Cause for Suspicion?

[J. Huber]

Has anyone seen this one? Overall, not a bad car but one faux pas makes ya wonder. Anybody recognize it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4548159833&category=6338

James
63 230SL

[RickInTex]

I see more than one cause for suspicion:
1.  Headrests, door hardware and pockets, and tex-vinyl are not original to a 65.  Missing crhome center from speedo.  This is "100% mint"?
2.  The trunk has a suspicious gap along bottom edge when closed.
3.  My personal bete-noir:  badly misaligned trim behind rear wheels.  I'm still hoping for someone to help me figure out a fool-proof way to get mine aligned properly, as I don't trust eyeballing it.  But that thread of mine from the winter didn't really yield anything....  (how's that for passive aggressive.)


Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[A Dalton]

<<I'm still hoping for someone to help me figure out a fool-proof way to get mine aligned properly, >>

 Laser level.....

[J. Huber]

All true -- not the one that scares me though...anyone else?

James
63 230SL

[France]

Hi Guys,

Greetings from top-down Sarasota!  What about asking the seller to post a copy of the datenblatt for this car? Heh heh heh...

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder
Sarasota FL; Alsace France

[A Dalton]

Well , I have only seen one other with that hood emblem placement...

[ChrisInNashville]

What about the odometer reading...is it normal to have different font on the dials of 1's and 100's???

[J. Huber]

You got it Arthur. First time I looked, something struck me as odd. Then, I was out dusting my car and it hit me... But you have seen it before, eh? Seems like it barely fits in that area.

James
63 230SL

[Cees Klumper]

Not really a faux pas, but the left rear bumper looks like it is way out of alignment.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[Mike Hughes]

The 6 and the 9 are different fonts so that they don't get installed backwards and thus render the odometer inpoerable once fully assembled.

quote:Originally posted by christietz

What about the odometer reading...is it normal to have different font on the dials of 1's and 100's???

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[A Dalton]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

You got it Arthur. First time I looked, something struck me as odd. Then, I was out dusting my car and it hit me... But you have seen it before, eh? Seems like it barely fits in that area.

James
63 230SL

 James .
 Actually, as the ebay discription mentions " VERY RARE", I do believe that this car came with the 001 option code  [ Special Order-Personal Preference Hood Badge Location].
The only one in the World, although I do beieve we saw the same 6 months age on another[ and maybe the same] here on the Forum.
 Very Rare , Indeed....

[ja17]

Hello,
I find it very suspicious that this car has undegone a full restoration and complete engine rebuild at 30,000 miles!

It must of had a very difficult life.

This mileage would have to be documented by service orders and a good history before I could begin to believe the claim of 30,000 miles.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[Douglas]

Sellers often love to claim ridiculously low, unsubstantiated mileage, but it does nothing more than make often decent cars suspect. An unfortunate sales tactic that is put to better use selling a '99 Lexus or some other kind of similar car.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[Benz Dr.]

Well, I worked on a fully restored 190SL that belongs to Tom Hamilton ( 190SL Group Pres. ) and it only has about 13,000 miles on it from new.
Even though it had few miles on it the paint was done, soft top, chrome and other cosmetic things. I think Bob Platz did this work.
Then it sat for sevral years before Tom bought it and all the brakes, fuel system, cylinder head and clutch had to be rebuilt. How can a car with such low miles need that kind of work? Sitting unused, driven short distances and then put away thinking everything is OK.

So, yeah. There are such things as low milage restored cars.

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org

[Cees Klumper]

I would rather buy a car that has driven 1,000,000 miles and has always had its proper maintenance and rebuild work (in which case it will be like a new car), than a very low-mileage car with the problems that Dan describes can occur - just from not being used and/or not being maintained properly (in which case it will be like a very old car) ...

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic