Too bad you are not close. I could use the motor Sent from my iPhone
> On Mar 16, 2015, at 5:09 PM, clay via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > May I not be forced to live in a cardboard box, but I am now half owner of a > 1975 300D. SWMBA is out of state, so will not find out of this new toy for a > few months > > I think this is another of the K'leb tauntings that I ended up getting. Like > Gump, somebody on list made mention that I should look at this thing. I put > that thought on ignore until last month. IIRC, the car listed for around > $1k. Over time the value decreased and when I looked three weeks ago, CL had > it at $650. PO listed it as no start but had been driven all summer until no > start condition arose. I went to see what I found, and had arranged with #1 > boy that if it were decent, we would go in on it together. Something to get > him out of the basement and learning how to shade tree his own rides later on. > > I went to see it on a cloudy/misty day and learned the PO had a penchant for > older cars. He is driving a '92 w190, but had an old SD at one point, and > got this car (300D) on a lark, thinking he would restore it somehow. Owner > before him has sort of boogered the car up by installing seats out of an SE > (w126) and they did not want to stay bolted down. Windows had stopped > working and were half down, so in our climate mold had set up shop. The > driver side doors had also developed a latching issue and would not remain > shut. There was obvious external rust on the rear quarter panel, but the > fronts seemed solid. Somebody had tried to renovate the car a number of > years ago with generic carpet and padding on the floor, put bundts all > around, installed the wrong battery, had aftermarket speakers front and back, > messed up alligator texture original silver paint. > > The no start was due to "shakes went starts" that had worn the cable to the > starter until it snapped. No electrons to the starter. I saw that and while > hooked to my W220 battery (jump attempt) had him glow the thing and try a > start while I held the cable to the place on the starter it wanted to be. I > used heavy rubber gloves, but would not have complained if I was taken out by > my own stupidity. The thing did attempt to turn over. So, that indicated > that the engine was not seized and that the starter wanted to work. Seemed > like it might work for a messing around car. > > I returned home and shared my data with #1 boy. He was noncommittal, which > is fine. I made interested noises to the seller, but told him I had a few > other things to consider, so he should feel free to offer it to somebody with > cash. His price was not in line with the value, and I was not going to waste > cash or time getting the car in much better shape. From what I had seen, > this would be a great 24 Hours of LeMons car. Strip it down and salvage what > I could to fund the project. > > Seller contacted me last week and said all the other tire kickers were far > from interested. If I wanted, he would sell for $400 or just take the $300 > for scrap value, since he really needed it gone. This time #1 boy was a bit > more interested, and we made plans to drag the thing home. I had hoped to > put some fresh fuel in, and connect the starter cable, or build myself one. > As back up, I made up a 0 gauge cable and faked up a bumper guard for the > pusher in case I could get it bump started. And off he went in the pouring > rain. > > We arrived in good time and rousted the seller. Poked around the car trying > to get wires secured and the doors strapped shut. Hooked the jumper cables > to the battery and let some juice flow so that I could give it a start. A > quarter hour later, there were no electrons being saved in the battery and > there was not enough juice to get the starter to engage, but there was enough > for glow. I should mention that the ignition was hacked, and you needed to > push on a mystery button under the steering column, sort of like the gorilla > knob on Gump to get the plugs glowing. That is as good as any car alarm for > me. We closed the deal and I had #1 boy give the car a push for an attempt > at bump start. At least we got out of the sellers neighborhood before I > figured out there was not enough electron flow for the ignition to kick in > and light off the engine. We made it to a commercial center and I called AAA > for a ride home. > > I sat in the lot waiting for the truck for about an hour and a half. Rain > pouring down, windows open, driver seat unbolted and reclined back on the > rear bench seat, and the mobile phone battery crapping out. The section of > town is not a prosperous one. A very "multicultural" area where the cop cars > are of the SUV/armored looking sort, not the dainty Crown Vic. Many sirens > and pairs of patrol cars responding to all manner of nefarious activities. I > am waiting for a "brother" or "vato" to walk up and knife me while I soak. > > It did give me a chance to look over the interior a bit more. Some > salvageable parts I could offer on Fleabay. I needed the old fashion AC > control for Froggy. Some other parts would come in handy for selling. Pull > the door cards and hardware, along with windows and motors. Vac lock stuff. > Not too much buyers remorse. Just get the frigging thing home, then I can > mess about with it. And I get wetter and sopping by the time the wrecker > arrives and winches the car onboard. We made quick work of delivery to my > driveway and he was off to another job. I debated putting a car cover over > the thing for the night, but the one I have is soaking wet at the moment, so, > NO. I did hook the battery to a charger and let is soak up electrons for the > night. Number one boy texted me in the darkest hours of the morning that the > cabin light was on, but he was running late for work. Well, at least there > is enough juice in the lead box that the light comes on. > > After coffee this morning I went out to the car, pulled off the charger and > gave it a go. Turned the key, pushed the glow button for a goodly while, and > then hit the ignition. It lit off like a champ, with minor complaints and > loads of black smoke. Well, at least the engine works! I did not bother > trying the other knobs and stuff, just put it in D and tried to move forward. > It did not. Drop it to L and it eked forward. Good enough. Sun is out, > the place is getting dryer, time to start taking excess bits off and seeing > just how much work lies ahead. Mayhap I learn to weld some and can tackle > rust repairs, parts removal, and have a partner to get it rolling well enough > that I take it to the MBCA show and shine this August instead of another car. > Rat Rod should get the feathers ruffled on the purists. Straight pipes and > a Thrush resonator, no muffler. > > > > > clay > > 2002 s430 - Victor, a Stately & well tailored chap > 1974 450sl - Frosch - Two tone green > 1972 220D - Gump - She was green, simple and ran > 1995 E300D - Gave her life to save me against a Dame in a SUV > POS 1987 SDL - Beware Nigerian Scammers > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: https://server.secureplusplusfour.net:2083/cpsess595060604/3rdparty/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
