MarrsCars

We happened across this lovely (I believe) '42 Cadillac parked at a Target by the Portland airport yesterday and just had to share some space with her for a bit. When we came out she was gone, never got to see the owners but the car had Colorado tags so it seems they are in the midst of a envy-inspiring road trip! The car was sporting a special CCCA tag on the front. Click the images to see full-size versions.

Can anyone else see the photo? I wanted to suggest that you go out and drive a similar running car before you get too involved in the project. It may sound obvious to some, or silly to others, but there have been cars I've lusted after for decades only to dismiss them once I finally got to sit behind the wheel. Sometimes, with older cars, there is little or no adjustment to the seats, wheel, etc., that may make for an uncomfortable driving position, visibility may be lacking, you may just hate the way it feels, and so on. If you can test drive one on a lot somewhere or via a club member, do that and you will then realize you made the best decision ever, or you spared yourself lots of time and money that you can then put into another project you truly like.

Cleanliness of the bar's surface is paramount, you need to keep it absolutely free of dirt and if you drop it, trash it, it's not worth the risk of damaging your paint. Poci1957's suggestion of Storing in a ziplock is an excellent idea, and you must also fold the bar onto itself every so often as you're cleaning to create a clean, fresh surface. I just get in the habit of visually inspecting the surface of the bar every few strokes and once I see a tiny dark line of contaminants start to appear I fold it over again. Also, only ever use the bars with the supplied liquid lubricant, it's key to the bar's ability to glide over the paint surface. This gliding is what keeps the contained contaminants away from your paint. Like all things, you just need to control the instinct to use "every last drop" and replace the bar after a couple of uses rather than trying to make it last for years and years. There was a kit that came with two bars for a while, that was a great value.

I'll play, in no set order I present my list... 1) Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato 2) Aston Martin V8 (I need one of these in my life) 3) Mercedes-Benz 230SL by Pininfarina (only a handful were custom bodied) 4) Iso Grifo 5) Facel Vega HK500 6) Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet 7) Cord 812 Beverly 8) Jaguar xk120 9) Porsche 550 Spyder 10) Daimler Double Six 40/50 Honorable Mention: 1962 Chrysler Imperial/1962 Chrysler 300 Not sure what my obsession is with cars from 1962, no special meaning, wasn't born yet, they just made them great that year!

That is one elegant and bada$$ machine, wow, good work finding that one, or is it yours? Congrats if so!

I will say that no matter what you choose, be sure to get samples of materials first as quality varies. I asked from a couple of the eBay folks in the past and once received I even did some destructive testing to see which was most durable. Especially in the case of vinyls, some resist tearing better than others while some may scratch more easily, also with samples if you look closely at the edges or scratch them deeply you will see if the material is colored all the way thru or just a thin layer on top with white (usually) making up the bulk. The stuff with only a color layer on top will show the white underlayment when it gets scratched and won't look good for very long.

The writer definitely picked the wrong Miura, he chose the later one without the black slat headlight trim.

I believe you may be referring to GAHH: Convertible Tops, Auto Interiors, Quality Convertible Tops as they are a noted interior shop.

If they made them out of birch you could simply peel off a new layer each time you wanted fresh sidewalls.

If you believe something inside is simply sticking you can always try powdered graphite in a tube, sold in the key/lock section of hardware stores. "Puff" a little powder inside then work the key, do it a few times and it may lubricate it enough to free up. Otherwise penetrating fluid as mentioned, but I like to try this first to avoid the soupy mess you sometimes get on your key every time you insert it if you do it in the opposite order, fluid then powder.

There was a 600 but it was later, like 1941-2, does your car look like that more sweeping lines-era of MB or is it more squared-off like a 500 Nurburg? Yes, photos would be idea. Sounds like it's an earlier car misidentified as a later in documents, or perhaps a later car that someone simply got the year wrong but seeing the car will answer that. It would be unusual if it was bodied by VP, but if we know anything, it's that anything is possible when you combine wealth and customization of early cars.

In our Cayenne we had the "new style" leather you speak about and even tho it was on a high end vehicle I hated the finish because it looked and felt so fake. Most modern leathers not only have a dye but a plasticized layer that is affixed over the top to better protect the finish. You can't even use traditional leather conditioners on these new style seats because it just sits on top of the plastic top layer and does not absorb in. To the contrary, the new vinyls have really come so close to matching the thickness, touch, and even fine appearance of grain patterns that they look more like "real leather" than real leather does! Someone mentioned recycled leather, I'd avoid that like the plague, worst of both worlds. Do you remember how pants came with belts largely during the 80's, or if you've ever bought a "leather" belt that literally split and cracked apart right where it folds when taking it on and off after just a few months, that is the recycled leather material made of scraps all pressed into a form. It's the particle board equivalent of leather and does not last very long at all, I'd definitely choose vinyl over this stuff.

MB Tex is the branded vinyl Mercedes-Benz uses in their cars and many owners, even of new vehicles, have no idea it's not real leather. Personally, I prefer it for it's durability and how nice it looks even decades later, but leather does have something special about the way it ages, if well cared for, that really adds something to certain types of cars. I also laugh every time I see someone selling a W140 S-class, the one with the double glazed glass to eliminate wind noise, making a claim that their car is "bullet-proof." I used to broker armored private vehicles so I know that no car is truly bullet proof, just bullet resistant, but that aside they hear some allegorical tale about how the car is so rugged that it could stop a bullet from low powered guns, and decide "that's enough for me, yup, it's bullet proof!" There was even a news report in Portland recently about a pair of thugs who were driving around in a "bulletproof" Mercedes, but it was just one of these factory S-classes.

What an exciting find, I love old Daimlers. This should make for a fun project. I'd love to see it running but otherwise left alone as the perfect Munsters-style family runabout, you know, midnight picnics in the cemetery, etc.

Let's simplify this and say that regardless of what anyone calls the degree of wok they've performed, it's always prudent to check it inside and out, upside and down, to confirm what was touched, painted, chromed, stripped, restored, replaced, replicated, NOS, survivor, original or like new. Everyone has different opinions on what each term mean even tho, oddly, we all know what a total restoration is and is not. If only sellers could learn to cummunicate the same way they did when they were simply buyers themselves or collectors, we wouldn't have these problems. That's why I prefer the term "I just drive it till it breaks."

I've learned that in Los Angeles it's best to not signal your intentions to merge until the last moment as other driver's simply take this as an opportunity to speed up now that you've clued them in to your intentions, but here in Portland if you signal you will literally have an entire lane of cars fall all over themselves to slow down or get out of your way, almost annoyingly so. Moving to Portland almost made me angry dealing with the "slow" drivers but I eventually realized that I will take them any day over the jerks in most cities. Now I drive like an old lady and I love every minute of it! lol Life is better when you're moving slow enough to appreciate the details.

Funny how time distances us and turns a "chore" into a "joy" isn't it? Much like how I love washing any car with great body lines, an old Jag, or 50's Cadillac, but I have no interest in tossing a bucket over a modern Honda at any price.

I threw away half a bag the other day cuz I thought there was something wrong with them. Explains why my complaint letter went unanswered.

How about "motor mounts" when we know that an engine is in our cars unless they are electric, then it's rightly a motor. Or "hub cap" meaning wheel covers, tho I let that one slide since it's been in use for so long. This doesn't really happen among gearheads but I have so many friends who attempt to car talk with me and they use "wheels" to mean everything from the actual wheels, to tires, to the whole setup. When I was asked "Why did you need another alignment, were your wheels wearing down?" I wanted to reply, "No, but my patience is."

Tell them you're hoping the Smithsonian will want it since it was the car Abraham Lincoln rode in during his inauguration. I bet most of them wouldn't even question it.

Oh man that made me smile! I get the opposite reaction, so far the most common question I get about provenance is "did your grandparents leave the car to you?" It seems I drive an "old man's car" but I'm quite content with that.

I use my 220se as my daily driver, but that works well primarily because I do not have a commute so my mileage is purely at will. I'd like to know who drives their vintage or classic every day, to work or whatever the case may be. In Portland, I see hundreds of funky old cars used as DD's every year, most being Volvos and British makes (courageous owners no doubt), with some Benzes and American 50's iron seen less often.

Congrats, your enthusiasm and excitement come right through the computer screen! What a thoughtful gift and one you clearly will appreciate for what it is and what it means. Keep us posted on your travels and perhaps even some trips to the fishing hole or drive-in restaurant with Pops!

For those who aren't familiar, Dita Von Teese Burlesque Dancer and a former lover of Marilyn Manson. She also apparently has INCREDIBLE taste in cars. Check out the list she's owned, including a Jaguar, Packard, Cadillac and more. Dita Von Teese Has Pretty Good Taste In Cars

That looks like an early version of a lighted pump, as they appear to be lamps globes hanging around the pump. I bet that's a rare one to find today!