My new 280 SL issues

[bfein1075]

Hi,  I am new to the boards.  I just bought a 1971 280 sl that is what i think a good daily driver should be, however I am having issues and was wondering if anyone would like to chime in on them.  

First here are some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barryrides/sets/72157605414936126/

Things I noticed and if you have the time would appreciate your thoughts on:
Gas tank is leaking out of the drain plug.  The gas smell may also be coming from the cracked rubber gasket around the gas cap.  
Front shock towers have three bolts each.  Not sure why the forth is missing but it seems sheared off in the hole.
Expanision tank in trunk is not attached to the wall.  I don't see the carboard wall or the clips.
Rear tail lights aren't matched.  Not a big deal but is it easy to find new ones?
Under the passenger floor I notied what looked like two cracks.  Along them they seem rusty.  Is that normal?  Also you will notice there is a screw coming right through the floor.  
I didn't take a picture of this but under where the tank goes in the trunk (under the car not in the trunk) it looks like the floor is ripped in a long strip.  Is this normal.
 

Any adivce is beyond appreciated.  Will post pics of the actual car soon.  It is silver blue.

Also does anyone know a good place to fix this stuff in Los Angeles?

[waqas]

Welcome to the group!   The search function work really well to locate relevant threads on caring for these cars.

quote:Originally posted by bfein1075

Gas tank is leaking out of the drain plug.  The gas smell may also be coming from the cracked rubber gasket around the gas cap.  

There is a rubber o-ring that goes around that drain plug. You need a new one. Also, check to make sure there are no cracks in the drain plug, as some replacements are made of plastic. Whilst you're at it, clean out the fuel screen that comes attached to the top of the drain plug.

quote:Front shock towers have three bolts each.  Not sure why the forth is missing but it seems sheared off in the hole.

That's not the shock tower, it's the subframe mount 'tower'. The shock tower is located adjacent to this point, with a single bolt/nut protruding out of the fender in the engine bay. I would recommend either replacing those missing 4th bolts, or replacing the subframe mounts entirely if they seem suspect.

quote:Rear tail lights aren't matched.  Not a big deal but is it easy to find new ones?

Easy, but not cheap. Check our links page for a list of suppliers.

Happy motoring!

[bfein1075]

thanks for the quick response.  Any recommendations of where to go in LA?  I am a novice so sorry about the incorrect identification of parts.  

Any thoughts on the other stuff?

[Richard Madison]

Parts: not usually available in local areas except from a Mercedes dealer...most of us contact a reputable supplier selling original  Mercedes parts or quality reproduction parts. The Tech Manaual has a list of suppliers.

Ebay can be a good source for smaller parts...be careful about buying expensive items on Ebay.

Repair: best to trust the car to a person experienced in these specific models (and this may not include Mercedes since very few current  Mercedes employees are familiar with these cars.

Some repair shops are in the Tech Manual...also can use the Search page and look for something like "LA repair" to find previous messages about this.

The Mercedes Classic Center can find parts and be generally helpful. The Center is intended to help with the older cars.

Be sure to ask the Classic Center for a copy of the Data Card for your car if you do not already have one. The Card will tell you about options etc. Info about the Data Cards is in the Tech Manual.

Sorry to so annoying about the tech manaul but it does haver alot of info in it. There's an article about tail lights. Tails for a later cat like yours are available.

The Fume tank is clipped to a cardboard panel on the driver's side. The board is availabe from several suppliers.

Also if all else fails, you can list what you need in the "Want To Buy" Forum here to see if one of us has the part or a source.

Try to get out and meet other Pagoda owners...that's the best way to learn and see what is going on. Take a look at the Events Forum to find something going on in your area.

Richard M, NYC

[Douglas]

Tom Collitt is a mechanic/restorer in LA who's fairly active on this site. Run a search on his name and you'll find him in the forums and can track him down from there.