Devin
04-06-2006, 04:45 PM
Wow! I've been bitten by the bug.
I just returned home from 4 months of traveling to find my car totally molded (the entire inside is covered in mold... seats, steering wheel, dash, everything). I had been thinking of getting a new car but this sealed the deal. I went to the dealer the day after I got back and ordered a new car (I take delivery on July 1st). In the meantime I wasn't sure what to do for transportation. I thought of a short term lease, renting, car share, etc... before settling on the idea of buying an older classic car that I could drive for a few months and then sell for about the same price. I've always had a thing for the older (50's and 60's) Mercedes and somehow miraculously found a 1966 230 4dr in great shape (original paint, everything works... windows, doors, locks, manual sunroof, stereo + motorized antennae, wipers, heat, etc...). There is a minor rust spot on the trunk lid as well as the bottom corner of the driver's door. There's also a small scrape on the rear passenger side, a dent on the trunk, and a small oil leak but other than that, it's virtually perfect. After four days of driving this beauty around I'm smitten. I don't want to sell it when my new car arrives. I want to take really good care of it and start restoring it little by little. And so... I am here to get whatever advice and help I can towards this goal. I've ordered the service, technical, and owner's manuals for a start. I would like to have the transmission serviced (new fluid and filter) and as per the advice of my gearhead buddy need to replace the exhaust manifold gasket. I've just noticed today that there seems to be a fuel leak as well but hey, it's 40 years old. If anyone has any advice on what I should or shouldn't do with this car, please let me know.
Can anyone tell me what the little switch is on the turn signal lever?
How about the little red pull knob above the hood release that lights up when you pull it?
And the radio, it's shortwave, am, fm, and..?
Is there anywhere I can find picks of the original new condition cars (I'm thinking of re-upholstering the seats and would like to upgrade from what is there now)?
Any idea what the price range is for these cars (mine is "greymarket" arriving here via South Africa and has a salvage title... I'm assuming because it came from multiple countries overseas -- my gearhead buddy is more of a MOPAR guy but he doesn't think the car has been totalled at any point. In fact he thinks the 86K kilometers may be original, not 186k or more.)
Do I need to add anything to the unleaded gas I put in?
Thanks so much for reading all this, and for any light you can shed,
Devin
I just returned home from 4 months of traveling to find my car totally molded (the entire inside is covered in mold... seats, steering wheel, dash, everything). I had been thinking of getting a new car but this sealed the deal. I went to the dealer the day after I got back and ordered a new car (I take delivery on July 1st). In the meantime I wasn't sure what to do for transportation. I thought of a short term lease, renting, car share, etc... before settling on the idea of buying an older classic car that I could drive for a few months and then sell for about the same price. I've always had a thing for the older (50's and 60's) Mercedes and somehow miraculously found a 1966 230 4dr in great shape (original paint, everything works... windows, doors, locks, manual sunroof, stereo + motorized antennae, wipers, heat, etc...). There is a minor rust spot on the trunk lid as well as the bottom corner of the driver's door. There's also a small scrape on the rear passenger side, a dent on the trunk, and a small oil leak but other than that, it's virtually perfect. After four days of driving this beauty around I'm smitten. I don't want to sell it when my new car arrives. I want to take really good care of it and start restoring it little by little. And so... I am here to get whatever advice and help I can towards this goal. I've ordered the service, technical, and owner's manuals for a start. I would like to have the transmission serviced (new fluid and filter) and as per the advice of my gearhead buddy need to replace the exhaust manifold gasket. I've just noticed today that there seems to be a fuel leak as well but hey, it's 40 years old. If anyone has any advice on what I should or shouldn't do with this car, please let me know.
Can anyone tell me what the little switch is on the turn signal lever?
How about the little red pull knob above the hood release that lights up when you pull it?
And the radio, it's shortwave, am, fm, and..?
Is there anywhere I can find picks of the original new condition cars (I'm thinking of re-upholstering the seats and would like to upgrade from what is there now)?
Any idea what the price range is for these cars (mine is "greymarket" arriving here via South Africa and has a salvage title... I'm assuming because it came from multiple countries overseas -- my gearhead buddy is more of a MOPAR guy but he doesn't think the car has been totalled at any point. In fact he thinks the 86K kilometers may be original, not 186k or more.)
Do I need to add anything to the unleaded gas I put in?
Thanks so much for reading all this, and for any light you can shed,
Devin