mercedes pagoda 230SL

[deQuincey]

would anyone here consider a mercedes pagoda w113 from 1967 ?

i found an excellent car for sale, runing and very good condition, not concourse, but tye price is tempting, 30.000 euro !

a german car imported in spain in the 70-ties, automatic gearbox, mechanical injection bosch, white with tan interior, all trim bits in perfect condition, apparently no rust over no rust under,

a running engine well kept by tye owner (he runs a mercedes service for vans and trucks)

it is a gem ! and i am not an expert but price seems good

ideas ?

 

[Arde]

HBChris knows the pagodas he can opine. I love the shape and once tried to buy one but it was too neglected. I realized the owner had money when he got it but he probably went to jail and the woman neglected it badly. Another reason to be honest or at least find a woman that cares for your cars until you are out...

 

[CSteve]

Any photos for the unitiated?

 

[ccr2002]

Pagoda

Buy it. I just bought the 280sl. Always loved the shape. They don't drive as nicely as our coupes but it's a convertible! They are classy. 30k seems below market by a lot if it's as clean as advertised. Lucky man

 

[Ohmess]

I think that car is really beautiful, and if I had not found an e9, that car was high on my list.

 

[HB Chris]

deQ,

I had my 230SL for eight years and only sold it to buy my coupe, it's a great car. I think the 230 is better looking than the 280 as it has more chrome instead of satin trim, no headrests, no side markers in the US market and usually here no big bumper guards, fog lights in the headlight covers instead of big orange turn signal lenses, removable radio panel in the dash later cars are all one piece, all red tail lights, hub caps with trim rings instead of one piece sedan hub caps IMO.

Some claim the 230SL is nimbler as it is slightly lighter but has two fewer main engine bearings, big deal. Be sure it has the soft top mechanism and a hard top is a huge plus.

 

[vince]

Here's a picture of my old 280SL with my girls (now 16 and 14).

If you're used to driving BMWs, I'm not sure if you'll like a 113. They are gorgeous but they drive like a truck.


Besides rust, there are some things to look out for: All of the aluminum pieces (trunk, hood, doors, top cover) are all numbered and should all have the same number. If one of those numbers is different, that piece has been replaced. The rivet/weld points for the front fenders are visiable when the hood is up, if the car has had front end damage these are hard to replicate. Also, there is a little lip that lines up with the head light trim (inner towards the grill). If those aren't there, it's another indication of front end damage.

 

[JFENG]

Buy it. I just bought the 280sl. Always loved the shape. They don't drive as nicely as our coupes but it's a convertible! They are classy. 30k seems below market by a lot if it's as clean as advertised. Lucky man

Seems under priced to me too. $1400 to transport to Newark, 2% duty and you are still only I the high 30's. Everything in New England at $30k needs rust remediation. Good car for someone's wife?

 

[flarimer]

Tho not E9 related, thanks to Chris M, I learned a bit about these cars and photographed his for one of my books - some good info can be found in
my MBZ Buyer's Guide,

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0760318115/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

 

[deQuincey]

will try to post pics soon

i have made an appointment to test drive the car and take a look to documents and other details

the technical inspection file of this car says:

mercedes Benz W113
convertible
comercial name: 230SL
year : 1967
engine type: 130.983
Engine, 6 cyl/ 2778 cm3
isnt it odd ? the car is declared as a 230SL, but engine seems to me a 2.8 ?

VIN number: 11304210012477

edit:

interesting averiguation based on VIN and engine numbers: car is a 230SL, but according to VIN should be manual transmission, and engine is not the 2,3 one

the real thing is that this car is a 230SL (the long desired chromed bits that dissappeared in the 280SL are present in this car), with an engine from a 280SL and upgraded to automatic transmission

so those ones looking for originality or purists will be not pleased, but on the other hand it might have the best of two worlds: 230SL aesthetics, and 280SL powertrain,...hummm

more enquiries will follow soon ;-)

 

[deQuincey]

Here's a picture of my old 280SL with my girls (now 16 and 14).

If you're used to driving BMWs, I'm not sure if you'll like a 113. They are gorgeous but they drive like a truck.


Besides rust, there are some things to look out for: All of the aluminum pieces (trunk, hood, doors, top cover) are all numbered and should all have the same number. If one of those numbers is different, that piece has been replaced. The rivet/weld points for the front fenders are visiable when the hood is up, if the car has had front end damage these are hard to replicate. Also, there is a little lip that lines up with the head light trim (inner towards the grill). If those aren't there, it's another indication of front end damage.

thanks for the tips, will post pics, but no damage found in front área, the Welding submerged indentations are present in the fender lips !

alu pieces are identically numbered too (the owner did not know that those elements were aluminium ! (he rushed for a magnet ;-))

 

[deQuincey]

deQ,

I had my 230SL for eight years and only sold it to buy my coupe, it's a great car. I think the 230 is better looking than the 280 as it has more chrome instead of satin trim, no headrests, no side markers in the US market and usually here no big bumper guards, fog lights in the headlight covers instead of big orange turn signal lenses, removable radio panel in the dash later cars are all one piece, all red tail lights, hub caps with trim rings instead of one piece sedan hub caps IMO.

Some claim the 230SL is nimbler as it is slightly lighter but has two fewer main engine bearings, big deal. Be sure it has the soft top mechanism and a hard top is a huge plus.

thanks Chris, very useful

it is a 230 as to the trim chromed all around, it has headrests, red tail lights too, hub caps with trim too

engine is a 280 and auto trans (probably replaced the original due to main bearings ;-))

 

[deQuincey]

pics -


































facts;


automatic,
2800 c.c. (engine and transmission swapped from a 280SL)
air conditioning
new textile roof top (hardtop NOT available)
new SS exhaust
230 SL versión
original paint, never resprayed
no rust (visual inspection underbody too), yellow traces in the engine compartment are old impact glue (heat shield is missing there)

What do the experts think ?

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

That rocks! Still, not as cool as the e9. (IMHO) The more I crawl around these e9's the more beautiful they seem. Those Benz's are getting harder and harder to find but they seem to have used better steel so they typically are less rusty than our poor girls.

 

[vince]

Looks like a nice car! The top fits perfectly.

Are you sure this is a '67 230sl and not a later 280sl? Besides the engine, headrests, hubcaps, the door panels look like they are from a later car. I believe the earlier cars (including 67) had an formed map/storage pocket and completely different window cranks (all chrome) and door releases. The later cars just had map pockets and the window cranks had a piece of material in them (kind of like our ashtrays) that matched the interior, all like the car in the pictures.

If it has a spot to plug in the defrost for the hardtop (under the release for the tonneau cover), you know it's a 1971 280sl. It was a one year only feature.

 

[dave v. in nc]

SL

What a wonderful shape. I haven't "shopped" Pagodas in many years, as the price of membership became pretty dear...Looks like a pretty good one. In picture that is five from the bottom, I think the screws holding the trim piece (below the ding strip) on the front wing are alien...can't see the drivers side...
In 74, dad allowed mom to go to the dealership and pick either a used 71SL, or 72SE, and she just couldn't justify two doors...wish I could have kept the SE when it was traded for a a smaller 190 years later...
Good luck with the sale.
Dave V. in NC

 

[Arde]

Does it run?

Go for it, after you work your magic it will be worth a lot.

 

[rsporsche]

interesting enough, there was a 230sl pagoda that popped up on bring a trailer today. its located in new orleans (near stevehose), it has a 280 engine in it. and its for sale for 36k.

 

[modshop]

I know far less than most of you about the technical aspects, but aesthetics I can talk all day. I purchased a great dry 280SL a couple years back for just under 30k, but found the driving a bit sluggish, even after it was worked over by a great mechanic in Houston. I'm also 6'4", so it was in retrospect a foolish purchase. These are not good for tall folks. I agree with what's been written about the superior design of the 230SL, but what bothers me about the 113's is their transitional design. The front headlights, grille, etc are so clearly tied to the 300 and 190 predecessors, yet the rear "flattened" bumber, trunk anticipate the 107's. In my opinion, it's an "inbetween" car. The pagoda roof makes my heart stop, but I think the predecessors and early 107's are far more beautiful.
The drive doesn't touch my 3.0cs. And now I have leg room.

 

[HB Chris]

I agree with Vince, I see a 280 badge, door pockets, hubcaps, 280 bumper guards, etc. Is the panel around the radio removable? It does have early headlight doors and all red tail lights.