Mercedes-Benz : SL-Class Pride of Ownership

Drivetrain
The engine and clutch have been rebuilt in the last 200 miles.   The car starts and runs very well.

Body/Chassis
The body is in good shape overall.   Paint shows slight bubbling at various places but imperfections are generally only visible in reflected light.

Undercarriage shows no rust on the frame or any other surface.

Interior
The interior is in very good condition (see below).

Added: Take a ride!

http://youtu. be/tpB3HJNFcNM

History: 1994 - 2012

I bought this car 20 years ago while living in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It was in good running condition.  The car had been maintained. but the appearance was somewhat neglected.  The car underwent a major cosmetic restoration at this time which included:

New paint: The car was painted at a one man shop in Emeryville. CA. The finish on the paint was/is superb; very good clear coat/wet sand finish. Several years after the paint job. small bubbles showed up on various parts of the car. They are small and typically only visible in reflected light. New upholstery:  This was installed by Dick and Dales in Redwood City. CA. The finest quality leather and carpet was installed throughout the car and trunk.  The original seats make the 190SL unusable for a taller driver so they were replaced with new aftermarket seats.  Dick and Dales customized the seats by matching the original pattern from the doors onto the leather. The seats look original and provide much more support and comfort.  The original seats can still found on eBay if desired. New top: The top is made of a very high quality material and the installation was excellent. The top has been down (without creasing the back window) since installation. It is in like-new condition.   Hard top is not included. but readily available on eBay.

 Replacement parts included the following:

New OEM steering wheelNew OEM chrome horn ringNew OEM Bosch hornsNew coil and ignition upgrade to optical (replaces points and invisible)New OEM ignition switch assemblyNew shifter knobNew rear lenses / light coversWindshield removed. new seal installed: there are two tiny crescent cracks in the windshiled. less than 5mm which are very hard to see. All gauges and original clock were rebuilt and screen plated by Palo Alto SpeedometerMikuni Carburetors: These have been flawless and appear to increase the power of the engine. All literature and a set of new jets are includedOptical ignition replaced points: This upgrade is invisible and improves reliabilityGas tank removed. coated

 

I drove the car for several years and then the car went into heated storage until about three years ago.

 
Recent History: Last 100 miles
 
When the car was taken out of storage three years ago it suffered a crack in the head.  A rebuilt head was purchased from Metric Motors. the only shop in the US which specializes in classic Mercedes engine machining.  With the help of an experienced Mercedes classics mechanic. the top end was rebuilt.  In addition to the head replacement and the usual items (chain. chain tensioner replacement. etc. ) great care was taken to rebuild or overhaul as much as possible.

 

·  Exhaust header was blasted and ceramic coating professionally applied

   Bumpers rechromed

·  Substantial new OEM hardware including bronze exhaust nuts. Banjo bolt. coolant “Y” steel line. etc.

·  New water pump

·  Parts of engine which were originally copper chromate yellow were blasted and plated with yellow Zinc.

·  Radiator re-cored

·  Numerous parts removed and carefully cleaned/plated/painted

·  The engine has a very slight coolant weep between the head and block (coolant weeps out of the block. left side).   This is typical on this engine and not considered a defect.   It had this condition before the rebuild and continues after (block top was checked for flat).   Actual coolant loss is so small (drops) I consider it negligible. but disclosure is important.

·  Every coolant. vacuum. intake. heater and fuel hose was replaced with high quality German fabric covered hoses and ANA clamps

·  New battery and battery hold down frame

·  Heater bodies re-cored. heater valves and blower fan reconditioned. new o-rings. etc.

·  New clutch assembly installed by Burbach Motors. Portland. OR.

·  190SL Club starter upgrade: This provides more power and is smaller than the original (original starter included)

·  190SL Club spin-on oil filter: This is a modern oil filter (original filter assembly included)

·  Brake booster was rebuilt by Bruce Adams Restorations

·  Purchased 14” cast Aluminum wheels from 230Sl.  These are somewhat difficult to find but decrease the un-sprung weight. giving a noticeable ride improvement. Rims were blasted and painted. New Chrome trim rings were installed. The tires are brand new Diamondback wide whitewalls (original 13” steel wheels and Pirelli tires are included)

·  Temperature gauge was rebuilt by Palo Alto Speedometer. These units had a metal tube filled with ether. which was refilled and replacedAll bumpers re-chromed: The only exception is one of the rear bumper guards has pitting.  I had a replacement but the chrome shop accidentally damaged it. The interior rear view mirror was also rechromed. New. correct 190SL switch installed under the steering wheel which controls a new solenoid under the dashboard.  The solenoid switches the battery on-off.  It is a good piece of mind to disconnect the power when parked.  The wiring of the car appears fine. but it is nice to not rely on 54-year-old wiring.

·       ·  Three-point seat belts were added. Please note that I am not an expert on automotive restraints and have been advised to disable these when selling the car.   I will remove the anchor bolt on each side and include all hardware with the hopes that you will confirm that these are correct restraints.

·       ·   Unfortunately the car came with speakers mounted through the interior back panel.  I installed an amplifier under the false floor with a headphone connection so music can be played through a mobile phone.

·       ·  Pre-1960 turn signal hardware installed which uses rotation of chrome horn ring to control turn signal lights.   Original switch included if steering column control is desired (very easy change).

Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Shipping and handlingItem location: United StatesShipping to: Worldwide  Services availableCheck item description and payment instructions or contact seller for details. Shipping insuranceReturn policyReturn policy detailsReturn policy not specified.
Read item description for any reference to return policy. Payment detailsPayment methodBuyer protection on eBayNot available Cash (in person)Not available Other - See seller's payment instructionsNot available Seller's payment instructionsWire TransferYou can add ##n## more item. You can add ##n## more items. You're the first person to watch this item. Don't let it get away!people are watching this item. Place a bid and beat them to buy this item!##n## item can still be added to your watch list. ##n## items can still be added to your watch list. person is watching this item. Place a bid and improve your chances to buy this item. (##i## item)(##i## items) Back to home pageReturn to topAdditional site navigation About eBayAnnouncementsSecurity CentreMobileBuyer ToolsPoliciesStoreseBay Wish listSite MapHelp & ContacteBay official time Copyright © 1995-2014 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. User Agreement. Privacy and Cookies.

Also published at eBay.ca

Want to buy this car?