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 August 2005 Activity Log 
8/30/05
S1A - Today I started disassembling the rear of the car. Removed the bumper, taillights, screen and all parts from the engine cover. Next step is to roll the car out to the driveway and give it a good bath with gunk to remove the grease.
Took a some photos today and stored them here.
8/28/05
  
Rainy weather yesterday and today. Can't get the cover off the S2 to complete the windshield trim. Removed the aftermarket (boat) air horn, the rear "GB - Great Britan" sign and the right mirror from the S1A. Noticed that many of the cracks in the body emanate from places where holes were drilled to mount the sign and mirror.
Surprise! The weather cleared and the sun came out about 3:00 PM. I took advantage of the nice weather to install the windshield trim and wipers on the S2. Looks better than the chrome foil to me.
8/26/05
S2 - Today I prepared the windshield for the black trim I will use to replace the chrome foil trim. First I masked the entire periphery of the windshield on both the windshield and the body. After the masking was all done I filled the void with black acrylic caulk to level it so the trim will have something to stick to. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy so I may have to wait a couple of days before I can install the trim. Probably a good idea to allow the caulk to cure for a couple of days anyway.
8/25/05
S2 - Last night I adjusted the headlights and today I installed the headlight trim rings.
S1A - Removed the carpet and inspected all areas of the frame that I could see. Found some serious rust on the bottom "T" section in the passenger foot well. All other areas appear to be rust-free or have only surface rust. Will weigh my options as to repair procedures.
S1A - Took a lot of photos today and stored them here.
8/24/05
S2 - Installed the door seal on the passenger door today. After installation, the door would no longer close so I had to adjust it. This time it only took 45 minutes to adjust it so it works like the door on my Dodge Truck. Closes with a "thunk" and no longer hits the latch when closing.
8/23/05
S2 - Installed the door seal on the drivers door today. After installation, the door would no longer close so I had to adjust it. Five hours later it finally works like the door on my Dodge Truck. Closes with a "thunk" and no longer hits the latch when closing. Removed the threaded bushings and welded the first washer to them to eliminate one of the friction washers. Made adjustment much simpler.
8/22/05
S1A - Today I removed the seats, cleaned them and treated them with a quality leather treatment. They look like they're almost new! There are no tears or split seams and there are no scuffs on them. I will bag them for now and they'll be ready to install when I'm ready to put the car back together.
S1A - I jacked the car up and placed it on four dollies so I can push it around. If I push it into the driveway, I can spin it 360 degrees so I can put it in the garage front or rear first. The added height makes it easier to work on the car too.
S1A - Spent some time taking a lot of photos and posting them to the Photos page.
8/21/05
Just returned from picking up my new S1A (#460355).
Left Laurel, Md. at 3:30 AM on 8/19/05 with a U-Haul auto transport trailer in tow and drove to Lakeland, Tenn. (near Memphis). The 846-mile trip took 13.5 hours for an average speed of 62.67 mph (including 5 fuel stops).
The owner had informed me before I left Laurel that the car would not move so I took four dollies along "just in case". Turned out that the right front caliper was rusted to the rotor stopping the wheel from moving, We removed the wheel and unbolted the caliper to free the wheel. After that it was a simple matter to push the car onto the U-Haul trailer. Total time in Lakeland was about an hour.
Left Lakeland, Tn. at 6:30 PM for the drive back to Laurel. This time the 846-mile trip took 18.5 hours for an average speed of 45.73 mph (including 5 fuel stops and three rest stops for cat naps). Arrived back in my driveway and unloaded the car at 1:00 PM on 8/20/05.
The trip was uneventful and took a total of 32 Hours. Total length of the trip was 1692 miles and the truck used just over 144 gallons of gas.
The car is in poor condition with many stress cracks, but it appears to be almost completely original. It's a one-owner car and apparently has been in storage since 1983 (based on the Tennessee tags with a 1983 sticker on them).
I'll be posting photos here as I explore and restore the car.
8/17/05
Today I finally had time to polish and install the boot cover on 0716R. After I completed the installation, I just had to take it for a drive. It's been so long that I forgot what a blast it is and how much attention it gets. Drove around my neighborhood for a while but didn't take it out for a long drive as I still haven't installed the headlight rings, windshield wipers, windshield trim or door seals. Still, it looks pretty good as-is.
8/10/05
I've made arrangements to purchase an S1A (#460355) and will pick it up soon.
The car has been sitting for a very long time and will need a complete renovation but I'm excited to find a relatively complete original S1A.
My current plans are to drive from Laurel, Md. to Lakeland, Tenn. (~900 miles, near Memphis) the weekend of August 20th with a trailer in tow, pick up the car, and return the same weekend. I'll be traveling I-66, I-81 and I-40 and would enjoy meeting any Europa fans along the way.
Drop me an email if you're interested.
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