Noob in the market for a Pagoda...found one, but have questions

[Shvegel]

Tube is Mercedes part #: A 113 831 07 85
Can't find clamp and screw at Mercedes as the parts system has changed but available here:

https://www.authenticclassics.com/Mercedes-Clamp-18mm-Coolant-Heater-Lines-p/auth-008391.htm

https://www.authenticclassics.com/Hex-Head-Sheet-Metal-Screw-DIN-7976-for-Grille-p/auth-005640.htm

Don't let your mechanic throw anything away.  Original clamps, Spark plug wires, hose ends etc are often lost right at this stage.  A new owner wants the car looked over and their mechanic throws away a lot of very hard to find parts. 

What you have right now is termed a survivor.  Unrestored, relatively unmolested and with a little sympathetic refurbishment would be a great investment.

[Jonny B]

And now that you have the car, we all just love to see pictures and pictures and pictures!

Happy motoring.

As Garry mentioned, best bet is to join as full membership. There are lots of benefits and increased access.

[teahead]

I am restoring that exact configuration of engine compartment and I wish I had about a hundred pictures of your's as it appears to be very original.

One thing to address as a safety issue.  There is supposed to be a metal tube that returns coolant from the heater core to the radiator on the left side.  On your car this has been replaced with a rubber hose that appears to be hanging down near the exhaust system.  The tube, The clamp that hold it to the frame rail and the screw are all available from Mercedes Benz for less than $100.  I will look up part numbers and post them here.  If you look at the picture below you can see the tube running along the top of the frame rail under the intake manifold.

You're talking about this part?

So all W113s had this pipe, not just certain years or trim options (e.g. stick shift vs automatics)?

And is THIS it?

 https://www.authenticclassics.com/heating-System-Return-pipe-late-280SL-p/auth-009278.htm

*above chassis ending in 011948 (mine is 013103).

[Shvegel]

Yes, that is the correct one.  The picture I posted is from my car which is also a 1970 US spec car.  Also check the "Y" pipe right under the throttle body. 

If you have an interest in preserving originality or perhaps showing the car as a survivor at a Mercedes event I would be more than happy to spend a few minutes and lay out a plan of what to change and where to buy it so you don't end up having to back track and re-do things that you might be facing right now.  Little things like proper hose clamps (There is a treatise on hose clamps in our tech manual) can go a long way toward tidying up under the hood.

As Jonny B said take a ton of picture now before it changes.  Under, around, inside.  Wherever a camera fits.  There are tons of pictures of things like upper engines but very few of the lower stuff and most of the pictures I have uncovered after countless hours of digging are taken after someone "spiffed the car up" for resale.

[Mike Hughes]

Another thing about putting the top up and down:  Get a couple of the largest thick Zip-Lock freezer bags you can find to place over the sides of the rubber soft-top compartment gasket just behind the doors.  This will make it simpler to ease the fabric of the soft top into and out of the compartment and prevent it from rubbing on and damaging the rubber gasket.

[teahead]

Another thing about putting the top up and down:  Get a couple of the largest thick Zip-Lock freezer bags you can find to place over the sides of the rubber soft-top compartment gasket just behind the doors.  This will make it simpler to ease the fabric of the soft top into and out of the compartment and prevent it from rubbing on and damaging the rubber gasket.

Right, I heard about that.  Ditto the "pool noddle" and/or felt/towel for the backscreen.

I also noticed this guy's trick for these flaps.  I take it that's a different take on the freezer bags?

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de_DE&tl=en_US&prev=_dd&u=http://w113.eu/geschlossen/Optimierungen/schliessungshilfe_fuer_das_softtop.htm