Happy New Year to all the ones who follow this thread !
I thought I would give an update today as it is a bit of a special day. It is the first day of the 50th anniversary year of the Pagoda, but it is also the second anniversary day of the purchase of my Pagoda. Indeed, exactly two years ago, I woke up very early and drove two hours out of DC in order to attend an auction sale. It was quite terrible because we had been partying until late and being out in the cold after just a few hours of sleep was really a challenge. Anyway, hangover disappeared when I reached the auction site and saw the Pagoda there, among a few other cars, tractors, furniture, kitchen appliances, etc. A few hours later, I was the proud owner of a sound '71 Pagoda originally from Texas with 78.000 original miles. The car was running though it had been stored for several years. The body was in need of attention as it had quite a few dings here and there. But this was an acceptable compromise as the car had no rust, had an excellent original leather interior and was coming with both tops including a new soft top. I was lucky that my winning bid stayed within the limit of my budget, or nearly so. In fact I had reached my limit but the guy I was competing against was over the phone and hadn't seen the car in person. I had a huge advantage over him as I knew the car was increadibly sound, while he didn't. So I was ready to go slightly over my budget and I drove the auction guys crazy by adding only $100 to each bid when they wanted to add $500. Anyway, my competitor gave up and this is how I became the happy owner of a car I had long been dreaming about, by adding only $100 to the previous bid. My wife was not exactly happy about the purchase at first but now it is her preferred car, which is a good thing, but which also comes with some other challenges !
I bought that car having the V8 project in mind and in the following months I was lucky to gather all the parts I needed for it. Securing an AMG bell housing in the Middle East to mate a Getrag 265 to an alloy block M117 was determinant. I also secured an excellent 5.6 motor as the earlier 5.0 I had was not compatible with the AMG bell housing. I un-dug a W109 6.3 2.82:1 rear end I had and all was there to start the project. I had to finish my Coupe project first, so I seriously dove into the Pagoda project last spring only, when I started controlling and overhauling all elements as needed.
So, this morning, two years exactly after its purchase, My Pagoda 5.6L with manual trans was waiting for me to take it for a spin to celebrate this anniversary and the (near) completion of the project, which I did with great pleasure. I first took it in town and the car is very easy to drive, it could have come out of the factory like that, really. Clutch is progressive, engine is very smooth, brakes are powerful, and suspension is firm but still comfortable. I then had a nice drive on the highway. The car is tracking impressively well, torque is everywhere in the rpm range giving that impression of endless easy power. Press on the pedal, and the motor goes up into the rpm range with an endless push in the back and with that distinctive Mercedes v8 sound, somewhere between an L6 and an American V8. Engine sound disappears while cruising at 80mph in 5th, only sound in the cabin is the wind flowing around the body. The original stereo radio is doing quite a good job too, now that it does not have to cover anymore the sewing machine noise of the original motor revving at 4000 rpm due to the 3.92 rear end. This is a really great car to drive and I can’t wait to take it for a long trip.
There are still a few things that need sorting out. The speedo still does not work as the cable is not turning. I also have a small exhaust leak as a weld on the balancing pipe has failed. I will try sorting out these issues in the coming weeks. And of course, some time in spring, I will need to start with body work and treat the car with a new paint.
