New member introductions

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hi Marc,

Welcome to the forum.  Post some pictures of your nice Pagoda. I had no issues with a C350 4MATIC I drove for 2 years, just found the inspection costs a bit high (first and second year warrenty inspection). I also had four M3's over the past 10 years never any issues. Now only have the 280 SL and just got into a E350 4MATIC as our DD love that E350 so far no issues.

[Flyair]

Marc,

warm welcome. I bet you will enjoy participating in the forum and will take a good advantage of the resources.... especially useful when you become Full Member

[dario]

Hi Marc,
Welcome you as warm as I myself was greeted in this forum a few days before.
These are pretty cool guys, I guess ...

Dariusz

[jhugues]

Hi I am Jean

I own a 1963 230sl.

I bought it in Arizona in 1993 and moved back to France in 1998 with her and other goodies. It was bought new in Germany by a GI in 1963, brought to colorado in 1965 and I acquired it from the second owner in Arizona.

Before I left the US I had it fully restored. Now that I have more time I can finally enjoy this incredibly good looking and modern car.

I ma glad I have found such a well documented forum. I will post pictures once I figured how to transfer the pics

[Cees Klumper]

Bienvenue Jean!

Good to see you here, there's tons of useful information around the site and in the technical manual, and don't hesitate to ask questions if the search function comes up empty ...

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hello Jean!

Welcome to the SL Forum ...

Happy Holidays !

[dario]

Hi Jean,
Welcome to the forum.
Here is a lot of people hungry enough, that they want to see the pictures of your car (especially as you write if it is fully restored). Everyone likes to look at the beautiful things, especially if they are called Pagoda.
A good way is to store albums with pics somewhere in "cloud" (internet outer server) and write here only link to them. I do so. Once again warm welcome.

[Garry]

Welcome to our Group as a Full Member Jean,

I will send you out an introduction letter and some window stickers in due course once the celebrations have gone and settled.

Look forward to seeing some photos as Dario suggested.

Garry
Membership Secretary
Other than Amereicas

[jhugues]

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Merry Christmas

[Tomnistuff]

Bienvenue Jean.  Chanceux!  Je ne peux pas imaginer un rêve plus plaisant que de conduire un Pagode en Provence.
Tom Kizer
Un américain expatrié à Québec

And to be courtious:

Welcome Jean.  Lucky you! I cannot imagine a dream more pleasant than to drive a Pagoda in Provence.
Tom Kizer
An expatriot American in Quebec City

[6point3]

Ooops.

My third post, but not too late, I hope, for introduction. 
I am in sunny California.
The High Desert to be exact in the North end of L. A. county.
I call it the oil filter of L.A. : "all the sh*t get's stuck here." 
So given my (mostly) culture, morale as well as taste deprived surroundings, I am surrounded by nothing but Pick-up trucks and 10+ year old japanese econo-boxes.
BUT we have 4 ! Walmarts to 300 000+ widely spread inhabitants, more like dwellers, if you will.

I am not really your SL kinda guy, but more old Mercedes sedans and coupes, from a handful of 300s ("Adenauer" a-d) to Pontons, Finnies, 108/9s, w114/5s, w116s and on).
My "newest" car is a 1993 300TE and that's about when Mercedes went to 'throw-away' cars. Just my opinion.
I try to save old Mercedes, but I am seriously out-numbered as to people dumping and destroying them, but I try.

My intent for 2014 is creating a network for private people, professionals, All branches from restorers to parts suppliers to mechanics and painters or upholsterers to create a source for anything OLD MERCEDES worldwide ! KIND OF  like a club, but more !!
Tell me if you want to be included. Or I may ask you somewhere down the line, for resources etc...

I do have a Pagoda, a LHD 230SL, one of the first 8k I believe, that has an interesting UK history, but that I want to drive before it's "all over".

I hope to connect up with some nice people here.

Thanks

Alex
So Cal

[Cees Klumper]

Welcome Alex, sounds like you have many stories to share!

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hello Alex,

Welcome to the forum, your idea sounds good. Let us know how you make out.

[114015]

My "newest" car is a 1993 300TE and that's about when Mercedes went to 'throw-away' cars. Just my opinion.

Alex,
Ah no, cannot agree here.
The W124 chassis (S124 in your case) has one of the highest reputations among youngtimer Mercedes cars, at least in DE. The "dump away" perod of MB started _after_ the W124 (W210, 202, etc.) although the late 124s (MOPF 2 = facelift models, 1994 onwards) are not more known to represent that high quality than the earlier 124s (pre-facelift) ...


Achim
(W124 fan, especially S124)

[mgandrew]

Just bought 250SL # 3956. It's a 5 speed. I have some reciepts. Had a 280SL prior. I will have to tow it to take possession. (bad gas).
When it gets to the shop it will get new fluids throughout including a siphon and flush of the fuel tank. Associated filters included. Rust appears to be minimal.

[Jonny B]

Welcome for another 250 SL! Be sure to enter the car info into the registry/database on the site. Lots of great people out there to help with questions for the re start process. Also lots of historical information on the site. The "search"function is your friend.

[hoodude]

I've been lurking a long long time,so it's finally time to say hello and add a bit of story.
First I'm old,a coot...and have been around MB's,in the family,for almost sixty years. My uncle,a Marine,Tarawa Iwo Okinawa ,liked MB's and got a 190D in '57,or there abouts. It was quirky,and odd..but was totally wonderful to be around,the aromas,the noises,the solidness..but for a ten year old unforgettable. So seven or more years pass,I'm in boarding school and visiting my roommate during summer vacation and his dad shows up in his new 230SL,green over tan,an automatic. Up until then the XK-E was going to be my car,but that was a new day.
Well it took a while,but I've had my 230SL for twenty three years. It's come a long way..it ran when I got it,but I took a risk taking it on that "test" drive..brakes,not so much..that knocking in the engine,loose crank what..anyway it has come a long way. And if I'da known anything I'da passed,then. But I know more now,just a bit,cause you can't very well stop in the middle of the deep muddy,you keep on and learn a little on the way. One lesson is from the Wizard of Id when he sez if you don't know what it does,don't  mess with it..and the other is the only thing you can do with rust is sell it .
I'll put a pic or two up,when I can speed up this new iPad,since I've taken pics of 0962,the vin,it's early,since the day I picked it up and drug it back here. It's been fun...but it may well be a younger person's game.
Cheers,RE
Cheers,
RE

[Garry]

Hi Ralph,

Welcome to the Forum as a Full Member. As Jonny B said, make sure your car is on the car register on the site.
 
Glad to see you with a sense of humour, its, needed when working on MB’s and opening the wallet to buy spares. 

Not so sure about the being old.  I am a ’47 Boomer and don’t feel that old!

Look forward to some photos some time.

Garry

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hello RE,

Welcome to the forum .... I'm sure you make a lot of friends here ... some of us might even be older then you

after all what they say again ... "You are as young as you feel" touch wood I still feel great

[Flyair]

Garry and R-D...

anyway we are here talking about vintage cars, so the age of their owners doesn't matter. Suffice it to say that your age is BP or AP (read before Pagoda or after Pagoda)

[hoodude]

Thanks guys,appreciate the welcome..I do feel pretty good to be 66,no need to rehab yet,and am glad to have saved/restored 0962..she looks better than I do,on the surface subjectively maybe.
I found some out of sequence pics,so I'll try to attach here..and try to do better,as I learn ,where when if etc..I'll comment if successful,otherwise appear dumb rather than remove all doubt..
Cheers,
RE

[rumb]

Hi, intro here. I've had MB's for 38 yrs now. Am very interested in acquiring a pagoda and have been looking and learning for a year or so. Currently have a W108, W126 and R129. Joining now to get more info. Last summer went to Forest Grove Concourse and learned a lot there about Pagodas. Currently doing a full restore on a 72 MG Midget.

[Flyair]

Rumb

Joining this forum prior to purchasing a pagoda is a very wise thing, which I didn't do and regret it very much. The amount of information in both the forum and the Technical manual are incredible. I think that you will benefit a lot by reading the threads and exchanging viewed with many members, some of them being the best professionals of Pagoda one could encounter.
welcome and enjoy!

[Ph2ocraft]

New to the site as I just purchased a 66 230SL Euro versions
Creme color with black interior, automatic with a kinder seat.
All panels and mats are in place.
All books and service records documenting her 119K miles
Everything appears to be original other than carpets (transmission tunnel carpeting is stock).

I do have a couple questions;
I'm used to the Burlwood in my 560
What type of wood is in 66?
What is the connector (with spring cover) on the firewall under the hood?

Im on a hunt for a few pieces
Beauty rings
Ash tray lid/cover
R/S door mirror (does this affect car value in any negative way?)

The car is running vary well and the shifts are crisp.
I need to bleed the brakes and check wheel cylinders.
I couldn't stand the rattle in the door so I pulled it apart and re attached the aluminum slide bracket.
Cool cars!!!
Al

[Flyair]

Al
welcome on board. Your message shows that  you are well positioned to become a Pagoda-addict, as most of us here 

One of your best friends on this forum should become the Search functionality. Most of the questions you asked are treated in detail in several posts. Obviously the best think is to join the Group as a Full Member, giving you full access to our Technical Manual, and therefore to the response about most question one may have while renovating his dear Pagoda.

Just to answer your first question, here is what our wise men said in the Technical Manual: "Pagoda wood trim is near a medium oak color in many cars today. There are some who believe the original color was a medium dark Mahogany color but all agree that the finish was satin, not glossy. This is in contrast to the wood trim in other Mercedes of the 1960's. Some of the sedans, for example, had wood trim with a high gloss finish."

BTW: The Pagoda woods that you find offered by some resellers directly or on eBay present a verity of wood aspects, both mat and gloss. Setting apart quality and personal taste, it is all about how close to originality you want to be.

As for the connector with spring cover on the firewall, it is to connect a repair light (a device with a long cable and a lamp attached using a spring catch) that could be connected using a special jack. You can find some original or modern devices on eBay from time to time.

Good luck