Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => Photo Gallery => Topic started by: star63 on January 31, 2014, 11:18:35
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My Pagoda was finally back on the road last summer after a 4-year "restoration" and even made it to Willingen in August.
To me, it was a big project and I wanted to retroactively share some photos here. I only worked on the project during winters and when I had time.
This was the starting point. I bought my 1967 250SL from Detroit via ebay in 2009. I didin't travel to see the car (a big mistake!) but I received some photos, though. And accordig to the seller this little beauty was absolutely rust free.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/carbefore_zps6cf07206.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/autoennentakaa_zps7fbc922b.jpg)
The car actually looked quite solid at first but after digging a little deeper I started to realize that it needed more work than I had anticipated.
I thought that I would fix it during the winter and would be ready for the next season. Just how wrong was I...
At least the engine bay looked decent...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/enginebefore_zpsc1418c2b.jpg)
...but under that matt black paint the inner fenders were soft as well as the longitudinal stiffeners.
At some point before 1984 a 280 engine had found its way under the hood.
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The dash (except paint) and the door boards were still original.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kojelautaennen_zps319140e5.jpg)
I started the disassembly by cutting the front fenders off. This car had been patched at least twice before.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/sivukotelonreikauml_zps60240c83.jpg)
I found a mouse nest in the top corner of the fender stiffener and later the mummy mouse himself inside the heater housing (no pictures).
The trunk didn't look that bad at all...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/konttiennen_zps4ff9654c.jpg)
...but after puncturing my screw driver through the floor a few times I ended up cutting it all out as well.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kontinlattianpurku_zpsbff20d52.jpg)
Since all the fenders in Pagoda are welded (not bolted) on, I decided to open every enclosure and address any corrosion I could find before welding the fenders back.
Before more cutting I took the car to a soda blaster.
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The soda blasting took the whole day even though we didn't blast areas where I didn't suspect any rust or bondo.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/soodapuhalluksestatulossa_zpse1896aac.jpg)
We didn't waste time either in blasting areas that I knew I would remove and replace anyway.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/puhalletturunkopalkki_zps7fa1db06.jpg)
The spot welds are nicely exposed for drilling.
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At this point the project seemed a bit depressing.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lohdutonetupaumlauml_zps73ef832b.jpg)
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Er, wow.
May I ask what you paid originally?
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and what was your restoration budget so far and what's remains to do?
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Star63,
What a journey ... thats a huge amount of work ... at least we know (or think) the story has a happy ending since you said you took it to Willingen.
Look forward to the rest of the chapters of this restoration.
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star63 ,
Thanks for sharing the photos. I can understand how you must have felt when you got the car and how much time and effort you devoted. Well done!
May I be so bold and ask what you paid for the car and what added costs you had to get it shipped to Finland?
I was lucky to find mine only 10 KM from my house, having been stored some years in a well heated and air condishioned garage for many years I found this car indeed without a spec of rust. I also had the good fortune to inspect the car from top to bottom before agreeing to the purchase price of $42,000- CaNADIAN (about 28,000- Euros).
Funny story I may add, when I returned the owners plates (the Gentleman is 85 years old) he said "Dieter you gave me the downpayment, now where is the rest of the money?" He looked quite serious when he sad that and got up to look for something .... mumbling "I know I saved it I put it some place" I was thinking at that moment oh may he may have lost his marvels. I told him I payed you in full and you do have the copy of our Bill of Sale!
However, then he started to sit back down and said smiling "No I am pulling your leg, I saw an article and a car just like your's it sold for $68,000- American that is why I said this"
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Rolf-Dieter,
You really have been lucky to find your Pagoda so near and for such a great price.
I paid about 15.000 euros with taxes (no hard top). Ro-Ro shipping was about 900 euros.
I decided not to count hours or money spent. According to my wife way too much of the both.
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There was soda powder everywhere but better soda than sand. I didn't hurry to clean it off because it prevented the surface rust from forming while the car sat in my garage.
I opened the sills next. The top part was still ok so I replaced only the bottom halves.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kynnyskoteloavattuna_zps2c99da82.jpg)
A tiny paint bubble turned out to be a previous patch in the both outer and inner rear fender.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/takalokarinreikauml_zps6f78a9a0.jpg)
I found more rust and too many improperly made weldings. Decided to cut off the rear quarter panels and replace them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/takalokaripois_zpsffed1526.jpg)
The air intake's water drainage pipes had leaked and the floor pans had to go, too.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lattiapois_zpsfa6023a6.jpg)
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I just couldn't sleep well until all the corroded steel was cut off.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/takarunkoavattuna_zpsb0624702.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kontinlattiapois_zps6235092c.jpg)
This is the front connecting point of the trailing arm. It wasn't easy to see how badly it was rusted without opening the box above it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/tukivarrenkiinnitysruostunut_zps40b71ad7.jpg)
The same place after welding. Had to do the passenger side also.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/tukivarrenkiinnityshitsattuna_zpsd18f1fa4.jpg)
In this picture, the driver's side floor pans and rocker panel have already been replaced and the cross beams welded back in place.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kynnyskotelohitsattuna_zpscf9478d5.jpg)
These cross boxes were badly rusted from inside. The pipes that should drain the rain water from the air intake chamber had probably leaked inside the boxes.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/rintapelti_zps98c6b3f7.jpg)
I made new drain pipes out of stainless steel. Just in case...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/poikkipalkki_zps92bbd7d5.jpg)
The driver's side coming together:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kuskinpuolenpoikittaiskotelo_zps12004e4c.jpg)
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The inner front fenders were only available for the later style Pagoda (with ventilation holes).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lokarinmersutarra_zps45b23e40.jpg)
After a caustic bath the paint came off easily. I welded the longitudinal stiffener in place as well as all the small brackets.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/sisaumllokariennensinkitystauml_zps53e96fc9.jpg)
After welding I took the parts to be dipped in zinc. I was a bit concerned about the straightness of the parts after a 400 deg heat treatment and tested first with a floorpan.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/sisaumllokasuojasinkittynauml_zpscbc83767.jpg)
Eventually, the following parts received the zinc treatment:
- inner front fenders
- all the floorpans
- all the trunk floor pieces
- front cross beam
- fuel pump cover
- battery holder
- exhaust pipe hangers
- removable covers over the rocker panels
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The front side of the car is coming together. The inner fenders already welded in place.
The other parts I painted with 2-K epoxy primer.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/sisaumllokasuojahitsattu_zps7958f2e5.jpg)
Fitting the outer fenders...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lokasuojakonehuone_zpscb43d32c.jpg)
The front fenders had already been replaced at some point. After sand blasting the inside surface I found them still useable. Only the bottom section had to be renewed.
I was not impressed with the dimensioning accuracy of the aftermarket panels. It required some cutting and welding to correct the headlight bowl alignment.
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This is coming on great and should reassure anyone that all is possible! :)
I wish I could weld half as neatly as you :-\
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Thank you Larry for your kind words!
I must say that after using 17 kg of welding wire on this car the last welds looked much better than the first ones. ::)
Luckily, the last welds are the only visible ones ;D
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After welding, I sealed every exterior seam with lead (actually more tin than lead) to ensure that no moisture gets through the weld.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lokaria-pilari_zpse588c95d.jpg)
I spent a lot of hours fitting the front fenders. It wasn't easy to get all the panel gaps correct around the hood and simultaneously between doors and fenders.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/etukulma_zps39ad569a.jpg)
...and the driver's side
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/toinenetukulma_zpsb3ea0387.jpg)
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Hi Petri,
Looks as if you are doing an awesome job! Your welding looks really tidy. I know when I started mine was a total mess. By the end I had improved and then looked back on some of the first stuff and just had to do it again it looked so ugly. Amazing how much a couple of days practicing can make. Do you do this sort of stuff for a living to get that good? Also interested in your welding gear. I am assuming its all mig welded. What thickness core and how many amps were you running to deal with all the thicker chassis steel. Think it was about 2.4mm from memory.
In any event I love your work and keep on posting. Bet your looking forward to moving on to the paint phase!
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Cheers Andy!
And thanks for the compliment. My welding is far from good and luckily my daily bread is not depending on it ;D
The mig welder I use is a portable device and is based on PFC power source technology. MinarcMig is made in Finland by Kemppi.
I use 0.8 mm wire and only have to select the plate thickness. The wire speed and amps will be automatically adjusted accordingly. There is a knob for fine-tuning the "thickness" of the weld, though.
Really, an excellent piece of machinery!
http://www.kemppi.com/inet/kemppi/kit.nsf/0/A051719B838DCB6CC22578730048CF85?opendocument
I've been following your thread and your work is amazing!
(as I explained in my first post, my Pagoda was already back on the road last summer after a 4-year refurbishment)
- Petri
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The quarter panels welded. The horizontal weld is still waiting for lead.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/B_pillar2_zpsca9cb0bf.jpg)
...and the other side
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/b-pilari_zps095ed90b.jpg)
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Finally, the car was ready to be taken to a paint shop.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/maalaukseen1_zps13f61bae.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/maalaukseen2_zps38964276.jpg)
The rear panel looked good outside but the bottom part was heavily rusted inside so I replaced it, too
Not that beautiful yet...but I had now opened every "box structure" of this car and replaced all the corroded sections with new sheet metal.
I was now able to focus on interior parts and bright work, knowing that there were no surprises hidden anywhere in the car body.
(I would just hate to see a rust bubble on the finished paint job a few years after "restoration"...)
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Former Belgian car? You bought it in Belgium?
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The car was originally delivered in Germany and I bought it from Detroit, Michigan.
It seems that it has spent some time in Belgium, too
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I sent these and a few other parts to Poland for re-chroming:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/IMG_5687_zpsa5a2ed5a.jpg)
...and these went to a local shop to be zinc-plated (gold passivation). Cadmium plating is not available in Europe anymore.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/menossakeltapassivointiin_zps29724e82.jpg)
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While the car was in the paint shop I had time to work on the smaller items.
The previous owner had bought a new gas tank. It was good otherwise but the paint came off very easily (painted on greasy surface...?)
I stripped the tank and used tank sealer to give it a longer life (I hope)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/tankkiputsattuna_zpsc2fbc3aa.jpg)
The outside I painted with POR15 and Chassis Black.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/tankkimaalattuna_zps3fb5f7b7.jpg)
Also stripped the horns...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/torvetputsattuna_zpsdbb3c8eb.jpg)
...the horns re-painted:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/torvatmaalattuna_zps3256fd6a.jpg)
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Since I already had my hands dirty, I cleaned and painted the air filter housing, expansion tank and the brake booster. 2-K epoxy primer + satin gray, very dark.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/jarrutehostinyms_zps28562a4a.jpg)
Before painting the heater core, I had to make and solder a new bracket to it. The original had got lost at some point. I also replaced the valve o-ring.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/laumlmppaumlrikennonkannake_zps8c91efbc.jpg)
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The interior was original except the seat covers and carpet that had been done by the PO.
I started my upholstery work from the dash. I practiced with the under dash pieces and moved towards more visible panels.
Here, I'm gluing a foam layer to A-pillar covers and the main dash pieces prior to "MB-Tex".
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kojelaudanverhoilu_zps5422d20c.jpg)
The door cards were in bad shape due to moisture damage so I had to buy new cards. The aluminum top piece was taken from the old cards and riveted to the new ones.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/ovipahvinverhoilu_zps4d2f1299.jpg)
The door pockets were still original.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/matchingnumbers_zpsb5634a27.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/verhoilu4_zps1fe308d0.jpg)
The finished door panel from the back...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/verhoilu5_zps69472e2c.jpg)
...and the front side:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/oviverhoiluvalmis_zps3d4b40e5.jpg)
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When I bought the car it had seat belts installed. One end of the belts were attached with only 6 mm bolts!
I bought a set of new belts and decided to do the installation in a way I learned from the "Motoringinvestments" web site.
In order to do so, I had to make an opening to the B-pillar panel for the belt:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/699d0d45-f8b1-4efb-9d3f-7760ef04d0ee_zps5fd76ef1.jpg)
The same panel ready:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/verhoilu1_zps46702de4.jpg)
... and from the back side:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/verhoilu2_zpsd9bfae24.jpg)
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The seats are original. The seat covers had been changed by the previous owner and were still in very good condition.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/alkuperaumlisetpenkit_zpsf4ba78d7.jpg)
For safety reasons, I wanted to install headrests. Even though my early seat backs are not very thick.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/niskatuenkiskot_zpsca238631.jpg)
The headrest with a new matching cover.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/niskatuki_zpsb8cee32f.jpg)
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Some progress in the paint shop...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/IMG_5344_zps4f7f0818.jpg)
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I do know that Mercedes cars should have Becker radios.
When I was a little boy, my dad's Volvo P1800S had a Blaupunkt Köln. I remember looking at that fascinating little pointer travelling across the face, seeking radio stations.
I wanted to have a similar Blaupunkt with automatic tuning even though there are Beckers out there with the same feature.
I bought two Blaupunkt Kölns from ebay. They were both sold as inoperative. To my surprise, they both started to work after cleaning and lubricating the tuning mechanism.
Here is a picture of my basket case Blaupunkts (two Kölns and one Frankfurt)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/radionaihioita_zps5b894bfc.jpg)
...and this is how one looked after cleaning. I bought new knobs and some other small parts to it as well as a new speaker and an automatic Hirschmann antenna.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/radio_zps8521ddd1.jpg)
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The headlights needed new reflectors. The main reflectors I bought new but at that point I couldn't find foglight reflectors for a reasonable price.
So, I cleaned the old ones and had them silver plated.
Also painted the frame.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lyhdyttakaa_zps9908f566.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lyhdyt_zpse5e3f940.jpg)
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Miscellaneous parts after zink plating:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/osatkeltapassivoituna_zps07c7a751.jpg)
The relay covers turned out really nice after new zink and transfer decal sets (thanks, Wallace!)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/releetentisoumlityinauml_zps34c8f800.jpg)
The plating shop was so busy (=long delivery time) that I tried zinc plating for some less important parts myself.
These parts received rather thick zinc layer but required some polishing to turn shiny.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/sinkitystaumlkotikonstein_zps5dedeba8.jpg)
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The car was finally painted. Looks a bit naked without lights, bumpers and chrome trim.
The color code is 396 instead of the original 172.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/maalattuna_zps07cd52c1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/maalattunatakaa_zpsedb7cc0a.jpg)
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What a mess!
I sprayed 7 litres of cavity wax into all the box structures. There was a good amount of overspray on the paint, too. And dripping on the floor...
I found a local shop that made me a new windscreen. Not a big or fancy looking shop, but they have molds for > 1000 different cars and the work quality is excellent.
I used a new seal for the glass and struggled half a day with it. The most difficult part was to attach the seal and the aluminum trim around the windscreen. The installation to the car was not that difficult with the rope method even though I had the wood pieces already in place.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/etuosakasalle_zps06df0d48.jpg)
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Renewing the wiring harness and installing new brake and fuel lines.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/moottoritilamenossakasaan_zps0af5ab85.jpg)
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Looking good :) :)
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Thank you, Larry!
Re-installing the cleaned parts to the body was the most rewarding and pleasant part of the "restoration".
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Yes, I know that the floor should have the exterior color. To me, originality of this particular item was not so important (I can always repaint it later...).
The small holes seen here were drilled for the cavity wax tube.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lattiatmaalattuna_zps5f0f4b62.jpg)
I also decided not to install any insulation material at this point (before it is sure that no rain water would enter the cabin).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/lattiamatotpaikalleen_zps903cacb7.jpg)
Since the paint color was close enough to the color of the carpet I didn't find it necessary to use black paint on the exposed brackets.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/matotlattiassa_zpsb0c95bbf.jpg)
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I feel that an ivory steering wheel suits the parcment interior better than the black one. I bought a used one from ebay and refurbished it. I cleaned the cracks with a small grinder and filled them up with epoxy. After some sanding I painted the wheel with 2k-polyurethane. The first attempt resulted in too white "greenish" shade. I added a few drops of yellow and red to my paint mixture and sprayed again. Now, I was very happy with the result.
I also changed the hub pad cover, painted the back side of the center star and had the inner ring re-chromed.
The heater louvres were also re-chromed. Very interesting to put the assembly back together. During chroming, the little hinge pins had grown in diameter and didn't fit in their holes ::)
When changing the chrome rings to the speedo and tachometer I accidentally broke the glass. Well, didn't have to spend time cleaning the old glasses 8)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/IMG_6885_zpsc647cf71.jpg)
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Looks fantastic. I agree that the parchment looks much nicer on the blue. The steering wheel job you have done also looks great. I have seen quite a few of them that have been painted in slightly the wrong shade, usually to white, and it does stand out. Think you have nailed the color and the paint job as well.
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That is remarkably quick work, especially considering the high standard. It must be vary satisfying to be driving now. Congratulations!
Oh wait, I backtracked and saw this was 4 winters of restoration :) Anyway, very nice
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Thanks mates :)
- p
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This is finally, how my Pagoda looked in Septemper when I parked it in the garage for the winter.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/etuviistostandashKopio_zps00897fe6.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/jaumlrvitaustandashKopio_zpsd325362e.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/etumaskindashKopio_zps346a83d0.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/takaa_zps63394cd3.jpg)
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Some more pictures...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/moottori_zps60e01e85.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/takakontti2_zps10bd5f44.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/takakontti1_zpsd3b5710e.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/mittaristo_zpsa930d2f4.jpg)
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...and more...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/penkitndashKopio_zps37089f19.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/oviaukindashKopio_zps6f7f94b3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/kojelautandashKopio_zps759246ad.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/vasensivu_zpsc1577600.jpg)
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Petri,
Absolutely fabulous. Just love the extra interior bling of the chrome on the 230/early 250’s. Looks fantastic.
Andy Burns, this is for encouragement for you and where you will be when it is all done.
Garry
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Phenomenal ... amazing how great it looks ... thanks very much for sharing this retrospectively.
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That white interior oozes charm. Very very nice. The whole car is amazing.
One question though, people talk about the extra bling / chrome on the 230/250s. Can somebody explain where that extra bling is compared to a 280sl.
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This has to be my favourite colour combo, superb :) :)
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Thank you, everyone, for your kind words !
I'm also quite satisfied with the color combo. I was planning to paint it dark blue 332 (even bought some paint). Dark blue is an elegant color but I'm happy I eventually went for 396.
The car was "ready" just on time for Willingen. It had been more or less sitting for the last 21 years and such a long trip made me a little nervous. Everything went extremely well, though. A voltage regulator was the only thing that broke and we were lucky to find a functional used one on the way :D
Even though the car is now driveable, I have a long work list for this winter. Or should I call it a wish list...there will be a good number of items transferred to the following winter ::)
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Well done Petri! ... Enjoy the summer driving and further success with the additional work/wish list.
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Petri,
I join the crowd of admires of your hard job. It was a pure pleasure to see your car (and you :)) in Willingen. Your Pagoda looks definitely outstanding and I also agree that the color combination is superb (and quite frankly my favorite too).
I would be curios to know what made you change the paint from 172 to the present one? Was that because you disliked 172 or just because blue is your realm?
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It's heart-warming to see how a car like that comes back - you must be extremely happy with yourself and your car. Hope that the summer in Finland will be long and warm so you can enjoy your fabulous car :-)
There is a Scandinavian Pagoda-meeting in August just north of Copenhagen BTW
Best
Ulf in Denmark
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Pity it was not in late September, I will be there!! ;D
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Thank you!
Stan,
It was not an easy decision to go for non-original color. Your Pagoda looks absolutely gorgeous in anthracite.
I just wanted to pick a bit lighter color for such a small car and after seeing pictures of "Treedoc's" Pagoda I knew mine would be 396 with parchment interior.
Actually, I wasn't 100% satisfied with the paint job last summer. I had it re-sprayed in April and chose Spies-Hecker paint instead of PPG. It has a warmer shade now (which I like better).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/paloviita/Pagoda/Harjattulassa_zpsf0cf4332.jpg)
Ulf,
The Scandinavian meeting sounds great.
- Petri