Poll- Favorite color combo for the Pagoda?

[Douglas]

France,

Sounds like more than one color change over the years. If the usual poking and prodding in and around the dash doesn't reveal anything, I'd look underneath the car. There's a plate under the transmission that should give more insight into original color. My bet is that yours is green.

Brian Peters shows a photo of part of it in the following link:

http://www.motoringinvestments.com/images/Resto_Log/trans_supp1.jpg

(The part may be caked with decades of dirt and oil, so be prepared to do a little archaelogical work with a degreaser.)

Mind you, I have seen restorations where every last bit of a car's previous color have been eliminated. It's pretty rare that someone will go to that length though.

Let us know what you find out.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

Here's another shot of the part as it looks installed:

Download Attachment: pan2.jpg
63.81 KB

[tuultyme]

Trice
My Datenblatt is also 268/268; Blaugrun body and top.  Mine should have a 747 green soft top.  Look for interior color under the dash and the rear panels for original color.  Also check the vin number on the frame under the intake manifold to cross check your number for correctness.

Bruce; 268Blaugrun(green) 1970 280SL; IL

[Kenneth Gear]

My car silver db 180 silver with red interior, sort of a classic MB color combo.  But I love the color of Hauser's car -- grayish, brown, taupe color.

Is that the same as the car wax ad showing a pagoda...swiss something, I believe.



Ken G
1971 280 SL
Silver/red

[A Dalton]

quote:Originally posted by aussie230sl

Not that I'm biased or anything, but my all-original unrestored Horizon Blue (304) '64 230SL with Cream MB-tex (121) is the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Download Attachment: Horizon Blue1
61.86 KB

Download Attachment: Horizon Blue2
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Now if I could just find a correct lid for the ashtray...

 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4515727063&category=34206

[France]

Yeah, that's the interesting part--no clue at all to previous colours, not inside the engine bay (all red, the current colour), not inside the dash, not under the car.  Just the strange metallic blue under the shifter cover!

All the engine and chassis numbers match all the metal badges--the Datenblatt is clearly correct.  But it must have gone from green to metallic blue to signal red with someone very meticulous at the wheel!

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder

[114015]

Hello Aussie230,

By the way, as your VIN is 006985 a new ash-tray with black lid would be correct for your car. All 230ies up to VIN 012466 had black lids on their ash-trays. And of course you need a new one as your car is close to mint.
 

All the best,

Achim

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by aussie230sl

Not that I'm biased or anything, but my all-original unrestored Horizon Blue (304) '64 230SL with Cream MB-tex (121) is the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Download Attachment:  Horizon Blue1
61.86 KB

Download Attachment:  Horizon Blue2
82.23 KB

Now if I could just find a correct lid for the ashtray...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4515727063&category=34206

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Achim
(Magdeburg, Germany)

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by 114015

By the way, as your VIN is 006985 a new ash-tray with black lid would be correct for your car. All 230ies up to VIN 012466 had black lids on their ash-trays.

What about after that VIN?

Can I assume that since the material on the horn pad, ash tray, and window cranks all match that they are correct for my color interior?

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

[114015]

Hello Rodd,

Good to hear from you.
Since it is more than 2 1/2 years ago that I saw your car I do not remember all the details anymore... Your car was pretty much/almost completely original as far as I remember except of the custom-made wooden front edge of your parcel shelfs and a former respray.

Anyway, to your question:
From VIN 012467 on the color of the lid on the ash-tray and the window cranks basically matched the interior color. There is an interior list which gives clear advice which color the carpet, cranks, etc. had to have for a given interior code.

The horn pad has absolutely nothing to do with the interior. There are only two colors for the steering wheel: dunkelgraphitgrau (dark graphite grey) and elfenbeinfarben (ivory colored) and the horn pads always match the wheel. Everything else is custom.

All the best to you,

Achim
(interior code 201)

[n/a]

quote:Originally posted by 114015

Hello Aussie230,

By the way, as your VIN is 006985 a new ash-tray with black lid would be correct for your car. All 230ies up to VIN 012466 had black lids on their ash-trays. And of course you need a new one as your car is close to mint.
 

All the best,

Achim
(Magdeburg, Germany)

Many thanks! Very valuable information for me!

Neil
Melbourne, Australia

[hands_aus]

Hey Achim,

Did the star in the centre of the horn pad always match the colour of the horn pad?
eg, ivory horn pad .. ivory star

Or could they be mixed as an option?

I have seen them mixed and thought it looked good and have been tempted to swap my ivory star for a black star to match the black MBTex interior of my 250sl but keep the ivory horn pad to match the ivory steering wheel.

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[Douglas]

Ivory wheels get an ivory pad. Black wheels get a black pad.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[114015]

Hello Bob,

The overall-color of a given steering wheel was always uni, i.e. ivory wheel, ivory horn pad with ivory star and the same for black.
 
Mixtures are not original.
 :evil:

All the best,



Achim
(Magdeburg, Germany)

[Douglas]

Here's a 230 SL for sale that looks to be pretty original. Of course, Achim was right. This car is a 1965 and it has a black ashtray. It must be one of the last black ashtray models since the change to matching colors occured towards the end of 1965.

http://www.centralvalleyclassics.com/cars/Mercedes/65230SL/65230sl.html


Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[hands_aus]

Hey Douglas and Achim,

Thanks.

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[n/a]

quote:Originally posted by A Dalton


Now if I could just find a correct lid for the ashtray...

 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4515727063&category=34206

Many thanks for that lead - it resulted in a successful purchase

Cheers!