To buy or not?

[Kitchenguy]

Hello,

Just joined.  I have a lead on a 67 SL 250 in ID but know close to nothing about what kind of shape it is in etc. and whether it might be a buy (or not).  Have poked around this sight and can see there is a huge following for this style MB.  I could get hooked!  What would you suggest I do to see if this is a worthy purchase? Locate a nearby member and pay them to have a look at it?  Hire an official auto appraiser?  I think the car may be on for sale for around 10K and is driveable.  Will be receiving photos shortly.  Can you offer any advice?  Anything would be greatly appreciated!
Perhaps a phone call would work better after I learn more about the vehicle....
Thanks in advance,

Todd

[hauser]

You may want to consider a trip north to Maine.  There you will find the ultimate W113 guy that can show you what to look for and what to run away from.

http://www.sltechw113.com/

[jameshoward]

Todd,

Welcome.

I would suggest that you start with the cheapest, easiest course of action and get the vendor to send you a lot of detailed photos. Take a look the Reggie's pagoda thread, and see what sort of shots he's posted. The post these pics on the forum under this thread and wait for opinions to trickle in!

You will definately want the vendor to send shots of things like:

Engine bay from both sides; floor pans (under the carpet); boot (trunk to you, probably); underside (stick it on a lift if poss); interior; chrome (grill, bumpers); bonnet closed to check alignment and shots of both sides with door gaps, etc; soft top up and down; hard top inside and out (if it has one); underneath the two wooden shelves behind the seats.

This process should cost you nothing and once the shots are here you'll be able to get a feel for whether you want to spend money getting someone to look it over.

JH

[Ulf]

10k sounds very cheap - almost too cheap. But it should leave a nice reserve for restoring the car to your exact specification, but it will be costly and time consuming...
This book http://www.amazon.com/Mercedes-Benz-Pagoda-230-280SL/dp/1845841131 was a great asset for me when I bought my own car - it details all the things to look for in a way that even people with no mechanical skills or knowledge (like me) can understand it. It also allowed me to appear more clever when bargaining

Take your time, look at different cars before buying - regardless, the Pagoda is a fantastic "classic" that is still comfortable and reliable enough to drive more often than other cars of the 60's.

Best regards

Ulf