Well, I can't quite explain it... I was making a right off the expressway and the guy in front of me took off, as I looked to the left the coast was clear for 1/2 mile. Turned my head back and the guy with a Big Horn Ram was standing on his brakes! So the Mercedes bit him. I don't know why the Mercedes wanted to tango with a full size Dodge Ram, but all in all, as someone who always wondered what it felt like in an accident in a W126 I soon learned these babies take impact very well. Had the entire family in the car.
I got him on about a 1/4 throttle acceleration, bumped him pretty good. I apologized but couldn't figure out what in the world he got cold feet about going around the corner. He was pretty cool about it, but then again his truck did a little better off since I managed to hit square on the trailer hitch.
Clearly that's a class 3 trailer hitch the Benz tangoed with, attached to a full frame. It bent the core back a little and the fan blade clipped the radiator. I had to bend it all back using nothing more than the included Mercedes Benz tool kit. Picked up 4 gallons of water and made it to my destination where I re-filled, hung out and then tried to make the journey back with 8 gallons of water. Made it about a quarter of the way before I started smelling something and apparently, with the air pocket that had formed, the temp gauge was inaccurately reading a little over 90c whereas it was actually starting to overheat. I decided not to take a chance and pulled over and had someone pick us up and bring me home so I could collect a new radiator and fan assembly. Once home I gathered the parts and the proper tools and headed back out there and replaced the radiator, fan assembly and topped her off with fresh coolant. Had another large air bubble and had to burp the system several times over a few miles but once I got the air out she ran just fine, maybe even a little cooler than before. Guess the old 25 year old Mercedes radiator was getting a till plugged anyway.
Here are the parts after I got the car back home, some 30 miles.
Now I got to figure out if I am going to fix the hood or replace it with an aluimum one I have here off another donor. In either case it's going to require paint work. I figure it's needed paint for some time and I'm hoping this will help force that expenditure as I am a tight wad Mercedes owner. All in all I'm very proud of my Mercedes, and I managed to walk away from a tango with a full size Ram and still make it to my destination! Sure, I had to swap a radiator on the way home, but that's not the cars fault! Best part is the officer didn't even issue me a ticket!
I felt very safe in the car upon impact, and it was so sudden no one in the car could even say anything before it happened. No one was even braced for the impact, and I'm super glad it didn't pop the bags.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Too bad SELLC...Good to hear that the family is safe & no one was hurt !
Fingers crossed that a new bar or repair for that Ram is cheap. I also suggest buying the driver / owner some glasses, so he can tell the difference between a gas-pedal & a brake pedal when the traffic is good-to-go...
At least the 560 will get some paint that you've been considering for a while now, & while you're at it, some Euro exhaust manifolds should be on the repair list too. Great opportunity to fit that alloy-bonnet !
Good to know you were back-on-the-road in a matter of a few hours. Nothing like having some spares at home !
Things could have been much worse...Imagine if that was Stoma you hit ?....
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Here in Michigan it's no fault, so his insurance takes care of him and mine the same. Usually in Michigan if you rear end someone it's your fault regardless, but I swear this guy brake checked me on purpose. Perhaps I need glasses as well but I haven't been in an accident in 15 years! As I was standing with the guy waiting for the police he proceeded to tell me how he just recently was in another accident that damaged the entire right side of the Ram. It was at that point I started to wonder if the Benz actually did any damage at all, considering the only ding looked to be the result of a trailer hookup mishap rather than damage from a collision. I hit his trailer hitch square on and the Benz actually start to go under the truck upon impact.
I'm pretty sure I can fix the damage today where you won't really notice except for a few knots in the hood. It's still my daily driver so I must plan my attack without taking the car out of service. Given the fact plates for these cars in Michigan cost $300 per year I'm considering waiting until July when the car reaches 25 years old and I can put the lesser expensive "historical" plates that cost just $60 every few years. I'll need to have another Mercedes road worthy while it's down for repairs.
I most defiantly agree with the euro exhaust and I'm still kicking myself that I got cold feet a few years back when buying a euro engine car from a friend named Greg. Money was tight at the time, but I'm still kicking myself. It was even black on black with a nice interior.
I'll snap some photos once I get the front end in order.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Well, I went on and temporarly fixed her up with some spare parts I had laying around. Not too awful bad considering what it was before and I am just glad it turned out okay without having to replace the hood for now. Since the other hood is a different color I was glad that I was able to bend the original hood back somewhat. There is still three dents in the hood where it creased but they are somewhat small.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with the results. I'll be even happier once I can finally get a fresh coat of paint.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Hopefully you'll get enough work coming through the door to fix-her-up good & proper sooner than later.
Judging by the photos, you'd have to be looking for the damage to notice it, so well done on the temporary fix.
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
