I'm not going to post a very lengthy update, but know that the project continues and I am still cleaning the Mercedes.
In addition to all the oil sprayed in the car to ward off rust, the car is also simply coated in 29 years worth of accumulated dirt and filth. I've finally finished cleaning under the hood:
I'm also almost done cleaning out the wheel wells. There was a lot of thick, dried, caked-on dirt. Here's a before shot, and some after shots:
This week I also painted the battery tray and hold-down clamps:
and picked up a new (used) stereo for the car:
As usual, I'll get back to work next weekend.