Some help buying a Pagoda in the UK

[911F]

Hello there, first post so please be gentle.

I am in the UK, near London, looking to buy a Pagoda, I have read the forums, buyers guides, and seen a few. I have a budget of around £25000, which I know will not buy me a mint car. But hopefully it will buy me something that is structuraly sound and running well.

Tha plan is to enjoy the car for a few years, and then restore it.

I have come across a UK RHD 1968 280SL automatic with stacks of history, it is a UK car with only 5 owners, the current owner has had it since 1988. it seems mechanically sound with invoices for engine and gear box rebuilds. It doesnt have a standard radio, the carpets are not standard. The trunk and hood do not line up properly - very slightly out. The front wings dont have the original spot welds. There is sign of a small patch weld on the passenger floor (3-4" square)

Here is a link to the advert:

http://www.powerglide.webeden.co.uk/#/stock/4552166870

5th car down.

Whats the view on this? am I better of waiting for a more tidy car?

There is no Hard top by the way.

Any help/opinions greatly appreicated

thanks

Shan

[JamesL]

Hey Shan and welcome. Also in London, as is Naj and others....

The trim is not original: the dash cover should match the seats: I like this combo but it's not orignal. Which of course should not stop you driving/enjoying the car! If you're serious, get someone to do a PPI (Pre-Purchase Inspection): It's in Brentwood which is a pain as most of the specialists are west of there... first glance, it looks all there (hardtop aside)

Your enemy will be rust. Oily bits are (relatively) cheap to fix. Bodywork and tub, not so much. There's a brief "what to look for as a buyers" write up in the tech manual which I highly recommend.

[Neil Thompson]

hi Shan

This car has been for sale for quite a while I think, I enquired about it last year before I bought my first Pagoda but I think the price was higher then. you have an interesting task to hand and I would suggest getting in your car and looking at as many as possible before making a decision as it can be costly as Tosh mentioned, luckily for you most cars are in the south of England and easier than it was for me being up t' north! For your £25k your going to be very lucky to get original spot welds, wing notches, carpets and a Becker radio so a good driver rather than a show car is to aim for, the black car looks presentable on the face of it.

Good luck and enjoy looking.

Neil

[911F]

Thank you for your replies, the car is presentable, but if you look closely, there are lot of small paint issues, few bubbles here or there that have been painted over, parking dinks etc.

What do you think about the price? £28k. The guy has had the car over a year, and is in no hurry to sell, there is over £1m of cars at his lock up.

This is another car that looks interesting:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-PAGODA-280SL-1968-230SL-250SL-280-SL-230-SL-250-SL-W113-/280858465815?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4164781617

All advice greatly appreciated.

[JamesL]

I'd normally say £28 is too much for the car. That said, if he thinks values are on the up (and there's SOME evidence to suggest they are), good luck to him. I'm not close to it nor seen the car but at that price and no hardtop, poor paint etc, I'd let him keep it and keep looking.

Have a nose in ClassicCarsforsale or carsandclassics on t'interweb and see a few.

[911F]

That does make sense

Are RHD cars worth more? is there any benefit apart from easier to drive on UK roads?

[Larry & Norma]

I guess RHD are rarer but probably only worth more in RHD countries

[Neil Thompson]

Shan the one on ebay is a different horse in a different race, it's LHD, has US headlamps and looks tired. All these cars need money throwing at them and the black RHD car's not going to be perfect for sub £30k. If you're going the LHD US spec route have a look on ebay.com, often some lovely cars advertised from dry areas at low(er) prices, shipping, import tax and VAT I believe are extra and there are loads of US members here to give you advice

Neil

[JamesL]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-MERCEDES-230-SL-PAGODA-AUTO-RHD-1965-SILVER-/320874513287?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ab59c8387

no connection etc

[911F]

Thanks James, I did see this car.. whats the view on an earlier 230? It does have PAS and it is Auto and RHD

Anyone know the car?

Regards

[JamesL]

Some say the 230 is the purest of the breed, lighter and more responsive... they may be talking about the manual/non-PAS though. Your trick is the get the best you can afford with the bits you want: RHd/LHD, manual/Auto and then bodywork. If you can get the colour etc you want, and model you want you're lucky but your prime consideration, IMO, is what you want "big picture"... condition will trump most things but your fussiness over stick and wheel side...

[Markbhai]

Wow! - How well did I do then...

I bought my 67 230 Auto last March, only the second one I looked at seriously, I thought it looked good value, compared with the first 'rot box' I saw, which sold for £23k.

Mine is original carpets, original radio (working) good soft top and hard top, all original seats (drivers side needed re-stuffing as it leaned), 75k miles, clearly had new wings etc but no rot. All chrome in good condition.  Only cost me £19k.

I haven't had her valued yet, but clearly need to if only to ensure the insurance is correct.

For what its worth...look at a few in the flesh, its the only way that you will know you have a good one (this from a man who bought the second one he looked at).

[JamesL]

Very nice Mark, looks like a good find!

(I bought the 1st one I looked at)

[911F]

Wanna sell Mark??

I have just seen the eBay 230SL on the coys Auction list for March 6th (6 weeks ago):

http://www.coys.co.uk/auction.php?itemID=1411&auctionID=20

Same pictures as the eBay ad, did it not sell? did it sell, and the buyer bought it to flip it?

Texts on coys ad says its owned by a collector?

£25k seems realistic

[Markbhai]

Hi Shan.

No, I think I might keep it for a few years yet.

For what it is worth I spotted it on ClassicCarsForSale.co.uk which I was checking quite regularly at the time, search for both "w113" and "Pagoda" as not all sellers list them with both in the description.

I also regularly checked CarandClassic.co.uk (not quite as good) and  viewed Barons Auctions as they have regular sales which often includes Pagodas.  You could also try Anglia Car Auctions, not many Pagoda's go through but prices are much cheaper here (probably due to how far away it is.

Good Luck in your search.

Mark

[dwahi]

Hi Shan

How is your search going so far?

David