Sway bar linkage replacement

With the excitement of picking up Jade last week I had totally forgot that UGU also needed some of my attention; very much a case of out of sight, out of mind.

A few weeks ago I attended the start of Perth's German Car Day which, despite the horrendous weather, had a great turn out of 90 cars from Perth's German car clubs.  I was unfortunately unable to take part in the event, which perhaps upset UGU and who could blame her having seen some of the fantastic cars on show.

MBCCWA President Paul Blank addresses the attendees

W113 Pagoda SL. What makes this particular car special to me is the fact that it is a daily driver for the MBCCWA Event's Coordinator. And she loves it, understandably

A pair of Porsches, followed by........

..... a trio of Porsches, outdone by.........

..... a trio of W116's! (My opinion only of course)

Yes please!  Audi Quatto Sport S1

SL's, Wagons, Coupes, they were all there

Beemer boys

Brand spanking new G55

Off they go

Ford Focus XR5's were assembled in German so happily welcome at G.C.D

Anyone for Golf?  Love these Mk1's

After I watched the convoy leave, we packed up and made our way home.  Half way home we turned a corner an almighty bang came from the back of the car.  My heart skipped a beat as I quickly pulled over and got out expecting to see something major had broken, but instead I couldn't see anything unusual.  I opened the boot to see if perhaps something in there had become dislodged, but again I couldn't see anything.

A little baffled we set off again with no noise or anything unusual, that was until we turned another corner, BANG!

Again I pulled over and got under the car to have a better look but still couldn't see anything wrong.

The next day I took UGU to see a fellow MBCCWA member who had a look for me.  Being more mechanically minded than me (which isn't hard), he quickly found the problem. The drivers side rear sway bar linkage had snapped meaning that each time we turned a corner the broken linkage would fall over hitting the inside of the wheel causing the awful noise.

Broken rear sway bar linkage.  Hard to see unless you know where to look

With the problem found I spoke to my friends on W(A)114/115 to see if anyone could help me with a part number so I could order a new part;  better than that, one of the members had a spare and brand new set which I happily bought from him.

New linkages, one for each side

Located on the other side of the country it will take a few days for the parts to get to me, and as I want to use UGU this weekend I decided to pay Jade a visit to borrow one from her. Sorry Jade but your big sister comes first :(

Armed with my new socket set, which was a bargain in it's own right.  A gumtree purchase of a preowned, but never used, 166 piece Kinchrome socket and spanner set which I bought  for close to half the price of a new set.

New socket set, and the first I have owned.  Excited!!!

I finished work early and headed out to the back garden.  I jacked up Jade, removed the wheel and using a 17mm open ended spanner and equal sized socket I unbolted the linkage.

Jade, minus one sway bar linkage, for the time being

Removed and ready to be fitted to UGU to get her through until the new parts arrive

This couldn't have been easier, but for me it was hugely rewarding; a quick and easy task to add to my knowledge bank.

A motoring enthusiasts weekend in heaven

Saturday 14th June was the Mercedes-Benz Car Club of WA's annual inspection day for club vehicles on concessional license.

Currently under review by the West Australian Department of Transport, concessional licensing offers car club members the option to put their vintage and classic vehicles on a restricted license, which entitles the vehicle to be used exclusively for club related events and necessary runs for maintenance etc. 

Whilst some may complain this is to restrictive especially the "only to be used during daylight" clause, it is a good way of significantly reducing the cost of keeping your vintage/classic vehicle registered and road legal in Western Australia.  

To find out more, below is a link to the Department of Transport Website:

Department of Transport concessional license information form

Whilst there is now no legal requirement for ongoing inspections, the MBCCWA continues to offer, to those members who want it, an annual inspection of their vehicles to help them identify any issues that should be addressed to ensure their vehicles are in good shape and ready to be used when called upon.  Just because a car doesn't get driven much doesn't mean it doesn't need maintenance, especially when you consider that fuel goes off, tyres go flat, brakes and clutches seize up and condensation can form within the engine and exhaust system.

This year I was one of the first to get to the inspection venue, not because UGU was to be inspected, but because it is a rare opportunity to see a lot of fantastic, vintage Benzes in one place.  

It was a bitterly cold morning as UGU and I set on the 30 minute drive, but only 50 metres down the road from home we stopped for a quick photo opportunity with another W114 we spotted at the side of the road, a lovely example of a W114 series 2 sedan in yellow.

As we arrived at our destination, UGU was immediately called upon to be a good Samaritan, as a W116 280SE had a flat battery and the 1951170S that was already there only had 6 volts so was unable to jump it.  

With the W116 restarted, UGU was parked at the entrance to the venue and the MBCCWA club flag erected adjacent so that together they would be a clear way finding device for other members.  Through-out the day other members who also came for a look at the cars being inspected parked next to UGU creating a striking roadside Mercedes-Benz display.

 

  Sunrise in the Swan Valley WA

  Coupé Sisters.  UGU and her beautifully restored 560SEC friend

As the cars started to arrive they did not disappoint, four W113 Pagoda SL's, three W111 finnies including a 300SE, one stunning 170S, two W116 280SE's, one 190SL, a 190 Ponton, a 1950's 220, a W108 280 SE 3.5, a R107 450 SLC and the most modern car a W123 230E which had just been brought back from the dead.

Here are some pictures to wet your appetite: 

   W113 Pagoda 250 SL

   W113 Pagoda 230 SL

   W116 280SE

   1951 170S which has been beautifully restored

   W108 280SE 3.5 (V8)

   

190SL. This car was imported from America in the early 2000's and is undergoing a restoration that will see it returned to its original colour of white, which can still be seen on the A-pillars

   W111 220SE coupé

   W113 Pagoda 250SL.  This car is a rare California model and therefore is a 2 +2. What this means is the car never came with the soft top roof so you need to check the weather before leaving home to decide if you want to take the hard top off or not.

   1950's W187 220

   W111 300SE having it's inspection

   This fantastic W116 280SE is in "as new" condition with only 186,000 km on the clock. It is still in the ownership of its original purchaser who flew to Germany to pick the car up. he is very proud of the car and rightly so

   W111 220 coupé.  This is another American import and remains original with the steering wheel on the left hand side.

   1958 190 Ponton.  The owner of this car has a fantastic sense of humour which is reflected in the number plate, "Flattery" as in "Flattery will get you nowhere"

   R107 450SLC

Now, if all these beautiful Benzes weren't enough to get you excited, let me talk about the place at which the inspections were conducted.

In Middle Swan, WA stands a simply stunning 1902 manor house with 10.95 acres of land, including its own orchard, manicured gardens, riverside jetty, outdoor swimming pool and a not so subtle 1,000m2 shed that houses 50 cars, yes that's right 50 cars!!!  I mentioned heaven in the title of this post, now you know why.

This was the home of the late Maurice Brockwell who was a very involved member of the West Australian motoring scene throughout his life. So much was Maurice's involvement that an annual motor rally is held each year in his memory.  UGU and I have attended this event each year that we have been together, perhaps we will see you there this year.

Brockwell Memorial Run Information

UGU taking part in the Brockwell Memorial Run 2012














Tragically, Maurice's wife also passed away in September last year and this beautiful house is now for sale.  This made this years concessional licensing inspection the last opportunity to see the house and more significantly the contents of the shed.

I am led to believe Maurice was a very enthusiastic car collector, and much of his collection lived within this shed.  As with the house, the collection is now for sale, although many of the cars have already found new homes.  In some respects it is sad that the collection is to be separated, but I strongly believe that each of these cars will go to a new owner who will love them like their previous owner.

Much of the collection was made up of exquisite cars such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Studebaker, but I am please to say that a Mercedes-Benz also made the grade, and what a Benz to have, the legendary 600 Grosser.  A few years ago the Grosser suffered a problem with it's ignition switch so unfortunately it has lain dormant for the past few years. On the positive side, this is one of the cars that has been snapped up and will be heading to Melbourne where the new owner is already hunting for the parts he needs to get her back on the road.

I am not going to bore you with any further commentary, instead I will share with you a feast of history and beauty.  To me this shed is not a shed, it was a gallery and these were the artworks: