Checking In after Restore

[FloridaBill]

Hello I'm back after many years away (and just lurking around) the forums.  My ride is done and it is one of my daily drivers.  The color I finally went with was anthracite grey.  I have spent a considerable amount of $$$$ but the back story of this car is well worth it, plus it is the best car to drive on a cool Florida morning and a family heirloom.

Original post from a while back...
"Hello everyone...well here is my current story; my 250SL is completely apart and ready for Body and Paint.  The estimates I am getting are too high for my limited budget (10,000-12,000+).  Can anybody recommend a decent paint & Body shop in the Melbourne to Orlando region, that could do a great job for a better price?
   One thing I am finding out is no-one really wants to touch the car with the fear of what they may find underneath.  It has some rust and maybe (not sure) some bondo lurking underneath but is for the most part very solid.  Bad news is I want to change it from Signal Red to black Db040 (sorry Dad).  Of course black will show every body flaw, etc.  This may push the color choice to silver (db180) which is very nice but seems to be too many silver autos around these days.
Thanks in advance for your replies...."

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Backstory to the car....Dad (RIP) was a gear head, born outside Charlotte, NC; local Racecar driver (Go 22!) even had a chance to join Shelby’s team...but married my mom sold the race car for the ring.  Many years forward he became a Fighter Pilot flying F4's in combat.  Made it through ...fast forward many years, Dad and family stationed in Stuttgart Germany for 4 years in the late 70's early 80's.
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Now this is where the story may not be 100% it was passed down from my Mom,
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High stakes poker game off base in Stuttgart, many seedy characters, a friend of my dad wins the car in the poker game from a well known German gangster.  He sells it to my Dad and he restores it for the next few years in a garage in town.  All I really remember is handing him wrenches while he was under the car in a dirty shop full of Pagodas and donor cars out back.
Stuttgart was a beautiful place from what I remember, cobble stones, public pools, friendly and clean...sorry off track for a while.
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Back to the story, Father passes away, cart sits in a Barn for 10+ years in NC until I finally could afford to fix it and also have a garage which is a must here on the coast.
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All body work done by Laines in Melbourne, all blood sweat and tooling done by Tommy a great guy and crew at Autobahn Engineering Melbourne Fl...Highly recommended.

Attached are a few pics of my daily driver(s).  Either one I choose I curse the rain!

[FloridaBill]

more pictures...from a few days ago...Florida is nice in the Winter!
Also , many puriest will not care for the amber tail lights but my red lenses and bezzel, etc were shot, I may get the replicas from Bud's one day , but I really do not mind the Amber for now...

[tel76]

Where do you get a steering wheel cover like the one above?

[Garry]

I have just put a similar one on my Kombi.  Leather and it is cross stitch fitted.  Was made by a local leather worker here for about $80.  I suspect that is the same for the one on the car.

Bill, does look very nice and where I come from orange indicators are a safety issue and fitted to all cars including the Pagodas. 

Garry

[tel76]

The steering wheel cover as above must have been/or is available as my previous  project came with it fitted.
Eric.

[FloridaBill]

I think the wheel cover is available at most online car parts store.   It was a basic black, not expensive but covered up all of the small cracks on ht wheel, made the wheel look much better.  Thanks for the positive replies, I'll try to post some more shots of just the car from a few angles, sad thing is I lost the entire tear down pics when it was down to metal and in pieces, maybe I can get them back through my old Flickr website.
..Oh and it really is not my true daily driver, I do have an old work truck I use which I even prefer over the SL due to the lack of AC in the 250.

[lamakdaddy]

Great to see the car.  I bought my 280sl just before my son was born last year.  I hope to pass it to him one day.

[FloridaBill]

I thought I would share an old pic of what ne car looked like before the restore...the picture was taken from the "good" side of the car.  It sat in a barn with the sun hitting one side of the car and it faded it to a Pepto-Bismol color red.  My Dad called it the "Red Rocket" and although I have changed the color (as color is definitely a matter of personal choice) I think he would be very happy to know his bought in Stuttgart and restored in Germany roadster has survived and will be around for many years to come.  It was a 10 foot car…nice from 10Foot away but up close the time in storage did some damage, it was even stored with the original gas in the tank and never started.
As they say "Some things do not have a price tag, my Dad's car is definitely something I'll never sell.
The red Rocket:

[FloridaBill]

One more shot (because we all like pics right?)...His and Hers Mercedes.  I get nervous when she drives mine and she feels the same about me driving her E Class.  Having one Mercedes apiece lends to a happy marriage (and a close relationship with many mechanics).

[snowyt 69]

Florida Bill:
Love the story of your car. And actually, I love the colour you chose. The purists will hate me, but personally I think Pagodas look cheesy in red. Like the car is pretending to be something it isn't, nor was never built to be. It is not a Ferrari, a Porsche, nor any other supercar. It is an elegant, poised, and supremely understated piece of sculpture.
I think your piece of sculpture is lovely, and I'm sure your Dad would approve.

[Garry]

I think the car looks great and I also think that the 173 G   anthracite grey is one of the better colours for the Pagoda.  Good choice.


Garry

[zoegrlh]

Florida Bill,
Are you planning on bringing "your Mercedes" to the P-50 Williamsburg, in September.  You should plan to do so.  Several from Fla. are to attend. Love to have you.
Bob

[71Beige280SL]

Florida Bill,

Having had my Father pass just recently, I know what you mean when you say, " Some things do not have a price tag, my Dad's car is definitely something I'll never sell". Outstanding! My father loved cars but was a Cadillac, Mercedes and eventually a BMW man. Didn't have a classic. Having said that, he was an avid quail and pheasant hunter and had a beautiful gun collection. He passed those on to his sons. The ones he gave me, I will never sell!

Here is to Fathers (and Mothers)!