W114 W115 NLA Parts Thread: Not accessible in the EU / Special order or OEM alternatives

[WiseSage]

Regrettably, some essential components are progressively no longer available from Mercedes Benz. I intended to provide the part numbers along with their possibilities for anyone who, like me, are enquiring about the optimal available choices. My vehicle is a 1976 240D.

Thoughts on improved OEM alternatives Welcome. If you want to assist other owners, please provide any more NLA components I may have overlooked in the following format: Description -> Part # -> Alternative Part with buy link.

Radiator A1145011101 Special Order from Mercedes-Benz

Oil Cooler A1081800265 Special Order from Mercedes-Benz

Heater Blower A1158350207 Special Order from MB

Centre Exhaust A1154900115 Special Order from MB

Front Subframe Mount Kit 1153301875 Meyle Aftermarket Alternative (Presumably superior than Febi?)

[bvlenci]

I am sceptical; Meyle is of Chinese origin while having a Germanic name. I have not seen them endure. I have installed Febi on my 107, which has the same subframe as a W114/5 but accommodates a somewhat bigger engine. They hold up.

[ianwh4]

There are experts on the continent who may be able to assist. Some of them include reconditioned components or produced goods.

In an arbitrary sequence.

[ianwh4]

https://www.dbdepot.de/

[ianwh4]

https://www.sls-hh-shop.de/de

[ianwh4]

https://www.behrhellaservice.com/behr-hella-service/en/Online-catalog-5076.html

Lastly, do not disregard breakers yards; my friend visited a yard in Galashiels two weeks ago and saw this. He would have purchased it in its entirety, but they had already received the certificate of destruction and would now just dismantle it.

[WiseSage]

I would have assumed that Febi Bilstein is a brand made in China as well.

[br1anuk]

They may now have manufacture in China as most firms do these days, but when I began getting into these automobiles, they were at the same level as Lemforder or Bosch. I would have no issue using their subframe kits, since I have performed that task several times.

The primary issue we are encountering is firms such as URO that penetrate the market by offering inferior copies of identical products for one-third the price. The quality is often so poor that it may last for 2000 miles, if fortunate, but they rely on little vehicle use. As most individuals base their purchase choices only on price, they dominate the market and marginalise others. Companies like Febi will either seek a low-cost supplier in Southeast Asia to maintain competitiveness or exit the market entirely, resulting in the NLA predicament.

The issue does not lie with China; I have yet to see a single Chinese individual who exhibits a lackadaisical attitude towards any task. Companies anticipate obtaining identical components for one-tenth the cost to enhance their profit margins, with the first compromise being quality control.

[Darrellll]

The competition for the lowest price poses a genuine risk to quality, extending beyond mere shrubs. When individuals who offered quality are pushed out and afterward there is a demand for that quality - what then? When the knowledge of how to generate excellence is lost, it may be gone forever.

[br1anuk]

It is questionable. This is more about cost than procedure since new vehicle manufacture will insist on high quality components that surpass the guarantee term for a new car. They are indifferent to individuals operating vehicles that are 15 years old, since such individuals hardly use dealerships for servicing. When they cease assistance, it becomes uncertain.

[Ortsmatt]

If you want quality components check mbclassics.de Niemoller Mercedes and German Ebay.

[Darrellll]

I was referring to a broader context, not only automobile manufacture.
For instance, what if the expertise and capability to manufacture high-octane gasoline were to be lost? Consequently, high compression (SI) engines are not feasible. However, we cannot be quite certain that we will not need a high compression (SI) engine at some point in the future. Such matters.

[br1anuk]

I understand; yet, automobiles are constructed from a collection of components that must adhere to certain standards. Manufacturing is a process, and quality control is an integral component that is often overlooked during cost-cutting initiatives. I am acquainted with an individual who has established a firm specialising in the sale of electrical components manufactured in China. Initially, he had difficulties but then chose to employ a competent individual in the city of his contract manufacturer to verify all items before to shipment and reject those that did not meet standards. He said that this was quite beneficial for him.

We are beginning to forfeit certain talents, such as panel thumping. The contemporary collision repair method mostly involves disassembly and component replacement, necessitating that a modern body technician be proficient with an impact driver. There is no longer a need for those skilled in metalworking or fender fabrication using an English wheel. That is regrettable.