The raspy sound emanating from the exhaust was actually a bad center resonator. It had a hole in it the size of a silver dollar, but was probably shedding its disintegrated innards for some time. It was murder to get the thing apart from the muffler, as I had no acetylene torch. A quick trip to the local muffler shop and $5 had the stupid thing apart in a few seconds. There is no substitute for the right tools. The new resonator went on, and when I started it back up, all was quiet on the western front....
Ugly and loud
Pretty and quiet
The vehicle has made its journey from the temporary storage location to the garage. That journey itself involved a decision on whether to trailer it or not. I am not fond of driving any vehicle that I have not been able to thoroughly examine, except for a few miles as a test. In this case, I checked oil, checked transmission fluid (boy that even sounds like a strange concept, even though the last automatic in the garage was a Mercedes as well - 230SL), checked coolant, charged the battery, and let it idle for a good while. All seemed well, so I drove to the gas station and filled it with premium ($50 ouch !!). The car actually drove back without issue and I called off the chase vehicle two thirds of the way back. It seems a little lethargic, but I'm hoping a tuneup will sort things out. With the vehicle safely in the garage, the discovery process can begin....
