I built it specifically to run in production class in SVRA. It was shell when I bough it back in 1996. It wasn't worth restoring it as many parts were missing including the soft top well compartment so someone must have used it to convert a California coupe. I doubt that you could find a Pagoda that was originally raced back in the 1960"s.ou
I found out that in the day, all Pagodas were classified by SCCA as follows: : 230SL in F production, 250SL in E production and 280SL in D production.
So I built it to comply with SVRA vintage rules, which by the way allow any car built before January 1968 and less than 3.0 liters to run without papers or a log book: It was completed in early 1998 and made it's maiden voyage at Mid-Ohio some time in May at a Track Time driver's school. I made a number of improvements to the car over the next two years and finally got it to a point where it was competitive , but probably not a class winner.
It was loads of fun and it drew crowds like a magnet, as many spectators had never seen a Pagoda vintage race car. The only other one is run by Pete Van Rossum in N.C. He runs a M110 twin cam with a Holley four barrel. I ran the standard M130E engine with Mechanical Fuel Injection.
If anyone wishes to build one, I am available for consultation. I would love to see another out on the track.
BTW, I will be running my 250SL on Mid-Ohio this year at Gemutlichkeit 2011, May 20-24. I need others to do the same.
Pete Lesler
1967 250SL