Workshop?

[RPRB]

Hi Everyone,

I posted last year that I had bought a 230SL 1966 and imported her from the US to the U.K. where I live in Cornwall. The car needs some love and does not drive how I feel she should. Struggling to start properly, some blue smoke, popping from the exhaust and speed remains pretty slow. Also there is some rust under the arches.
I have been in contact with the main restoration garages here along with some classic car mechanical garages and although they say they can ‘look at her’ and get things running correctly after downloading the manuals from this site (full member) I’ve created a manual with all the info I can find and also set up a trade account with Mercedes Germany for parts. I’m getting to the point where I own a large workshop and wondering if I’m better employing a mechanic and armed with all the material setting out to repair and restore this car or if I should instead put her on a trailer to somewhere else in the Country. I’ve owned numerous vintage Mercedes over the past 20 years but the Pagoda was my ultimate aim. I’m thinking if I have a place to restore this one then I can import them and get a little business running focused purely on Pagodas. Any advice from people who has done this? I don’t want to make this move if the general advice is ‘pay for the right place to sort it out’ it’s just the only real option within a few hundred miles is to start it up myself or try a local classic car place and hand over all the info hoping they might read it first and take the care and attention I feel these cars deserve.

[Cees Klumper]

I'm doing something in between. I moved into a house with a two car garage last July, where I was living on a boat until then (i.e. without a workshop let alone a garage) and decided to immediately buy two dilapidated old cars to restore completely by myself. A 1972 Lancia Fulvia coupe and a 1968 Triumph. Two, because I expect to be in this house (and garage) for long enough (two years or a bit longer) and because I want to amortize all of the specialized tools and equipment a bit (welder, compressor, all the metalworking and bodywork stuff, paint booth fan and filters, and so on). I am about halfway on the Lancia -  MAJOR rust repairs, including new floors and fenders, and structural metal sections, full bare metal repaint, really everything that you can imagine on a 50 year old car. The Spitfire will be similar. I don't intend to make any business out of this but, for sure, had I had the Lancia done professionally it would have cost me around $60K at least. Now it will be around $13-15K and this is my hobby - so I enjoy (almost) every hour of it. I will seriously consider restoring more of these Lancia's in the future, but the plan right now is to just do these two cars and then we'll see if we move back onto the boat and that will be that. I have 0 training or experience in restoration/body or paintwork, but it's not hard. In the past I have taught myself, with help from many on these forums, in the technical side of things - that's also not that difficult, if you are willing to learn and work precisely. I am an accountant, no technical or trade experience.
All this to say - maybe you can do this yourself in your shop - see how it goes, whether you like it. Beware that the parts prices from Mercedes and other suppliers are extremely high, compared to many alternative classic car makes. The Lancia parts are at around 25% of the Mercedes, I would say, and the Triumph's parts seem to be even lower.
Good luck with the decision, I don't think it's easy to just start a Pagoda restoration business unless you know just about everything about them, yourself.

[RPRB]

Thank you, I didn’t mean ‘start a shop’ just yet but rather im not opposed to it and seeing leaning about the restoration as an investment in myself or others that could be used to do more down the road.

Appreciate what you saying, good luck with your cars. It’s crossed my mind too how the garage hours could probably mount up and with this forum it’s easier to find the routes through problems over someone new to the Pagoda trying to just find out through trial and error etc.

It is difficult to find someone close who knows enough about the SLs and im slightly adverse to anyone who is not passionate about them.

[kampala]

Unless you find someone who knows these motors (specifically injection, cold start, throttle body, etc) you will most likely be paying them to learn.

I suggest 'dip your toe' by doing the linkage tour, timing and cold start checks to see if you can get it to run better.  Then make a decision how far you want to take it.   My opinion is that it does not have to be all or nothing.  The linkage tour and timing properly can take you a long way and might get some power back.  This will not solve blue smoke.

[RPRB]

Thanks.

A question here, it came from the US, New Jersey. In the U.K. we only have unleaded as an option which I read here somewhere it’s okay to use? Is that right or could have caused issues without an additive?

Thanks for the advice guys,

[Cees Klumper]

These engines ran fine on unleaded from the factory (sufficiently hardened valve seats) so no problem there.

[JamesL]

You'll do well to chat with the Classic parts dept at the MB Dealer in Poole (Jacksons). They too can get most bits (if they are in stock) but I suspect parts prices are soon to rise for us in the UK

The car is clearly not running right so, near term,  I'd focus on that bit and then drive it while you work on the list of things that need doing in some sort of priority order. As long as it's "safe" (MOT-able even though not needed), rusty bits and tatty seats don't stop you driving the car and getting some enjoyment from it. If it won't start, run right or gives you the heeby-jeebies that it won't get you home, you get no enjoyment. So... start in the engine bay. Linkage tour, wrd/cold start etc all can be checked methodically. If you worry it's beyond your skill set (I fear it'd be beyond mine) find a garage with mechanics dealing with old cars or an old school mechanic in your shop (but some sort of specialist equipment may be needed at some point). Get them to replace all the fluids and clean everything and then to start on the linkage tour etc (using your manual, as you suggest)

If there's no-one super local/Merc based, have a word with Williams Crawford in Saltash - they may do the work or point you in the right direction locally

[Hugh]

Looking at your pictures I think your car looks great! Who needs a red ferrari when a red Pagoda is so elegant!

When I got my 250SL I was all excited to get a restoration done to get rid of the little bits of rust (non structural areas) and repaint to eliminate various stone chips. This group gave me good advice to focus on my car running well & enjoy it!

A full resto can take years. No Pagoda to enjoy and then it is perfect & might become a "garage queen" to keep it as a #1 level. No fun doing that and they need to be driven regularly! A stone chip now is less worrisome with a unrestored car! Also lots of maitenance things like oil, filters, lubrication points etc to give you a fun hobby.

Ask around for a local mechanic to help you if you get over your head with engine work. Your role can be to source parts when needed and I find best to look at 2 sources as price can really vary. I have found mechanics feel better when we bring in the part, as they don't know where to buy W113 parts and don't want to tie up the $. Plus keeps you involved in the process. 

Have fun driving in your beautiful part of the world!

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Based up on your location (on the west coast and 260 miles from London I would not recommend starting a Pagoda restauration shop. As Chees mentioned one needs to know all about those cars. Also, as Hugh mentioned finding a mechanic would be your best move. To this end I do agree with both Cees and Hugh.

I dont think there are too many Pagoda's in your area of Cornwall, UK

If I was in your position amd my aim would be to start a vintage car resturation shop I would proberly select simpler oldtimers that are not to complicated to restore. As Cees also mentioned replacement parts are very expensive for the Pagoda.

I know of a specialty Mercedes shop in London, UK

See -----> https://www.colinferns.com

Colin is a Member here and has repaired and worked on many Pagoda's as did his mechanics. I would take my pagoda there and have him do a complete inpection as well as price estimates of each item he identifyes. Then I would first make the car road worthy so I could enjoy the car over the summer months. Durinhg the winter months I would address issues that have been identifyed by Colin's shop (either do it yourself or use a good mechanic).

This way at least you have a plan and can address issues by priorety. Meanwhile you have a car you can have fun with during the summer months. Get the required replacement parts for the winter project.

Hugh and I live in London, Ontario Canada (about 2 miles from each other). We both know another Pagoda owner that took his Pagoda to a shop in 2016 and finally got it back in 2020 and we estimate he spend some $100,000.00 +++ to restore it. I'm sure you dont want to do this. As they say "Planing is half the job"

Good Luck with your Project.

Dieter

PS. You will find good help on this site with some of the projects you will do yourself on your Pagoda. Go thru our Pagoda Notes (issued 4 times a year). As Full Member you have access to this valuable information, others have shared step by strep information with members on verious projects, here you find it .......

Here ----> https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Restricted/PagodaNotes

[RPRB]

Hello,

Many thanks for your replies.

This morning I managed to find someone who is retired and used to work in Mercedes from the early 1960s onwards and they are coming to help with the mechanics and hopefully manage the linkage tour with me. Ill then take it slowly through the restoration process.

Great to hear from you on there,

Richard