1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda W113 Medium Blue/Parchment,Auto With Both Tops!!

    Up for auction is a very clean and straight. desirable and collectible. Low Original Milage(106. 29) 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL in the very attractive color combination of Medium Blue Exterior in combination with it's Very Nice Original Parchment(off-white/cream)M-B Tex Interior! Also believed to still have it's Original Blue German Square Weave Carpeting. Options include: Automatic Transmission. Cold-Blowing Factory Installed Air Conditioning(recent 134a update/service). Both Soft Top and Folding Frame and Rare Factory Hard-Top and the Becker Europa AM/FM/Cassette radio. Almost $27. 00 in restoration. parts. labor and repairs spent in the past 6 years. This car still has its rare and unusal original rear front fender attachment welds. front fender inner engine compartment spot welds and inner headlamp trim fins/details to offer proof of a no replacement or rust-repaired originals(please see all 5 photos attesting to these facts). Very Solid floors. foot wells. nbsp;wheel-wells. rocker panels. trunk floor/side-wells and front crossmember/frame. There is visable rust bubbles stating/forming in/on the lower corners of the rear apron (under the rear bumpers) and should be addressed/repaired ASAP. Please note the original spot welds in the lower apron showing that it was never repaired or "hidden" previously. Most W113 SL's have this area botched badly. slathered with bondo with no clear visability of where both inner and outer rear panels meet together with thier Original Spot Welds still in place!

   I purchased this car as a major mechanical project. (it had fairly nice surviving 20+ year old paint and it's original interior was in very decent original condition) from a good friend who got it in a trade deal from a car dealer in Kenton. Ohio. Apparently from the history that I got. this car had sat for approximately 12-15 years inside a repair shop/storage building waiting for repair after it's original engine had overheated. nbsp;head gasket blown/leaking and then led to a spun engine crank-shaft main bearing. After I spent $500-750 on engine removal. diss-assembly and machine shop services/magnafluxing/opinions I oppted for engine replacement from a very low milage California doner. also with the 2. 8 liter mechanical fuel injected engine. a strong running 1970 280SE that had a bad transmission that I had access to and had previously owned. Well finally after over 2 years and almost $20K invested/spent(documented with invoices and check stubs). over and above the $18K+ that I had paid my friend for this nice original non-running car. nbsp; I finally had the great looking and fun driving car of my Dreams.

   But. the expenses continued over the next 4 years as I had a local Elkhart. Indiana Mercedes-Benz Specialist. re-sort. fix. repair. update and correct some of the many major repairs done by the La Porte. Indiana restoration shop! We basically spent another $6. 25. 00 to "Dial-In" the car after break-in and get it more usable and dependable as an every-day driver. On our most recent vist on 09/13/2013 we spent $998. 00 fixed the air conditioning. Fuel system issue repairs. did full Tune-Up. Valve adjustment check and Major Over-all Check and Service in preparation and anticipation of a possibly new future owner. I wanted to make it right and offer it in "Good Faith" without issue to the next owner. We did enjoy a few longer car show trip weekends this past summer and have recently in the past 2-3 moths logged over 700 pleasurable and trouble free miles on it!!!

   Here is a List of Systems Repaired. Replaced and or Updated over my 6+ year owner-ship(German Aftermarket. NOS or current Mercedes New Dealership parts used whenever available:

-Engine swap with all hoses(fuel and cooling). engine motor mounts and bracket rubber mountings. many gaskets and seals. fan belts. water pump. fan clutch. thermostat. filters. radiator stem cleaned and pressure checked. /p>

-New H/D Battery. battery cables. belts. charging/fuel relay. voltage control/regulator and remanufactured alternator.

-(4)KYB Shocks. both front Sub-Frame mounting kits. Center/Drag Link. both Side Tie-Rods. Idler Arm repair kit and new Gas Steering Shock/Stabilizer.

-Remanufactured Brake Booster. New ATE Brake Master Cylinder. 4 x ATE NOS Brake Calipers with hydraulic hoses. hardware. wheel bearings. seals and brake pads.

-(4) x Brand New Good-Year White Wall Tube-less Tires. Steel Wheels Sandblasted. Cleaned and Painted. New tire valves. tire mounting and spin balancing.

-Complete NOS Swedish/German Exhaust System: Front Pipe. Center Muffler. Axles Pipes. Rear Muffler and OE German Mercedes-Benz Factory Mounting Kit!$!

-Transmission Cleaning and Service. Seals Replaced. Trans rear mount replaced. Rubber Flex Disc/Joint. New Gemo Speedometer and Tachometer cable assemblies. rebuilt speedo drive gear. Filter changed and Fluids/Additives replaced.

-New(not rebuilt)OEM Bosch Fuel Pump(Bosch $675. 00) and related tank and F. I. hoses replaced. Fuel Injection Thermo-Time switch(M-B $222) and Air Intake Rubber Flex Hose(M-B $100+) changed out to factory specs.

-New Colored Plastic OEM German/Mercedes-Benz Heater Control/Selectors/Dials replaced(big job/exspensive parts). Radio sent out to Becker N. J. for Service/Rebuild/Repair. New Center Dash-Top Speaker replaced and Dash Clock was Sent out for Repair/Update at the same time.

-Rare New Old Stock "Borg/Warner YORK" Compressor and NOS Clutch assembly installed and then updated with 134A Fittings. Seals. Pag Oil. 134a Suva Freon Charged. red dye and Correct Hoses to make vintage Cold Blowing Air Conditioning.

-Both Headlamp Trim Ring Assemblies are the real original type Chromed Metal/Steel and not the later cheap chrome plated plastic replacements. or does anyone even know or realize that this change/appostacy or difference exists?

    It pains me to be offering this car for sale after all the hopes of perfection. energy. effort and cost/expense that I have put into it. I have enjoyed driving it greatly. but even viewing it in my garage is a total asthetic rush(It is Art at it's Finest)as it is so very beautiful. awsomely constructed and wonderfully designed(My 2003 CLK 320 Cabriolet is junk compared to this car's quality. fit and finish). I guess it may have to go because of my six or seven other collector cars(mostly Mercedes). it is the one most finished/ready for sale/owned the longest(I get bored) and the market for these have been Very Strong of late. while so many other mainstream collector cars continue to either wane or fall in price! Somebody(probably European) will really enjoy this Quality Investment/Collector Car for a very long time. their Lifetime I Hope!!! These cars are a Safer and Better Investment Than Money in any "Stock Market"!

   I appologize that this listing got so long winded. but this is a fairly valuable and expensive car and I wanted to try to share all that I knew about this particular car and its current condition. as well as the details of it's restoration and recent use and care. I have owned at least 5 of these W113 cars over the past 25 years and althougth I have loved them since I was a young boy growing up in east coast. I have found that they also offer a very dangerous pit to fall in. I have suffered great despair in the past by learning the hard reality. nbsp;that this model is VERY prone Rust Badly. even to a point of safety concerns and can be a very dangerous and expensive lesson for the un-educated.  You cannot buy a bad(ie Rusty) W113 Mercedes SL and Financially survive the consecenses or the repairs needed to make it right. So Please study and Learn what and where to look for RUST and structural uni-body concerns! Do not make the costly mistakes that I had made early in my life! This One Is Very Good and althougth not 100% rust-free. it is at least 95-98% Rust-Free and never previously repaired before! It has very good original panel fit and gaps lines. Only three or four problem issues come to mind at this time: Hot re-start/that upon re-starting this car when hot. there is a by-pass button under the dash on the steering column. Mercedes actually had this upgrade re-call available back in the day. There is one or two oil leaks at times from engine oil pan. distributor mounting. injection pump or front crank seal. Over the past 3-4 years we have tried to address all of these but at least one still remain from time to time!?! :(   When repainted it's 350 non-metallic color code years ago it. it appears that they added a light metallic fleck into the mix. Also a paint issue is that on 4-5 spots on the alloy panels. there are very small/tiny bubbles mostly appearing  near corners or edges. but have bnot changes in my ownership! I was told my a body guy that it was probably solvent pops or prep issues. but after over 20 years he was really impressed with the over-all condition/survivial of the paint job. Good gloss overall. but some fading in spots. I took pictures in varing stages of day-lighting and shadows to reveal as mamy problems/as possible or are really evident! I would call the paint a 10 footer to be conservitive. but it really is not too awful bad. The wood. especially the three pieces on the dash under the windshield is in poorer condition and could use restoration or replacement. Overall a very attractive Looking and Driving package. A bit of very light valve guide smoke(Had all new valve stem seals installed when engine was changed) upon start-up that quickly fades away. The injection pump is set a bit rich so Exhaust chrome trips get dark if idling around town cruising. In closing it is what it is. on a 1-10 scale with 10 being highest. maybe a mid to high 7 or low 8 and on the 1-5 scale with 1 being highest it's maybe a low 2 to mid 3 depending on your perspective. Best of all It's 100% Fun and 100% Beautiful. a super handling Vintage Sports Car. Fully SORTED and Ready For YOUR NEXT New Road Trip!!! Please direct all serious questions to Jeff 1-574-849-1815. geoskyrm at yahoo dot com . I have many more photos that I can send to anyone really serious. Ther are not many 1960's vintage cars that you could drive now everyday and not suffer hardly any creature comforts! Great Heater. Defrost. Air-Conditioning. Stock Radio works OK. but not that modern. They now have I-Pod hook-up cable/adapters for these old Becker's and plug in the rear 5 or 6 pin female socket.

   Winning bidder is expected to contact me with-in 24-48 hours after auction end so we can make final plans/arrangements! I can store the car for a week or two after auction ends! Buyer is responsible to make all shipping. trucking. customs and/or pick-up arrangement and Pay 100% of All Delivery Fees and Costs! Car is Sols "As-Is/Where-Is" with No Warranties Implied or Infered! Thanks Again for Looking and Bidding. To those who Know and Love these cars. I believe that you will be very happy. This is not a Trailer Queen But a Great Usable Driver. Have Fun and God Bless You all!

On Oct-11-13 at 09:42:42 PDT. seller added the following information:

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