A professional restorer would be delighted to find these markings. Scribbled  50 years ago by a factory worker; they served as a production note during assembly. The markings have been accidentally preserved by a patina of dirt and petroleum grime. Best I can tell the red painted notation was applied when the tank was stockpiled as it displays upside down as installed. There are other remnant yellow dabs of paint here or there.  A simple brush stroke that indicates that a fitting was checked for tightness or inspected in some way. These original markings will be lost when the tank is rejuvenated with a fresh black protective coat and that is one of the issues with restoration: originality is lost.  It sounds anal, but a dedicated restorer would document these glyphics* and, following the refurbish ,  take steps to re-create them just as they were, thus preserving authenticity.

* guess translation is that ” 128 CA” meant that this fuel tank was intended for a particular application and is shorthand for W128 an internal factory designator for this production series. I can speculate that “CA” is short for Cabriolet.

Progress means stamped numbers and barcodes are applied which can be  scanned and tracked like a parcel  or airline luggage. Just as well — in case we can’t read his writing.

Tank Drain Plug: fuel screen clogged with varnish

Tank Drain Plug: fuel screen cleaned and restored

This is a pre-filter. It is intended to protect the fuel pump and fuel lines from large debris — trash that might have fallen into the tank during refueling. There is a baffle in the lower part of the tank, a false floor, creating a collector. The plug has dual threads. The top set of threads seals against the bottom of the main container. Fuel enters the screen and exits an orifice (below the top set of threads) and into the collector area. Fuel is drawn from the collector by pump.

Ageing gasoline eventually  blocked this screen effectively choking any and all fuel flow. And, this is the reason why the engine ceased running. Its discovery was an ah hah moment.

The Parts Advisor at the Classic Center informs by email that the desired replacement Trunk Emblem estimate is $$$ (wow) and confides that upon clicking — send that he “turned to his co-worker and quipped; we’ll never hear from THAT guy again…”

I can confirm that automobile restoration is a rich man’s hobby, but this old car is incomplete without this star piece (eclipsed only by the hood ornament).

Not convinced that my queried trim item is NOS or a reproduction. Short of melting metal and casting myself, the alternative would be to locate a donor car in a salvage yard that has not already given up its shiny bits. Not likely as 20 – 30 years will have elapsed.

When they FedEx, I trust that they will insure with care.

Little chrome is to be found on newer cars. Porsche started a sporting trend a number of years ago with blacked out chrome trim. Other manufacturers, such as tuner AMG, adopted the theme as a cool new look  which style led to: monochrome. It helped that the abandonment of chromium saved money in the process. Eventually body trim, cladding, bumper covers and exterior pieces became plasticized and the chrome bits were  totally disused. As you may recall, the flamboyant use of chrome popularly peaked in the 1950’s. Even interiors and instrument panels enjoyed liberal usage. A topical issue was the glare and distraction when the sun angled just so.  Acres of chrome require maintenance upkeep.  This polishing technique may be of little value unless you are resurrecting an older car but is interesting even if you’re not because — who knew?
A number of youtube and forum tipsters advocate using Coca-Cola in lieu of water as an effective agent. Evidently the beverage contains phosphoric acid which aids in rust removal. Considering a messy clean up I went with plain water and a moderate amount of elbow grease.

Before…                            and After