However, a poor start from Hamilton saw Bottas take the lead, which he held to take the flag – his fourth F1 win, ending a drought that had seen him fail to win a race last season. Bottas also posted fastest lap, taking the first ever bonus point for doing so.

Former Williams driver Lance Stroll brought his Mercedes-powered Racing Point home in ninth place, whilst, as predicted pre-season, the Mercedes-powered Williams finished the race line astern at the back of the pack.

2021The sport is set for huge change in 2021, with final agreement due soon as team bosses and the FIA look to improve overtaking, gain consensus on affordable power units, improving the qualifying spectacle whilst managing costs. Both McLaren and Ferrari have talked about abandoning F1 if they see the new rules disadvantaging the established teams unfairly, whilst speculation of new teams looking to enter a more affordable sport has been rife, with the prospect of former drivers once again heading-up new teams. As we went to press rumours were circulating that Fernando Alonso is considering entering a team in 2021 in partnership with Toyota, but then it was April Fools’ Day!

BAHRAINA grid reversal saw the Ferraris taking the front row, with newbie Charles Leclerc scoring his first pole, making him the 99th F1 driver to score a pole in 999 races. The Silver Arrows lined up behind in the traditional order, with Hamilton ahead of Bottas. Despite the impressive pole though, the script went out the window for the Frenchman as first he bogged down on the start, then lost power in the later stages of the race, handing Hamilton the win and Bottas second slot, after Vettel suffered a spin and drove his Ferrari over its own front wing. The final podium place was saved for Leclerc by a late safety car. He took the point for fastest lap as some consolation.

Leclerc’s bad luck left Mercedes with back-to-back wins, Bottas one point ahead of Hamilton as a result of his fastest lap point in Australia. After the race Hamilton praised Leclerc for a great drive, reminding his team

that they still had work to do to keep the rest of the field behind them.

Bizarrely for Renault, both cars failed at the same place on the same lap, but for different reasons, whilst Sergio Perez crept into the last points place, 10th, in his Racing Point.

For the second race running the Williams cars both qualified and finished at the back of the pack, over a lap down on the leaders.

HEAD TO HEADThe turmoil continues at Williams, as Paddy Lowe, who joined the team from Mercedes in 2017, has taken extended leave and is unlikely to return, whilst joint founder of the team and renowned F1 engineer, Patrick Head, has rejoined on a short term consultancy basis as Williams struggles with a car that is in many ways worse than last year’s. Lowe was expected to bring some much-needed competitivity back to the sleeping giant, but his designs have proved to deliver just the opposite, with this season’s car being overweight and lacking downforce amongst other woes. Insiders suggest that the team has realistically little chance of making major advances this season, with Head’s involvement focused on understanding and learning in preparation for 2020.

Hamilton being led to his win in Bahrain by the safety car.

Bottas making a better start than Hamilton in Australia.

FEATURE


I always fancied having a go at Concours judging, but when I was Club Chairman it would have been inappropriate, however

when I retired at the end of last May I was given the chance by Malcolm Franks, the Club’s Concours Manager, and what an interesting day I had. To begin with though, it may be worth giving a brief summary of how the National Concours works in our Club as some Members may be unfamiliar with it. There is a lot of judging of ‘best in show’ and ‘people’s favourite’ at Club events throughout the year, but there is only one, formal National Concours competition. This is usually held in mid-June and for several years now has been hosted for us by Mercedes-Benz UK at their superb Milton Keynes headquarters where we enjoy superb facilities. The competition is organised into three categories, the entry-level Enthusiasts Class, the pretty serious Concours d’ Elegance and the ultimate Masterclass. Each category is then sub-divided into various classes so that cars only compete with comparable vehicles. You can directly enter the Enthusiasts or Concours d’ Elegance categories according to how competitive you feel your car is, but you have to qualify for Masterclass.

Observations of an Apprentice Concours Judge

by Ian Keers

An example of the preparation Concours

entrants go to.

Judges hard at work on this lovely W123 at the 2011 Concours, anxious owner Monica Blood looks on (third from left).

TECHNICALCORNER


I have a 1974 W115 230/4 with just 59,000 miles on the clock. The car developed a bit of clunk at the back

end on bumps and potholes. Three visits underneath did not resolve the mystery of where the problem lay so I visited a fellow Member and very good friend in Exeter, Martyn Lee, who has his own engineering business. Once the car was up on the ramp one of his guys, Paul, removed the rear differential-to-subframe mount as it looked a little shabby, but not that bad. We could find nothing else wrong so, after refitting it to get home, I ordered a replacement and fitted that one. A drive around the village looking for potholes soon proved two things – firstly potholes are in abundance and second the clunk was gone.

A view of this mounting is made difficult by its proximity to the fuel tank, but removal and fitting is straightforward, requiring a socket and extension, an Allen key and a small jack. The photos show the old mount as removed and the degree of detachment of the rubber section between the inner and

Using a lever to show the detachment of the rubber section from the steel parts.

outer steel parts when deformed using a lever. This mounting is also used on W114, W116, R/C107, W123 and W126 models.

To do the job first chock the front wheels then jack up the rear onto axle stands. With a jack and a wooden pad to take the weight under the differential, use

W115 rear end clonk by Peter Clark

Peter Clark’s230/4.

a 12mm Allen key to remove the two bolts securing the mount to the diff. Then, with a 13mm socket and extension, remove the four bolts securing the mount to the subframe. Refit in the reverse order and the job is done, no more than an hour from start to finish.

The rear differential-to-subframe mount removed.

REGIONALREPORTS


ANGLIA – NORTH

The German Car Club Gathering at Sandringham in 2018.

The Kings Lynn Classic Car Show in 2018.

When Roger Hinton, Richard Lee-Warder and I met to discuss the programme for 2019 we may just have got a few things right, because over the past couple of weeks my phone and e-mail system have both been very busy taking enquiries from all over the country to attend our events, the most popular, interestingly enough, has been the Kings Lynn Classic Car Show in September, which in some ways is odd because we have never attended this event before.

We are also pleased to announce that we have again been in touch with George Champ of the BMW Club, who was most keen to re-run our very successful 2018 Sandringham German car clubs event, which last year was supported by the Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz Clubs and had the largest turnout of the year. We have therefore put this event into our diary for 2019 and it will be on Sunday October 13. The East Anglia Porsche Club officials have recently stood down so it remains to be seen whether this will be Mercedes, BMW and Porsche or we invite another German car club to party. Trabants anyone?

In the meantime our events are already underway with our next one being a wonderful opportunity to visit Stody Lodge and Gardens (near Cromer) which is only open to the public on rare occasions each year.

Paul Jobling

Stody Gardens Classic Vehicles Day – Sunday May 12

Stanley Steamers at Stody in 2018.

This event is a wonderful day of delicious cars, homemade teas and beautiful gardens. Visitors to Stody Lodge Gardens will be amazed by the riot of colour thanks to its extensive collection of over 200 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas. This intensity of colour is accompanied by beautiful magnolias, camellias, ornamental and specimen trees, late daffodils and bluebells.

London architect Walter Sarel was commissioned to design Stody Lodge and its gardens in 1932 by the 1st Viscount Rothermere, the British newspaper proprietor, founder of the Daily Mail and who later took over the Daily Mirror. Stody’s exceptional two-acre Azalea Water Garden is widely believed to be the largest

single planting of vividly coloured azaleas in the country.

We will be meeting from 11.00am at The Pigs near Melton Constable (postcode NR24 2RL) for coffee and/or breakfast and leaving around 11.45am for the short drive to Stody. It is very important that we meet beforehand to be able to park together because there are no allocated spaces for car clubs. By arriving together we will be able to park together.

There is no entry form or fee for this event, you can simply turn up at The Pigs on the day if you wish, although organiser Paul Jobling would appreciate an e-mail to inform him that you will be attending ([email protected]).

Once inside the event, as well as being able to enjoy the gardens, Stody offers delicious homemade teas by the Aylsham Care Trust, however there is not a restaurant so it is an ideal opportunity to bring a picnic basket.

With thanks to Steven Brooks and Alan Palmer for the photographs.

The Long Walk at Stody Lodge Gardens.

The Azalea Walk and Hall.


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300CE. 1990. 33,000 miles from new. Stunning condition, E.roof, air con, 5 speed manual, auto ltd diff, sports chassis.15 hole alloys. AMG steering wheel, new tyres. £9,750. Tel: 07939 568951 (Dorset) (05/19/10)

SLK320 V6. 2001. 66,000 miles with FSH & manual gearbox. Immaculate engine bay, all electric, yellow/black leather and walnut interior. Garaged and looked after. Reluctant sale £4,750 ono. Tel: 07718 292030. Email: [email protected] (Lancashire) (05/19/07)

SLK32 AMG. Silver with black and red seats. Superb condition, no rust, pro undersealed. 72,000. Everything works as it should. MoT October 18, not used since. £13,995. Tel: 07769 664532 (West Yorks) (05/19/06)

SL280 AMG. 1998. Rare AMG version Designo Emerald Green mushroom interior. 72,000 miles. MoT Sept 2019. Service history. Split rim alloys low profile tyres, lowered stiffened suspension. AMG sports exhaust, AMG body kit. Sides, front and rear bumpers spoiler. Can been seen South Dorset. £15,000 info/pics Email: [email protected](05/19/08)

SL350, 2006. Jasper blue, light grey interior. 48,000 miles, panoramic roof, high spec, FSH, drives like a new car, immaculate condition, ill health forces reluctant sale. £9,750. Tel: 01803 551383 or 07720 885665 (Devon) (05/19/01)

250SE Saloon. 1967 W108. Two owners from new. 75,642 miles. Recent work done by John Haynes, Sussex. Brakes front and rear replaced, new starter motor. Total cost £3,548. Ideal for restoration, paint and bodywork excellent. See W108 story Gazette March 2019. £9,750. Tel: 01306 885393 (Dorking, Surrey) (05/19/02)

190E, 1992 Excellent condition, totally original and immaculate, sunroof model. Automatic. White with unmarked blue cloth interior. Low owners. 92k miles. Extensive history file including original bill of sale, old MOTs, service stamps and all handbooks. Michelin tyres all round. £2,950. Tel: 07969 456214 (Gloucestershire)

CLK200 1.8 Kompressor Avantgarde Coupe. 2004 (April). Automatic, 62,900 miles, two owners, FSH, MoT May 2020. Royal blue metallic, grey leather. Electric windows, mirrors & heated fully adjustable seats. £4,795 ono. Tel: 07759 590242 (Dorset) (05/19/03)

SL600. 1997. 80,000 miles, LHD, California import. One owner from new. Hard & soft top, full option, stunning totally rust free car, 2 keys, new MoT. £16,995. Contact Noel. Tel: 07490 689076 (Cumbria) (05/19/04)

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Fast Discreet Service. Highest Prices Paid.

Email: [email protected]: Peter 079430 96940

CHARLES IRONSIDE SPECIALIST IN MERCEDES-BENZ CARS

Alton, Hampshire (40 mins from J10 M25)

e-mail: [email protected] website: www.charlesironside.co.uk

Tel: 01420520635 Mobile: 07950379560

WANTED107-series cars300/420/500 SL

LOW MILEAGE, EXCELLENT EXAMPLES PLEASE


SPECIALISTSERVICES

JUST WHEEL REPAIR10% off all services upon presentation of current membership card.London, Essex and Herts please call 0333 2079971 quoting MBOC18

[email protected], www.justwheelrepair.co.uk

CAR STORAGE

INTERIOR WOOD TRIM SPECIALISTS

Richard Thorne The Courtyard Garage, James Lane, Grazeley Green, Reading RG7 1NB Tel: 0118 9831200 Fax: 0118 9831414 www.rtcc.co.uk Dehumidified, alarmed storage. Transport from anywhere, MOT. M4 J11 3 miles.

Nick Martin, The Workshop at No 39, 39 Albert Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 2LDTel: 07977 741889 www.nicholas-martin.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

VANLEIGH COACH WORKS Unit 7, Central Ave, West Molesey, Surrey KT8 2QH Tel 0208 783 [email protected] All aspects of repair & restoration undertaken to the highest standard at competitive rates

P J Smith Classic and modern paint and bodywork Ltd Unit 2, Manor Park, Windsor Rd, Bedford MK42 9HW Tel: 01234 341410 Accident repair and restoration specialists

Unit 1, 28 Send Road, Caversham, Reading, Berks RG4 8EHTel: 0118 946 [email protected]

Specialising inMercedes-Benz servicing & repairs

Established 15 years

Limited

Lazarus Court, Woodgate, Rothley, Leics, LE7 7NR Tel/Fax 0116 230 3801From classic to modern all MERCEDES BENZ vehicles serviced & repaired, MERCEDES Trained Technician, full workshop facilities available, free quotations and friendly advice Discounts for club members.

SilverStar Garages Limited

www.silverstargarages.co.uk

With over 40 years experience in restoration, we are Mercedes specialists maintaining and restoring these cars to customer requirements with Historic event preperation and modifi cation as part of our services. Please remember we also cater for other main marques from 1900 to 1972 and that

we are agents for Penrite oils. We look forward to your enquiry!

Tel: 01603 880522 Fax: 01603 880058www.adamsautomotive.co.uk

email: [email protected]

ADAM’S AUTOMOTIVEENGINEERINGRedcastle Classics Limited 19 Sir Alfred Owen Way, Pontygwindy Industrial Estate, Caerphilly, CF83 3HUTel: 029 20882110 Mob: 07710 077605 www.redcastleclassics.com [email protected] in 190SL restoration, servicing & repairs Also Pagoda 113 series, Fintail, Ponton etc. 1950s-1980s

CAR MATS

ALLOY WHEEL REFURBISHMENT

SERVICING SPECIALIST REPAIRS

Classic Mercedes Mats

www.classicmercedesmats.co.uk07919 885705

Steve Redfearn Motor Co Ltd 169 Gladstone Rd, Wimbledon, SW19 1QSTel: 0208 540 2311 Fax: 0208 [email protected] in Mercedes Benz repairs & servicing. Full test & report facility available before you purchase your new car

ACCIDENT & BODYWORK REPAIR

Merc-Care has been established since 1988 with fully equipped Mercedes workshops and fully trained technicians. We at Merc-Care offer a personal service to your vehicle with all the latest Star computer diagnostics and Mercedes special tools. NO JOB IS TOO BIG OR SMALL. All types of body repairs and insurance work undertaken

ONE CALL AND MERC-CARE DOES IT ALL!

Tel: 020 8361 6750

Service & Repairs in S.W. LondonEngine Rebuilds • Servicing • Diagnostics

Air Conditioning • MOT Preparation • Accident RepairsTrevor Brown Service Engineer

Tel: 020 8675 8505Mobile: 07956 309767

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.twb mercedes.com23-25 Oldridge Road, Balham, London SW12 8PL

TECHNICAL SPECIALISTSTWB

Andy’s AutobarnHenry’s Yard

Challenge RoadAshford, Middlesex

TW15 1AX

AUTOBARNANDY’SNew and Used

Mercedes Body Parts Available

Prestige Vehicle Body Repairs

WWW.ANDYSAUTOBARN.COMtel/fax 01784 243426

mob. 07956 360293

email. [email protected]

www.justwheelrepair.co.uk

www.justwheelrepair.co.uk

PRESTIGE MERCEDESMercedes Specialists run by a genuine enthusiast Charles Wells with over 40 years experience.

Specialising in the following models: R107, W123, 124, 116 and the superb 126 coupés & saloon

We would also like to introduce “Bezza.biz” a company dedicated to ecologically sound under body treatments far superior to current traditional under body treatments that are available

Please ring me for details 01732 763956, 07970 553071, 07773 583583Kemsing, Kent

Hindsight Restored Vision for ConvertiblesTreat your screen before it splits

Tel: 01780 749449www.morethanpolish.com/

hindsight.aspworld-wide shipping

• Restores clarity by removingscuffs and opacities

• Lubricates & protects from frost• Reduces risk of splitting• Avoids replacing rear screen• Particularly effective on SLs• Restores milky acrylic head/tail lights• Renovo Fabric Hood restoration

products also in stock

“Hindsight miraculously removes scratches and opacity, and is

environmentally friendly”

Mercedes Gazette

“By far the best screencleaning product

I’ve tried”

Editor - Classic & Sportscar

gazette - mercedes-benz club gazet… · or see features 26 car of the month 27 rob writes... 29...

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