W113 Pagoda
for sale automotive vintage collector car, classified, California Old Timer
classic center
1969 Mercedes Benz
280SL
The Holy Grail - A
Preservation Pagode!
The spare tire is absolutely original to this car. Indeed, many items considered as maintenance items are still original to this car such as the date coded "Metzler" fuel injection air hose and the trunk weather seal which are impossible to fake. The soft top, usually replaced several times already on a car this age even appears to be original.
All of the numbers match, the front fenders have the original and now famous notches, the nuts and bolts under the car still have the paint splotch "dotollogy" assembly marks that the factory assembly technician applied. All of the factory undercoating is intact as well as the "root beer" colored Cosmoline waxy coating on top of the undercoat. The body number is repeated everywhere it is supposed to be and with this car we have discovered items where it is written in grease pencil behind some of the upholstery panels, behind the glove box and on the bottoms of the rear jump seat panels (kinderseat).
Like most of our cars it has been gone through in our award winning workshop to assure that it is 100% turnkey so that it can be pressed into service as a daily driver if the new owner so chooses.
Following, are many, many detail photos of this car and viewing them like reading a Pagoda Originality Buyer's Guide as this is absolutely what these cars are supposed to look like!
Click on any of the pictures below to view the larger version.
Above & Below: This is what a hood gap is supposed to look like. It is absolutely even all the way around (as it left the factory). |
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The below
picture displays the body number |
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Here are
textbook examples of what the headlight |
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The
pictures to the left and right are |
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These
pictures show the circular area |
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The
picture above is a close up of the data plate |
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Above: the
last 4 digits of the Right: the body
number on the |
Above: the body number
on the |
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The
pictures to the left and right are of the |
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Above: the
original clear plastic dust barrier that is under the upholstered panel. |
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Notice the correct original bonded-in black rubber shift surround which guarantees original carpet.
Above: the rear floor wells under the kinder seat and floor covers.
This area is very susceptible to corrosion. In
this case it is rust-free and original.
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Absolutely original trunk floor. |
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The tire
stop and jack. Notice the |
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The pictures to the left and
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The below
picture shows us the trunk |
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An idea of
what the 280SL advertising |
The
pictures to the left and right are of the date |
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Above: some of the hoses in |
Notice the inner fenders with correct spot welds and the absolutely factory original firewall pad. These pads with the correct pattern are not available from Mercedes. The only replacement part available looks and feels different. Finding a great original firewall pad is a good indicator of overall originality of a 280SL and the sort of life it has lead.
The inner fender wall
rubber plugs were installed by the factory after the primer coat but before the
color coat and were painted over.
Click on the picture to take a closer look. The "yellowing" is actually the
paint aging and reacting with the properties of the rubber. Since the rubber
originally had a coat of wax on it the paint didn't stick well and has flaked
off over the years.
The undercarriage is absolutely original! |
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The floor
boards at the rear, just ahead of the |
The
pictures above and below are that of the rear |
The floor
boards at the front, just behind the |
The photos
to the left and right display the entire |
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The left
and right pictures display the rocker |
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The
rockers and rocker panel covers from the |
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These
pictures are shots of the front wheel |
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Once the
MB factory technicians installed the |
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The above
picture displays the spot welds The
pictures to the left and right display the |
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The left
and right pictures show us the front wheel |
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