The Start!

This Mercedes Pagoda was sat along side our 220 SEB in the barn in Ireland and had similarly been stood for over 20 years. Originally it would have been an Ivory White, but at some point it has had a Bright White flash over. This is a bit of a shame, because like the 220 the body is in exceptional condition. With the car back at Eclectic HQ and up on the ramps we have been able to give her a really good check over and have found almost nothing to worry about when it comes to rust. There is a very thick under seal across the underside of the car, which has kept it in good condition, but it is beginning to flake and is very dry coming off in chunks when you get a screwdriver under it. Having done its job we will remove it all, make sure it is not hiding anything nasty (we are pretty sure it isn’t) and put a new coat on. The car is also going to get a full repaint, mechanical overhaul and interior trim.

Getting an MOT

The first job with our Pagoda project car is to get an MOT on her so that we can start the UK registration process and put a few miles under her belt to see what will need improving/replacing whilst we have got her stripped at the paint shop.  When I asked the boys what they were doing they said “exactly the same as the 220 SEB” and shoved their heads back under the bonnet.  For those of you who missed that job this in-tales a massive wallet beating at Mercedes Benz Kidlington followed by replacing or rebuilding all the usuals suspects such as the water pump, hoses, brakes, fuel lines and engine/suspension mounts.

With a little fresh fuel and a basic service kit the Mercedes sprung into life and apart from making a racket from the holed exhaust settled down to an even idle whilst we got the oil hot enough to do a fluids change.

We are asked whether or not we would like to get involved in building a Split Screen Van for a customer of ours at the back end of last year. He had bought himself a double side door van whilst operating a lap top during a drinking session from VW dealers in Holland, Kieft and Klock. The beast in question was a rolling shell, so we despatched Mel from Flying Blue Dog Transport to fetch it back for us. When we got the van it was clear that there was a substantial amount of welding and paint work that would be required before we could even start thinking about the running gear or interior.

Sorting out the shell

As you can see from the photographs above the shell is generally in good condition and the majority of the paint is also very good. Our client is not looking to win any concourse events with the van but he does want it to look the business and be 100% solid on the underside. The very first thing to do was to cut away the cab floor and weld in a repair panel. With this done we could turn our attention to the outriggers and belly pans that had seen better days. With all of the metal work done it was time to work out how much of the exterior would need painting.

Apart from needing a jolly good service there is just the usual little bits that need either cleaning up or replacing. These include countless bulbs, brake shoes, a rear wheel bearing, a front king pin and some new bushes.

When these are all done we will have a trip down to the MOT centre and after that it is the open road!

Whilst Frankie is getting on with painting the Mercedes 220 SEB Dan is busy polishing and refurbishing all of the parts that have been removed.

The Chrome on the big Merc is in excellent order so it really just needs a jolly good clean up and polish, but whilst it is off we are also protecting the underside by cleaning off any surface rust, treating the metal and painting it with silver Hammeright. This will help keep it in tip top condition for the next 20 years.

We have found a great source of parts here in the UK from a company called North West Opel who have been very helpful. You can call Andrew on 07977 950044 for assistance.

Also many thanks to the Kadett forum who have been very helpful with the project.

With Jonny off at college today Martin is cracking on with our newest bit of stock. The 356 has spent a good deal of the last 20 years in a collection and although in very good order we must give it a thorough check over and service to make sure it is up to scratch and won’t let it’s new owner down.

After a long inspection Martin has given me a list of basic service items to buy and whilst we are waiting for these to arrive he can get on with cleaning up the brakes. When he has finished that we will get Dan to clean and detail the underside of the car before Martin cracks on with the service work.

Under starters orders!

We have found this amazing little Opel Kadett 1.2 Coupe hiding in a barn, untouched for the last quarter of a century. The bodywork, structure, trim and interior are in total time-warp condition and she should just need mechanical re-commissioning before it will be off to the MOT station. She is currently on the back of the trailer and heading back to HQ for a date with the workshop. We will keep you updated.

Mechanical check over and getting her started

The Kadett arrived last night and burst into life with a bit of new fuel and a twist of the key so knowing that she will live to fight another day the boys have put together a list of what we will need to get an MOT and for her to be reliable. To be honest I can pretty much guess what they will want by now, but if you ever leave a car for twenty odd years in a barn this will be the list your mechanic will give you!

Exhaust System – From down pipe backwards which includes 2 silencers and associated hangers/rubbers.
Front Brake Discs
Anti Roll Bar Bushes – Front
Steering Rack Gaiters
Front and Rear Flexible Brake Hoses
Gear Box Mounts
Engine Coolant and Heater Hoses
Top and Bottom Wishbone Mounting Rubbers at Body
Points
Condenser
Rear Wheel Cylinders (x2)
Calliper Over Haul Kits (x2)
Water Pump
Master Cylinder Overhaul Kit (Teves)
Brake Shoes (rear)
Brake Reservoir Cap,
Washer Jet
Gear Leaver/Gearbox Bush (under passenger compartment)
Heater/Water Valve
Thermostat
Radiator Cap
Carb Rebuild Kit (Solex)
Throttle Linkage Bulk Head Grommet
Oil Filter
Air Filter
Spark Plugs
Rotor Arm
Distributor Cap
HT Leads
New Castrol Classic 20W/50 Oil
Fan Belt

Underside Detail

Whilst we are getting all these little bits together it is time for the Kadett to spend some time in Dan’s valeting bay. A quick wash, hover and an hour or two attacking the inside of the car with Autoglym’s Super Interior Cleaner has proved that the Kadett is in good shape, both cosmetically and structurally so the transformation can begin with out a trip to the welders, FANTASTIC!

The first job is to remove the front grill and give it a paint up and polish, this also gives us a chance to check that there is no rot lurking behind the trim and lights. More good news…there isn’t any! After this is done it is up on the ramps to remover the wheels, so that we can go and get some new tyres and remove the rotten exhaust pipe. With this done it is time to clean off all the muck and old under seal from the underside of the car, checking carefully for any rot or holes.

With all the grime taken off and the surfaces thoroughly de-greased it is time to spray an anti-rust treatment on the metal and then prime the suspension components, axle and drive shafts. Once this has dried off we can then under seal the floor plan and paint the suspension components with a satin finish black paint. It takes about 5 coats to give a good finish which will last for the future. The drums are painted with a heat resistant product otherwise the paint will flake as soon as they get used. With the back end done it is time to move up front!

Getting the brakes sorted

We have had a batch of parts turn up in the post today so with Martin off for his own MOT Jonny is getting on with rebuilding the brakes on the back of the Kadett. The components that are on there must have been relatively new when she went into storage because they are hardly worn, but there is a bit of corrosion on the inside of the drums which needs cleaning off and the shoes and wheel cylinders have perished due to the time they have been in active. He is also replacing the flexible hoses which have become un-flexible over the last 20 years and have cracked!

We have found a great source of parts here in the UK from a company called North West Opel who have been very helpful. You can call Andrew on 07977 950044 for assistance.

Also many thanks to the Kadett forum who have been very helpful with the project.