Thanks! It is a lot cheaper than automotive paint, and is so close to the car color. The four wheels actually look pretty good. I am planning on using a ceramic coating on the car and wheels. That should protect them for a while, and even keep the polished part looking shiny.

300,000 miles today
 

I knew it was close to 300,000 miles, but had forgotten to look at the odometer and take a photo until it was a mile too late. Oh well, close enough. It was a good time to change the oil, so I did just that today. I will then change it every 5,000 miles.

New tires!
 

I just got back from the tire shop with the new tires and wheels. Since I took too long to decide what tire size and brand, I had to go with the only tire that was available today that I could afford. I needed them done today, as I am leaving early tomorrow morning to drive to Monterey for the car show. The tires I was able to get are Mastercraft made by Cooper. I really like the tread pattern and the size, they will look good on the car. The tread is not like your basic soccer-mom mini-van passenger car tire. It is a little more aggressive, and has larger blocks. It looks more like a performance tire than the others I have seen for this size. Now to clean and ceramic coat the rims before installing them on the car.....Rich

The SLD with the new tires and wheels
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1565831782

You were right about them being a perfect color match.

Two Tone Wheels
 

I tolja they'd look sharp ! :P .

Some years back I had a VW Rabbit Rag Top and slapped some of those Coopers on it, they stuck well and wore reasonably well too .

They do look great! Good work!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog You were right about them being a perfect color match.

Thanks all! I am actually pretty happy with how they turned out.

Mats and plates
 

I got back from Monterey, only to find the Coco Mats and license plates I ordered had arrived. The mats are a perfect fit, and they match the color of the car both interior and exterior. I ordered the natural color with white spots. The spots are actually ivory, and match the exterior of the car almost perfectly. If you have an Ivory/Palomino car, this mat color choice looks excellent.

Brass expansion tank
 

Paul sent me a "care package" filled with parts for the car. The most exiting part was a brass expansion tank from a W116. I took it to my local radiator shop and Charlie took it apart, sandblasted the inside, and soldered it back together. Today I started the job of polishing it. It looks pretty good! I will finish it and post a photo.....Rich

I finally got the entire tank polished. I am thinking some kind of clear coat would be good. What do y'all think is best?

A clear ceramic coating would probably last the longest.

I thought about that, and I am sure it would last longer than any spray clear coat. I did the paint on the car and the wheels with ceramic coating, and I have some left. I will apply it before installing the tank.

Speaking from experience, I polished and then waxed mine and it tarnished in only about a year or two. So, I painted mine black as it would have been from the factory. A clear coat or good ceramic coating might work, though.

ATF leak and front brakes
 

ATF leak

The transmission has developed another leak. Upon inspection, it appeared to be coming from the gear selector shaft. I ordered one from our sponsor (among other parts), and cleared my schedule and the use of a lift to change out the seal. Thanks to Kent (you all know who he is, and the videos he makes) for the info on replacing that seal. The shaft was easily removed by removing the bolt holding it on the shift mechanism. The detent roller arm needed to be removed first, thereby taking the pressure off the mechanism. I used a screwdriver to pry the old seal out. I then used a deep socket and a bar (against the trans tunnel) to press in the new seal. The whole job was actually much easier than I had anticipated. I am sure it would be harder in a 123 chassis, as there is less room in the trans tunnel area. Lowering the rear of the trans should help.

Front brakes
The brake wear warning light came on a few times lately, so I ordered front brake pads and wear sensors along with other suspension parts a week ago. I removed the rotors, and took them to my friend (Gerold has a full-on machine shop in his garage) to be turned. I installed the rotors and calipers, and then the pads and sensors. I pushed the pistons all the way in, and could barely get the pads to slide in. I am thinking that maybe there are two different thicknesses of pads and/or rotors. Even though the rotors only had a few thou taken off, the pads fit very tight. I imagine if I had new rotors, I would not be able to get the pads inserted. It all worked out good though, the wheels turn freely and the brakes work great! The pedal is nice and firm as it should be. You can see in the last photo where the lining has worn down to the sensor. I'd say the brake wear sensor system worked flawlessly!