First time W113 owner new project

[alabbasi]

All, i've made my first w113 purchase. It's rough and it will need a lot of work so i'm hoping i can get some advise from more experienced members on restoring it.

By the looks of it, it may be a parts car but for me, this is a better restoration because it did not cost huge sums of money and I can take my time and pace my spending.

The car is a California coupe that was purchased by PO in 1985 while he was in Germany. Apparently the engine was fully rebuilt prior to the purchase. In 1987 a young kid ran out in front of him in a truck and he snacked the front. He told me that on that day, he drove it home and parked it and always had the intentions of restoring it but never got around to it.

You can tell that this car has spent some time in Germany from the amount of rust that it has. I have the best of both words. The effects from the north European tin worm and 22 years of sitting outside in southern US heat  .

Once I get this car home, I plan on stripping it down and removing the paint so that I can see what's under it. I suspect that my little welder will be working overtime on this car.

Any advise on where I can source parts for this car would be gratefully  appreciated. Especially sheet metal.



















This is a picture of it when he bought it from germany two years prior to the accident.

[Jonny B]

This is a great place for the advice you seek, and we will be most interested to monitor your progress.

As you prepare the car for restoration, one item I will mention right away, is the fire wall pad. It appears to be the original diamond style, and from what can be seen, it is in pretty good condition. Carefully remove this and store it away so it can be re-installed. The replacement pads do not match. I helped with the engine restoration of a 280 SL last summer, and I was able to use a small putty knife to remove the pad so it could be re-used.

Good luck

[jameshoward]

This is a great place for the advice you seek, and we will be most interested to monitor your progress.

As you prepare the car for restoration, one item I will mention right away, is the fire wall pad. It appears to be the original diamond style, and from what can be seen, it is in pretty good condition. Carefully remove this and store it away so it can be re-installed. The replacement pads do not match. I helped with the engine restoration of a 280 SL last summer, and I was able to use a small putty knife to remove the pad so it could be re-used.

Good luck

Or sell it to fund the restoration. You'd get VERY good money for it if you could remove it carefully.

Someone doing a nut and bolt restoration would snap it up. I read here a few years ago that someone was selling them for a couple of grand, although they were 'new' I think.

Not sure about the US, but www.sls-hh.de is about the best 113 resource for parts in Europe. Note that you won't pay tax on their prices, although shipping may be $$. Their website is in English as well as German. They also speak very good English.

Best of luck to you. It's great that you've managed to save the old girl. (Which rather interestingly is the only one I've ever seen with 2 aerials).

James

[Dash808]

Congrats, welcome, and quite a project you got there. I think you will be very attached to your 280sl once you get it completed.   

Sounds like Benz Dr. has a decent 280sl body if you get tired of welding.


http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=9123.30

Body of the car is really quite restorable. There's a hole in the drivers floor but the outer panels are straight and not really very much rust. The sills probably need work. Front inner and outer cross member is good and so are the inner fenders. This car came from Florida original so it's never seen salt.
I'll probably keep the body shell with the running gear and steering column as is along with the hood, ( which is near perfect )doors and trunk lid. It will go inside under cover once I get it home. This one is too good to throw away. I'll have a clear title for it.

[alabbasi]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I do plan to be very careful in removing items and thanks for the lead on the European Parts sources. I can ship parts to the UK where my parents live and then collect them on my next visit.

I'm trying to get the car over here to Dallas where I can give it a thorough going over.

First thing that i'm going to do is take those BBS alloys off and put them on my 6.9 or my 500SLC. They could really use 15 inch tires and those look on a modern car. They look pretty silly (IMHO) on a W113.

[hands_aus]

K&K Manufacturing make body panels

there is a list of parts suppliers on this site here

http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Suppliers/Start

What a great project!
Please keep us informed, post pictures. we love to watch your progress.

cheers

[alabbasi]

K&K Manufacturing make body panels

Those two ladies at K&K seem like the nicest people in the world. But i've never managed to order from the successfully. It always seems like I have to call 6-7 times about my part to hear that it will be 'shipped today' or it's at our other location, and then I end up canceling after 2 weeks out of frustration.

This is of course for my 107's and they may have more inventory to hand for the 113 cars, but I've found that my local dealer can meet / beat their price most of the time provided that you are an MBCA club member (again, for the w107).

[Mark280SL]

I'm just curious and may be mistaken but what year is this car?  In your signature panel you list a 71 280SL and that this car is your 1st 113 so I assume you are indicating your car in the photos is a 71 280SL.

What has me a bit confused is the cutout on the firewall pad for what I assume is an id plate (see my attached photo with the red arrow). Thing is I've seen photos of many 1971 280SL's and none had that cutout, I believe that is present on earlier year models but not the 1971 or the 1970 280SL which is what I own.

Was this cutout specific to European cars that may have later been shipped to the US or is this in fact correct when speaking of originality for a 1971 280SL ?

I don't see the side lighting so this must be a euro model car but I did not think a California coupe would be sold in Europe, only the US

Just seems unusual for some reason.

[Garry]

Californian coupes were certainly sold in Australia and they did have the ID plate as shown in Alabbasi's photo.  They were not actually called Californian Coupe here, and I believe Europe is the same, which is a term I think the American market put to them that appears to now be used for any Pagoda that does not have the soft top. The roadster or coupe was the spec with the coupe sometimes ordered and delivered as a 2+2.

I suspect what Alabbasi has is a genuine 'European' import.

Garry

[alabbasi]

Thanks guys, this could be a 70. I will need to check the title. I've been focused on an 84 500SL which I'm also bringing back from the brink. The car is certainly a Euro import. The gentleman who owned it before me bought it into the country in 1985 and I have the customs release documentation.

I'm not sure about the rest as I'm probably the least knowledgeable person on this forum when it comes to W113's.

[Shvegel]

Hi,
Judging by the other items in your stable I assume you are not doing this on the cheap but if you are I have two used fenders that were completly solid replacement fenders that were removed to rebuild the front inner structure on my car(I bought 2 new ones at $1000 each)   I also have a set of decent used MB-tex seat covers and horsehair pads in Dark blue If you don't feel like spending $1,400 on leather and pads.

Regards,
Pat

[alabbasi]

Hi,
Judging by the other items in your stable I assume you are not doing this on the cheap

Ahh you must be talking about my 73 GMC . Actually I try to do things as inexpensive as possible because i only have a limited budget. I try not to take corners though and save money by doing as much as I can in my own hobby shop instead of farming the work out.

I don't like taking corners. If I can find solid used parts that cost less then new items, i'm not against them. I will certainly keep you in mine when I get around to buying. It's going to be a while before I can get started on this and I'll probably be working on the floors etc first as these are parts that people cannot see.

Thanks again.

[alabbasi]

I took delivery of this car today. I got into the car so that i could test the brakes and put my foot through the floor! This is going to be a labor of love

[badali]

I copied and enlarged your picture of the speedometer and it is in KM.  The car must be a European model.  I think the most challenging part of the body will be the front clip.  I also am a new owner of a 66 230 SL and still learning about the car.  Post picture as you go so we can see the progress.

[alabbasi]

Thanks, you can find high resolution pictures here: http://www.w108.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=71-280SL

[tom.hanson]

New factory sheet metal is available, and by looking at your pictures, your'e going to need most of it. Lots of rust in that one. Drop me a note at work if you need to.