COULD THIS BE TRUE???

[terry shores]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/20487-ACTUAL-Miles-1-Owner-230-SL-1965-Pagoda-1-of-6325_W0QQitemZ4570156416QQcategoryZ6338QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[RickInTex]

No.  See earlier thread on this one.  They just keep trying.

http://sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=3778,the,ways

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed

[enochbell]

This world is so full of irony...or is it pathos?  Check the seller's feedback, it is scant but includes an LSAT prep book.  This guy is studying to get into law school.  'nuf said.

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[n/a]

Hi.  I am the seller of this car and I am not an expert.  I am welcoming inspections on this 230sl and had to cancel my auction a week ago because the high bidder never contacted me or came to see the car.  My paranoia is that he visited this board or was emailed somehow. My description is based on an appraisal which I will gladly fax to any of you.  Please do not disrupt my auction unless you have plans to come see the car.  Thank you.  

-Jesse
250 686 5052

[Tom]

Boneman,

No one here trying to interfere with free enterprise, but you can't hide behind "not being an expert" when you are making claims that require an expert to know are true.  Those claims are not supported by the pictures.

"Mileage is accurate but documentation is difficult." What's that about?

No dents or dings?  One picture seems to show a dent on the rear driver's side panel near the tail light.  Some pictures appear to carefully crop that dent away.

Original Seats?  Look brand new to me.

This group is loaded with experts and that's why your car continues to be critiqued as the claims are hard to believe with the pictures presented.

Having said all of this, the car looks like a nice car and should get a good price.  But the claims are just hard to match with the pictures.


1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
1970 280sl Deep Red (Project Car)

[terry shores]

BONEMAN!! Is it possible for you to take some pictures of the engine compartment and display them here???

[n/a]

Hi.  The sl does not have documented miles because car agencies like carfax did not begin verifying miles on vin numbers until 1981.  All I have is an appraisal, and 2 local comments from mechanics.  Regardless, the high bidder isn't going to send me the money with their eyes closed.  I imagine they will come here and pick up the car or atleast hire a 3rd party to inspect the car before bidding especially if the auction goes over $20000.  I tried to honestly describe the car as best as possible and you are right, it is in excellent shape.  I am going to take more engine pictures and add it onto the auction in a couple days.  I already added 1 engine picture this afternoon which for some reason was displaying a red x earlier.  As for your other comments, I cannot answer them.  I based my description on an appraisal which goes with the sale.  This is why I welcome inspections and do not see many other sellers stating this on auctions like I did.

[n/a]

I should clarify.  When I stated I cannot answer your other comments it was not because I choose not to but because I lack the knowledge.  For example, comments like the seats being replaced.  The appraisal and the last owner stated they were original.  Again, this is why I welcome inspections.  I anticipate this will be sold locally anyways as I have 2 close offers to what I want for the car.

[Chad]

Do 230SL of that year, was it 1965, have the side marker light indicators? Mine is a 1967 and USA model and it doesn't and I think it's pretty original. There are a number of other things about the car that don't jive based upon what I learned from the books, but it looks beautiful, and anyone paying premium needs to have an expert go with them and inspect the car prior to money changing hands like the seller seems to say.

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, WDBAB 93A7DN

[hauser]

I don't believe the 230sl had side markers.  On this particular car it only has front markers and none on the rear fenders.  If I had to place a bet I'd say that at some point this car has had frontal damage.  Take a look at the front center of the hood.  It seems to bend inward (dip) and not flow with the cars' nose.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by boneman

Hi.  I am the seller of this car and I am not an expert.  I am welcoming inspections on this 230sl and had to cancel my auction a week ago because the high bidder never contacted me or came to see the car.  My paranoia is that he visited this board or was emailed somehow. My description is based on an appraisal which I will gladly fax to any of you.  Please do not disrupt my auction unless you have plans to come see the car.  Thank you.  

-Jesse
250 686 5052

Jesse,

One of the things this group does, like it or not, is generally find every 113 for sale on eBay, and really pick it apart for accuracy.  It is done not to disrupt an auction but as a constant test of whose eyes are the best, who can spot the problems, and sadly at times, who can separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to claims.

This is not limited to eBay.  There are some dealers out there of 113's and their offerings get picked apart as well.

Everyone here as an interest in cars selling for as much as possible, not in preventing cars from being sold.  But high prices will only come with historical accuracy and means to verify claims.

Rather then a source of anger, you should consider the group a source of collective information that frankly isn't available elsewhere--not from your appraisers, not from the original owner, nice though he may be, and not from Mercedes.

You may not like it, but when any 113 goes up for auction, for sure one of the group will find it, and the critique will begin.  Though my car has not been up for sale, it certainly has been critiqued and I've used the information to bring the car as close as I can to historical accuracy.  Some learn from criticism, some get offended by it.

We're all waiting for the perfect gem to top $100,000.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[jammer]

I don't claim to be an expert on Pagodas, or anything else for that matter, however by doing some research and by reading what the experts here have posted, I find a few disconnects between the claims and what the pictures indicate. Here are a few questions and observations:

Do the sun visors look original? For a 20k car stored indoors the visors should be original.
The first and second large photos show uneven hood gap at the front. Uncharacteristic of the make and the low milage. Unless of course the hood was used for added indoors seating.
Were amber tail lights standard on '65 230SL's?
Does the fuel cap look original?
I don't like the wavy reflections on the passenger side on the 24th large picture (with a tree in the background)
I don't like even more what looks like clumsy paint job on the 26th large picture on the passenger side around the door strike and the door seal strip.
I don't think the seat belts are original.
Why would the fire wall pad need to be replaced for a 20k car stored indoors most of its life?

Other than that the car looks great.

[enochbell]

tail tights, antenna, gas cap, shifter boot, sideview mirror, visors, trim rings, hood panel, hobbiest upholstery crimp around seatbacks, dash panel fit, side reflectors, engine bay color, new firewall pad, console carpet, and carpet in the well vs. leather or tex (behind release lever).  Other than that, a 100 pt. car, eh?

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[Douglas]

The ebay auction for this 1965 vehicle states:

"Mr. Noel Archambault, the 1st Owner, bought her New at the Mercedes Dealership in 1964. The 230SL spent most of her life as a Display Vehicle for his Business."


The late Noel Archambault was a well-known 3-D cinematographer who tragically died in a freak plane crash in 1998. He was born in 1961. You do the math.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[terry shores]

Me thinks there are some major holes in the credibility of this story!!!

Probably within a couple of weeks I will be getting my car back from the restoration shop.  I have no doubt that when I post pictures and ask for a critique, I will get it!! lol

[graphic66]

I don't think tinted windows were availible until the 250SL. This car has been on ebay before i believe. This may be a rare Swiss version with all the holes in this story.

[n/a]

I am assuming then this was in the family of Noel's if this is the case.  The only registration trace I found for this car was his ownership in Ontario, Canada.  Regardless, I have had 4 people come by so far to inspect the car and they all said they would bid.  I am close to a local sale at this point which means the car may not even be on auction much longer.  Again, no one is buying this car sight unseen so if they do not believe the facts, they will not buy the car.

[Albert-230SL]

quote:Originally posted by enochbell

tail tights, antenna, gas cap, shifter boot, sideview mirror, visors, trim rings, hood panel, hobbiest upholstery crimp around seatbacks, dash panel fit, side reflectors, engine bay color, new firewall pad, console carpet, and carpet in the well vs. leather or tex (behind release lever).  Other than that, a 100 pt. car, eh?

... and hubcabs are from 280 SL instead of the two pieces hubcaps of the 230 SL. This is not very expensive to fix, but is not correct.  

Cheers!

Albert de la Torre Chavalera
Barcelona (Catalunya/Spain)
Feb.'64 230 SL Euro 113042-10-002432

[J. Huber]

The story may be suspect, but the car looks darn good to me.

James
63 230SL

[hughet]

What "Triumph" are they talking about here?

"Original Tonneau and Soft Top Cover which are like New (Most SL's we have seen have replaced Covers proving the Extensive Indoor Maintenance this Triumph has had)"