weird 230 SL on ebay

[Douglas]

look at the backseat on this 230 SL. does this look familiar to anyone?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2413911652&category=6338

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#018260

[Ricardo]

Looks like it is missing the regular deck panels and has been carpeted into the wells that are normally under the decks, and a jack mounted there too ? Seems like the wheel wells and engine compartment have been painted black as well, restoration work?
Richard V
'67 250sl

[Cees Klumper]

The front bumper is not installed correctly; there is a pin stripe on the flanks; the gas cap should be chrome but is matte; the seller's house is awfully nice; the car looks to be sitting a bit low; the seats look like they were re-upholstered; it's a euro model (kph speedo); I don't recognize the two shiny chrome items just in front of the brake booster; the plastic cap/grommet on the firewall above the heater core is missing; other than that it looks ok?

[Douglas]

clearly it was a blue car originally judging from the dash.

in any event, i posted the link just because i found the backseat perplexing.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#018260

[114015]

[:p]
Hello Douglas,

Ricardo is correct.
  The 230 SL looks just normal there like all (correct) 113s do in that area with the exception that the wooden panels or the traverse seat is missing. As the carpet is clearly not original (no square weave), it was retrofitted there. Original is grey primer only in the wells.

  You cannot generally judge from the color of the dashboard what the original color of the car was. Jeff Marentette's 280 Euro SL (in Michigan) was orignally and still is silver painted (like yours), the dash, however, was painted by a preowner in dark blue in order to match the interior.

Cees is right, the car does look mostly o.k. with the exception of a few things. People who buy a car only by ebay pictures are crazy to my mind.  It is always necessary to look first at the car in the flesh in order to find the real hidden faults.
The chromed 'whatsoever' in front of the brake booster are aftermarket horns.

All the best,

Achim
1964 230 (like the one on the ebay pics - but bad)
1971 230 (better)

[bayleif]

It looks like the parcel shelves have been removed and then just carpeted over what is left.

Chuck Bartlett
1969 Signal Red 4 Speed

[Richard Madison]

Looks like the Jump Seat was removed and the floor under it was carpeted...the driver side is carpeted as for a "factory" installed jump seat, and the center "handle" is used with the jump seat. It would have been easier just to put back the original shelf piece which came with every (?) car having the jump seat option....maybe it got lost...
Richard M