Good attitude ! .
Cars can be replaced , not so your kids .
As you may have read, my 84 300SD (Agnes) was taken out in an accident.
Ultimately, I was mis-informed by my girlfriend who'd witnessed the accident (eyewitness testimony is usually flawed, btw). My daughter had turned left in the path of a fullsized pickup she believed was slowing to turn. (Neither was the case-- he'd just left his turn signal on from a previous turn).
The car was impacted in the right front quarter, spun more than 360 degrees, hit a guardrail behind it, ultimately to spin another 180 degrees. The pickup was doing legally 55mph, and it IS assumed they were going faster (as you can imagine)
Right front door/quarter/suspension is gone. The dash displaced, as did the console-- I'm pretty certain the console hit my daughter's leg, fracturing her fibula. Her orthopedic surgeon agreed with my assessment.
My goal is to strip anything of any value from it, either to sell, or save for the "next" w126.
My door cards were all out, as I'd been working on the windows..
I'd grabbed the window switches/mirror joystick from the console..
the speaker grilles were out of the dash, as I'd started installing a stereo..
I think everything from the "B" pillar back was undamaged, with exception the rear bumper passenger taillight, from the "bounce" off the guardrail..
I'm actually considering cutting the front off with a torch-- and quickly discarding that, making the back "lighter" and able to be moved into my partners' barn, where I can dismantle it slower.
The drivers' front/rear doors are solid.. The passenger rear is probably damaged (the front was driven into it) I'm assuming the doors/glass are worth "something.."
I'd replaced the entire rear suspension (bushings/bearings, etc) about a year ago with parts from MB Classic Center. It has SDL rear springs that I'll want to save.. The halfshafts were rebuilt and "reversed" with new cv boots using a kit from MercedesSource.. I'll hopefully be able to get those out as well..
ARE there obscure bits I'm missing-- that are "relatively" easy to get at/out, that I'll regret leaving behind.
My goal-- at minimum-- is to have my "parts" 300SD powering something-- ideally I'd like to have my daugher in another w126.
I was actually contemplating (for a minute) keeping the rear quarters/etc with the goal of having a "car couch" made.. The metal was all solid-- has anyone done this?? The rear seat was in okay shape-- would it be able to be "refit" inside the open trunk? It wouldn't be a "living room" piece-- more something to have in the shop, as a place to sit and remember.......
Any ideas would be appreciated. Scrap value is all I'll have, since the car was only insured for liability-- and my daughter was at fault.
Again-- so happy my daughter was protected by Agnes-- our own personal tank..
She's still on crutches, but-- very much at home, very much healthy otherwise..
...and for that I thank God-- and an old Mercedes Diesel.
