Quote:
Originally Posted by Idle
The recommended treatment for the rubber seals and weather stripping at this time was to apply a coating of glycerin. You might get a small bottle and try it on a piece of weather stripping that looks like it might respond to see what effect it has on bringing it back.
This old weather stripping just soaks this stuff up so put it on slowly and let it soak in.
And it might not work. But if it does use it anyplace you can as it is easier than installing new rubber. The rubber compounds dry out and somehow the glycerin restores the 'liquid' content to the rubber.
This little tip is going to be like a lot of things on this car: You will not know what really works until you try the thing and see if it works.
And hang on to that battery hold down frame in the trunk. These are almost impossible to find since so many of them were just eaten away by the battery tech of the times.
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Good to know on the glycerin. I think that my local craft store carries that (don't ask how I know lol) I will pick up a small bottle to keep on hand. I'm sure once I do get it out and into my garage I'll have plenty of time to treat the seals over and over and over again until they won't absorb anymore, haha.
Also you are right on the battery hold down, I hadn't even noticed how scarce it was until I looked at some other W189s online and only 1 out of every 4 actually still had it in place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cth350
Take the spare rim and get a tire on it. Then swap that for a dead rear wheel and to the next one. Take the drums off carefully, they are going to cost an amazing amount of money. You can get away with leaving them off if you replace them with a stack of washers that make up the thickness so you can bolt the rims back on. A sign on the dash saying "no brakes. Keep the wheels chocked at all times" would be a good idea if go that route.
After you get it rolling, you have two options. The one I strongly suggest you take is to sell the car, take cash and feel glad that you passed the car onto somebody.
-cth
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This would be a very good idea I'm sure and save me some major grief when moving it..... I probably will just take the drums off like you suggest and use the washer trick. Even if the brakes aren't stuck I really doubt they would function anyways so probably no difference other than to not have to take each whee back off to remove the drums once I find out that the brakes are stuck! So I'll probably do the washer trick and safely pack up the drums separately.
I'm really hoping that the car will at least shift out of park and into neutral for moving purposes but I probably won't be that lucky.
I understand that the car would bleed me dry of every dime to restore correctly and possibly just to get roadworthy. However I have already accepted that I will not be able to bring it back to show level unless I make it a very long term project. My main goal is to stop it from further deteriorating by getting it into a concrete floor garage and tinkering with it as I can to help preserve it and go from there.
Parts are just insanely expensive it seems but hopefully a lot of things can be salvaged and used. What can't be ill just have to make do without unless it is a necessary part. Cosmetic items will be put on hold until mechanical items are addressed. I've already looked at prices for injection parts and engine parts as well as brakes and they are intense for sure.
I guess I can't really see exactly what direction I will go until I have it out into the daylight so I can see exactly what I have to work with.