280SL service book needs 280SL

[Dakota]

Good evening everyone
  In the past I have spent many happy hours repairing 113's for a dealer I worked for, now the other day I came across a 280 service book that must have been in with a bunch of manuals and things I bought from the same dealer years ago when it closed down.  I don't have any use for the book so I was hoping it could be reunited with its appropriate car , the chassis number is 113044-12-002961, the engine number is 130983-12-001881, the date of its delivery 28th of May 1968, I think the original registration number was EKA 736, it has the owner down as Wilhelm Schultz of Frankfurt/Main so it appears it must have been LHD  can anyone tell me anything else about this SL , the book is stamped up to 60737 km in Oct '71 as I said I have no idea where it came from but the place I worked for did have a lot of Pagodas through its hands, my favourites were a LHD manual 230 that was a lovely original car and went like a rocket and an unusual RHD 280SL with a five speed manual, anyway anyone know any more about the car the service book is for, many thanks .

[cfm65@me.com]

Hi Dakota,
There is a lot of info in those numbers.
The 113 means it is a SL of the sixties, nick named 'Pagoda'
044 means it is a 280SL( 042=230SL & 043= 250SL)
-12- means a LHD Auto ( 22 RHD Auto and 20 RHD manual)
002961 is the serial nr, ie the next one off the line

The engine nr 130 is the type of engine used in the 280 and 983 is the model of engine used in the SL.  Therefore a 113983 is a sixties 280 SL engine. ( the 230 Sl used a 127 engine and the 250SL used a 129)
The next numbers -12- again means a LHD Auto, followed by the serial number 001881
So the numbers you gave are definatelly correct numbers for a 113 type 280SL and the matching numbers of a 1968/69 car.
Yes, the 5 speed ones were quite rare, with most of them sold in the USA.
I hope that answers your questions and someone on this forum will correct me if I am mistaken.
I am sure the 'rightful' owner of the service book will be delighted to have it back where it belongs.
Regards
Chris
Cape Town

[WRe]

Hi,
when the first owner Wilhelm Schultz lived in Frankfurt/Main the registration must be F-KA 736, not E-. "E" stands for Essen.
...WRe

[Benz Dr.]

I was always under the impression that a lot of 5 speed cars were sold in Italy - that's where my own car started from.

[Garry]

Totally agree with Dan, I actually think most 5 speeds were sold outside the USA.  I suspect there are more 5 speeds in the USA now than ever produced, definitely more that ever sent there

[Dakota]

Good morning all
   The service book is very hand written so I miss took the F for an E so it is F KA not E KA , it could be the book was separated from the car when it came through our dealer in the early nineties or that it was just stuck in with a bunch of Mercedes literature bought at auction or similar, it seems odd , if the car still exists, that its last entry is in 1971. As for five speed W113's I was under the impression that it was only the 280 that was available with this ZF transmission. On the subject of manual SL's why with the four speed is the gearing on the low side, at eighty or so they are quite busy.