In the romantic spirit of February, allow me to relay a story about a passionate but short relationship between a year-old and classic German three years his senior. We love to personify automobiles, giving them names, referring to them in affectionate terms, treating them better classic our real-life partners at times.
They can break our hearts too. In Octoberafter years of deliberating and fantasising, my foray into classic car ownership had seen fruition. It was a Mercedes-Benz W, the E derivative or so one thought — classic on that later and it had filled me with considerable excitement. It certainly looked great from most angles.
Excellent paint, with most of its original fixtures intact, including the set of heavy rubber mats that were factory-issued. Best part was that it was a four-speed manual. We fell in love on that first interaction.
Dating champagne-hued Benz felt sprightly, solid, with a positive gearshift action, a "dating" motor and no perturbing rattles or clunks.
Of course, there was money to be spent. My W was treated to a new battery, new radiator, new thermostat, new expansion tank, new fuel distributor and rotor, fresh spark plugs and fresh coolant. You could say I got carried away, because I bought click to see more small inventory of parts that, turns out, were not really necessary.
That included new brake discs and pads, a timing chain kit, air filter, oil filter, water pump, cabin filter, fan blade and cabin filter. Divorced dating uk to my mechanic, these parts already on the vehicle were still in fine fettle.
Then there were the cosmetic bits. I sent the interior wooden trim off for refurbishment. The guy did a rubbish job, so I had to find https://telegram-web.online/hot-intensity-dating-site.php replacements altogether.
I also ordered a new gearstick and rubber boot housing while at it, because the old ones were horrid. Its eight-hole wheels were sent off for refurbishment. And I figured the tired-looking centre caps would look odd against these freshly painted alloys, so off to the local Mercedes dealer I went to buy a set.
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It cost more than you would think. This left me a little deflated. So there it was. My W, fitted with a list of new parts, fully valeted and ready to enjoy. And enjoy I did. Leisurely December cruises with period-correct music playlists, lazy afternoon wash-downs, this was everything I had imagined classic ownership to be. Sometimes I would even let my girlfriend join us.
I did about km in the car, each one a joy. But the blow that would render our relationship well and truly classic was just around the corner. You see, friends, you can inspect a car as closely as you want — pore over the hood, squint at the bodywork from various angles and press down at each corner — but until the car you are inspecting has been put on a lift, chassis in the air, lights underneath, you have no idea what that good-looking exterior might be concealing.
And for my W, things were not looking good. The engine, steering box and gearbox were seeping their respective fluids. Not significantly enough to classic a puddle on the floor — but viewed directly from below, the drips were clear. The engine mountings were shot.
New inner and outer tie-rod ends were required, in addition to lower control arms and ball joints.
BLACK CLASSIC DATE
The shock absorbers needed replacing, as well as the rear drag links. Even more worryingly, droplets of fuel were finding a way out of a perished breather pipe. Oh and handbrake strength was insufficient. Despite all that, the DEKRA agent commented on how sturdy the old warhorse seemed during his short test drive. After three decades, any car is bound to need extensive work. I was at a crossroads. Spend even more money trying to get the W in top shape, or disinvest altogether. I chose the latter. After several tyre-kickers and low-ballers, a genuine buyer emerged.
A few days after he had taken delivery, he sent images of my former beloved car in a state of dismantle, about to receive much-needed work on the suspension, as a dating. His dating is to complete a full restoration. I feel happier knowing that the car will get a second shot at life and that I played some role in its journey.
Subscribe Sign dating. This is why dating a classic car is no bed of roses. Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. Subscribe now. The author and his Mercedes-Benz W The relationship was fleeting. Image: Waldo Swiegers.
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A clean exterior hid a long list of unseen mechanical issues. The author replaced the wooden interior trim and installed a new gearstick and rubber boot housing. The wheels were treated to a full refurbishment. How Daft Punk made the Ferrari impossibly cool Daft Punk on Monday shocked the music world when they announced via YouTube that they were disbanding.
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