Option 565 Sideways Rear Seat

[Zazozazo]

Good morning all,

I have an the option 565 ( Sideways Rear Seat) on a nut and bolt restoration MB 230 SL manual of 64.
Is this a desirable and rare option ?
If this was omitted in the restoration, and the footwell is still there, is it worth the hassle of reintroducing it to the car?

Thank you

[Garry]

Whilst i would not call it rare, it is a quirk of the Pagoda and not something that should be left out in a restoration if it is data carded.

My 1965 230sl had one and I have made sure it was included in the interior restoration. 

Garry

[Tycoon]

I have one on my Euro ‘68. It is blast to ride in……you likely didn’t have a chance……do not remove!
Bill

[Zazozazo]

Thank you Bill :-)

[teahead]

I think the kinder seat is a cool option!

I bought one to put in the wife's pagoda just for the cool factor!

[john.mancini]

Rare? No.
Desirable? Not really.
Safe? Hell no!

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

Just a quick comment about Kinder-seats:  every kinder-seat that I have seen has been on a European market car.  It seems that it might have been a very popular or maybe a "thrown-in" dealer incentive option?  Opinions?

jb

[john.mancini]

Over half of the W113's I've owned had option 565 "Kinder seat". They were all US market cars. Since the factory data card listed the option 565 it could not have been a dealer "throw in". I used to think it was a nice option, but it's very unsafe for a child to be sitting back there.

[Shvegel]

I'm with John.  I am by far not the safest person on the planet and have scars and missing digits to prove it but using the soft top compartment cover as a head restraint for a small child is a bad idea.  An adult in a rear end collision would have the full force applied to the side of their spine and neck, 

[mrfatboy]

This thread just reminded me of a funny/sad childhood memory 🤣🤣

When I was 12 and sister was 10 our family had a 280SE and 280sl. We planned on going to the Rose Bowl. It’s about a 2 hour drive from San Diego.

The 280SE unexpectedly wouldn’t start that day.

My 6’6” father stuffed me in the back of the 280sl (soft top up) on the parcel shelves. My mother stuck a pillow over the center console box and wedged my sister in between the seats. The seat belts were not used. Off we went.

It was the 70’s. 🤣🤣😱😱

[johnk]

My kinder seat also has the wooden parcel shelf. Is that common?

[Atazman]

My 250 SL originally went to Italy.  It has no 565 code on the data card.....but it does have the Kinder seat along with the parcel shelf over the foot area.  Someone suggested to me the Kinder seat was a dealer added feature.  Wish I knew for sure what took place.

[johnk]

My 250 SL originally went to Italy.  It has no 565 code on the data card.....but it does have the Kinder seat along with the parcel shelf over the foot area.  Someone suggested to me the Kinder seat was a dealer added feature.  Wish I knew for sure what took place.

Thanks Don. Mine was also an Italian car with no code on the data card (as I remember). Does your have carpet in the footwell?  Mine did not. I have pieces with my new carpet kit for the footwell but they don’t seem to fit real well.

[stickandrudderman]

Along with adding headrests, I happily encourage my customers to delete the child seat where fitted.
It's a ridiculously dangerous place for anyone to sit in my view.

[Atazman]

Back to you, John, with your question..."does yours have carpet in the footwell"?

When I bought my Italian car in 1983 it had original carpets including the footwell.  I have since replaced the original and the new carpet kit (back in late 80's) also came with footwell pieces.

[Merc_Girl]

I'm with John.  I am by far not the safest person on the planet and have scars and missing digits to prove it but using the soft top compartment cover as a head restraint for a small child is a bad idea.  An adult in a rear end collision would have the full force applied to the side of their spine and neck,

Not to mention if there was a head on accident there is a likely of meeting of heads between driver and rear seated occupant! 😱😱
If the modern version of tinker, tailor, soldier, sky, an adult is sitting in the back !!!

[johnk]

Back to you, John, with your question..."does yours have carpet in the footwell"?

When I bought my Italian car in 1983 it had original carpets including the footwell.  I have since replaced the original and the new carpet kit (back in late 80's) also came with footwell pieces.

Thanks Don.
I carpeted my parcel shelf and will Wait for pagodafest Chicago to see how the carpet pieces should fit together in the footwell.

[su8pack1]

This guy has been riding along with me for years.

[MikeSimon]

Considering that all "collectable" cars' value is connected to the amount of options installed, I consider the "Kindersitz" a valuable option and I encourage everybody who has one that is shown as an option on the data card to keep it.
It is only unsafe or dangerous as long as you let someone sit in it. If you don't it is perfectly safe and increases the value of the car.

[MarkCan]

I have to agree on the “safety” aspect of such seat. Than the fun factor (11 on the 0-10 scale) and the memories that I got thanks to it - PRICELESS!
My uncle had that option on his W107 when I was a kid. My two cousins, my brother, his friend and myself managed to get in the back no problem. I would definitely throw in few extra bucks for those memories.

[cfm65@me.com]

Could anyone put up a sketch or photos of the kinder seat, please.
Regards
Chris

[mrfatboy]

Here you go 🤣

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=pagoda+kinder+seat+images

[thomas wright]

Hi All,
This is an interesting topic but let's not get to excited with health and safety issues regarding the side-on rear seat. I agree with Mike S point of view that if you feel anything is unsafe on your car then don't use it, just use common sense and no one will get hurt . These seats are not just an add on conquered up by dealerships but by the design crew at MB with numerous sheets of technical drawings to high specification and singed off by the QA controller. We are custodians of these ancient old vehicles and it's our duty to preserve them as best we can and as original as the day they left the factory.

Currently my own 280SL , July 1969  is going through extensive restoration and has such a seat but I wouldn't dream of excluding in the rebuild and believe it would be sacrilege to remove its existence from the Data Card / Birth Certificate.

[Tomnistuff]

When I bought my Italian 230SL in 1987. it had a kinder seat.  Later I reupholstered the car, including the kinder seat, in leather.  When I restored the car in 2011 - 1019, I bought parcel shelves and matching carpet and put the kinder seat parts in the trunk.  Now before each significant event, near or far, I have a decision to take. The change-over takes about 5 minutes without tools.  The Data card says Kinder Seats.  I now have either.
Tom Kizer

[JamesL]

My car has it and in 18 years has been used twice.
(I’ve told this story on here before…) Second time the occupant was my 6 year old son. He sat there happily as normal until he spotted the car following and in the blink of an eye had formed a pistol out of his fingers and kept shooting the car behind. They laughed their heads off.

It’s stuck with me because for years: certainly all his life, kids have been strapped in forward facing (rear as tiny ones) car seats with harness belts and side impact protection. So he’d never  faced any direction but forwards but at the first opportunity and with nothing to copy (maybe an old tv show?) he turned and started shooting the guys behind. As no doubt we all did when we were not wearing seatbelts as our parents drove us around.

In other news, we had a mk1 jag xj6 when I was about 5 and my older siblings and I regularly used to stand with our heads out the sunroof as Dad whizzed along. Probably grateful for the oxygen as mum and dad both smoked like chimneys.

So my kinder seat hasn’t been used again (son is now as tall as me) and is there as the car came with it. I’ve thought about shelves but then I have find somewhere to keep the seat (and back)