Hello,
After some months of already following the talks here I'd like to out myself as a 6.9 owner.
I bought the car in january 2013 with 101.000 km on it. It is a 1976 with magnetit blue over parchment. Options are not extraordinarily plenty. My annual mileage is ca. 1500 km.
The history of the car is pretty well documented in the service booklet: The car was delivered to Greece, as also referenced by the production order number. After some years in Greece the first owner spent a couple of years in GB. Eventually it sat in Switzerland until 2004. The second owner was a collector who rarely used it. The records end in 2009 but until I bought it it made only ca. 2000 km. Only recently, in an attempt to complete the history of the car as much as possible, I found out that the first owner was the second husband of Christina Onassis.
In 2013 the car was in good shape, with no immediate need of repairs. It started hard when warm and I renewed the entire gas pump system with injectors along with spark plugs and wires, as everything was pretty old. By the time of my purchase she ran on XWX tires which were nearly 10 years old: more or less no km run but hard and noisy. I exchanged them with Cooper Cobra. Here in Switzerland we have a speed limit of 120 km/h. Given that and my annual mileage, XWX would be money down the drain. Curve stability is notably worse but I can live with that and I don't press her anyway.
The first owner had a thin red stripe painted along both sides which didn't look very nice. Since the paint looked worn in parts and the wind shield needed replacement I decided for an entire new paint job. I stripped the car myself inside and outside and had only the paint preparation and final paint done by the shop. I cleaned everything and in that course fixed the door lock vacuum system, used new original whether strips on all doors, renewed the parcel shelf myself, repaired the driver's seat height adjustment and my mother, she's s a taylor, made new cloth liners along the entrances.
The car once had chrome along the wheel houses and an old after market alarm system which didn't work anymore. I removed all wires and had all holes in the body welded. When stripping the car there was no rust detectable.
The suspension apparently has never been worked on but was not leaking. I wonder if the air reservoirs have ever been changed, there are no records on such a work. The ride is far from being rock hard but I can imagine it being softer. Since ca. two years the rear niveau switch is leaking some drops a year. Also the 'repair' setting on the main valve unit doesn't work and the car lies flat after every lifting up. I plan to work on that this winter.
During the last years the steering gear has been overhauled, mainly new seals, the entire front bushings have been exchanged, all breaks new, a new exhaust system, and a bunch of minor things. Meanwhile I had to weld a little rust spot in the right hand side lower trunk section.
All in all this car is like any other 6.9: It costs much money to keep it running and it costs very much money to keep it running and look nice. With my attitude of being a perfectionist this car is actually not the best choice.
Only recently I added those curtains which I have always been desiring if I had one wish to make on options of my car. I bought it from a dealer who in the past has been referred to as 'the frenchies' in previous posts. The color of the curtains match the parcel shelf velour and the door padding very well but the problems with the quality of the rails and details of installing them is worth a post of its own. Eventually it looks fine to my eyes.
Some pics attached. Unfortunately the light has never been ideal and violates the parchment color.
Bernd
Beautiful interior, she's a beauty! Great history too!
That is one of the prettiest 6.9s I have seen. Very nice I know you are proud of it. JMSr
Very, VERY nice specimen!
Well done! Great colour combo for sure.
Very nice condition! This issue of "auto, motor und sport" I also have somewhere in my cellar. The accessories make the charm of an old car. I still have a road map from 1979 in my car, in it the most beautiful holiday areas in the Alps are shown.
Absolutely beautiful! Love the color combo, which happens to be the same as mine. ;D And the curtains! You have the perfect dictator car. Just perfect. Please feel free to post details of the curtain project.
Lovely color and car!
I was in Schaffhausen a year ago just for one day, on a Sunday and was astonished with the number of classic cars that came out to play that day (many American cars curiously). It was a beautiful fall day, clear skies and the climb up to the Munot Fortress was tiring, but rewarding.
magnificent car BCK, love the colour.
Hello Bernd,
Welcome and thanks for sharing pictures and the history of your car: it is beautiful! Please share with us details of your curtain project. I am sure several of us would entertain following your path with our cars.
Best regards from Brazil,
Angel
Parchment isn't my thing, but that blue looks fantastic!
~~~CURTAINS ARE SPECTACULAR~~~ADDS GLAMOUR LIKE 1960'S ETC..........
That is quite stunning. Lovely! I like the tight luggage nets. Makes such an amazing difference. Together with the curtains, it makes quite an entry.