Original paint Colour

[n/a]

I am having a bare metal respray done on my 230SL which was previously metallic silver. I would like to go back to the original colour and I have seen the Paint Codes in the forum's database but am left wondering how to tell what was the original factory colour. Is there any way to find out?

My other Sunbeam Alpine has the paint code (R=Red) included as part of the VIN number. Is there anything similar for Mercedes?


Tim
1965 230SL
1965 Sunbeam Alpine Mk IV

[Naj ✝︎]

Tim,

There is a plate in the engine bay on the left side of the car near the relays. See picture. In this case the 050 G / 050 G is the paint code for car/hard top. I believe 050 is white but the car has been repainted blue!

Download Attachment: 280plate.JPG
39.71 KB

naj

'Kloines Scheisserle'
65 230SL
68 280SL

[J. Huber]

Hey. Thought I'd insert this here since its related.

I have a fairly early 230SL (871) and my paint codes are on a metal plate on the drivers front door jamb (not door but body). The plate is more like a miniture VIN plate than the raised numbers Naj shows. But I have never seen or heard of others with this. Anyone else have it there?

My plate has 717G/332G -- which corresponds to paint. Then has number 10 followed by the chassis number (not the VIN). The body parts all have this same body number (hood, inside engine bay, Hardtop). And before anyone jumps on the 10 -- mine is an automatic and has 12 in VIN and on the datacard and on the subframe. All numbers match to datacard. Any ideas?

James
63 230SL

[rwmastel]

Tim,
Did NAJ answer your question?

James,
I assume your plate is on the door jamb instead of the fender, not in addition to the fender?  Can you supply a photo of your plate?

Thanks,

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

[J. Huber]

Hey Rodd.

The plate is only on the jamb. However, the body number is engraved (or stamped) on the flat driver's fender area near the relays & washerpump. Sorry no digital camera. Maybe I can snap a quick one or two tomorrow (between presents!) and they will be developed by the weekend ... ahh, life in the stone age...

Thanks and Merry Christmas to all.

James
63 230SL

[n/a]

Thanks for the feedback. I just returned from vacation and checked on the car at the paint shop. There is no plate on the door jam but the fender plate showed 670 & 040 which I assume translates to a light ivory body and black hardtop.

Before taking the car to the paint shop I stripped the interior to find under the current black vinyl, some original looking red MB Tex.

This does seem a bit of an odd combination (ivory/black/red). Any idea if it is common?


Tim
1965 230SL
1965 Sunbeam Alpine Mk IV

[114015]

Hello Tim, Rodd & James,

ivory and black with red-vinyl interor was a very common color scheme in the sixties. It is absolutely usual for a 230 or 280 SL.
Personally, I do not like ivory 670 (Hellelfenbein) so much because it is similar to ivory 623 (Hellelfenbein) which all German taxis must have ... But that is the only reason and my tast is not important here. Furthermore, an SL does not look bad in ivory ...

Rodd, James,

early 230ies had their body & paintcode number plate in the door jamb (A pillar) instead of the relay holder bracket in the engine bay. This scenario is identical to what 190 SLs (and other pontons) have.
The body numbers do look very very similar to the VINs and do only have one digit less.      James, if you "really" have a very early 230    then the "serial part" of this body number is identical to the serial number within the VIN. But I know for sure that this was not more the case with VIN 000218 which has body number 000219     .
I do not exactly know when this changed to the typical paint code plate, I think it was in very early 1964.

All the best,

Achim
(Magdeburg, Germany)

[J. Huber]

Thanks Achim.

I would say, relatively speaking, mine is pretty early -- built and delivered by Nov 1963.

I think part of the problem is my misuse of the nomenclature ... You are correct, my VIN number and my "chassis number" are identical (113042-12-000871).

It is my "Aufbau Nummer" or build number that differs (albeit slightly -- 00881). This is the number that is on that small plate on the A pillar beneath the paintcodes. Fortunately, the datacard, the hood (bonnet), the hard-top, and the stamp near the driver's side relays all share this very same number.

What remains a mystery is the 10 before the build number. Again this is an automatic (as datacard, VIN AND chassis attest). Here's what I have:

VIN 113042-12-000871
Small plate on Pillar 113042-10-00881

Cheers

James
63 230SL