280SL in Laos

[Thierry du Laos]

Is there a way to download a .pdf W113 parts catalog?
Thanks.

[Thierry du Laos]

After the last touches, the car is on the way to the paint shop:






Now I get some room in my garage to start on the mechanical parts!!

[kampala]

Thierry,

You have reached a Major Milestone!  Congratulations.  Still a ways to go --- but seeing the original condition you received the car in --- this is quite major.

Color?   

Would you have an estimate of the number of man-hours that you have put in so far to enlighten us?

Best,

[Thierry du Laos]

Work goes on:





And now the front...





After hours of cleaning...





By the way, I wonder what was the original color of the engine block? Mine, under the mud was red. Most of the restaurations I see on the net are repainted black....!?!?!?!?!
Who can tell me what is correct?

Thierry in Laos

[Thierry du Laos]

OK, sorry got the answer from a previous topic:

The engine block is a satin black. The red you see is the undercoat primer color.
Joe Alexander

[Thierry du Laos]

At last moving to paint final livery...

[batman]

Congrats Thierry. What colour is she being painted and how long do you expect it to take?

[Thierry du Laos]

The car has been painted, but not satisfactory,



So stripped and an other time, and repainted.






And after 8 months at the paint shop, the car is at last back home.









Some undercarriage protections and rebuilding soon.

[Thierry du Laos]

Rebuilding started, having a good time!





Air conditionning!!!! (heavy weight)
Before :



And after cleaning:







Not easy to reconnect the ventilation cables with new bulbs, but nice job done and works nice now.

[Garry]

Not taking the opportunity to switch over to the Euro headlights?    Looks like its going great.

[Thierry du Laos]

Yes Garry, I'd like to change these head lights, but step by step as parts are not cheap!!!!!
Here are some more pix and questions if some body can help?





On this picture below at the starter solenoid there is 2 wires. One from the harness. And can any body confirm the second one is connected to the air conditionning compressor?



On this picture below is the bottom of the alternator. But I have more wires than expected to connected, can anybody provide a schema? For the ones to the regulator no problem, but the others, at least 5 more wires....



On this new pic, right side of the engine. There is a 2 fuses box. But I think it has been modified by some previous owners! I think it comes with airconditionning. CAn anyone show me the original?



On

 Thanks all and Happy New Year to all the Pagoda SL group members!!!

[Thierry du Laos]

Sorry, I think just found the info for connecting the wires to the automatic gear box in the technical pages!
But not the selector adjustment and othe points!!!!
Thierry

[Thierry du Laos]

Slowly coming together...







Expecting to fire her again after 2 years work, this week end!!!?

[Pinder]

Looks fantastic. you do great work.

[mnahon]

This is much more than 'slowly coming together'. Considering where you started, this is hugely impressive. Seems you're 80% done or better. Good luck with the engine start. There might be some setbacks there, given the number of things that have to be right for that, but nothing your skill and perseverance can't sort out.

[Thierry du Laos]

Thanks,
Just started this Saturday. Feels good. I will post the video when found the way to reduce the 88Mb!!
Just had to repair the fuel pump that was stuck after 2 years on the shelf...
Then after start, I had a fuel leakage at the Cold Start Valve. Inhibited temporarily !!
And then no temperature increase at the central indicator... The brand new set was touching in the central indicator box preventing the Bourdon tube to move the needle. Had to grind the box inside to make it free.
Alternator is charging properly, so just minor electrical problems left. Like when I open the driver door, the red light comes on the central indicator!!!!
Video soon coming....

[mnahon]

The red light is supposed to come on when you open the door. Another thing fixed.

[Thierry du Laos]

Thanks for the red light.
Now working on the doors.



Very nice to re-assembly as they designed like no cars are built any more like that... Just need to remove the door again as I need the access for the threshold, I thought I could install later!! But can't fit the front screws!

And prepared the windshield. Not easy doing it alone, but after using tape and elastics I am ready for installing on the car.
I prefer to work alone than getting help I cannot control!

[Thierry du Laos]

Hey Meyer,
My first teen-ager cars were a Spitfire 1200, and then 1500!!! Loved these, but I am too old now !! They are too low and would hirt my bad back... The Pagoda will be better!
Do you speak french??

[mnahon]

Salut Thierry, oui, je parle francais; c'est ma langue maternelle.

Funny you should mention the Spitfire. I banished my Pagoda to another garage for this winter in order to resuscitate the Spitfire. It was in unintended storage the past 13 years. I want to get it running and then get rid of it. That will be sad---I've had it since I was a teenager. But it makes no sense for me to keep it---I don't drive very much and so there's no point in two summer cars.

That car is a blast to drive, but it's a bucket of bolts on wheels. A great car when you're young and your body can take abuse.

[Thierry du Laos]

As-tu un e-mail perso pour ne pas encombrer le site?
Le mien est savidan_thierry@yahoo.fr

[Thierry du Laos]

Installed the windshield alone, very easy. The most difficult of that job was to fit together the seal and aluminium trim on the glass.



Working on the doors and hoods alone. My father used to say: Better alone than baddly accompagnied!!!!
So I have to find tricks to the jobs:











And looking for a good second hand US fog light assembly, same as this one:

[Thierry du Laos]

I had the engine running too rich and hot.
Finaly got it better adjusting the links between the air intacke and injection pumps, and replacing the thermostatic valve. Needs to confirm now on the road test.
Not easy to remove the thermostatic valve!!!!



And got the seats from upholstery, red leather.



Got the seat's rails at last on Ebay in Germany, after looking for them 2 years.
Still missing one US head light and a fuel tank gauge....

[Thierry du Laos]

Now I am working on the upholstery....



Making new parts similar to the originals to fix the back rests.



Finally got the parts missing on E-bay:



and



And also after hours in Bangkok's old shops, bought a brand new fuel quantity sensor for half the price of Europe's!!

[Thierry du Laos]

I spend a lot more of time, than expected, reinstalling all the bits of upholstery, chromes etc.., in the cockpit!!!
It looks nice progressively, but it is a big time consuming to re-fit all the screws in their original holes, seals, etc....