Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: smiledoc on September 19, 2011, 16:32:21
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http://www.smmirror.com/?ajax#mode=single&view=32895
John Travolta's 280SL stolen
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Thought he'd have a Ferarri...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/john-travoltas-mercedes-benz-stolen-in-santa-monica.html
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Travolta's car
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operative word HAD!
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2039158/John-Travoltas-vintage-Mercedes-Benz-convertible-stolen-street.html
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100k! Nice!
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$100k, not so nice, there go up the spares prices and labour rates again.
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hopefully he gets it back intact!
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It doesn't look like many people like tht Jaguar dealership: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=Hornburg+Santa+Monica&cid=9753784081020008669 (http://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=Hornburg+Santa+Monica&cid=9753784081020008669)
280SE Guy
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I saw in this morning's Toronto Star that John Travolta's 1971 280Sl was stolen in front of a Jag delaership in LA. He was only in the dealership for 15 minutes. The car was valued at $100,000. I wonder how much was provenance and how much was real car value?
Hopefully it was just a joy ride and not headed for the chop shop
Doug Dees :'(
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actually the LATimes valued it at $35,000. i guess if one knows it's john travolta's card, you get get a lot more for it. i wasn't happy to hear of the heist, however, having had a 280sl stolen in LA years ago >:(
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Yes it's a real drag.
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Thought he'd have a Ferarri...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/john-travoltas-mercedes-benz-stolen-in-santa-monica.html
He probably does have a Ferrari.....It's a terrible thing to have anything stolen. I never leave any of my toy's far from my eye's view....Terrible situation .....
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:) About 40 years ago, I was working on the Paramount lot in Hollywood. One of the gals on the show had just bought a brand new brown & brown 280SL. They called a "wrap" at day's end - and she went to retrieve her car which she had parked on a residential street close to the studio. Her new baby was gone - and just like John's arrival to an empty parking spot, we can imagine the feeling of being raped, albeit - a different kind, of course. Oh, do I wish the worst on those that so easily lay this kind of pain on the hearts of others !!! Effing low lifes !!!!
Hope he gets it back.......
Hank
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how do they know how to hot wire our cars so quickly? is it that simple?---wonder how they do it
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LA times valuation based on what? i would presume somone who retores old planes such as travolta would have a properly sorted pagoda worth way up on the high end of the scale- he can walk into the classic center and pick up a car with pocket change. From the pics it looks like more than a 35 k decent driver
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how do they know how to hot wire our cars so quickly? is it that simple?---wonder how they do it
For a pro, these cars are very easy to steal.
From this story, and many other stories here over the years, and augmented by Tom Collitt's stories at PUB, I'm beginning to think the larger problem is California. I think they must have one of the larger rates of theft.
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A 113 has to be one of the easier bodies to strip of valuable parts. In minutes you can have a grille, headlights, tail lights and top frame on the floor. That's $4500 on ebay.
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spoken like an expert - do you have experience doing this? we're tracking your IP address as I type
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somebody send the cops to the parts suppliers we all know and love. ::)
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Looks like they caught he guys and made them pay restitution. The evidently chopped it ! Too bad. I suspect someone is driving around with his firewall pad!
http://news.yahoo.com/john-travoltas-stolen-vintage-mercedes-recovered-pieces-205416129.html
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It would be nice as a follow-up story, to see if John Travolta has the pieces put together again for him to have another 280SL. We would like to have him in our SL Group. PUB would be great with his presence there. Does anyone know how to contact him?
Bob
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I'll give him a ring.
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Yes he could fly his jet airliner right into Port Columbus International Airport with a load full of West Coast Pagoda Owners! the airport is only 5 minutes away from PUB !
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(Posted by rmmchl, transferred from a different thread.)
After reading the demise of Mr. Travolta's 280SL, I have been reflecting on the parts listings on E-BAY.
Over the last year I have seen the E-BAY parts posts for my mercedes 250sl go from about 150 items to now between 1400 to 2000 parts listings. I have been wondering how many of those could be "chopped", or stolen parts? I have read one postee who always says the parts are left over from his father who has passed on, and left a garage full of parts.
Seems like we are are hearing many of these same stories. Makes me want to say-Ummmm? Most of us that are members of the pagoda group are well educated on our vehicles. I hope that we all stay true as a group, and recognize anything that seems beyond practicle on some of these sites.
When one of our cars get stolen, I think we all take it personally, as if we all are part owners of that vehicle. It really upset me about what happened to Travolta's 280L.
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Yesterday Der Spiegel reported that the culprits were ordered to pay restitution of $50,000. Guess the $15K was for pain and suffering! That certainly wouldn't do it for me...
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I was in Greece last week and read a local article stating the value at $100k. It also stated the color made it extra valuable!! I happen to like Tobacco Brown but was always under the impression that brown was on the lower end of popularity....especially for a sports car.
Any thoughts?
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I was in Greece last week and read a local article stating the value at $100k. It also stated the color made it extra valuable!! I happen to like Tobacco Brown but was always under the impression that brown was on the lower end of popularity....especially for a sports car.
Any thoughts?
Ok - Greece is in trouble big time.
I personally am not very fond of brown colors. Although on an older 911 I do like it (I think Steve McQueen's personal 911 in 'Le Mans' was dark brown, and it went well with his tan nappa jacket and copper bracelet).
Actually maybe this is a good topic for a poll: what is the best color on a Pagoda?
I've never had a car stolen, and was never broken into, but I'm prepared in case it happens: 'there are worse things that could happen'.
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Greece has been taken over by the troika... effectively the EU has taken control of it's budget
Greece invented democracy, don't ya know!
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Interesting about Greece! I am there every month and rarely get the feeling that the country is in major trouble. We all (including my Greek friends) know it's on thin ice...but it is not as apparent as the media portrays it. I used to stay at the King George Palace in downtown Athens. But since the protests have been so active (and the King George is next to the Parliament), I have stayed outside of Athens...otherwise I could by stranded in my hotel room!!!
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Wow this thread is all over the place. My comments are below.
* It really scares me that our cars are so easily stolen. Best thing is to keep the car insight at all times for sure. Just wondering if anyone has deployed any security measures to slow these thieves down?
* I am all for getting John Travolta in our group once he has his pagoda back or a replacement. I like the idea of him flying all of us CA members to PUB. I am a former United Airlines pilot so let me be the first to call shot gun in his 707.
* Now to favorite color for the w113. It sure looks good in many colors and mine happens to be 396 metallic blue which is a great color. I was originally looking for a 904 midnight blue example which I find very elegant. Alfred looking forward to seeing yours in 904.
*. Last but not least Greece, a beautiful place but keep your hands off my US taxes. Time to work folks.
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As a punishment, the courts should order the thieves chopped up and sold as dog food. A fitting punishment.
Doug Dees ;)
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must of treat himself to another one...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2381214/John-Travolta-takes-prized-vintage-cars-spin-cruises-Beverly-Hills.html
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Looks like his Pagoda is almost as nice as mine ... same, well almost same colour as mine. I'm surprised that his has a soft top, would have expected his to be the California style with hardtop only.
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Nice car. Probably another Scott Melnick (sp) creation. Not sure if I like the bundt alloys on it though. Our cars are skyrocketing in value. About time.
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It is very sad in a way if you think about it. Parts have sky rocketed it for the W113 SL Pagoda.
Well john Travolta can afford another pagoda as nice or nicer then the one he had. not
many of us are in that same league. Beer pockets champion taste. I was talking with a friend in
main and he told me that they are reproducing the tar top batters again in Germany. I was also told they leak so
I am happy just to have a AAA battery with a warranty and road side service, bet you Mercedes-Benz
will not honor that in a 50 year old car.
Scott Melnick is he still in Beverly Hills under the Gas Station? He does nice work He has two
Russian guy who know how to use lead and properly sand aluminum doors. But he is a deep pockets restoration
and service shop.
Also noted is the classic center is hogging all the good parts for their restoration's So buy while you can.
you might come across a part used in john Travolta's car.
Bob Geco 1968 280SL
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Joe Alexander, I like the way you think ... we should make it a yearly meet and have him bring along some of the ladies :) the kind of ladies that are into our cars. We all would bring our Pagoda to the party and let John drive them ... just to show our appreciation :) It be a hell of a party weekend party that is :)