1968 280SL for sale (project)

[pilikua]

Hi all,

I am selling a 1968 280SL.  Here are the important details.
Its basically a barn find that has been sitting since 1987 and known in the pagoda community as the "Dominelli car".  Its red with black interior, all original, and been kept indoors its entire life.  I bought it 2 years ago with the intention of restoring it, however life had other plans....

Its all original, numbers matching, no rust, but hasn't driven since 1987 so it needs a lot.  I removed the engine and purchased a new metric motor with matching numbers, as well as, the complete fuel injection, which has also been installed to the engine.  I have a new radiator for it, and the fuel pump has been rebuilt.  I have all paperwork, original black plate (which cannot be reinstated sadly), and many service records.  I believe the convertible top is in good shape, however I have never removed the hardtop to verify.  It was purchased from Motoring Investments and I believe they said the top was in good shape.

Currently, the engine is out of the car, the AT trans needs to be rebuilt, and the project would need many other items addressed such as brakes, fuel tank service, heater core etc.

This car has the original notches and original paint, however some areas look to have been touched up and blended at some point. 

This car is located in San Juan Capistrano, CA and is currently garaged. 

I'm asking $69K

Feel free to text Paul at 949 689 6362 for more info

Thank you

[badali]

Is this the link to the correct car?

https://www.motoringinvestments.com/listings/j-david-dominelli-collection-280sl/

[pilikua]

Thats correct!

[JamesL]

So it is the car the original owners never used so has no miles on it, but has a replacement engine (from Metric) that’s matching numbers?

Fascinating project for sure and the car really deserves the life you planned for it. Sorry it’s not worked out for you.

[Cees Klumper]

I had never heard of 'the Dominelli car'.
According to what I read on the Motoring Investments site, the car was extensively driven before it went into hibernation - so much so that the engine was rebuilt once before.
So the current owner/seller bought another, rebuilt, engine to replace the already rebuilt one, but somehow the car is still 'matching numbers' which sounds technically not possible.
Still, here's another Pagoda coming out of the woodworks, deserving a new lease on life.
Good luck with the sale; price sounds a bit steep to me, considering all the work it needs, but one can always ask.

[john.mancini]

Metric Motors will re-stamp the replacement block with the engine number of the original engine. As long as that fact is disclosed, there's no harm. I admire the seller's honesty. Good luck with the sale. It looks like a nice, solid Pagoda. To the seller, you bought it for $119K, had the engine rebuilt, and you're asking $69K. Is that a typo?

[mdsalemi]

We are “the Pagoda community” and like Cees I too have never heard of “the Dominelli car”.

Could be a nice project car to someone with time, money and expertise at their disposal.

Sitting for so long, anything and everything that moves, rotates or actuates on the car will need some attention, if it hasn’t recently been addressed.

Sounds like a perfect candidate for BaT!

[Rahul]

This car has been discussed on the forums before, and commented on by people in this current thread, simple use of the search function etc.

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=33676

[mdsalemi]

This car has been discussed on the forums before, and commented on by people in this current thread, simple use of the search function etc.

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=33676

Thanks for the reminder. Having absolutely NOTHING to do with an assessment of Paul's (pilikula) car for sale, a name attached to a car is a over the top except in extraordinary circumstances. Is it "The Dominelli Car" or just a car once owned by locally-infamous J. David Dominelli? His Ponzi scheming was mostly known in the San Diego area. We know that many international celebrities have owned Pagodas, but I don't recall anyone speaking of "The John Travolta Pagoda" (other than it was stolen and found in pieces at a chop shop) or "The Burt Reynolds Pagoda" or the "Jodie Kidd Pagoda".

Nonetheless, provenance or no provenance, it looks like an interesting project car and I think BaT is a great place to maximize value AND bring up the former nefarious owner! Should get LOTS of interesting discussion...BaT is known for having things sell for very high prices and there's definitely an interest in people wanting to do something themselves, hence a reasonably complete (even if in pieces) project car will fetch a good price, I'd guess.

No matter how and where it gets sold--hoping for Paul's sake it's a good sale!