barnfind 230SL

[NZ230]

Hello,

I am in New Zealand and have acquired a barnfind 1965 230SL which I have purchased sight unseen 😳. It has been in a container since 1998 I think. Apparently the engine ran in 2008. I’m not sure if I have made a big mistake here! I have owned a w108 and have a w123 so this is my first foray into pagodas but love old Mercedes.

It’s factory RHD auto I believe. Hardtop went missing some years ago apparently. There appears to be rust how bad I will find next week. 2-3 owners it appears with documents.

I will receive it next week. Would be great for any advice. Not sure how many pagodas there are in New Zealand.

I can tinker but am no mechanic. I was planning to change oil and filter, drain and put in fresh fuel and plugs. Put a few drops of oil down the bores and spin the engine first to get some oil around the place and then plugs back in and try to fire up? I suspect the mechanical fuel injection will not work well after so long?

Any thoughts on how to revive the car without doing any damage? Are hardtops available to purchase and are these necessary as I see they are heavy and slightly impractical ?

Thanks!!

[Jonny B]

There is a ton of information on the site about reviving one of these cars.

The first thing I would do is to become a full member of the group. It will be the best $30 (US) that you can spend for the car. It will give you full access to the technical manual where the gold lies.

Then start playing around with the search functionality. Easiest to start with the "Search" that is fourth from the left on the  string of items beginning with "Home" it will search the entire forum. Also when a full member you will have full access to Pagoda Notes which has some further detail about how to use the search, and also lost of information on technical items. There is an index of the various topics in the regular forum, and a more detailed one in the technical manual.

Most of the questions you may have off the top have answers out there. Getting to know your way around the site will be invaluable.

That said, I think you will find the group at the ready to assist.

Best of luck and welcome!

[Bonnyboy]

Congrats. 

Go slow, don't force anything and by following advice on this forum that is unlocked after becoming a full member, there should be all the info you need.    Assume the brake calipers will be shot due to moisture and assume all rubber components will be perished so start replacing those items once you get it running.   Change the oil, Flush the fuel/ filter - make sure you have adequate pressure going back into the tank and put in new plugs and she may start.

I see you have mold on the seats -  go to your local "Tack and Feed / Cowboy store" and get something for cleaning mold off saddles -  worked better than the automotive cleaners for me.

Keep the questions coming - lots of us have been where you are now - and most of us are still grinning ear to ear. These cars are awesome.

[mgmoore]

Nice find, fuel system will need some revision, flush tank, change all fuel filters. Always amazes how these old cars still turn up untouched for years. Barnfind RHD Pagoda's sell for virtually the  same money as really good cars in UK classic car auctions, A really nice project, good luck! 

[Garry]

Nicee find.  As others have said, take your time and learn from others here in the Group. Lots of experience in getting barn finds going.


There are a couple of active members in NZ.

[john.mancini]

I fully agree with the aforementioned advice. The support here on our SL website is the best on the planet. Hard tops are easy to find. Hopefully the rust issues are minimal. Best of luck and keep us posted.

[FourthSL]

Hello NZ230. I am a Kiwi living in the USA, currently enjoying my 3rd Pagoda, a 1969 280SL. However, when living in NZ, from 1983-1987, I previously owned a 1965 230SL with a white body and black hard top. The licence plate was LL 1965. I sold the car in 1984. When I last checked (some years ago when it was possible to trace cars through their number plate) it was located in ChCh. I wonder if it might be the same car?  I note that you do not have the hard top. However, if it has the optional transverse rear seat, it may possibly be my previous SL. If it does have the 3rd seat, I would be happy to share the car’s provenance. Please let me know if interested. Good luck with the project.

[NZ230]

Thanks all for your comments and encouragement.

I will post some additional photos and update as I go and join the membership.

What is the best source for parts?

With regard to the last response, nice to hear from another kiwi but no it is not your car LL1965 although I see that car is not currently warranted and appears to be on hold. This vehicle is now deemed unregistered so will require a compliance check before being on the road as per New Zealand rules.

[FourthSL]

In a way, I am relieved it is not my car. I had sourced my 230SL in the UK in 1983 having found it in a barn after being off the road for about 15 years. I had it subjected to a ground up restoration including being stripped to bare metal and repainted. It was in beautiful condition when I sold it. It saddened me to think it might have gone back to the state in which you found your car. Although perhaps, indeed, it has given its current registration status.

My current car had already been restored when I bought it but I have sourced some parts since. There are many more knowledgeable members than I on this blog. However, besides the obvious ebay.com, I have used niemoller.de, budsbenz.com, mbzparts.com and classic-mercedes-parts.com. I hope this helps you and wish you the best for your project. I will look forward to seeing photos as it progresses.

[rwmastel]

You will also want to replace the oil in the fuel injection pump before hand turning the engine.  (Hand turn at first, not disconnect distributor and have starter "spin" it.)  The 230SL pump has it's own separate oil reservoir with dip stick.

Yes, as said above, use the search feature.  We've been on-line for 20 years, so just about every question you have will have been asked before, but with varying degrees of quality and thoroughness in answers!  Maybe start a thread in the Drivetrain section about reviving your old engine for the first time.

Best of luck, should be a fun and rewarding adventure.

Oh, interesting side mirrors!

[dirkbalter]

What is the best source for parts?

I don't think there is a single best source for parts. IMO, its well worth spending time to compare the different vendors, starting with MB itself to get an idea. Sometimes the original part prices are not far from aftermarket, in which case you don't have to worry about quality (as much). Not sure about your local resources but I found that the German vendors a typically less expensive than the US based ones.

Particularly:
   
https://www.sls-hh-shop.de/main/en
and
https://oldtimer-ersatzteile24.de/W113_Pagoda

[rwmastel]

Here's a list of over 110 global vendors.  Some general parts suppliers, some specialized service providers.  I'm sure you're used to shipping costs!
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Suppliers/Start

Any of our Full Members can add (or correct) entries in this table.

[DaveinOC]

Hi there,

The vendor list may seem daunting so I'd like to mention http://www.authenticclassics.com/ as a good source. I don't know what delivery to NZ is like but here in the US I get parts from him in just a few days, and while they may not always be the least expensive they are always good quality, complete, and fit right. (His website is a bit clunky and hard to navigate) Buds Bezs is also a good source with the same caveats. Not sure what the exchange rate would do or what your MB dealers chrge but now I order my original parts from mbpartscenter.com which is the dealer in 'scottsdale, AZ. It's usually cheaper for me to have them shipped than pay list at my local dealer or the classic center (Mention sl113.org and you should get -15%) and burn a few gallons to pick them up. YMMV.

In addition to the forums I've found a lot of good information from the yotube channel mercedessource.com. Most doesn't apply to Pagodas but he did do a series on a 280 SL that had some tips in it. Some of his special tools are also helpful, IMO.

Best regards,

Dave

[NZ230]

Thanks for all the advice

I have joined as a full member now

I have acquired the car which has receipts from 1971….

No data card though :-(

New fuel pump, plugs, dist cap and she runs… but not that well!!! Yet….

[rwmastel]

That's great to hear!  I think you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of this project.  Don't forget to change that fuel injection pump oil.

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=10325

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=15633