Is A Parker 51 A Good Choice As A Restoration Project?

[hood]

... and went very slow on the restoration - e.g. removing the hood. I made sure throughout that if I got frustrated at any stage I would put the pen down ...

 

Yes! This is such good advice, and the next most important thing after the research. DON'T get frustrated, pick it up and try the next step, put it down again if it doesn't happen. It doesn't matter if it takes weeks by doing a couple of minutes each day - be patient! It may seem like nothing is happening, particularly with the hood, but don't be disheartened, keep at it and know that each attempt is still contributing to achieving the result, whenever that happens.