Is your car fully sorted?

[Cees Klumper]

I thought it would be interesting to see the % of cars that are just like the owner wants it, vs those where there are some more things to take care of.

In my case, I don't know that I have ever reached that 'it's finally done' stage, in all my 22 years of ownership. Still tweaking the warm-up cycle, need to install the new carpet set, check the soft top wires and a few more oddds and ends.

How about you? Is your Pagoda 'perfect' now, or ...?

[badali]

Mine runs great and starts with the touch of the key.  It looks good from 5 feet away.  My biggest problem is leaks.  I'm just not ready to disassemble a perfectly running car.  I'm almost at 15000 miles added by me at a total of 70700 miles on the clock.  Always something to tinker with...

[lreppond]

At 50 years old my car runs great.  There are no oil, fuel or water leaks and the engine bay is relatively clean and largely original.  There are, however, any number of things I’d like to do.  Like badali, at five foot it looks pretty good but up close there are chips in the paint, and a few dents in the bumpers. The paint is still vibrant and the bumpers have zero pitting.  There are some chrome and rubber pieces I’m about to replace to freshen it up a bit. The interior is currently a work in progress: new carpets and soundproofing, and cleaning of dash and instrumentation.  All that chrome looks beautiful but it’s time consuming, tedious work to have it look it’s best. 

My biggest job ahead of me is the undercarriage.  It’s shamefully dirty!  But with all the environmental laws in California, I can’t even get it steamed cleaned.  And lacking a lift, doing it myself just isn’t in the cards. 

[Jonny B]

I will join the crowd as "still working on it" - it's an old car and there is always something (hopefully mostly little!) to work on. This week are some rattles in  the doors.

[neelyrc]

There are always a few warts to work on.  I recently ordered new rubber for the side trim when the Classic Center had it discounted.  No rush to install but the original rubber has shrunk over 50 years and the new rubber will provide some improvement. 

[teahead]

- odometer no worky
- no heater blower motor (not looking forward to this)
- driver's seat torn and springs lost strength (have good used cover to put on)
- paint could use a re-spray to be perfect
- turn signal doesn't work well (have new one to put on)
- clunk over large bumps (probably diff bushing)
- automatic trans, passing gear (stepping on the gas pedal) doesn't work.  Worked before I messed w/the modulator

Other than that, drives great.  A little smoke on overrun, and she looks awesome from 10'.

[dakman29]

Still working on it.  Like many others, the car runs wonderfully and is a pleasure to drive.  Right now though I have two big holes in the dash waiting to get the speedo and tach reinstalled. Slow oil leak. No complaints though.  My feeling is that the only way I'd ever be able to say that it's done and perfect is when I stop driving it and only take it out to go to car shows.  Terrible thought that.

[zak]

My 250 SL is running great, no smoke, no overheating, rock solid idle, starts on a dime ,can run it up to 5500 rpms with no choking ( I seldom do).
I could use new seat covers and carpets. Paint is just OK. That's all.
She looks good at 10 ft distance. She is a driver and that's what I want.

jz

[mdsalemi]

Sure, my car was sorted fully in 2001. Until I realized it wasn't.
Then I started restoring the restoration.
Just recently, new door, new windshield, restored the hard top. New tires.
Some paint in there.

Guess I'll let y'all know if it is ever complete.

[49er]

My car has had a leak out of the transmission for as long as i can remember. And if memory serves me right,  brand new cars in the showroom always had drip pans under them back then. One of the defroster levers (upper left) is a little hard to open/close and some of the door’s weather striping is showing it’s age. I am always amazed how well this car has held up, especially the paint, for what will be 53 years this July when it was put together.

John

[roberhofer]

Car works great, is visually in need of updates.
My intend was always to have a car that I can take on the spur of the moment on a cross country trip.
Thus I always kept it in great mechanical shape. I am shying away from doing major visual upgrades (paint, interior), because then I might not drive it as frequently anymore....