Hi Guys,
I just came across this topic by coincidence. Quite interesting... so I'll add my story:
As a youngster I wanted to become a pilot...spent a few years pursuing that dream... finally it did not happen. Simultaneously I studied topography.. i.e. geographical surveying and I did that as a job for a couple of years, until, out of the blue, I was offered a job as a trainee in chemicals trading in Paris. So, that marked the start of my commercial career in the chemical industry. I worked for 3 companies, always in commercial jobs, doing international sales and marketing of chemicals. Today at the age of 62, I run my own one man agency. I import 2 industrial raw materials, mainly for the glass industry. One product I import from Turkey, the other from South Korea. Being independent is wonderful, it allows me to spend one day per week to work on the restoration of my 280 SL. It is a full body off restoration and I bet that it will be on the road again next spring, 2021.
My adventures with oldtimers started with a Fiat 500 from 1973. My wife and I, we love Italy… She (we) fell in love with the baby car and bought one in 2007. That led to me starting evening class automechancs…which I did for 7 years. I always dreamt of a Pagoda, purely for its looks. As a kid I had one as a Dinky toy and already then, I knew that it was particularly elegant. In 2012, after some 3 years of searching, suddenly an affordable one crossed my path. I'll post pics here when it is ready!
Happy New Year, gentlemen!
Jan