New Emblem

It is really annoying to work on a car in the middle of winter. Fortunately, today was only 0C, so to not let myself forget that this is actually a restomodding process, I decided to tackle an issue that rears its head every time I wash the car: the Mercedes-Benz emblem was not as perfect as such a sacred symbol should be! Paint on it was beginning to fade and crack, and the chrome was way past its prime. A new one was only 36 eur at the dealer, after Club discount.

Old badge

Good example of how OEM Merc spares are packaged and labeled. Note: "Daimler AG, 70546 Stuttgart, Germany". Little things like that make you appreciate OEM parts. You either get it or you don't ;)

Old and new badges

There is a long metal pin in the back of the badge that goes through the hood, fastened by a rubber donut on the other side. On the rear side of the emblem there is a shorter pin that lines it up perfectly.

New badge

Have a Ride in the 560 SEC

For your entertainment, here are a couple of YouTube videos I shot while driving around...

 In town:

On country roads:

Enjoy :)

Wheel Alignment

Dear diary, yet again things have been quiet.

Today I went to a local shop for wheel realignment. All went well.

Wheel alignment had last been done in 2007, and since then the car's had new several new front suspension arms and bushings fitted, along with new wheels and tires. As a result, the steering was slightly off-center and there was some toe out happening. Fortunately the adjustment went effortlessly, and alignment is now up to spec. This should make the car less jittery and track straighter.

Sadly, since the steering still has some play, it wasn't possible to set the steering wheel exactly straight.