1st road trip in the $100 TD
 

YeeeeHaaaaaaaaa:D

I am leaving in the morning from San Antonio bound for Houston,
I spent today flushing the transmission, filter, top fluids. etc.

The filter and flush did wonders for the tranny going into 1st...
not all together good, but it is going in.
Bled the brake lines.....good pedal now, but the vacuum boost
is not working, it is a very hard pedal as far as stopping. I should
be fine as the interstate is only 1/2 mile from the start point, and
less that that from the stop point so I needn't go through stop and go
traffic.

I also rotated the tires, putting the "maypops" on the front
and the "willpops" on the rear:rolleyes:.

I did get a chance to take it on the high way very briefly
tonite and got it up too 65mph or so.....this thing has more
shakes the MacD's:eek:, but the steering was good and the motor
ran like a top.

I got about $70 in it today, $85 for the Battery last week.
and of course the $100 purchase price.

If it makes it, Am I officially in the cheap wagon club?
If not, Anyone interested in a parts car?

A running and drivable wagon for under $1000 is an automatic Cheap Wagon Club member......
Maypops and willpops :eek::eek::eek:
Good luck!

No power brakes:eek::eek::eek:

I bought my first car, a 1973 Plymouth Valiant for $50. I spent 10 times that fixing it up, etc. and it was still a POS. At least you're starting with a Mercedes. Try to get those safety items dealt with soon!

Just a side note: A rear blowout is more dangerous than a front blowout... A rear blowout can set up a chain reaction of movements that throw the vehicle out of balance and can result in a spin or flip because drivers tend to overcorrect and "chase" the cars movements.

Have fun! :)

1954 Ford panel truck, $60 split between me and a roommate in 1967. :eek:

My first, A beautiful 1965 Chrysler New Yorker fully loaded including a factory AM/FM radio and deep blue paint with light blue interior! Price in 1976: $750! Still miss it!

I still get the sweats driving my wagon - same as the day I drove home from the shady car dealer who told me "...we BELIEVE it is safe to drive..."

it is probably THE most stressful, reoccurring episode in my life right now.

I just got a free Toyota Camry

Sounds a lot my $300 1977 300D.

I'm leaving shortly..........please pray for me:rolleyes:.

$100 bucks for a wagon benz what a deal... Let's see what car did I purchase for $100...oh a 1986 dodge carnival, it was a nighmare, loves to stall in the freeway...

I wouldn't leave my driveway without power brakes. I'll say a prayer. Let us know when you get home safely.

What the heck is a Dodge Carnival?

edit: Oh, you meant a Plymouth Caravelle...ick that's one hideous contraction.

Car brakes evenly and I am also able
to lock the wheels up in a panic stop.
My concerns do not lie with not being
able to stop safely

You can also downshift while braking for extra assist from the engine. Having power brakes is a nice luxury but the car should be driveable, at least temporarily, without them. I would consider tires and brakes to be the most important areas though so getting them squared away should be high on your list. You can find tire specials and get 4 for around $200-$250 and while I know that's more than you paid for the car you really should have safe rubber on the road...good luck!

She made the trip better than I could have ever imagined:cool:.
Not even a hint of leaving me sit:D.
Inside of 15 minutes on the road she had wrapped her loving
arms around me and just oozed confidence in getting us there.

Now comes the delemma.......The list is long and the fund short,
but she is in no way ready to rest.My mind says parts as there
is much work to do just to make her a daily beater, and she will
never be a show car, but I could almost hear her saying " I am
not ready to die....I wanna live"

This is gonna be a tough one.
The short list.......
Vacuum pump inop........hence, no power brakes among other things
SLS inop.........
Doesn't just "mark" territory, this thing has a bladder control problem.
oil everywhere, and the PO lived about 3 miles down a dirt road so
I am going to need to spend a long time getting the motor and
undercarriage clean just so I can find the leaks.
Tires
windshield has 5 stone chips, plus both Passenger doors must be replaced.

I must be nuts:o.

That's not a bad list.
If she's not ready to die, let her live!
Even if you can't do everything right away, just
explain to her what is going on so she doesn't think
you're ignoring her. Pat her hood daily so she knows
you're thinking of her even when she isn't driving you.

Oh, and lets not forget why she way parked to begin with............
A tranny not shifting right:o

Don't give her up to parts.
You rescued her, it's up to you
to help her back on the road.

If not, give her to me and I will. :)

the tranny wont shift "right " until you fix the vacuum issues.

Lack of vacuum should make it shift hard.....not the case.
It very slowly slides into first, from there all is good.