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OK, Rich, you asked for it, but I'll try to keep it short - not easy for a garrulous old coot like me.;-)
I burned my fingers and then gashed the back of my hand as I tried to check the ATF level on our Honda wagon eight years ago. As I stood there in the driveway cursing a blue streak with the blood dripped down my fingers, my wife came running out of the house, at first alarmed, but immediately reassured when she saw it was only blood (My experience is that women deal with blood a lot better than men.) and started reminiscing about how easy it used to be to work on the 122s we used to own way back when. Never one to let a favorable opportunity go to waste, except when the stock market is way down, I breathed on the embers of our nostalgia, and, by God, she gave me permission to go find and buy a 122.
I dragged several weary Amazons home, but none passed spousal criteria of a restore-able classic. Then, on a trip to Florida, I saw this nearly pristine 1962, PV544 for sale in North Carolina, and bought it on the way back - much to the dismay of "the light of my life" who by now had her heart set on a 122S. She has come to terms with the situation, but, I'm afraid, will never be totally reconciled with it.
The car was in excellent shape; very good chrome; 80% original paint; original upholstery, albeit faded, but can of vinyl spray paint took care of that; all mechanicals solid; and no rust, except on the bottom surface of the floor pan and a rust repair in the trunk above the muffler.
The first winter I had it, I build in a much needed over-drive. Another long-winded story here.
The next year I blew to piston rings on the middle two cylinders trying to pass an eighteen wheeler doing 85 mph. So, I replaced the B18 with a B20 and added a freer-breathing exhaust system, ipd anti-sway bars, and some Bronco-II rims to accommodate somewhat wider tires. A couple of years ago I found some really beaten up Recaro seats in a BMW in a junk yard, patched them up, and built them in. The patch-up job wasn't up to the standard of the rest of the car, so I bough an old, black Singer and re-upholstered them.
 The Recaros ended up a little higher than the old seats, so I had to put in a smaller steering wheel. Let's see, what else. Oh yes, I added some gas struts to the trunk lid. Man, was that an improvement! 
Although the car is still pretty presentable and gets lots of admiration, I should really have it repainted. The trouble is, that I'm having so much ball driving it that I'd hate to take it out of circulation for the time that would take.
Bob S.
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"62 PV544 (B20, M41), "71 142E, "93 240 Classic Wagon.
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