Early Tray between Seats

[114015]

Hi,

I am placing jszeman1's part request to this board here because the research on this topic <<might>> be interesting for someone else here also.
Well, we'll see.

jszeman1 has been asking (still does) the following:

Looking for an early tray for a 230sl as pictured.  Early style ashtray also.

Hard to come by. Have been trying this for >> 20 years; unsucessful. :'(

Best is to bring your own tray to the carpenter and get it modified by adding the wooden pedestal.

The "Engelen" book says there was the change after VIN 770 which the DB parts list confirms.
However, I personally rather believe that was incorrectly printed in the books and should mean VIN 077 instead of 770. I have never seen a car around VIN 100, a bit younger or older, that had this tray as shown.
Serials 119, 120, 123 and 130 definitely did NOT have this tray like no. 004 anymore ... but no. 20, 24 and 44 had.
Most cars in the 300-400 serial range don't have that early tray anymore but the common "ordinary" one.

As to the ash tray, the parts number 113 810 0030  never changed although - to my knowledge - three different variants existed... and this makes the research on that topic even more difficult.

The commonly available "typical ashtray", that all 280ies had for instance, is certainly not correct for earlier cars.
Those had the ashtray with the "flat lid" meaning that the chrome frame of the lid is flatter than on the later type.
That "flat-lidded" ash tray was used up to the 250ies but I have no clue whatsoever up to which VIN.  

And to make things even more complicated... I came across an "early" ashtray where the inner chrome grid (the one where to place the cigarette on) has smaller openings and is a "two-piece" chrome part (inner and outer bezel).
As a proof of "my guess" I once saw an identical  good survivor ash tray (on the Bockhorn fair in 2008), being heavily used of course. But the requested price was way beyond ...   :'( :'(  
So, I have to live with my junk...
That ash tray was from no. 000130.

BTW jszeman1 , what is your VIN?

Achim
(early VIN researcher)

[jszeman1]

Thank you Achim for your reply.  My car is number 671.  The information on the tray was obtained from  Gunter Engelen who's data came from the DBAG archives and published in the Mercedes Collector, "Changes to the 230SL Calendar Year 1963".  It does state that the change was made with car 771 (no date) "Tray between front seats changed; ash tray added.  The addition of the ash tray at that time is puzzling also since I have seen early factory photos with the ashtray.  The other question that arises is the type and construction of the mat in the tray.  If we can iron out the tray data, is it possible someone can lend a pattern so an early tray can be buit or a late one modified?