Hello,
Have been reading pelican/forums for sometime and looking for the right 300d. Finally pulled the trigger and picked up a beautiful russet brown 300d 1983. Also have a mocha brown 911 sc 1982 and have appreciated pelican assistance with technical issues. The 300d is great. 109k miles and seems mechanically doing well. Palomino interior MB tex. Drives amazing and tracks better at 65mph than the 04 landcruiser. Overall I am very pleased with the car and have redone various interior parts and glued a lot of trim pieces. However, I live in south MS and there aren't many MB repair shops around here. So I'm looking forward to learning MB projects as I go. I've been starting on small projects to keep this car in excellent shape. Also worked on the chrome and exterior rubber which made a big difference. I was going to repaint the wheels but after a good cleaning they looked pretty good. But of course, there are some persisting issues that I will ask some advice about. Thanks in advance for your advice... Here are a few questions for now:

1-Rough 1-2 upshift. Vacuum to transmission is OK. I am thinking about adjusting the green plastic "modulator" or should I plan on just replacing this as well? Does transmission fluid make a big difference in auto shifting smoothness? In the 911 gearbox changing out fluid made a big difference in shifting.

2-Pinstriping. It is cracking off and detracts from the look of the car. Any advice on removing pinstripes (they appear to be tape style, not painted.) Will the area have paint damage where they are removed?

3-Headlight surround plastic. Looks worn and needs replacement. Are there any tricks to removing the bezels? i haven't gotten the new bezels at this point.

4-Right Rear door check strap is broken about 1" off of the body attachment. Are there any options to spot weld or do I need to replace the whole door check strap component?

I am very much enjoying the car and looking forward to keeping it in great condition. Will appreciate any feedback and will come back with more questions in the future.

Thanks,
Jake

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