I didn't think I would continue this Blog past the arrival date; however, after a couple of weeks off I figured, why the hell not. Today I started detailing the engine bay. I hoped to spend most of the day getting a handle on it, but we had to do a home visit to place a rescue dog and then grocery shopping, etc., etc., so what I planned to be a six-hour stint turned into two hours, thus barely scratching the surface. If you have ever detailed a neglected Mercedes-Benz 560SEC engine bay then you can feel my pain. The amount of debris collected in every crease and crevice is substantial. I began by blowing it out, first with a gas powered yard blower and then with a hose attached to my air compressor to reach the tighter spaces. After that it was on to the Shop Vac with assorted attachments. I is truly unbelievable the amount of crap that accumulates when a car is left out and neglected. From there I thought I would tackle the air cleaner housing, but as I started I realized the worst part under the hood was really the space below the windshield. Whatever idiot moron that passed himself off as a "detailer" sprayed that damned dressing all over the engine compartment, much of which ended up on the black panel immediately below the windshield. Almost the entirety of the two hours was spent on this area alone. Needless to say little else was done in time for "Johnny's" not ready for prime time debut at Williamsburg's C&C in the morning. It does look like rain tomorrow so the whole exercise may be moot and instead I can spend the day continuing to clean the engine compartment. If you have not had the pleasure of detailing under the hood of a 560SEC then you are missing a treat. There are more hoses, hydraulic lines, wires and electrical connections than on the U.S.S. Enterprise. This is going to be a long job, but for me it is a kind of therapy. My day job can get rather stressful, so it's nice to have this escape when time and conditions permit.
Yesterday I had "Johnny's" battery replaced. The "Used Battery" so prominently displayed was by now was such a complete and utter point of annoyance I simply had to do something about it. The fact that I asked the PO how old the battery was before I picked up the car and him telling me it was only two months old, only to find out it was a "used battery" was flabbergasting. Be that as it may, along with a number of other details, including the promise of the "second set of keys" which subsequently turned into one other "spare" or "flat" key that has never been sent despite numerous promises to the contrary, I still absolutely love this car and don't begrudge Mike the premium I paid him. We have a long way to go yet, but at the end of the day "Johnny" will be a primo example of the series and with his pedigree he is bound to be a fan favorite. I have no intention of "flipping" this car or selling to anytime soon. Although this will not be my only project, nor my last, I do not expect to say sayonara to "Johnny" for a long, lone time.
Next time I'll cover what has been done mechanically to date. It's quite extensive, although I believe it is only the tip of the ice berg. Stay tuned.
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