Service

I took it in to a garage called Eclectic Cars in Weston on the Green.

Their business is mostly doing up super-valuable Aston Martins, Volvo Amazons and Jaguar MkIIs and the like and selling them on for tens of thousands of pounds.

My car isn't in that league and I'm not going to be spending the kind of money they're currently going through re-doing an old Mercedes 220 SEB Coupe. They've spent nearly £3,000 on parts for this rare barn find, and that's just a start.

But I figured they know a bit about restoring older cars and could set me right on the 504's condition.

I'd had a word with Stuart before I bought the car and shown him the pictures I'd been sent, He thought it looked OK, and they seemed happy to help.

If you look at the video above you can see the 504 in the background, having its under-seal repaired.

They also did a service, replacing a leaky gasket on the oil filter that had been spraying all over the sump.

I wish I'd taken a picture of the engine in its original condition, covered in 30 years of crap. That's all gone now.

Their chief mechanic Martin altered the air/fuel mix, making it a bit leaner, slightly more air in the mix than before.

This, he said, would mean a healthier engine, but would require considerable choke on starting.

"You are planning to use it aren't you?" he asked, "it's a beautiful driver".

It turns out, that this new mixture has affected the power somewhat. It runs much smoother, but there doesn't seem to be as much oumph to 3rd gear now, especially when a bit cold. But if it is a better thing for the engine, it's manageable.

Predictably they found some more things that need doing, including a blown exhaust manifold gasket, which is responsible for the tappet-like sound sound when the accelerator is down. (you can tell it's not a tappet in the cam-shaft -apparently- as it gets louder when you put your foot down).

In their previous projects gallery, they've got a Citroen D Super, one of the most beautiful cars of all time. I'm going to remember that shade of grey when, eventually, I get a respray for the 504.

Long-term, however, the idea is that I find someone to teach me how to look after my car, and how it works, so I can do this sort of stuff myself.