This is how this car went through restoration
The actual time may have been little more than 2500 hours to complete it , as there were three different shops that did the work on this 280. The Body was done by an English Coach Work fellow. He’s super talented guy is now more knowledgeable about a 280 SL body’s than most anyone . I have so much respect for his desire to make this car perfect to satisfy himself, as well as me. He has a mechanical engineering degree and he required it to do this car, as he did. He went about it in a very systematic organized way, without any hesitation or surprises . In the end there was very very little untouched of the car. We were into every cavity of this car with borescope and if any doubt the section was rebuilt. The car went back together using all Mercedes parts from Classic Center and it all fit like a glove. This to me showed things were dead on, as the new parts dropped into the correct alignment without any difficulty. The gaps are all perfect, including the radius gaps at top of doors, which I think is most diffficult area to get right on the Pagoda Car. They are at 4.5 to 5 mm on entire car. As I said he kept saying to me he wanted to work on this car without a trace he’d been there. I think he truely achieved this goal. Example of his determination to make this car right was the spot welding required on a 280SL body to make it right. His shop did not have enough power to run the spot welder unit so we rented this very large external power unit to drive the requirements of the spot welder. He worked at times through the entire night cause he got so into it, he got on rolls and just didn’t want to leave it, was like an addiction . He was really into this rebuild as he knew he was doing something very special. Essential making a brand new 280 SL Mercedes body . He lived and breathed this car so much so he bonded to it as much as me. It was all done in his shop at an my home airport. He has an airplane Hangar just down the ramp from my own hangar there. He’s turned this hangar into a business rebuilding older cars . I was there entire time during the work helping out. He restores cars for a living from this hangar.
Next the car was then shipped in an enclosed truck on a Ferry ride to Vancouver Island , Victoria BC, to Coach Werks for Paint. The detail of paint was as per factory spec in factory color, close to 350 hours of work just doing the prepping and painting this car. When it came out of paint. It stayed on Vancouver Island and went straight to Rudi and Company for reassembly. Remember this was not same location car was taken apart. One is on mainland, in Vancouver BC, the paint shop and assembly is on Vancouver Island in city of Victoria BC. All the parts were still in my hangar at airport where body was done as well as the disassembly of car took place. Then all these parts, few at a time, were flown by aircraft from Vancouver to Victoria on Vancouver Island as they were required. There are sure lots of parts in this car as I made about 40 trips to Victoria transefering parts . Every part was then restored or purchased new from Classic Center. It was lots and lots of challenging logistic for me but very fun, I didn’t want it to end. I kept car 100 percent original so everything matches the paper work on the car. Nothing was done to change the way it would have been when new in 1968. The detail of this car, in my opinion, is flawless. I’m very detailed person I think, I watched and tracked every detail of this car and times things needed to be redone to satisfy my wishes. I wanted it right and didn’t care what it took to get it right.
Rudi, from Rudi and Company, retired after 44 years of restoring Mercedes Classic cars, this 280SL was his last car done in his original shop before he sold and moved business. Rudi himself did not work on this car, his shop Foreman did all the work with one other fellow. Rudi was envolved for entire project from the time the car started coming apart to its completion. But really I was driving all of this, as Rudi is not a 280 SL expert, his background is Gullwings and 300SL roadsters . They had done lots and lots of work on 280 SL but never done a restoration to the level of any Gullwing, on a 280 SL. This was new or deeper territory for this shop. Most people would think, why in the hell would any person spend more on a restoration than car is worth. Two words I can come up with “passion” and “emotional attachment” to this car, that’s what drives me. This 280 SL detail is as good or better than any Gullwing or 300 SL that I’ve ever seen. Rudi’s guys are very very proud of this 280 SL and say they’ll never probably ever do another one like it. Probably true, but this did not slow my thoughts down or my determination on making this car right !
So the real hours into this car just maybe slightly greater than 2500 hours. Things were not always on the clock. What I know is the cost, and I have more into this car than I could sell this car for but I knew that going into it. I did it for the challenge, not for resale but more than that It was the passion. I had enjoyment I guess from it all, and that’s all that matters (maybe not to my wife hahaha) . It’s now a known quantity to me in every regard. I’m proud of what has been done here. I’ve built few homes, Airplane hangars, restored aircraft , and now contracted and over saw this 280 SL car restoration . I’m very very proud of the final result and would love to do it all again. The car speaks for itself to the observant eye. That s fun for me. It was like a personal challenge how perfect I could push this to get this to another level not seen by many. One thing I know is ever detail now of our cars that we all enjoy. They really are very well made cars. As Rudi calls these cars after restoration, “kinetic art” !
S
