Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: 280sl1968 on April 15, 2014, 07:09:03
-
Not sure if the owner is a member, but thought it would be useful to post a link here to this story:
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11148154.Dude__where_s_my_classic_car______50_000_Mercedes_stolen_by_couple/ (http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11148154.Dude__where_s_my_classic_car______50_000_Mercedes_stolen_by_couple/)
It's a red 1969 280SL stolen from Westcliff in Essex (south east England) on April 5, 2014.
No VIN details in the article and I can't tell if it's RHD from the pic.
I don't imagine that Pagoda thefts are a common occurrence in the UK (thankfully). I might contact the owner to see if he wants to post more information here.
David
-
Note to self..... need to get GPS tracker with remote engine cut off.
:o
-
thats bad news, best keep an eye on ebay etc for unusual parts being offered perhaps?
Neil
-
Think would be worth more than £50k as noted in article...assuming it was in decent but not top condition...What a shame! Looks like an amazing car and now who knows its fate in the wrong hands...
-
Sadly, in many vintage car thefts, they are stolen according to a prior command. Cars such as Pagodas are increasingly easy and valuable targets:
- Easy because, unlike modern cars, most of our cars are not fitted with any security device except maybe for the steering wheel lock (though not even all of them);
- Valuable, due to the recent price increase and more available post-crisis money;
As Westcliff is in fact part of Southend-on-sea that is a port, there is a high likelihood that this car has already left the country and is being shipped where non-scrupulous people are keen to “domesticate” it. BTW, I was puzzled to learn that in some countries you can register a car just based on an invoice (possibly fake) and a declaration that the title was not included by the previous owner.
The idea of a GPS tracker is a good one in this case, but making the VIN public on most forums and at Mercedes dealership wouldn’t be bad either
Hope the guy will recover the car.
-
At least the red sill covers might make it stand out to an educated observer.
I've had several customers who've had their car stolen.
There was a chap selling two extremely rotten and incomplete cars a couple of years ago just a few miles from me. I went to see them and they were parts cars only but he wanted 15k for them. When I asked him how he could justify the price he said "because I have the registration documents for them".
What he meant was that apart from being valuable a parts sources, they were valuable to anybody who might want to steal a car and change its identity.
I won't bother writing the details here but we all know how easy that would be and how lucrative.
-
Here's a couple of photos of the stolen 280SL and a few more details as provided by the owner:
Registration is FWB743H, a 1970 right hand drive model, in bright red
The chassis number is 11304422018989
The car was restored 6 years ago and the new red paintwork can still be seen under the wheel arches
Car was taken with the red hard top as shown
The interior was black, black seats with red piping, additional factory 2 seater shelf seat in black, black carpets and mats
The sun visors were cream
Under the bonnet the engine has been polished and included copper pipework
The tyres are newish all matching Michelin ENERGY tyres
The car was without a radio at the time
Grey fleece cover was taken with the car
(http://www.sl113.org/imagebank/images/280sl1968/pagodafwb743h2.jpg)
(http://www.sl113.org/imagebank/images/280sl1968/pagodafwb743h.jpg)
David
-
Hello All,
Last September in Williamsburg, VA USA when we got together with 47 Pagoda's one of the owners had a Securely System on his Pagoda it was quite sophisticated. I am wondring if the write up in our Technical Manual ...
Here ----> http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Accessories/CentralLockingAmpSecuritySystem
Was this Security System that also describes a Central Locking System. Does anyone know the owner, he describes the procedure as well as parts very well I wonder what the final overall cost of the installation was and if since installation he/she encountered any problems?
Hope the nice stolen Pagoda can be recovered.