Another Dearborn Offering - Unusual Wood

[Ed Cave]

Here is yet another nice looking Pagoda currently offered by Alex Dearborn for a respectable $50k. One unusual detail, the dash / console box wood is ebony, or at least stained black. Never seen this before but I think in this case I am partial to the correct walnut veneer as was original.

I always find it fascinating though to see little 'one off' details on these cars; keeps it interesting.

http://www.dearbornauto.com/showroom/8/index.shtml


Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA


1971 280SL
1973 911S
2004 A4 3.0
2006 GS430

[Cees Klumper]

I have seen that color wood before. Personally, I like the lighter color stains better. In fact, when I bought new wood trim a few years ago, it came unfinished in a light color, and I decided to only apply some furniture oil to protect it. It has kept up very nicely.
Alex Dearborn has nice Pagodas for sale BTW.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[rwmastel]

The wood trim in my numbers-matching hardtop is very dark and I think my dash and console tray would have originally matched (sun fade).

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

[69280sl]

My 68 280sl has that dark wood also. I believe it to be original.

Gus

inspectorgm

68 280sl, signal red/ beige/black softtop

[Ed Cave]

Is it possible then that MB offered the wood in an ebony finish? I had never heard of this but it seems more than one of you have seen or even havre it in your car. Douglas....I always look to you for answers like this.....

Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA


1971 280SL
1973 911S
2004 A4 3.0
2006 GS430

[Douglas]

I talked to Gernold about this awhile back and he said there were basically two finishes available -- light and dark. I don't think it was ever as dark as ebony though. Is it possible that the color isn't showing up accurately in the pix of the Dearborn car? Either that or the owner may have turned up the darkness a notch when the wood was restored. This is assuming the wood was re-done, of course. (At this point, I'd say more than 90% of the restored cars have also had their wood restored at least once.)

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[pagodapete]

Hi guys,
I once had a 280 with just black ribs on the speaker grill, all the rest being rather blond.  I always wondered if it was somehow original as it was so well done.  Sorry the photo is not more of a close-up.

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Brian Peters
Motoring Investments

[J. Huber]

Hi. I believe Robert S. of the Bay Area Sunday Drives fame had very dark wood. His is a dark chocolatey brown 280SL with parchment interior. The dark wood looked very nice. Robert, if you are there -- maybe a photo?

James
63 230SL

[Ricardo]

When this topic came up a year or so ago, Dan thought that originally all the wood was dark brown from the factory and the light stuff out there was refinished. Has anyone be able to confirm an original light colour?
It seems that most cars still have the original colour on the hardtop strips along the rear window. I guess these areas weren't subject to the UV and heat that the rest of the wood was....it would be nice to know if a light finish was ever offered or combined with certain interior colours.