The Great Migration of SLs (and tool kit comments)

[ja17]

Hello,

 I have noticed a great migration of SLs back to Europe recently since the Euro is so strong!  Traditionally most of Mercedes-Benz SLs were shipped to the US during the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. 300SLs, 190SLs, pagodas and even W107 SLs have been migrating to Europe.
Safety regulations on old cars in the USA are a lot more relaxed than in Europe. As a result older worn and rough cars survive longer in the USA also.

I suspect many of our new listers are proud new owners from overseas.?

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[jameshoward]

Joe,

And the pound is also very strong against the dollar. There are quite a few cars on ebay in Germany and the UK of late with US headlights. I've even seen some ebay listings that use photos taken in the US (the palm trees and licence plates being the giveaway) to advertise the car. I suspect such cars have been brought over purely to sell on. I ended up with my (US) car because the one I was chasing for over a year was sold on when I wasn't looking. The shipping process was relatively easy, but getting the car through the German TUV (roadworthiness) test has been a considerable trial. However, as you note, the car is all the better for it and will be around a little longer as a result. Finally, I remember Cees' point about buying a 113: he noted that given the costs of restoration he'd buy the best he could afford rather than a fixer-upper. Given the strength of the pound and the occassional cars that, say, Cascadia lists that go for about $40-50K, it makes complete sense to ship from the US. Especially when you consider that Bernie Eccleston's 113 sold in Oct in London for over £60K ($130K).

James

[Anfinn]

Yes, I am one of the new listers who fit your description.
The car I bought recently was imported from Florida.
Dealers and private persons import from the US, not only Pagodas. In Norway we have dealers who specialise in Ford Mustang, and a great number (relatively) of them are running here, or are in the process of being restored.
Some of the cars advertised are still in the US.
Pagodas are still reasonably rare, but there are generally always at least half a dozen for sale on the main auto-sale web page.
The exchange rate is an important factor, but I would suggest another reason is that the generation who were teenagers in the sixties are now at a stage in their life where they have the time and the money to realise becoming an owner of their dream car.


'andy280

[John A. Dean]

Our friend from Scandanavia makes a very good point.  I grew up overseas and there weren't any muscle cars or Corvettes to covet.  I always lusted after a 113.  The cars of the 60's are so popular in the US now because of middle aged people, who dreamed of these cars as teenagers, can now afford them.

1969 280SL, manual, MB TEX, green/cognac

[suzy]

i bet that's where my stolen 280SL went...[!]

suzy
1967 250SL auto beige/green

[nick350]

the cars you have in the States are SO reasonably priced compared to the UK and we rarely see cars of the quality you have there. You are right, there are a lot turning up here in Europe, especially on the continent where LHD is OK. I would have one if I could cope with a left hooker.

did you see this? Annoying picture selection but nice car.

http://www.brockmusic.com/cars/70_mercedes/

[al_lieffring]

Back about 1970 or so my father sold his 67 Sedan De Ville to a man in Sweden. When the car got there many modifications had to be made. All the glass had to be replaced with European spec safety glass, the seat belts all had to be replaced, Halogen headlamps had to be installed, The bias-ply tires all were replaced with radials and numerous other modifications were required before the car could be licensed in Sweden.
By the time all this work, all the taxes and tariffs were added in the final cost was nearly triple the original purchase price, but in return he had the only Cadillac in Sweden.



Al Lieffring
66 230SL

[hauser]

Nick

Nice car!  The DB906 is one of my fav colors.

Thanks for posting them.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[Naj ✝︎]

OFF TOPIC

Did late 280SLs come with this tool roll?

http://www.brockmusic.com/cars/70_mercedes/+Tool%20Kit.JPG

naj  :oops:

68 280SL

[Kemal]

Hi naj
I have this tool kit in my 69 model.

Nick, I have a US car LHD , I wouldn't trade her in for RHD, even if I could find one as good ! [ Which was impossible in London ].
Maybe its because I had a LHD Beetle as my first car back in the late 70s & I had grown up seeing a LHD in all the books and films I had seen!

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Originally posted by kemal shah

Hi naj
I have this tool kit in my 69 model.

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

Thanks Kemal,

Guess i just assumed all Pagodas had the folding kit with snap buttons  :oops:

http://www.sl113.org/forums/uploaded/admin/20021231161253_toolkit1.jpg

naj

68 280SL

[JPMOSE]

Hello all,

I haven't been posting much lately, as I have been spending more time on my 560SL than the 250SL.  Now it's time to rotate priorities!

After much research, along with following many postings here (even one that I started back in early '06), tool rolls are suppose to have snaps on W113 cars.  I have been told that other tool rolls were substituted when "snap" versions had run out or were left out by accident.

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

[Richard Madison]

Snap or no snap tool rolls:

1969 car came to me with a red canvas tool roll, canvas ties, no snaps. When I checked in Meredith's "Original Mercedes SL" book (not always correct) there was a photo of a supposedly original car (page 73) with original tool roll: red canvas with no snaps.

Not sure that the photos proves anything but maybe snaps or no snaps, vinyl or canvas, depended on what was available at the factory or from the dealer on the day the car was delivered.

Richard M

[114015]

No Richard,

This is not supposed to be correct. The one shown (1st pic) in our Tech manual section is correct, i.e. the snap tool roll made of a multilayer canvas or vinyl.
It is not so much a question what one can find in his/her car but what was originally delivered by MB. For instance, my car had no tools at all and no books. So, did the car come without it? Most likely not.
Again, the spare part list(s) together with the "really original" cars (e.g. one-owner cars) tell you what the truth is.
The correct tool roll for a W113 is the 112 580 02 xx. The others with thin monolayer canvas and laces comes from W108, W114, W107 or elsewhere - and those have different part numbers and were slightly cheaper when new.

Best,



Achim
(no car, only parts & info collector)

[Peter van Es]

Whoa, Achim,

You're quick off the mark. I only updated the Toolkit section of the Technical Manual about an hour or two ago, and you're already referring to it as a good source of information.

Thanks! However, your information conflicts with what I gleaned from other posts. Many people have the toolkit without the snaps, and made of cloth, and some confirm that this was delivered with their cars originally. Hence the info in the Technical Manual.

I keep updating the Tech manual as I am moving posts between the old "General" forum and the new Technical forums. It's taking forever, as you can imagine....  :evil:

Peter

1970 280SL. Also known as 'admin@sl113.org' and organiser of the Technical Manual.

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Originally posted by 114015

No Richard,

This is not supposed to be correct. The one shown (1st pic) in our Tech manual section is correct, i.e. the snap tool roll made of a multilayer canvas or vinyl.
It is not so much a question what one can find in his/her car but what was originally delivered by MB. For instance, my car had no tools at all and no books. So, did the car come without it? Most likely not.
Again, the spare part list(s) together with the "really original" cars (e.g. one-owner cars) tell you what the truth is.
The correct tool roll for a W113 is the 112 580 02 xx. The others with thin monolayer canvas and laces comes from W108, W114, W107 or elsewhere - and those have different part numbers and were slightly cheaper when new.

Best,



Achim
(no car, only parts & info collector)

Well, I ordered a 112 580 0203 last month expecting a tool kit with the snaps from a local MB dealer. I had to wait a few days for it to arrive fron Germany.
What is received was the single layer canvas tool roll with with a lace but still at the very inflated price.[!][!]
The 112 580 0007 'empty' tool bag is currently not available.

naj

68 280SL

[ja17]

Hello,

Other "special" Mercedes cars of the era also came with the nicer tool rolls with the snaps, like the 300SEL 6.3, 300SL roadster, the W128, W111 and W112 coupes and cabrolets.

The 190SL did not have the tool roll with the snaps but a larger and nicer canvas tool roll. Earliest versions had a black finish on the tools which changed to chrome around 1960. Many of the 1950s tool kits came standard with the special "Mercedes-Benz" chrome tire guage, and the special drain plug wrench. Earlier kits also had the very sought after wooden handle screwdriver. I believe this carried through up into the mid sixties.

The 60's and 70's sedan tool bags were mostly canvas (early were green and later red) with string ties. Many of the tools in these kits were the same tools as in the W113 tool kits. The unique items in the W113 kits were the long handled "channel lock" style pliers, and the plastic fuse pliers on the later W113 cars. The spark plug wrench for the fuel injected SLs and sedans of the era was a bit different also.

Around 1975 some of the tools in the cars became more cheaply made. they still used the red canvas tool roll. The pliers are noticably lighter duty, the lug wrench is dual function and the seperate spark plug wrench is gone. The wrenches seem to be of similar quality but sometimes of different manufacturers  in these kits.

Sometime during the W107 SL production  the snap tool roll became history. The later W107 SLs (450SL etc.) used the cheaper red canvas tool roll.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[hill]

On mine my tool kit feels like leather. My early 107 had vinyl.

That is vinyl on the outside and canvas on the inside.

Happy Benzing
Darryl, Hill
350 SL4.5 #60
1967 250sl "California"

[ja17]

Interesting Darryl,

So the early W107 did have the nicer tool roll.  I know for a fact that the later ones did not. I will correct my previous post so it is correct. Thanks!

Joe

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[Garry]

Just to add a bit to the tool kit discussion, Whilst having my car re trimmed, my tool kit (with snaps) came back 'as new' when I asked what they had done, the old motor trimmer who had worked for the Merc Dealer in the same town told me that they always used to use the hood material saved from the soft top rear window to repair the tool kits as it was the same material used on the outside! Looks good but a bit unsure about authenticity.

Garry