1963 Mercedes Benz 190DC Fintail. First start of 2025.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I have taken off the differential breather to clean it to see if that helps the oil leak. And it is dirty and full of stuff, this car was for the first 20 years of its life almost exclusively used on unsurfaced roads, so it is not surprising.

 

And the breather is quite simple, so after cleaning it was put back on the car.

 

I also topped up the oil on the differential, it wasn't much so the oil leak looks worse than what it is and cleaned around the leak to see if this helped, but I don't think it will. It probably needs a new gasket which is ordered from Germany and on the way.

[Dyslexic Viking]

And I have tested out the new used tank cap/lid and it is not a success. I have made a gasket  for it but It leaks a lot and with how low the filling is, there is a lot of diesel leakage as you can see in the picture below, so I am going back to the new plastic lid for now as it works.

[Dyslexic Viking]

It's already been 3 weeks since the last update and I haven't been able to drive it as much as I wanted and there's nothing to write about it just continues to work like any other car.

1 hour pizza mission down to Blakstad tonight.

[High Jetter]

How do you keep it hot on the way back?

[Dyslexic Viking]

5 hours ago, High Jetter said:

How do you keep it hot on the way back?

I didn't it was bought frozen and heated when came home.

It was just a frozen pizza from the grocery store, there is a pizza place there but they have very bad reviews unfortunately.

[JMotor]

I love the fact you went for a tour to lift a pizza in it.

Tells me you want to drive it for even something like that. I too like taking random trips in my cars.

They are built to be used and why not take it out for a drive just for something.

[Dyslexic Viking]

After over 1 month the W115 water pump pulley has appeared and there are some challenges, it is bigger than what is on the car now and the W115 fan does not bolt right on the pulley as I have to have a spacer between them. There is an original spacer, but I think it is too long. So the water pump conversion is more challenging than expected so this will be postponed until winter when I have more time and money.

[hairnet]

Nit too hard to machine spacer

Or something else not lining up

[Dyslexic Viking]

It has been several weeks since the last update and there is nothing to write about, it just continues to work. 970 km so far this season and has used no oil or coolant and just works, great car.

And since the modern has a broken egr and the Vivaro timing belt is overdue so dont I dare drive it, this is now my only working car.

60km food shopping trip done this morning.

[Sham]

Daily driving a 60 year old Mercedes ex-taxi?

You're the hero we all need.

 

[hairnet]

what modern do you have

you need to touch opel

[Dyslexic Viking]

Just now, hairnet said:

what modern do you have

you need to touch opel

i10 as need a winter beater that is cheap to run.

And the Vivaro will get a new timing belt on 14 August.

[hairnet]

17 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

 

And the Vivaro will get a new timing belt on 14 August.

roulette or scheduled

[Dyslexic Viking]

Just now, hairnet said:

scheduled

That

[hairnet]

hva er dette takk? 

@Dyslexic Viking

[Dyslexic Viking]

3 minutes ago, hairnet said:

hva er dette takk? 

@Dyslexic Viking

Statens Vegvesen marker.

Statens Vegvesen =  state road authority  or something like that.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Took this for a few hours drive today. 

First drove up to Treungen and filled up a full tank with diesel 26.99 liters used in 443km this seems almost unreal but is clearly what the consumption on this is as it has been stable around this for a long time. Then ate an ice cream and continued.

There is still some holiday traffic so drove up Gjøvdal as I haven't been there this year and it was peaceful and nice up there. Stopped and took a break at the top of the valley by the remains of an old Iron Age settlement. And couldn't decide which photo so included both.

 

On the way down the valley I filmed a little.

 

And tomorrow is August 12, so it will already be 2 years since I bought this. And I'm very happy where this one has come to now, the first 14 months of my ownership was a struggle to catch up with the neglect it had gone through over the past decades and to get it in good shape, and I am very happy with where it is now, it is reliable uses almost no fuel and is nice to drive and I really enjoy driving it. So couldn't be happier.

So thanks for reading and as I have said before appreciate all of you it has made all of this even better.

[auntiemaryscanary]

14 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Took this for a few hours drive today. 

First drove up to Treungen and filled up a full tank with diesel 26.99 liters used in 443km this seems almost unreal but is clearly what the consumption on this is as it has been stable around this for a long time. Then ate an ice cream and continued.

There is still some holiday traffic so drove up Gjøvdal as I haven't been there this year and it was peaceful and nice up there. Stopped and took a break at the top of the valley by the remains of an old Iron Age settlement. And couldn't decide which photo so included both.

 

On the way down the valley I filmed a little.

 

And tomorrow is August 12, so it will already be 2 years since I bought this. And I'm very happy where this one has come to now, the first 14 months of my ownership was a struggle to catch up with the neglect it had gone through over the past decades and to get it in good shape, and I am very happy with where it is now, it is reliable uses almost no fuel and is nice to drive and I really enjoy driving it. So couldn't be happier.

So thanks for reading and as I have said before appreciate all of you it has made all of this even better.

Looks and sounds like it's driving beautifully. Gorgeous day and scenery as well.

You should be very proud what you have done to the car especially with the strictness of the Norwegian MoT (compared to not needing one in the UK for cars 40+ years old).

Enjoy, you've earned it!!

[Popsicle]

That looks a lovely drive out and its really good to see you enjoying the car.

Excuse my ignorance as I don't know if you've mentioned it before, but what area of Norway are you in? I know the southern bit is level with Scotland and the northern bit near the artic, but that looked a glorious sunny day and I always assumed it would look a bit colder if that makes sense?

[Dyslexic Viking]

15 minutes ago, Popsicle said:

Excuse my ignorance as I don't know if you've mentioned it before, but what area of Norway are you in? I know the southern bit is level with Scotland and the northern bit near the artic, but that looked a glorious sunny day and I always assumed it would look a bit colder if that makes sense?

I live in Åmli municipality in the south of Norway within the red below.

 

And it's not cold here in summer, it's 20C in the shade right now. But we have quite big temperature differences, it can be plus 30c in the summer and minus 30c and colder in winter.

So it is not cold most of the year. And include the temperature here over the last year in case anyone is interested.

 

And I have posted pictures from the area here if that is of any interest.

 

[Popsicle]

2 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I live in Åmli municipality in the south of Norway within the red below.

 

And it's not cold here in summer, it's 20C in the shade right now. But we have quite big temperature differences, it can be plus 30c in the summer and minus 30c and colder in winter.

So it is not cold most of the year. And include the temperature here over the last year in case anyone is interested.

 

And I have posted pictures from the area here if that is of any interest.

 

Thanks for the info, that looks like a nice seasonal temperature spread (except for the -30 in January🥶). Your scenery looks stunning on that drive you posted, I do like a nice sedate drive next to a river on a summers day.

Do you get the midnight sun or is that further north?

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, Popsicle said:

Thanks for the info, that looks like a nice seasonal temperature spread (except for the -30 in January🥶). Your scenery looks stunning on that drive you posted, I do like a nice sedate drive next to a river on a summers day.

Do you get the midnight sun or is that further north?

We don't get midnight sun it's further north. And -30 is fortunately rare, not every winter is that cold, normally the coldest day is usually around -20.

[mat_the_cat]

5 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

And -30 is fortunately rare, not every winter is that cold, normally the coldest day is usually around -20.

Oh, that's OK then, much warmer

I don't think I've ever experienced that temperature but does it feel significantly colder than -20? Or once you get down to those sorts of temperatures are you wrapped up enough to not be able to tell the difference quite so well?

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, mat_the_cat said:

 

I don't think I've ever experienced that temperature but does it feel significantly colder than -20? Or once you get down to those sorts of temperatures are you wrapped up enough to not be able to tell the difference quite so well?

I, for one, have absolutely no desire to find out. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

7 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

Oh, that's OK then, much warmer

I don't think I've ever experienced that temperature but does it feel significantly colder than -20? Or once you get down to those sorts of temperatures are you wrapped up enough to not be able to tell the difference quite so well?

I haven't been outside in -30 for a few years as my body can no longer tolerate extreme cold. So hard to say.

But the difference between -20 and -30 and colder is clearly noticeable on the house. In -20 you need both wood stoves to get the heat up, but you can keep the heat with mostly just one wood stove for the rest of the day. In -34 as it was the coldest this winter, I can fire in both wood stoves all day long and it doesn't get hot inside, in the living room I can go to the opposite side of the living room from the wood stove and it is significantly colder there. And I have to sleep with clothes on and I'm never really warm.

-30 and colder also affects the cars in interesting ways, the Hyundai started after that cold but the bearing for the pulley for the belt tensioner had frozen and had to be thawed with a hair dryer as a example. -20 no problem for the cars.

[hairnet]

disapoint this wasnt playing

they seem to be related to the west of scotland in some way

 

[dome]

@Dyslexic Viking I spotted this while on holiday in Madeira and thought of you.

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, dome said:

I spotted this while on holiday in Madeira and thought of you.

Thanks. And this one has probably had a long working life, would have liked to know its history and mileage wich I guess is high.

[dome]

Well, going by the fact this w123 is still working the streets of Funchal today I'd guess it had a long life. 

 

[dome]

44 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Thanks. And this one has probably had a long working life, would have liked to know its history and mileage wich I guess is high.

It was parked here, hiding amongst the Land Rovers 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/FRKCL24Vu57GDPo37

No idea if it's a business or just someone with a Solihull addiction who saw the light and bought an old Merc