Page 6: The Interior
We had the air-conditioning vents re-vacuum metallized. This was the
original process used by Frigiking. They must first be painstakingly
disassembled since the horizontal deflectors are black.
We covered all of the dash pieces in custom leather chosen by our client.
New wood for the interior was purchased. In the photo to the left you see
the wood going in. Due to the thickness of the leather there can be
clearance issues. We solved this by pressing the dash for several days
with a piece of wood tightened down progressively with a screw. This way
we minimized the risk of cracking an expensive piece of wood dash trim.
Also, note the original wood spacers under the right piece of trim.
This is another shot of the dash top. Notice we did all off the dash
fitting before installing the windshield.
The car originally had a mono Becker Europa. Our client wanted a stereo so
we sourced a Europa II in great condition.
Here we address the problem of having modern, retractable, three point safety
belts in a Pagoda. The original "Kangol" belts in 280s are effective but
cumbersome and confining. The issue is that there is not much room to
install the retracting mechanism of a more modern belt system. We choose factory Mercedes belts
for obvious reasons.
I have seen similar belts installed near the floor behind the seats. This
solution limits the rearward travel of the seats. Our method locates the
mechanism behind the quarter panel.
A slot is cut in the quarter panel through which the belt goes. The belt
is secured at the top and bottom using the original fastening points of the
Kangol belts.