New trunk lid

[jfkb2]

I have a new trunk lid for my almost completed restored '66 230 SL it has an open hole for the placement of the trunk light, however my car was produced before the trunk light was a build item and there isn't any wiring.
In a thread from 2008 Naj posted that the light was added to the 230 from VIN 42 012467 on.
So my question is do I leave the hole, try to find a plate to cover it and paint it or put in a non working dummy light?

[Tyler S]

I would install the socket/switch and bulb and actually wire it up. The early cars that have these are spliced up to the running lamp circuit in the harness on the left side behind the cardboard panel. The socket/ switch is only powered when the lights are on. It's a short run. Let me know if you want any photos of the area.

[jfkb2]

Thank you some pictures would be great.
I guess it does not matter for judging the car if the light is put in because it was available at some point during the 230 SL model run.
Am I correct on this assumption?

[Tyler S]

Yes the lamps were installed in later 230's. As for how it would be judged I can't answer that question.
Here is how it is installed on a 250. The 230 may be a bit different because of the spare tire location. The wiring is cloth covered. Ignore the electrical tape as my harness was damaged near the trunk hinge. Each opening in the trunk lid gets a support clip to hold the harness. It comes out the bottom left of the lid with a grommet and passes over the hinge. It is secured by a clamp and screw on the left trunk bulkhead- same size clamp as the brake line clamps underhood. It then snakes over to the rear harness and ties in center above the left wheel well. The sheathing in the harness is split in that area. You may be able to carefully split the circumference of the harness jacket and pull either way to expose the wires and make your connections. Afterwards you can pull the jacket back over. Brown for ground and black with red stripe for tail lamp feed. Double check your wiring color codes first.

[W113SL]

As keeper for he national Concours rules for MBCA, yes you could suffer a deduction by adding the light  since when new, the car did not have one.

However, I doubt any judges would catch that detail..

Peter Lesler

[Tyler S]

Peter, Would the OP better off leaving it out and contend with the hole/holes that would exist in its place?
What we need is a photo of the under side of the deck lid on an early 230 to see what is different.

[66andBlue]

Here you go! Photo of the trunk lid with empty lamp cut out in my May 1964 230SL.
Is that good enough?

[Tyler S]

So the answer is yes. The trunk lids are very different. The elongated hole on the 250 is on the left. The hole on Alfreds photo is on the right side. Its round and not elongated to fit the later socket and bulb/switch combo. It looks like it would take a switch similar to the door switches.

[jfkb2]

Thanks for all the great information. I will take a photo of the replacement trunk lid tomorrow when I go visit the car. I will post it and get your opinions about the light hole.

[Harry]

Tyler - I have a 230SL with the lamp but no power is being provided to the switch/lamp.  Are you saying that the power feed is actually from the tail light?  That would be great.  I expected that it ran from the fusebox and was in the harness that runs under the driver's side aluminum trim piece in the door jamb.  (Much harder to find a break, etc.)

[jfkb2]

Here are the photos of the new trunk lid.

[Tyler S]

Harry, Turn on your headlights then check for power and ground at the switch/light. The most common place for the harness to break is next to the trunk hinge.-- See my pictures above of the not so pretty repair with electrical tape. The break will be inside the sheathing so you will never see it until you split it open.

[114015]

.... and this is an old pre-042-xx-012466 trunk lid _with_ factory correct trunk light.


An extremely rare factory-correct accessory. Well illustrated in the both early 230 SL parts catalogues A & B but only listed without pics in the 1967's edition C.

As keeper for he national Concours rules for MBCA, yes you could suffer a deduction by adding the light  since when new, the car did not have one.

Don't ever present that one on a councours - the judges won't know that little detail - and you are most likely getting _a lot_ of points deduced ...




Achim
(with retrofitted early trunk light)

[Tyler S]

Achim, Is the lamp and switch in your example still powered from the tail lamp circuit like in others? Meaning do the parking/running lights need to be on for the switch to be powered?

jfkb2, So if earlier ones could have come with a light as Achim shows,  I personally would still add the light/socket and wire it up even though you may have the wrong trunk lid. Just my opinion..

[114015]

Here are the photos of the new trunk lid.

Hello jfkb2,

Since you have got a 1966 230 SL, it's most likely a post-012467 car.
As such you car would/should only be correct _with_ the later-style 110 trunk light, the same that Tyler S. has.

As keeper for he national Concours rules for MBCA, yes you could suffer a deduction by adding the light  since when new, the car did not have one.

Very important, jfkb2. 
If you "want to make it" on a national Concours, you need to fix a few things on your new trunk lid:
1) the trunk lid lock plate is not supposed to be black but unpainted (silver zink plated or "cad" plated if you want so)
2) Your nicely remanufactured "paint runs" are not absolutely correct.
The factory-original paint runs (made of primer) run along the whole underside of the trunk lid (and the engine hood), see the attached pic. Sorry, I only have a good engine under hood picture, not a good one of the trunk lid.
3) The felt piece between the underhood and upperhood is missing.
You need to fix this; otherwise you are going to loose _a lot_ of points.

All best,
take it easy.

Achim
(not concours-worthy)

[114015]

Achim, Is the lamp and switch in your example still powered from the tail lamp circuit like in others? Meaning do the parking/running lights need to be on for the switch to be powered?

Hello Tyler,
Good point. I catched the pic from a fellow owner's car, not mine. Most likely you are right; it is/it should be powered by the parking lights, not separately. So, complete darkness when your (or his) parking lights are off.
Not a good solution but that is what it was in the old days.

Personally, I am going to connect it to constant Plus (terminal 30) together with an inline fuse, in order to have the trunk-light independent from the parking lights. Everything else does not make sense if you want to access your luggage or similar in a dark hotel's parking garage or so...

Achim

[jfkb2]

Thank you all for your in put on the the light.
Not sure yet what I will do.
Achim the car is actually a '65 titled in '66 the VIN is before 012467.
As far as making any changes right now I appreciate the criticism but this car has been 16 years in restoration and many $$ it is so close I just want to get it done and drive it a little.
I guess then I will show it take my knocks and fix the things that need fixing.

John

[66andBlue]

John,
I would not add a lamp and not close the hole in your new trunk either.
The fact is you car once had a lid without a lamp but an empty hole for it, just like my 1964 230SL. The only difference is that now the hole is at a different location in the lid.
Is that a big deal? As you wrote, drive the car and worry about a "know-it-all" concourse judge later, if you really want to show your car. 

[jfkb2]

Alfred,

Thanks did you notice the convertible top you helped acquire?

John

[66andBlue]

Hi John, yes I did. It fits perfectly!
Made me also slap my forehead and ask, why didn't I think about that color top for my 904G! 

[jfkb2]

Alfred,
I didn't think there was anymore of that material available, but I suppose since it has been four years maybe they have produced more.
John