250SL California Coupe 5 speed

[IanC]

I am a new member to this forum. I have owned my 250 SL California Coupe 5 speed standard since 1976.  It was originally imported from Germany and still has the autostrade sticker on the window. I am in the process of restoring the car and have done the mechanical with extensive work on hoses bushings etc and it runs great. The body has the typical rust over the front wheel wells and some spot rust in a few sites. It has been stored in my garage and the rust has not increased in over 20 years. The front seat leather needs to be replaced.
I am looking for more information on this model as I know it is quite rare and wonder if this is reflected in the value. I have no intention of selling at this time but will need to make some decisions on how much money I am going to put into the restoration.
Also will need to find some parts such as the original Becker radio and some cracked light covers will need to be replaced. I have gone on Buds Benz looking at parts and wonder if there are other sites anyone would recommend for these parts.
I would appreciate any advice that would be helpful,to this project. Thanks

[neelyrc]

IanC,
Welcome to the Forum.  I think it will be difficult for members to help with your value question without a lot more information.  You might zero in on a ball park value by viewing sites like Hemmings, bringatrailer.com, Hagerty, etc., as well as following posts on this site regularly.

If you will look at the technical manual, third button from the left above, you will find a suppliers list.  Here on the forum you will frequently see posts mentioning the most common suppliers for various parts.  There is also your local Mercedes-Benz dealer and the MB Classic center.

You can find significant information on your car and components by using the main search function, fourth button from the left above.  To become familiar with this site, you might want to read through a few threads under each of the major headings to get a feel for the kind of topics discussed and the diversity of information available. Reading your way through the Tecnical Manual sections is a long process but is also rewarding.

Good luck with your restoration.  You might consider starting a thread to document what you are doing, what problems you have and how you are progressing. You are sure to get a lot of comments and help.  Pictures are important and are always welcome.

Again welcome to the group.

[MikeSimon]

I am a little confused about the "California model" and "imported from Germany". Was this a German delivery option vehicle? You could not buy the "California Coupe" (car without the soft top) as a regular car in Germany.

[mbzse]

.../...You could not buy the "California Coupe" (car without the soft top) as a regular car in Germany

Of course you could. Why not?  Many people did so.
However, that type of Pagoda was not introduced until beginning of 1967 (250 SL) and remained until end of production in 1971
The intro picture shows Schloss Ludwigsburg in the fond

[IanC]

I have not searched the production info to confirm the car was bought in Germany but was told this when I bought it over 40 years ago. I guess the autostrade decal could have been appplied here but considering the time this occcured I assumed it was originally from Germany.   

[neelyrc]

Ian, do you have the data card for the car? May possibly be in the books and/or paperwork you received when you purchased. Some information may also be found on the Paint data plate in the engine bay, left side on the flat surface near the relays. These codes can be deciphered by checking the Technical Manual. See examples below.  If you need help please post pictures.

[Taleb]

HI Ian ,

For the original 5 speed ( ZF 5 ) it should mention in the data card option 230 with combo option 232 for the rear axle ratio 4.08 . If so please contact me direct victory_fitness@hotmail.com .


Taleb

[MikeSimon]

I guess the autostrade decal could have been appplied here but considering the time this occcured I assumed it was originally from Germany.

An "autostrada" decal would have been from Italy. Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to charge a fee for the use of their "Interstate Freeways".
I remember we could buy stickers in advance through the German auto club ADAC, which were less expensive than buying them at the border.

And I always thought the "California Coupes" were earmarked for export only. I never saw one in Germany until I came to the U.S.
And you realize the sales brochure is in English. Not really supposed to be for the typical German customer.

[mbzse]

.../...And you realize the sales brochure is in English.../...

Yes, I am aware of that...
Actually, I chose the English version for the benefit of the Forum majority. I can inform you that German and English sales literature are direct translations (i.e. text content mirror each other)

[Benz Dr.]

The vast majority of 5 speed cars were exported to Italy as was my own car. A 5 speed California Coupe would be a rare example of an already rare one year of production car.  However, as a rule the California cars seem to sell for less, all things being equal. In this case though, because it's a 5 speed, it should be about equal in value to a regular 250.

[MikeSimon]

With all that evidence, I can see that someone in Italy would buy a "California Coupe", as the weather there would not make a pressing need for a top. Nobody in his right mind in Germany would do that. When new, these cars were driven year round. They weren't collector cars then and parked for 5 months.

[pj]

To return to the original question that you asked, Ian, if you have enjoyed your car since 1976 and kept it in good shape for driving, then you probably know what you like and I encourage to keep doing what you've been doing. Spending only a little bit of money on restoration might just reveal more trouble than you want to fix, and spending a lot would require really deep pockets. You almost certainly won't get that money back when you finally decide to sell. That being said, something like upholstery on the seats could be considered a maintenance item. Good luck with it!

[mbzse]

.../...When new, these cars were driven year round.../...

Yes, of course! They were bought/driven by owners who used them as coupés, i.e with the H/T fitted at all time

[lowpad]

Ian,

Thought you might be interested in this very original 250SL California Coupe that just turned up the US auction website Bring A Trailer: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-mercedes-benz-250sl-6/. 

Regarding your question on an original Becker radio, these turn up on Ebay from time to time.  For info, Becker operates an excellent vintage radio repair service and can fix almost anything.  Here are their coordinates: https://www.beckerautosound.com/.  They restored a Grand Prix for me and did a wonderful job. 

As for parts, I have had good luck with Authentic Classics and Euro Vintage (https://www.authenticclassics.com/ and https://vintageeuroparts.com/).  It always pays to shop around, there are many different sources for Pagoda parts, both in the US and in Germany. 

Good luck with restoration.

Lowell

[kampala]

Lowell,

That car on Bringatrailer is not a "California coupe."   It's a standard Pagoda just ordered without a soft top.  It still has it's soft top compartment so it's not a California coupe.   The Californias do not have this compartment and have a bench seat instead.

[Bonnyboy]

Ian, there is a Becker radio on Craigslist (vancouver) with a spare radio that doesn't work - search  Mercedes Vintage - I saw it there yesterday - it may work for you .   Its a West Van map but says Richmond.

[lowpad]

Thanks for the correction!

[MikeSimon]

Yes, of course! They were bought/driven by owners who used them as coupés, i.e with the H/T fitted at all time

All five of them???

[114015]

With all that evidence, I can see that someone in Italy would buy a "California Coupe", as the weather there would not make a pressing need for a top. Nobody in his right mind in Germany would do that. When new, these cars were driven year round. They weren't collector cars then and parked for 5 months.

Mike,
The so-called "California Coupés", which were only officially called as "cars with hardtop mounted and without softtop compartment but instead with a rear seat bench"
were much more common than you might want to think.

I have seen quite numerous ones being sold and delivered to German destinations and which were - as Hans already stated - used as (beautiful) Coupés only (or almost exclusively) by their owners or who just wanted to have more space behing the seats for their grandchildren and etc.
So, these cars with their option code 41/7 (or 417 if you want to say so) are certainly more common throughout the world than you might want to imagine.

"OS-KR 1" (on the license plate) in my near vicinity, a 1968 258-green 280SL with brown leather interior was one of the first I saw in 1987 on a local car show close by (Velpe, 1st of May gathering). The car was even pictured in the "Oldtimer Markt", our most famous and most common classic car magazine in Germany.

I have also seen cars (e.g. together with Naj in 2003 in Heidelberg) where the owner of a 'California Coupé' put in a regular softtop. Of course, in such a case the rear seat bench option could only be used with the softtop up.

In summary,
I don' t know whether the numbers are real or not, but I would guess every 1 in 20 or so 250/280 SL was sold as a hardtop-only Coupé with rear seat bench. Maybe a bit less often but surely those are much more common than the only 885 times ordered ZF-5-speed gearbox.


Best,
Achim
(Ex-Europa verision California Coupé owner - originally delivered to Regensburg)

[Delvis]

Hi Ian,

welcome to the forum. there is also a restoration shop at Boundary Bay Airport. Robert has done work on my 280sl recently (within the last year) and is well aware of the inner fender rust you mention. Robert's shop (RWM & Co.) is an awesome place and visits are always welcome... his web site is:

http://rwmandco.com/

feel free to drop me a private message on this forum if you every want to meet up.

i recently ordered some items from beckerautosound.com and authentic classics is a great resource for parts, however i also use our local mercedes benz dealer network in vancouver to order parts from germany or toronto.

hope this helps.

devlin

[Delvis]

P.s.  member resources on this forum like dr Benz and others are super helpful too.

https://www.kkmfg.com is another resource