Thanks everyone for the comments and encouragements!
Yes, it was a nice car, that’s why I bought it for my wife 3 years ago.
But as a California car I guess it didn’t like the Midwestern weather changes because during the last two years the MB-Tex really started to change to a brownish color (I blame the plasticizer for that) and it also started to shrink around the dash and the soft-top cover lid (the foam underneath had totally disintegrated) exposing the metal. So, after a few “can’t you fix this?” the decision was made to change to leather and upholster everything. Little did I know that in order to get all the MB-Tex trim off you have to remove the windshield! The carpets were not in good shape either, so lets do that too.
And as many of you know, one thing leads to another: once you have the tachometer out, wood trim off, why not check the O-ring in the heater core valve, right? Then the many different little paint jobs started to show, no major repairs, just overspraying here and there. OK, lets fix that too but since she likes the light-blue (“hellblau”) color I had to promise that it would not change. At the same time we can also take care of the very small rust bubbles around the chrome trim on each rear fender before it gets worse. So most likely we'll take it down to metal, just to be sure. And Walt thanks for your suggestion to take the sill covers off and paint behind. The painter will also spray wax in all cavities where possible. But I cannot figure out what you mean to leave "the oil pressure line unplugged". Which line, and why?? :?:
I am enjoying it a lot and without this challenge I probably wouldn’t have met all you very helpful Pagoda fans!
Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic
