Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: teahead on June 27, 2019, 22:22:51
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https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-mercedes-benz-230sl-8/
I think the "Kinder" (?) seat is cool:
(https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1964_mercedes-benz_230sl_1559677581495d565ef66e0056.jpg)
Is it fairly easy to retrofit? More of a conversation piece, but maybe cool as an "emergency seat" in case you need to pick someone up unexpected.
Rear speakers...are there factory 6"x9" holes back there? I haven't looked back there (hardtop on) to see:
(https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1964_mercedes-benz_230sl_1559677521f98764da0081.jpg)
Haven't noticed on my car yet, but I see there are holes going through the jamb/doors for wiring. What are the wires for? It's not like there are power windows there.
(https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/156159817908495d565e20190626_180846.jpg)
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Also, my car came with one top latch lever in the glovebox.
Are they supposed to remain on the latches?
(https://cdn.bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1964_mercedes-benz_230sl_15596776399f98764da0033.jpg)
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Kinder seats are cool but dangerous as all heck if you get hit. The levers for the hardtop come out and sit in a pouch in the glove and no the speaker holes are not original.
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One of those funny things with the 3rd seat - it may be impractical and even dangerous, but it adds to the value of the car....
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We put our son in ours a few years back, when he was small
We were very conscious of the safety implications but he loved it. And the first thing he did when we were under way was turn around and face the back and "shoot" the car behind. It had not occurred to us that kids today are in child seats and seat-belts making such games impossible. Indeed, facing backwards is pretty tough.
The driver behind laughed his head off.
The wires through the door jamb might be holding it together. It looks like quite a lot of repair work has happened there - the bottom looks awful
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Speakers in the doors?
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I do not see any speakers in the pictures of the doors, but Pat may be on to something...The wires have the same colors as those that go to the rear speakers???
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230SLs have permanent handles, as shown on the hardtop pics as well (not sure if 250s do or not). I assume that their removal (and placement in the glovebox) had something to do with US safety standards. Otherwise, I can’t see why they would bother to change them.
Apart from the speakers and uncertain floor repairs, it appears that the motor compartment was either painted or under coated at some time. However, it’s interesting that its firewall insulation pad is still largely intact. That’s pretty rare.
It’s probably just because I’m a 230 owner, but it’s too bad that the original angular dash pad has been replaced with something more like the later rounded style. In addition, the vinyl used is the later, larger grain. I just don’t think it fits with these cars. I tried to source original grain Tex seat covers for my 230, but I’ve not found them anywhere (logical, I guess, when you think about the number of 230s vs 280s — why tool up for both?). The Classic Center must have had the same issue, as the Italian-market 230SL that’s been on their site for months has also the later grain (and, horror or horrors, apparently no fender notches!).
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Metal dish that sits on top of the shock absorber is on upside down. Dished part should face up so that the shock is free to move without binding. I see this a lot.
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I think I figured out the wires. Somebody at one time hacked speakers into the doors(there is no provision for them. When it came time to spiff the car up they replaced the door panels and removed the speakers they were faced with the dilemma of, "What looks better. Gaping holes in the door jambs or wires that go nowhere?" The wires won out.
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Metal dish that sits on top of the shock absorber is on upside down. Dished part should face up so that the shock is free to move without binding. I see this a lot.
Thank you for saying that! Needless to say, I have them upside down...
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At $45,500, I would say that that was well sold . . . especially given the lack of info on the welds, rust etc, plus no data card. I suspect the attractive color combo had something to do with it. Maybe our Pagodas are on the upswing!
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I concur. I think that was good money for a car with potential body rot issues. Hard to tell with such lack of information as aforementioned.
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I have been watching BaT for quite a while now and I think that there are a lot of "uneducated" buyers who pay way too much for mediocre vehicles. That is true for both cars and motorcycles.
Reading the comments on some auctions, it is obvious that some people have absolutely no clue what they should look for.
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That's true but even the educated can be fooled. The only way I really know a car is by working on it for a couple of months. Some stuff is so well hidden that I dare anyone to do better than that.
I keep thinking I've found everything and then a bit of test driving finds new things that sort of appear from nowhere. That's why really serious test driving is a must.
Any advertisement that reads '' well sorted '' should mean just what it says. This car has been driven, it's completely turn key, and all problems have been sorted out.