Not going anywhere...

[mdsalemi]

Well, the drive "up north" was fine.  Roads were mostly clear and dry, and my car which had been resting up there since November had the possibility of getting a genuine Italian tuneup on clear pavement that next morning.   I had neglected to bring my car cover up with me last time, but the dust level was low, and the car still seemed to sparkle in the relative safety of the garage--it's winter resting place.  Of course I had washed it just before putting it away with copious amounts of water, and dried and polished it with a microfiber cloth, too:


Alas, that darned "lake effect" snow! :evil:  That night of the 30th, some of it came by.  I opened my garage the morning of the 31st, and here's what I beheld:



On top of that mess, it was only hovering around the freeze point so the roads were slushy, too.  No, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. :x   Perhaps Easter time.



Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[thelews]

I'd have the same view out my garage door, only worse (WI).

On another note, I took my daily driver to a touchless wash yesterday.  When my son was in the garage I asked him how he liked the car now that it's washed.  He said "It's washed!?!"  Even though some stuff came off, the car looked like it'd never been washed it's just so filthy from a month of snow, salt and slop.  Looks like some FRICTION is needed.

John
1967 Early 250 SL Red/Caviar, Manual

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by thelews

I'd have the same view out my garage door, only worse (WI).

On another note, I took my daily driver to a touchless wash yesterday.  When my son was in the garage I asked him how he liked the car now that it's washed.  He said "It's washed!?!"  Even though some stuff came off, the car looked like it'd never been washed it's just so filthy from a month of snow, salt and slop.  Looks like some FRICTION is needed.

John
1967 Early 250 SL Red/Caviar, Manual

John,

Methinks it's time for you and the son to find another touchless wash.  My "cars" (my customers) are coming out pretty clean.  Of course they look awful once they get home...but they are coming out pretty clean.  If you have a black car that had not been washed in a month, I'd have my doubts...but really they are coming out pretty clean.  I'll have to bring my camera down there in the next few days (once we warm up a bit they'll be lined up) and show you what a good wash does with some before and afters.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[thelews]

I believe you Mike...and, my car is silver  

In all fairness, it was really, really filthy and is on freeway slop and salt daily.  I really don't expect much, and it was 20 degrees when I had it washed.

John
1967 Early 250 SL Red/Caviar, Manual

[J. Huber]

Hey Michael, I feel your pain! (and is this supposed to happen to us "California" Pagoda owners??)



James
63 230SL

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

Hey Michael, I feel your pain! (and is this supposed to happen to us "California" Pagoda owners??)



James
63 230SL

James, what comes around, goes around!  Yesterday it was a most unseasonable 65 degrees, but no sun to be found.  A line of thunderstorms (in January??) came through.  All that snow--some as much as 16" in Port Huron (a short distance from here) is gone and now there's flooding.

Don't worry, it'll be freezing here shortly and the sun will be out where you are!

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

Hey Michael, I feel your pain! (and is this supposed to happen to us "California" Pagoda owners??)

James,

There were reports on the national news that the Sierra Nevada mountains could get 10 feet of snow in that storm.  Did that happen?  How much did you get at your place?

Rodd
Pagoda Technical Manual
please contibute: http://www.sl113.org/wiki/pmwiki.php
1966 230SL
2006 C230 Sport Sedan

[hauser]

I feel your pain Mike!  I however enjoyed some open top driving today.   The weather was perfect and the car performed flawlessly.  Now if I can only keep that darn windscreen behind the seats erect.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[J. Huber]

Hi Rodd. Well, we are essentially in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada -- my place is at around 2700 feet. The real Sierra Nevada is an hour or so away -- up by Tahoe the elevation is more like 6500 I believe. They are loving it (the skiers anyway... although I am hearing it has also been windy which isn't as much fun.) We only got about 3-4 inches a couple different times this week. Tahoe added  several feet. Not sure about 10! That's downright scary...

James
63 230SL

[69280sl]

I took the pagoda out for a drive today to keep the battery charged, fluids distributed etc., etc.

It was about 37 deg F, overcast, windy, gloomy, damp and chilly.

I enjoyed every minute of it. Pagodaing is a state of mind.

Gus
68 280sl

[hauser]

Hate to rub it in but had another wonderful 50mi trip today   .  The weather was once again perfect for top down driving   .  Strange thing was I was either driving faster than everyone else or if everyone was just driving slower[:0]?  I'll have to take my GPS along next time and compare my speedo with that of the GPS unit.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[al_lieffring]

One cool thing about winter driving (pun intended)in a pagoda is that on a crisp clear day when the barometric pressure is way up, the motor has a noticable increase in horse power.
Two weeks ago the temp, here in Georgia had dropped down into the 20's(f)and the pressure on the barometer in my kitchen read way up arond 30.2" Hg, as I drove into Athens, the cold dense air made the motor almost seem like it was turbo charged.  


Al Lieffring
66 230SL

[hauser]

Al, I've also driven in the cold and what a difference!  It's as if the car has all this extra power on tap that normally isn't there.  I guess it's natures intercooler.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[TheEngineer]

Yesterday I took my car to Tully's for a cup of coffee. No - the coffee was for me, the car gets "Benzin". But I have the hardtop on and the heat on high. It was in the middle 40's. Yes, that's also the latitude.

'69 280SL,Signal Red,Automatic,retired engineer, West-Seattle,WA

[graphic66]

Last night it was a great Upstate NY rainy cold miserable night. Perfect time to go for a ride to the movies in my 230SL. Top up of course. We drove to the  movie theater George Eastman built for his personal use, the Dryden Theater to see a new movie. The show was "Romance And Cigarettes, a film Directed by John Turturro. He was supposed to be there to present the movie. In a phone interview after the film with the audience he said his flights were canceled to Rochester. I think he may have Googled Rochester and chickened out. He was suprised to hear there was a sellout crowd. The car is so great driving in pouring rain and cold. The North American high output heater pumps heat out so well. What a cozy warm dry ride. At one point I even had to use that rarely used feature, the high speed wiper switch. It really is fun to use these cars as intended and not just on warm sunny days. The sound of rain on the top, the heat pouring out with those 100 watt h-4 lights piercing the rain. It usually is driving snow with tons of salt on the road this time of year. It was a fun departure to take a ride to a rare and historical movie theater in my rare and historical car in the middle of Winter. Get those cars out and enjoy them every chance you can. And if your ever unlucky enough to be in Rochester go check out the Dryden Theater. A real gem.

[J. Huber]

Well, all you guys inspired me... so I got out for a spin this evening -- an what an adventure it turned into. [I should now switch forums to electrical...] I guess I will...


James
63 230SL