buy a 230sl???

[n/a]

I currently have a 1989 420 SEL (w126) and am considering purchasing a 1967 230 sl that is available in my area.  I spoke with the owner briefly on the telephone and know that the car is in 'pieces' and that he has $9k in parts to restore it.  He is currently asking $7,500.00.  I am going to view the vehicle in a couple of days.

The problem is that I do not have any knowledge of this model - it just sounds like it could be a fun project and it would seem to be a great car to drive.

I would appreciate any input that you have to offer.  Suggestions pertaining to what I should look for or ask about with regards to the vehicle and/or parts available would be helpful.  Are their areas of concern with these vehicles - parts that typically fail or wear readily, maintenance issues that need to be addressed, costly repairs that may ensue if regular maintenance has not been performed, etc.?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[A Dalton]

Read as much as you can from this group.
 
Watch for RUUUUUUST..
Many "For Sale" unfinished projects are unfinished cuz the owner finally quits his dream project cuz the rust makes it not worth the price/effort..

 

[J. Huber]

Hi Dtrain. Yours are pretty wide-open questions -- I'd say darn tough to answer. If I were you, I'd spend a bunch of time just looking over our discussion threads. This will give you an idea of the things most Pagoda owners deal with sooner or later.

Then, I would go look at the car and the boxes of parts carefully. Kind of like looking at an "assembly required" project (make sure all the parts are there before you get started!) Pay close attention to the body, frame and undercarriage. You may actually be able to see more with some of the parts off...

Finally, I'd also try and find another 230SL somewhere that is in one piece -- maybe in great condition -- so you can see what you would be striving for.

James
63 230SL

[hughet]

Remember you are buying a hobby and not a car. Be sure that the car is complete before you buy it. It is not so easy to make that determination with a "basket case". Also remember that It takes a lot of effort and know how to get a "basket case" on the road. If you have the time and commitment it can be very rewarding but if you are going to hire someone to do the work for you you had better have deep pockets.

Trim parts for our cars are scarce and can be very expensive. If you buy a car with bad bumpers, broken taillights, missing sunvisors and no softtop frame thinking that you can round up all of those parts for a couple hundred bucks you are in for a rude shock.

We could probably start a thread on this forum where everybody submits his nominations for the top ten outrageously priced parts for pagodas. Taillights for $400, softtop frames for $1200-$1800, rear bumpers for $450 a side, front grill surround for $1,200 and yes, sun visors for $350 each (and those are lowball prices)would probably top the list.

A basket case can be a good deal sometimes. My first sports car was a 66 E-Type Jaguar that I bought for $800 in 71 and got on the road and drove 15 years for $400. I have a friend who picked up a 67 230SL in 1990 that was in a body shop under restoration when the owner died. It was stripped down and all of the rust had been repaired and primed. All of the chrome had been redone at a top of the line place and was wrapped in paper. Mechanical parts had been redone and boxes of new parts were waiting to be assembled. The owner had paid for the work as it had progressed so there was no shop bill to speak of and the shop owner just wanted to get rid of it. The heirs had no interest in the car and just wanted their money as quickly as they could get it so My friend bought it for $4,000.

If the car sounds like it is complete and the body is decent, I suggest that you hire a guy like Dr. Benz or Joe Alexander (if you can find one in your area- Where do you live?) to check it out for you and help you put together a plan for dealing with it. Be sure it is someone who can put together a realistic estimate of costs and time to get the car on the road. Then compare that with what really nice running cars are going for.

[rwmastel]

Dtrain,

Your profile says you're in Cleveland, Ohio.  There are several NE Ohio members on this board, perhaps one will volunteer to examine this "car" with you.

If you have specific questions about the W113 chassis, use the Search tool at the top right corner of this screen.

Common philosophy is to buy the best condition car you can afford as it will cost you more to repair than what the ultimate value of the car will be when done.

You must attend the Tech Session in July! Read this thread:
http://index.php?topic=2120

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[n/a]

dtrain
A couple thoughts on the 230SL.  It can indeed be a fun project and a great car to drive.  Depending on what "in pieces" means, this car could be a simple rebuild or it could be a project that will consume a considerable amount of your time and money.  That said, my first inclination is to say, RUN don't walk away from this car unless you are a good mechanic and/or have deep pockets.  This is not a car to use to learn auto mechanics.  Most of the time you can buy a car that is in good condition for less than what it costs to "restore" one and be driving a lot sooner.  If you buy a driver, you can spend your time and money on the little fun things that will make the car more personal for you, and enjoy driving the car at the same time.  

In addition to the things that have been mentioned as potential problems, the fuel delivery system can be a real pain in the rear and a real drain on the pocketbook.  If the car has been idle for some time and the fuel has been allowed to evaporate any or all of the parts of the fuel system may be (probably will be) siezed up and require a thorough cleaning and/or a rebuild.  This may include the fuel pump, fuel injection pump, injectors, cold start mechanism and other related parts.  

Again, if you are mechanically inclined and all the parts are there and are in reasonably good condition this may be a good deal.  If, however, you are a novice you may want to choose a simpler project to learn on.  

Good luck

Iverson

[admin]

Here is a link to an article on our Tech Articles section about buying a car:

http://www.sl113.org/articles/engine/buying_a_car.asp

More:

http://index.php?topic=920

R Madison, Admin