[PTA Slowchat] Mercedes-Benz 230 SL

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Classy and handsome in any configuration - with the softop up, down, or with the hardtop on. ~~~ Sometimes I just have to scratch my head at how Bill at California Classix finds the GEMS he does. Granted, he lives in the Celestial Kingdom of Automotivity (Southern California), but still, he has some track record for finding the diamonds in the rough. This one is no different. Any out there who wonder what the big deal is with Southern California cars should just go there and experience it for themselves. (Chris Lydiksen)
OWNER'S COMMENTS
Mercedes or Harvard - One Truly Special 230SL!






Imagine the scenario: you're the proud owner of one of the most original 230SLs on the planet. You're also the proud father of three wonderful daughters, all "A" students. They're fixin' to go to college. The oldest just was accepted at Harvard University. Keep the Mercedes and settle for CalState instead? Not likely!

So here it is, presented with a hint of sadness:

The most wonderfully preserved, original Pagoda SL imaginable.




Whereas most 40-year old cars have been restored, this one has just aged gracefully. Sure, its owner of 27 years has always taken good care of his baby, freshening the exterior paint and the carpeting only when they did not meet his personal standards anymore.

Being the owner of a major towing garage in the San Fernando Valley, his in-house technicians always took care of the car's mechanical needs, cost being no object. Obviously, this SL was permanently housed indoors. It never was just a mere means of daily tansportation; instead, it was exercised every once in a while, on sunny Sunday afternoons only.

Alloy chassis number plate is affixed to the firewall of all W113 model SLs. The 14-digit VIN *113.042-10-001023*, as used by the Germans since the beginning of the 1960 model year, is decoded as follows:
First 3 digits (113): Type (Wagen number)
Second 3 digits (042): model, here 230SL
Next digit (1) (LHD), as opposed to 2 for RHD
Next digit (0) (manual transmission), as opposed to 1 for automatic transmission
Last 6 digits (001023): sequential serial number. This 230SL was born on November 15, 1963!




Valued by many connoisseurs as the purest of all W113 cars, the 230SL is powered by the high-revving, fuel-injected, overhead-cam, inline 6-cylinder engine. The M127 power plant has 150 lively horses on tap; maximum speed--quoted from factory literature--is 124 mph. The first six hundred 230SLs were fitted exclusively with the wonderful 4-speed manual transmission; aficionados of the marque still claim the stick-equipped 230 to be the best-driving, most nimble model of the 230/250/280SL series. Pure Fahrvergnügen !

Note the period accessory siren mounted near the battery; this early car alarm still works great.

The exterior--including the aluminum alloy doors, hoods and convertible top cover--is very straight. There are no dents or scratches, and all of the brightwork looks dazzlingly beautiful. Very rarely will you find a car that has been able to escape wayward shopping carts, tennis balls, and over-eager car wash attendants for forty years.

Even more important is a Pagoda SL unibody's underside, often badly rust-damaged and/or haphazardly repaired. On this SL, it is not only rust free and without previous rust repairs; it is in breathtakingly preserved, all original condition, with no trace of non-original undercoating evident.

When was the last time you saw a 40-year-old car, its factory paint on the undercarriage still completely intact?

Aside from a "reference condition" undercarriage, there are three other, very important indicators of an extraordinary car:

The trunk floor, a primary trap for humidity, all-too-often abundantly rusty, should show its factory semi-gloss paint.

The wheel wells should still display the factory finish; if you see them covered with fresh, black undercoating, it may be better to stay away!

The front fenders should have the "ridges." Why are these ridges so important? Let me explain this in more detail, please.

Just like its predecessor 190SL, the unibody of the Pagoda was welded together by hand in the Sindelfingen Karosseriewerkstatt. Master craftsmen carefully aligned fenders, grille surround and hood. These skilled old masters even used small amounts of lead to achieve the perfect fit. The aforementioned ridges, located at the front fender edge and continuing into the chrome headlight bezel, served as markers during this phase of the gestation of the SL. More than three decades after the last of the W113 SL left the factory, only fine, unmolested examples will bear this mark of excellence. Only if the car has never suffered the indignity of an accident, exacerbated by inferior bodywork and paint, will the ridges still be present.

Interior and dashboard of the SL convey true 1960s Grand Touring flavor. Of unparalleled quality, the various materials chosen for certain surfaces--leather, chrome, paint, wood--seem to be crafted for eternity. You'll find none of the built-in obsolescence of today's throwaway contrivances.

Leather-covered door panel BECKER radio with cassette player Leather-covered sunvisor

Underside of dashboard Unused, leather-covered ashtray Glovebox door w. map light

Small details that distinguish an extraordinary car from a merely good one.
Leather-covered door panel
BECKER radio with separate cassette player
Leather-covered sunvisor
Leather-covered underside of dashboard
Unused ashtray w. matching, leather-covered lid
Leather-lined glovebox

Just like the remainder of the interior, the extremely comfortable chairs are completely covered with the most expensive leather available in any automobile in the World: vat-dyed, Cognac Italian hides from ROSER! Even more expensive than Connolly leather, these truly unusual, speckled hides, often mistakenly called Bamboo or Tobacco, are not available anymore and thus irreplaceable!

Almost unreal, they are all original and perfecty preserved, without any rips, tears, or imperfections of any kind! Their aroma is as intoxicating as their mild patina is priceless. Carpeting has been upgraded to genuine WILTON.

A very rare and desirable factory option is the leather-covered, transverse mounted third seat in place of the parcel shelf, allowing you to take your personal barkeeper along for a freshly mixed Martini al fresco.

Another excellent indicator of the level of care and protection the SL has always received is the convertible top well. Here, it's all original, free of water damage or corrosion, still featuring the original instruction decal.

The tan soft top, made from expensive German canvas, was recently installed. It has only been up twice and presents itself in fabulous condition.

Original, matching numbers Pagoda steel hardtop transforms the Roadster into a weatherproof Coupe. The hardtop is of quality construction, with perforated headliner, wood-framed rear window, and liberal applications of sparkling chrome brightwork.

Trunk area is immaculate, featuring original spare, tool roll, and rubber mat. Factory books and many old registrations are included as well as various tune up parts and the original steering wheel.

Ready to go on a fun test drive, are we?

SL starts willingly, the fuel injection having been gone through. Fuel pump was rebuilt, too. Loafing along PCH or kroozing State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, the Mercedes behaves as untemperamental as any modern automobile. It just looks soo much sexier than a late model . . .

Suspension and power brakes are fully up to the task; you'll be the Herrenfahrer on every winding country road. It's easy to fall in love with this SL. It's elegant, comfortable, prestigious, and communicates joie dè vivre like no other car of its vintage.

Lee Gohlicke, the author of the "Illustrated Mercedes Benz Buyer's Guide," (ISBN 0-87938-162-0) writes on page 86:

"The 230, 250 and 280SL series has been steadily growing in popularity among collectors, and this trend will likely continue, making these cars a good investment."

This is not an entry-level Mercedes. It is a bargain, though, for the connoisseur who desires a superior SL Pagoda roadster of heirloom quality. The plain truth is, you would not be able to restore a mediocre example to this level of originality for all the money in the world. After all, a car is original only once!




vorig deel: [PTA Slowchat] MD Car 229

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Tijd laatste post in vorig topic

woensdag 11 augustus 2004 @ 20:05

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Tijd eerste post in dit topic


woensdag 11 augustus 2004 @ 20:07

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Op woensdag 11 augustus 2004 20:19 schreef Fugie het volgende:
lol @ tjabbo zijn topictitel

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Op woensdag 11 augustus 2004 22:18 schreef MutZ het volgende:

[..]

Mag ik het ook doen??

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Op woensdag 11 augustus 2004 22:43 schreef ThaFreak het volgende:

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doom3 heeft nu eve mijn voorrang

have fun mutzie