someone please cure my paranoia

Post by **340 Nate** » 10 Feb 2006 05:22 pm

hi all, just have been out and when coming back from work and i walked up the drive walking directly up to the car i noticed my left side rear light cluster is a bit odd, seems a little wonky or short, then the second is that my boot doesnt sit evenly so in total im getting paranoid it might have some hidden damage?

i have some pictures if everyone could have a look and see what their opinion is.
this is the right side which seems ok with a pic of nearly life size bird crap on it

then you look at the left side and the boot lid is a bit "on the piss", can lean on it to close it properly but just springs back to that shape

overall the left brake light which seems a little darker and smaller in height

i know i might be jumping the gun but you never know, really hope someone can help me out

cheers

Nate

Post by **redline** » 10 Feb 2006 05:37 pm

looks to me like it has had a little bump at some time, I think its more likely the bumper has been pushed up slightly on the left hand side as you look at it and is giving the impression that the lights on that side are smaller as its obstructing the bottom edge of the cluster , try pushing the bumper gently down on that side , I dont know if you can adjust the tailgate hinges at all to make the tailgate sit level.

Post by **SteveP** » 10 Feb 2006 05:48 pm

Looks alright to me, Mick.. I'm not sure if the bumper has been knocked atall to be honest. It just looks like one of the rear clusters have dropped (my black car did this terribly) and it's quite common - Pete came up with a theory, but I cant remember what it was

The tailgate does sit a bit odd - maybe that can be adjusted, not sure! The darkness of cluster is most likely related to water getting into the cluster.

Post by **340 Nate** » 10 Feb 2006 06:07 pm

SteveP wrote:related to water getting into the cluster.

yea there is a little like a metal pellet gun hole (perfect circle) in the indicator lense so guess it would explain it

thanks for the advice guys

, going to have a proper look with my bro underneath the car etc to make sure everything is pukka and I WILL start posting pics soon of when i get my arse into gear to get my rims painted and got some twin carbs off ebay for dirt cheap price and hopefully find somewhere to get a manifold made up

Edit: got text today (saturday) and manifold will be made up soonish

cheers

Nate

Post by **foggyjames** » 11 Feb 2006 08:23 pm

To re-align the light clusters you just unbolt them from inside the car, line them up, and off you go. Both sides just look to be set low to me.

Tailgate...Nessy's is almost exactly the same as that, but on the other side. I suspect that the hinges aren't aligned properly (why? no idea....Hugh will probably come forward now and say "oh yeah - forgot - I shut that on 10 surfboards and your mum" any minute). No amount of playing with the striker plate will correct the problem with Nessy's one. Check the panel gap at the top (hinge end) of the tailgate - that's the giveaway.

cheers

James

Post by **340 Nate** » 11 Feb 2006 08:36 pm

cheers mate

, will give it a go at some point

cheers

Nate

Post by **petefarrell360** » 12 Feb 2006 09:34 pm

For the lights it is just the pinching point of the light that requires adjustment, as the nut onto the thread just pinches the metal clip onto the body, so if someone leans on the light with the boot open, it will drop. Seemed a bit silly really, two bolts from memory on the side closest to the outer side of the vehicle, then one silly clip thing on the side towards the middle!

A lot of cars have some dodgy gaps on the hatch, and in all honesty how the car is parked can affect them, for example, jacking a car up can seriously change the gaps in doors etc. When you're driving along, you can feel the gaps changing in the doors if you have the window down in the summer. For things like wings and doors, this can be a tell tale sign of damage, but the hatch often looks low on 300's. Just as an idea, have you checked the hatch seal is sat correctly and isn't pinched up on one side? As I know it cam be pulled off in places, which would then get trapped.
Pete

Post by **redline** » 13 Feb 2006 08:42 am

see the trouble is we are just to kind and caring ,

we should have left him feeling paranoid and then he would have got paranoid about being paranoid ,

then the swets would start, followed by the uncontrollable shaking of the hands, the body convulsions and the frothing at the mouth .

but Nate , dont get paranoid about it ,

the simple truth is ,

its just the wieght of all that bird crap on the drivers side of the tailgate ,just wash the shit off and the boot will be level again.

but dont forget its unlucky to clean off bird shit so now you have a real dilemma ,

but dont get paranoid over it lol

Post by **jtbo** » 13 Feb 2006 10:32 am

Looks like rightside rear has got some hits and then it has been quickly repaired or maybe even replaced, maybe trunk fixed too.

But I have also heard of those trunk hinges (part that connects trunk to roof) have rotted away/loose. Fixing of those might be quite interesting.

Anyway my first guess is that your car has been at somekind of accident and only surface has been fixed. If this is the case then you should be able to see it by comparing trunk bottom to otherside. Look above and below and see if there is something that is not same way, bend or twisted, specially under car and behind bumper as usually those are places that are left not fixed.

Post by **SteveP** » 13 Feb 2006 10:57 am

I still don't think it's had a bump atall - it's only the tailgate that isn't aligned. The two light clusters at different angles is a common problem on all 300s.

Post by **Ronnie** » 15 Feb 2006 10:30 am

I agree that the Left cluster is a little lower than the Right - however I don't believe that rear bumper is level. Looks to me as if it's had some action.

I reversed into a post

recently (it was short, and below the level of the hatch). And my bumper is left a little like that. The valance beneath the plastic is deformed. It's quite obvious if you look up from below and compare to the good side. Solution is to demount, remove the plastic and go to work with some heat and a BFH.

I think it's quite unlikely that there is any structural damage. The gap in the boot lid doesn't mean much. All my 300's have been like that to some extent. To ease the paranoia, lift the carpet in the boot and have a good poke about. Structural damage, or shoddy repairs, would be really quite obvious.