What have you done to your Pagoda today?

[Garry]

Got the car back home and given it a complete clay and polish ready for the annual MB Club Victoria Concourse competition in two weeks time.

Only problem, I live on a dusty dirt road.

[Flyair]

Garry...
that road should your next project

Good luck in the concourse... photos are the lest that we expect here

[nirmal]

Got my Pagoda back today.

New 123 electronic distributor installed. Changed the differential to 3.27 ratio (Thanks Gael). Had earlier got the fuel injection pump calibrated by Fairchild. Also now have the Jawbone music box in the car.

It now runs like a dream. Will detail it with Zymol next weekend.

Nirmal
Dubai

[Shvegel]

I put my Frigiking under dash unit back together.  New ID plates, vents re chromed(vacuum metalized) by Chrome Tech and a new Spal blower.

[nirmal]

I forgot to mention installed new seat belts and change the tyres (Pheonix)

Nirmal
Dubai

[chumps]

Shvegel - In your entry above you stated that you put on new ID  Plates. Where were able to source these? I remember reading something in a previous thread about somebody trying to reproduce them, but I can't find it. The vents look good. I live in Southern Cal so will look up Chrome Tech and get my vents rechromed. Thanks, Chumps

[Garry]

I think they were made by one of our members called DaveB in Western Australia. You could try a PM

  I got one about 6 years ago and they were very good.

Garry

[Flyair]

With the mild winter and dry sunny days the mood here is to get the car ready for the new season. My Pagoda was pampered at the usual maintenance shop, and today the mechanic called me that she is ready for new adventures.

In fact, besides the typical oil and filter changes the main issue was to eliminate the leaks that the car had out of the injection pump, gear box and rear axle. The most time consuming was to fix the leak in the auto gearbox. As it appeared this wasn't just a seal or simmering but the torque converter that - in the past - was poorly repaired (ah, those US pre-sale repairs!  ).
As the result the pin wasn't well centred and provoked permanent leaks. Fortunately this part is relatively easily available although not cheap (but that we all know).

The car had also all the soft seals replaced, something that was already overdue, so it looks and works better now.

So, now ready for take off... but more about that will be reported (soon hopefully) in the Photo Gallery thread

[Scottcorvette]

I took it's engine apart!

[Cees Klumper]

I took it's engine apart!

That's brave ... going for a rebuild?

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hi Scott, Brave indeed! Will you be posting some photographs (your findings and rebuild)? We hope so

[Scottcorvette]

Yes going for rebuild.

I'll put more info in my resto thread, heres a couple of pictures of the state of play so far.

[Jowe]

During the last weeks, I have adjusted the clock speed to Swiss standards and lubed the air & heater controls. See a separate post in the Electrical and Instruments section.

[Cees Klumper]

Did you oil the clock at all, or only adjust it? I've been busy oiling our various old (antique) clocks recently and it's made quite a difference. Curious as to whether our mechanical clocks should also be cleaned and oiled.

[Jowe]

No oiling, only adjusting the screw on the back behind the tape.

[jpinet]

What am I doing to my car? Putting this where it belongs! (with lots of other related parts)

[Jowe]

You're playing in another league... 

[jpinet]

You're playing in another league... 

The engine was burning so much oil, I was embarrassed to drive it. One valve guide was so loose it moved up and down it's hole. And despite such a worn engine, I drove over 1200 km in a weekend with no issues, besides regularly adding oil  of course....

[Bonnyboy]

Today - I put the key in the ignition, let the fuel pressure build and started her right up and went for a little drive to take the kids library books back. Library is 6 blocks away but 45 minutes later I was just getting back home.   

Not a big deal but ..3+ months ago I agreed to help a friend dispose of a big block car engine - he told me that he acquired a Chev 454 as part of a reposession of a work truck and wanted to sell it seperately.  I had buyers all lined up  - I figured he could drop it off at my garage and it would be there maybe a week max 2.  Problem was it wasn't a chev 454 - it turned out to be an injected industrial run ford 460 that was in the midst of being converted to natural gas that noone wanted because it wouldn't fit a pickup.   

Yesterday I finally sold the engine and tranny and boxes of alternator, starter, throttle body etc.  It all left and I celebrated by going for a spin this morning.   I can breathe.......   Sure missed driving my car over the winter.

[batman]

Just finished 3 hours of scrapping & rubbing away at a 2-3mm thick coating of tar the previous owner had sprayed all over the floor of the boot/trunk covering existing paint and sound deadening PVC strips, I guess as an extra layer against moisture.

However, it looked real bad and was very sticky to touch and left black marks on things left in the boot.  A terrible job to remove, especially as the tar was also sprayed on the spare wheel support, electical cables etc.

Only half finished but, once completed I will respray with 2 coats of black satin.
 

[mmizesko]

Reinstalled my Becker Europa II after getting it back from Becker Auto Sound.  Adjusted the clock speed, and blew a fuse attaching the leads for the glovebox light leads while putting it back in. First nice day in the 50's in a few months.

BTW, For all of you who's AM radio cuts out on your Beckers,  (common and annoying issue), Becker can fix with a resistor modification.  I had them refurb the radio a year ago, and the AP didn't get fixed, so they fixed it under warranty.  Nice guys.

Mike Mizesko
Columbus, OH

[mnahon]

Mark, that looks really unpleasant.

I'm doing something similar on the underside of my car. One thing that I found works well with the tar stuff is a heat gun + scraper. It's less messy than solvent + scraper.

[Jose Soriano]

First post on this forum but I have been constantly reading and learning about my new 71 sl. Got the car back from the shop last Thursday after getting some general maintenance done. They changed the radiator hoses,  brake lines, dash vent lever,  oil change, plugs and wires etc. Drove the car home with a huge grin on my face. Decided to use the car that night. Pulled out of the driveway and the car was now stuck in reverse. My neighbors helped me push the car back into my driveway.

With help from this site and the search function, i diagnosed the issue to be the plastic linkage bushings. The local mercedes dealer luckily had them in stock.

So this weekend I decided to work on the car. This is what I did:
Replaced both linkage bushings. Seemed to need this anyways as now the shifter is much tighter than before.
Replaced the shift gate plastic insert.
Adjusted the cable for the softop cover. (only one side was latching)
Repaired the clock.
Repaired the loose turn signal lever.
Repaired the Becker Europa radio. (tuning dial would get stuck 3/4 of the way through the frequencies)
Installed rubber water hose washers on the hardtop front posts.
Tightened the sun visors.
Repaired some holes in the muffler the cheap way until i can replace them.

Very satisfying weekend. Felt like I accomplished a lot. Thanks to this site for making it very easy.

Jose Soriano

[Paul & Dolly]

Welcome Jose,

Looks like you had a very productive, and hopefully enjoyable weekend.

These cars can bring great enjoyment.

Most thing that you need to do will have happened to someone before, and you will continue to find much help here.

keep well

paul

[Garry]

Welcome Jose,

The journey begins and I am sure you will have many enjoyable rides in your Pagoda.  We all like photos so remember on your rides to take and post some photos for all of us to enjoy.

I am sure you will find the Forum and Tech Manual a big help in keeping your car in good working order.

Garry