Back after a battle.

[bigstraight6]

I’ve not been about these parts for a while and indeed didn’t think I would be again. Lady Luck has shone and here I am, hope you are all good and I’ve still got the same old crud, a 64 Zodiac with a tired Smokey engine, a 57 Chevy that’s the business, a 26 year old Merc CLK with a roof that’s just refused to go back up, and an Audi A3 convertible and ancient refusing to die VW Polo TDI shitbox.

I would welcome any content on the Merc roof not going back up, there are electrical noises,  but the roof stays down! 

[500tops]

I was thinking about your absence the other day after I saw your lad? driving down A38 towards Marsh Mills in his Cougar!

Glad to see you back and you're on the right track... 👍

[bigstraight6]

2 minutes ago, 500tops said:

I was thinking about your absence the other day after I saw your lad? driving down A38 towards Marsh Mills in his Cougar!

Glad to see you back and you're on the right track... 👍

Thank you Sir, Junior has been my mentor and continues to be so. 

[Matty]

Id been wondering as well. Not going to pry, but whatever your problems, good to see you back and hope alls well now pal 👍

[Asimo]

47 minutes ago, bigstraight6 said:

64 Zodiac with a tired Smokey engine

Were'nt they all like that?

[Rustybullethole]

Welcome back.

Electrical problems need dealing with in a  methodical way. Below is what I would do.

Turn it off and back on again.

Still no joy?

Swear at it, lots. 

The last rarely works and in reality is just a precursor to my final electrical engineering technique.

Hit it. hard.

You may think Im joking and doubt my skills though the above sequence has worked for me more times than i can recall.

[High Jetter]

WB. It's great weather for topless cruising...

[colino]

Top Hydraulics on YouTube is a good place to start and actually work through annoying convertible issues.

[bigstraight6]

21 hours ago, Asimo said:

Were'nt they all like that?

It’s been a bit smokey since I bought it 24 years ago, but it runs very smoothly and pulls well, it’s been suggested worn valve stem seals could be the culprit but the old engine does breathe heavy from the oil filler cap so it probably will need a rebuild sooner rather than later..

[Fat_Pirate]

Regarding the CLK roof, have you been able to raise it manually (using the c-tool in the toolkit to release the tonneau cover)?  Noise suggest the pump runs, are the rams leaking maybe?

[Dj_efk]

14 hours ago, bigstraight6 said:

It’s been a bit smokey since I bought it 24 years ago, but it runs very smoothly and pulls well, it’s been suggested worn valve stem seals could be the culprit but the old engine does breathe heavy from the oil filler cap so it probably will need a rebuild sooner rather than later..

A compression check - thus giving you hard data - would be definitive.

Well done on achieving life 2.0 - Always lovely to hear.

[bigstraight6]

On 14/07/2026 at 10:10, Fat_Pirate said:

Regarding the CLK roof, have you been able to raise it manually (using the c-tool in the toolkit to release the tonneau cover)?  Noise suggest the pump runs, are the rams leaking maybe?

Thanks for that, I found the special tool in the toolkit and have got the roof back up thankfully with the possibility of impending thunderstorms. I will now try to work out what’s going on with the mechanism, if I’m lucky just a reset of the system, if I’m not a number of micro switches could be the culprit.

[Matty]

29 minutes ago, bigstraight6 said:

Thanks for that, I found the special tool in the toolkit and have got the roof back up thankfully with the possibility of impending thunderstorms. I will now try to work out what’s going on with the mechanism, if I’m lucky just a reset of the system, if I’m not a number of micro switches could be the culprit.

Being the lazy arse i am, id run it as a coop and just wind the roof down by hand on the odd day the weather warrants it. The obvious disclaimer here being dont take advice off a lazy fucker.

[bigstraight6]

16 minutes ago, Matty said:

Being the lazy arse i am, id run it as a coop and just wind the roof down by hand on the odd day the weather warrants it. The obvious disclaimer here being dont take advice off a lazy fucker.

I know exactly coming from Matty being a gentleman of elegant slumming myself, but I’m determined to get the roof working on the glorious Mercedes!

[fatharris]

Welcome back dude.

Shitefest this year is a Cornish affair if you fancy it - it'd be good to put a face to the name  

[Matty]

12 minutes ago, fatharris said:

Welcome back dude.

Shitefest this year is a Cornish affair if you fancy it - it'd be good to put a face to the name  

Face could come with either a Zodiac, a 57 BelAir or a Cougar as well. Thatd do nicely 😁

[bigstraight6]

22 hours ago, fatharris said:

Welcome back dude.

Shitefest this year is a Cornish affair if you fancy it - it'd be good to put a face to the name  

I’m coming down for the day Sir, probably in the pink noisy Chevy! Will look forward to saying hello.

[bigstraight6]

22 hours ago, Matty said:

Face could come with either a Zodiac, a 57 BelAir or a Cougar as well. Thatd do nicely 😁

Is you coming down Matty? Would love to meet you Sir!

[Matty]

All that way in a 60s Austin. Id have to take 2 week off work 🤣

[bigstraight6]

Just now, Matty said:

All that way in a 60s Austin. Id have to take 2 week off work 🤣

But It will still get you there! And back again. Get in Matty.