GRRRR.

Just back from my return roadtrip from Atlanta, and the Merc (despite assurances that it would be in the shop Tuesday) is *still* sitting in that shop's parking lot. Grr. GRR.

Otherwise, good things. I've got the fitted luggage set for the car, its hubcaps, and some other small bits.

I also took a small side trip this morning into Salina, Kansas, just off my route across I-70. I met up with another Ponton owner, a fellow named Rich, and went to see his car.

But, it wasn't what I was expecting. His Mercedes is tricked out for rally races - meaning, the interior is stripped down, with a roll bar and racing seats (with five-point harnesses). Extra gauges on the dash, and a setup in the middle of the dash where the fuses have been relocated - they're all wide open, so the co-driver can quickly rip a dead fuse out and pop a new one in while they're on the road!

The car was used for rally racing by its previous owner - Rich acquired it for the same purpose. He's run it in a big rally race in Mexico several times - La Carrera Panamericana. This race started sometime in the 50s, and currently no cars older than 1964 (I believe) are permitted to run in the race.

Here's a YouTube link to a slideshow from the 2008 event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BhVusm9tZg&feature=player_embedded

Back in 2005, Rich rolled his Merc during this race - slid out, caught a front wheel in a rut and flipped it twice - only stopping because it ran into a convenient tree with the driver side door - IN THE AIR - and then slid down five feet to the ground. He had the car fixed back up and raced it again - and then this past spring, a shop that the car was in BURNED to the GROUND and cooked the car good. Right now it's in ANOTHER shop being restored to functional status. Crazy!

Still still nada. :/

Went by the shop again - one day shy of *three weeks* my Merc has been sitting out in that parking lot. And it's still there.

Chatted with the shop owner, who was just pulling up as well. He tells me that the place he ordered the carb rebuild kit from, turns out they had the wrong kit, and it's now taking more time to get the right one. He and his mechanic are doing the Christmas vacation thing shortly as well - and won't actually wheel the car into his shop until *next* week.

A couple of bits of progress, though. Yesterday, with the help of one of my neighbors, I got my workbench/hutch and some wall-mount shelving finally set up. It took two folks to get the hutch up, as it's very large and unwieldy. I tried doing it by myself, and nearly lost my head as the thing toppled over, right *over* me, and slammed on my garage floor, narrowly avoiding hitting my 4runner. It did snap one of the horizontal support pieces, but that's minor.

And, just a few minutes ago, I got in a package from MB - the service manual CDs, and the MB-star hood ornament I ordered last week.

The CDs are handy right now. After I got the shelving up, I started shuffling car stuff that was sitting on the garage floor (in small boxes) over to the shelves. One part I found, I realize I think I know what it is - it's flaps that are part of the heater box assembly that I messed around with a couple of weeks ago (see older post titled "Heater Box"). May well come in handy.

Still nada!

I'm hoping the Merc actually got hauled into the shop today. It's been just over two weeks since I had it towed down. The delay has been in waiting on a carburetor rebuild kit to arrive.

I just ordered service manuals on CD from the MB Classic Center. Those will be invaluable once the time comes to start in on the car in earnest.

While on the phone with Tom at the MBCC (who I imagine I will be talking to quite a bit in the coming months, heh), I also ordered a couple of small goodies - the MB logo emblem that mounts on the top of the front grill, and the spring required to hold that piece down. I knew I'd need these bits eventually, so I figured I'd go ahead and order them now.

The logo emblem on that car has been missing for I don't know how long. I recall my parents having purchased two or three over the years - and every time, some weasel would steal it off the car. They finally just gave up and quit replacing it.

I've also got a line on part of the passenger side heater box assembly that I'll eventually need... waiting on a bit of confirmation that it's compatible with my car (which I'm 99% sure of) before pulling that trigger.

Waiting still sucks.

I spoke to the guy at the shop today. He's still waiting on the carb rebuild kit to show up.

We also chatted about the gas tank. He may well take the tank out, and have it hauled up to another shop in Longmont (next little town north, about fifteen minutes away) to have the tank worked on. It may well have some rust on the inside, which isn't good as said rust can come off and then get into the carb.

This other shop apparently will clean the inside of the tank out using some sort of acid, and then coat it with a plastic-like substance. Kind of a lifetime seal sort of thing. I figure, it's probably for the best - I want to be able to drive this car for the foreseeable future, so anything that's going to remove a possible breakdown issue down the road, I'm for.

That said, I may well be looking at another week or two (augh!) before the car's even remotely ready.

I also spoke to my cousin (who had the car for a while) today. Turns out he's got a part I wasn't aware of - it's the Merc-logo cap that sits in the center of the steering wheel. (There's a decent pic of the steering wheel in an older post.) The cap that's in the wheel now is pretty well cracked - I figured this would be a semi-costly piece to acquire. Not a worry anymore!

He also tells me now that he thinks the clutch is starting to go on the car... guess I'll find out once it's running again.

Waiting sucks. :)

I know it's going to take at least a week until the Merc is running again - assuming this shop is successful in getting it running. It shouldn't be a big worry.

But I'm itching to get it back!

I had a weird revelation the other day, when the tow truck guy was finishing up securing the Merc on the flatbed - I have *never driven* this car. Ever. I rode in it many times as a child - but my parents had quit driving it by the time I was old enough to drive. I learned to drive in my mom's crappy 1979 Mustang - Worst. Mustang. EVER.

So, assuming the shop gets the car running... driving it back home will be my first time behind that wheel.

In other news, the last piece of the wood dashboard pieces I bought arrived last night - the main top dashboard piece. The finish is shot, like the other smaller pieces, but it's in good structural shape, which is the main thing.

Today, someone on the Ponton group posted about an eBay auction for a heater box, that was in really good shape - a minor bit of damage that is fixable. Sadly, it turns out to be for the driver's side - and I need the passenger side unit! I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football right now.

Empty Garage Syndrome

Today, I pulled the trigger and had the Merc hauled down to this nearby shop I found. The goal is to simply get it running again. Hopefully that won't be a huge deal (read: parts/labor $$$).

It'll probably take a good week or so. Greg (the shop owner) has to order a carburetor rebuild kit, not sure how long that'll take to arrive, and then the actual work. Plus the gas tank needs draining, and hopefully the tank and related other bits are still in good shape and don't require any extra work.

Guess we'll see.