Relentlessly Plastic-y

Whenever I buy a project car, I start a milk crate of take off parts. Every chrome plated interior sheet metal screw goes into a jar, that lives in the crate, as at some point I will either find it's home or a similar loss elsewhere will require the same sort of screw. It can be a bit of a burden e.g. if you replace spark plug wires, do you keep the old ones?

The door map pocket poses no such dilemma. It is total and catastrophic failure. Short of 3-d printing a new one, this is an salvageable situation. Under engineered, certainly, but the amount of plastic in "modern classics" means they sort of dissolve all at once. The vacuum line junctions break at the exact same moment that the map pocket falls off which is the same instant that the plastic trim holders disintegrate.

The door map pocket is satisfying in that succinctly answers whether to keep it. It is true garbage.

(Should I make a replacement pocket from wood? Guess I better keep the plastic one for a template...)

Pro Tip for the Truckers, Kickers and the Cowboy Angels

Wherever you happen to be working, set down a rag as a temporary workbench. Rather than tools kicking around the floorboards or underfoot, it is so much more sensible to have a defined space. Also, from the Department of Always Be Knolling, point all the tools in the same direction. It is easier to see what you have and what you need.

This tip gets better...

When you are done working, you just roll up the rag as a pseudo tool roll to get the items back their respective homes. Use the same rag to wipe the tools as you put them away. Wipe hands.

This is a hundred dollar tip. Believe it, brother.

Backside of the Mercedes Grill

I am doing a 0000 steel wool and rattlecan refurb of the Mercedes grill. In the process, I am removing those tacky grill badges that tend to appear on 1970's Benz. The fastening system was even worse than something that I would do. Ultimately, it feels like it was more work than doing it right.

$25 City Bike Project

New Rubber

Doesn't take a lot of Googling to find people saying lots of bad things about Uro windshield and rear window seals. It is true, they sure don't look like a OE component, but the price is solid and they are functional. If you are going to Pebble Beach, I guess you have to call Tom at the Classics Center, but for the rest of us, I think the Uro seals are fine.

My favorite glass place in the Valley installed for $100 for front and rear (I supplied parts.) It was a LOT of work. Two guys working for an hour and a half.

Another notable upgrade, period correct freeway flyer KMA-367 metal license plate frames. Google that!

My 90,000 mile, European delivery, $1500, rust free Mercedes 220 is the least disappointing old car purchase that I have ever made. Plenty wrong, but plenty right and nothing really evil lurking.

When you have a total piece of crap, you are dumping time and money and it always still sorta sucks. But, if the car is solid and together, little upgrades and fixes really make a material impact that you can feel. I replaced the rubber donuts holding up the muffler and I felt like I won the lottery.

My favorite glass place: across the street from the orange octopus on Pendleton. Not in the Pick a Part parking lot, but on Pendleton.

Surplus to Continuing Operations; Available Now! In Person at Coco's Variety, Please.

Newly Standardized Pneumatic Drawer

$2 Upgrade

From today's garage sales.

Contingency "Keychain" for Trunk Tool Box

Rally and Classics Volume 6