Looking for a really nice Pagoda

[rosemeyer]

As a long time lurker on this forum and having wanted a Pagoda for many years, I've decided to sign up and finally get serious about the search.

First, a little about me. I'm located in Toronto Canada and have been around cars and automotive themed businesses for many years. I like to tinker, do virtually all my service on everything I own and recently tackled a multi-year concours restoration of another vintage car. Not wanting to currently repeat the process, this time I'm looking for something that's ready to go.

It's very early days but as of right now my preference leans towards the earlier 230/250 series and to cars with no over-rider bumpers and no side marker lights. I don't yet have a strong opinion one way or the other on manual vs. automatic and I'm relatively open minded about colour (just no black interiors). Condition has to be very high level driver/near concours (High #2 to mid#1 in the numeric rating lingo). If it comes down to spending more for something on the better end of the spectrum I'll go that route rather than paying less and getting less in exchange. I don't want any excuses but at the same time I don't need a car where the underside is as nice as the topside since this is something I intend to drive and enjoy when the mood strikes.

Besides signing up to the forum, I've subscribed to the SL Market Letter and I've joined the MBCA as a means of getting leads and learning about the cars.  I welcome any member to contact me with something they think might be of interest and also welcome any comments on my stated expectations or on what to look for as I search.

For now I'll likely be here largely asking questions as I learn about Pagodas but hope to be able to contribute more as my knowledge base slowly grows.

Thank you in advance for any help. Looking forward to being part of the community.

Kind Regards,
Paul

[Benz Dr.]

I wouldn't go much higher than a low level #2 car if you plan on driving it very much. Even a high level #3 car can be pretty nice as it was likely a 2 at some point. My reasoning is stone chips, junk on the road, other drivers, and of course critters crossing your path. See my '' stupid raccoon '' post for more info on that.

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Why a 230/250 Paul? any 280SL is nice as well I'll let you have a look at mine when I come your way, you might just like it too. At the 2013 Classics On The Green in Williamsburg VA. they gave me 2nd spot and some Texan offers me $70,000- and an air ticket back to Canada, yes you guessed it I turned him down. Now my car is a driver (last 4 years has seen over 10,000 road miles both the car and I like it like that). Just think what you have to pay for a mid No. 1 car.

Good luck in your search,

Dieter 

PS. I was blown away having been the only Canadian car on the green.

[rosemeyer]

I tend towards the earlier cars because I like the 2 piece hubcaps, more interior brightwork, and the fact that they are easier to come by in the cleaner looking 'euro' spec. Not a deal breaker, just a preference right now. Plus hubcaps are easy to change

Regarding condition one person's #1 is another's #3 so I imagine I need to see some cars to get a better feel for where I should land on the spectrum. To me the car I picture would be, say an MB Classic Center level restoration with 10,000-20,000 miles; the car has some road grime, some signs of use, and is no longer "perfect" but with a proper detailing would show exceptionally well. Think of what a well cared for older 20,000 mile car would look like and this is what I envision. Would be interested to know what the forum members think such a car should cost. I have an idea but would like to see if I'm high or low.

Best Regards,
Paul

[smackYYZ]

Paul,

To give you an idea of prices here are a few links:

Auction Sale results
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/default.aspx?carID=7044&i=8&eAR=t&eventID=1529

Bring a Trailer Sales
https://bringatrailer.com/search/230sl/

Silver Star Classics Info page, has a lot of information
http://www.silverstarclassics.com/113SL.htm

Mike

[66andBlue]

Take the time and spend a few hours on Brian Peters' website and look at all the cars he has sold in the past and what he has to offer now. That should give you a pretty good idea what you can expect to pay. Note that his current website: http://motoringinvestments.com/ does not show all the cars, you need to click on "Our Old Site" and then select "Mercedes" http://historic.motoringinvestments.com/MainPage.htm

[TheEngineer]

I sell  you mine! It is  a 8 out of 10. It was re-painted years ago but they forgot to paint the air Intake scoop and the cover  for the soft top. I can tell the  difference. Regrettably I want at least a Dollar  and a half for it plus some change.

[rosemeyer]

Thank you for the leads. I've been to the Motoring Investments website before and have actually visited them on one occasion since my brother has a place about an hour away.

Also this weekend I met smackYYZ  (Mike) at a local car show and had a chance to sit in his 230 with the hardtop in place. Really got me going and I am even more keen now to find something. Thank you Mike!

I think that what I am after is likely going to end up being in the $130K ish range (USD). The big thing I am noticing is that there is a wild variability in pricing even within specific models. For example, you can get a 280 for $35K or one for $300K. This simply does not occur in the other car markets I am familiar with where prices are much more tightly clustered regardless of condition. To complicate matters further, some of the highest priced cars (I'm thinking now of the Brabus ones) have clearly incorrect details while 'less expensive' ones seem better done from an authenticity perspective. Again, something relatively new for me.

Best Regards,
Paul

[Benz Dr.]

I know a guy from Toronto who has a nice 230SL four speed. All new interior was installed this spring and a lot of other work was done. I know this car because I worked on it earlier this year. Car came from Oregon and is rust free.

[uptheorg]

I know a guy from Toronto who has a nice 230SL four speed. All new interior was installed this spring and a lot of other work was done. I know this car because I worked on it earlier this year. Car came from Oregon and is rust free.

I know this car, too, and it is excellent. The seller is a stand-up guy who knows a lot about the car, so you can trust it will be fully sorted when sold.