Palos Verdes - Calif. Cars & Coffee

[kampala]

Took the Pagoda to the Palos Verdes Cars & Coffee here in Southern California today.  Must have been over 200 cars - amazing what folks have in their garages.   Mine was the only Pagoda - in fact, mine was the only Mercedes except for a Unimog.     

A very overcast & misty day.  June Gloom in July.

[49er]

 Hello Oz, Great photos but surprising that yours (looks real nice BTW) was the only Mercedes, other then the Unimog. Not sure but that looks like the old Rolling Hills shopping center (now the Peninsula Center). If so, that was where I saw my first 230 SL in the flesh back in 1964. I worked as a box boy (I really am dating myself) at the Safeway there (now a Pavillions I believe) and had to help a customer out to her brand new white 230SL. It was love at first sight. After I got mine a few years later, PV was my favorite place to drive, particularly Portuguese Bend. Thanks for posting and allowing me to reminisce.

John

[kampala]

John,

You are right.  It's the Peninsula Shopping Center at Silver Spur.   As you know, it's a nice 20 min drive from Hermosa Beach for me and a nice 35 min drive back (the long way along the ocean).

They hold this cars & coffee once a month so I can only go if it lands when I am back in California. 

Pretty cool that you first spotted a "live" pagoda in this parking lot !  So, if you were a box-boy in '64 - you must have done pretty darn well to be able to buy a VERY expensive Pagoda only 3 or 4 years later.   You were doing something right, or you were planning on living in the Pagoda   Well done.

I did see a Vasek Polak - Hermosa Beach license plate frame today on a car and it reminded me of you. 

Best,

[neelyrc]

........   Mine was the only Pagoda -

Thanks for posting Oz.   I like your blue soft top over the white(?) body.

I am always in the same boat when I am back in Alabama in the winter.  We have a very few local members but as yet I have been unable to get them out with their cars. 

These events are a lot of fun.  Lots of interest from folks wanting to talk about our cars. Last winter
I met one executive from the local MB plant who had a Pagoda back in Germany.  He was driving a 107 in Alabama.  Also found a high school classmate at one event whom I had not seen in over 50 years.  He was driving a '32 Ford street rod. The variety of cars showing up is always interesting.

Hope you are enjoying your time back in California.

[Jonny B]

Oz,

Just love the row of cars the Pagoda was parked with. Quite an eclectic blend!
Glad to see you are holding up the Mercedes end of the program.

[49er]

Pretty cool that you first spotted a "live" pagoda in this parking lot !  So, if you were a box-boy in '64 - you must have done pretty darn well to be able to buy a VERY expensive Pagoda only 3 or 4 years later.   You were doing something right, or you were planning on living in the Pagoda   Well done.

I did see a Vasek Polak - Hermosa Beach license plate frame today on a car and it reminded me of you. 

Best,

Box boy wages in those days were under $2 and hour but I managed to get a lot of OT. I lived at home and saved every nickel to be able to buy a new '65 VW ($1300) and afford to pick it up in Paris the following year. It was definitely a "Europe on $5" a day trip. When I got back from that trip I got at job at North American Aviation making a whopping $3.80 an hour. Sold the VW in '67 for more then I paid for it and used that money for down payment on the 250SL. Still lived at home when the 280 came along but was on my own soon after. The picture of the Bahama yellow Porsche 912/911 was my original choice. I even took one, a 912 out for a test drive from Vasek Polak. Happy I went went with my first love, in cars anyway

John



 

[kampala]

Great Stories!  Thanks for details.   I wonder if the Paris VW dealership was on Avenue Suffren.   I curse that dealer as they unload their car deliveries early morning and only 50 meters from my apartment building, nice wake up call 

Probably not the same dealer.  But if you have a photos of you picking it up at the dealer, I would love to see it and USE it to charm the dealer to move another 50 meters farther.   

Ralph, the blue soft-top is indeed on a 717 Papyrus White car.  The paint looks better in the photo.

The regulars and the really early birds (arriving before 7:00am) park in grouped sections.  I am neither a regular nor arrived prior to 7:00am - so parked where I saw a spot - in the eclectic orphan section.   

[gugel]

Surprising that there weren't more Pagodas. While I haven't been to the PV Cars and Coffee for a while, I have had my 230SL there often, and there were always at least 3 or 4 Pagodas.

[49er]

Probably not the same dealer.  But if you have a photos of you picking it up at the dealer, I would love to see it and USE it to charm the dealer to move another 50 meters farther.   

I took delivery of my VW in Paris at this address, 12 Rue de l'Église. It was a small place on the 2nd floor. I remember driving down a narrow ramp right out onto the busy streets of Paris in my brand new car. No fear when you are 20yrs old. According to Google maps it looks like an electronics shop today. We drove to our hotel (picture #1), The Hotel Vendome in St. Germain on Rue d'Arras and encounterd Paris parking for the first time. Again, looking at Google street view, the Hotel looks to be much more posh then when we stayed there. The 2nd picture is of yours truly and the week old Bug up at Port-en-Bessin-Huppain on the channel. Pretty nerdy back then, before Nerds were invented.

John

Sorry to have hijacked your thread with all this nostalgia stuff:(

John

[Scottcorvette]

Those pictures are great!

[kampala]

John,

Hijack appreciated - you really come up with some very nice photos!