Potential Buy

[DaveB]

Congratulations, it looks a nice one. I like the colour, similar to Alfred's.
I envy your early morning peek through the window at it! If it's still there!! (should be fine, it's not LA).
Dave

[JamesL]

I'm not sure if I am jealous of your car purchases or jealous of you for having a wife that allows the car purchases

[Iconic]

Buy a 40+ year old car.
Hop in it and drive 300 miles.
Wake up and drive while the sun is warming the road and clearing up the mist (at least in my mind).
500 or 600 mile to go.
That is living !!
I'm sure "talking" with the right group of people here.
CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing the experience.
Small moving space, now this ... what's next?
Those are hard acts to follow.

[Garry]

Second day and about to head out.  Have checked all the fluids and added some oil to the old girl. Now off to Canberra about an hours drive for breakfast and catch up with Hamid H before pushing on to the wilderness south of Canberra and a long run of about 350km through the high plains of Southern Australia then down into the forested area of Eastern Victoria and hopefully ending up tonight in a town called Sale which is about 200 km East from Melbourne.  Todays drive should be 600km according to google maps.

Its been raining over night.

Hopefully there are dry roads as one thing I have noticed it that the road holding of the tyres is poor.  They look ok but I think they are old and hard and tend to slide a bit both cornering and stopping in the wet.

[66andBlue]

Hi Garry,
I do like the color! 
Save travels and watch out for those roos!

[69 280]

I met Garry this moring and saw his car.
He is an absolute gentleman. His new purchase is also fantastic. Really great colour.
Makes me want to start looking for a 230

[Garry]

A bit more eventful today, oil and more oil, have arrived in Sale for about 490miles today.  Am having the breather checked to see if its blocked first thing in the morning at a local garage that has worked on my other Pagoda about 6 years ago.  He is also going to flush out the motor and see if that improves the situation.  The car is wet under from the oil that has spewed out from the dip stick.  Other than that and topping up every 100 miles or so it has run remarkably well.  Tomorrow the mechanic then the final bit of the drive of about 150 miles.

A couple of photos from todays drive through the High Plains of the open road, an old (130 years) settlers cottage in the middle of nowhere and a picture theatre in an old town long past its prime, both the town and the theatre.  enjoy.

Garry

[Garry]

The final end to the return trip taking delivery of the new car.

Well I got the cat through to a town east of home about 150 miles where I  had previously had most of the work done on my 280SL some years ago and called into the mechanic to discuss the oil coming from the dip stick.  We checked the breather tubes and they were blocked, we also flushed the engine and after re-filling it with oil trialled it out but alas it still is building pressure in the sump so the engine rebuild that was costed into the buy is coming sooner than later.

I have left the car there with instructions to start the build process by removing the engine.

So rather sadly I had to catch the train home for the last 100 miles and await the car for another six weeks, the time expected to overhaul the engine. At least with the engine out I can do a detailed clean up of the whole engine bay that is very oily at the moment. All in all I did 800 miles over 2 1/2 days and other than adding oil, had no problems.

Never the less I am very happy with the purchase, the gearbox performed really well and other than using oil it ran smoothly.  I now look froward to getting it into the shed with its big brother and the Jag that is also yet to arrive.

Now what was that posting some time ago about the fear factor of taking the car on a long trip. Well, just check the fluids, get in and drive it, its the only way to get over the fear factor and get to know your car.

Garry

[mdsalemi]

Garry,

This is a good thing.  If my memory serves me well, and it usually does, this edition of the Pagoda with automatic and in blue is for Kate.  If so, remember that one's wife should not tolerate anything but the most reliable and comfortable and best running example "of the lot".  Now, at a safe distance of 100 miles, you have the opportunity to fine-tune the new car to these specifications such that when presented to Kate, it will be a stellar example!  As always, if you need any assistance on this end...

[Garry]

Michael,

You are very correct the car is for Kate, it will be a good 2013 30 years together and 20 year wedding anniversary gift so I have 12 months to get it into perfect shape before bringing it home the final 100 miles.

Garry

[Naj ✝︎]

I'm wondering how long it took to do the previous 800 miles 

Naj