Motoring Investments Found Another One

[Douglas]

Looks like a really handsome example with very nice details throughout:

http://motoringinvestments.com/C91Photo1.htm



Douglas Kim
Mahopac, NY

[rwmastel]

Interesting color combination!  I'm not sure I've seen it before.

- There is carpet behind the gas pedal, but a rubber mat on the floor.  Is that standard 280SL trim?
- What's that thing on top of the thermostat housing?

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Jonny B]

Rodd,

I believe the carpet and heel pad are correct for the 280. The early cars had rubber mats on the entire floor and behind the pedal, into the foot well.

As far as the thermostat, it must be some type of sensor for temp, is it a control for an idle or warm up circuit? I looked at a couple of other engine detail photos I have, and I could not find a similar set up.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[peterm]

I'm curious about a 15k paint job.  I was quoted from 4 to 8 k to "repaint" my car.  I have opted to remain as a driver as certainly if I had this car it would be a trailer queen.  What happens to all those rubber seals that get stripped all the chrome that looks ratty so it should be replaced are these factored into the cost of a pint job.  I get the impression that the original quote for paint is just tip of the iceberg!

[hauser]

A Pebble Beach quality paint job can cost you $40K.[:0]

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[Cees Klumper]

My own 95% show-quality paint job three years ago cost me $900 :-)

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

[enochbell]

Cees is, as usual, spot-on.  But "it aint the paint, it's prep".  I got a very nice $900 paint job about 6 years ago, but it cost me $6,000.  The difference, of course, was prep.  No rust, just careful blocking and (yes, with apologies) filling of the years of bashing and dings.  I started with a clean UCLA professor's car that had endured years of student parking lots and worse.  If your 113 is perfect to start with, then you can be proud of a $1k paint job, and consider yourself lucky. Unfortunately mine looked like it had been in a fight and required the rest of my bank account to correct.

Best,

g



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

[Douglas]

The carpet and heel pad are most definitely correct for a 280 SL.

On the subject of paintwork, I think you'll find that proper restoration work costs more because it takes more time. It's extremely time-consuming work when done properly.

[Tom]

I guess it depends on what show the $900 paint job will be entered into.  It would be  difficult to get all of the dings and dents out so that the car would show well for $900.  The paint cost alone is about $500.  It would be hard to remove and re-install the chrome for that cost, so paint lines will show against key seams which would show poorly in most shows.

The other question is how long a low cost paint job will look like a show quality paint job.

My guess is that to get a long-lasting paint job that looks great would cost at least $10,000.  Concours show quality $20,000+

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

[Chad]

It always/often runs over the initially budgeted/estimated costs also. If you accept this then I think it's helpful to communicate an understanding on this with your shop. This kind of work/prep requires flexibility and understanding.

[68_white]

Rodd:

That thing on top of the thermostat is the "100 degree temperature switch".  My car has it but it is not wired to anything.  I am not sure what its purpose is.

HARRY

68_WHITE

[tuultyme]

The "100 degree temperature switch" is wired into the speed relay on the 70 and 71 cars.  When the temperature rises too high the switch will ground the speed relay causing the distributer to advance the idle engine speed and hopefully lowering the engine temperature.

Bruce; 268Blaugrun(green) 1970 280SL; IL

[Cees Klumper]

OK, on the repaint on my car:

- the work included rust repairs around the left front headlight, the trunk rubber gutter and some other small spots
- also included was filling in the US side marker light holes, which they did perfectly: no telling these holes were ever there
- when they prepped the car, they also found some rust spots around the windshield (I had the windshield replaced at the same shop, cost was $40 for the labor to put in the new windshield) and they fixed that
- they also repaired right rear fender rust by carefully welding on a repair piece (the steel lip above the wheel) I got at Van Dijk
- and they also repaired a lower right rear fender rust issue using another repair piece for that that I had gotten from Van Dijk
- I removed the chrome trim myself and put that back on when the job was done. I also masked each of the hubcaps myself. They did do all of the other prepping work.

Again, the quality is not 100% but I got 95%, at 10% of the cost of a 99% job. How I did this? I first went to one of the reputable, high-class places that specialise in this kind of work. Then, learning the price for that ($9,000 was the quote at the time) I went to a fly-by-night place that I know of, where the mechanics know how to fix cars at a minimum cost because that is all they and their customers can afford. It is not in the best part of town, but they turned out to be handy craftsmen who do know their trade and take pride in sprucing up a nice old car. Moral of the story: it pays to shop.

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

[Bob G ✝︎]

Beautiful 1971 280SL. I am curious as to the color combination the interior throughs me off. I expected dark blue leather or parchment perhaps . I am also wondering if the engine was taken out and detailed as there is a lack of any engineering tags on the valve cover n overflow tank, radiator .The only decals I saw were in side of the trunk lid and the two relays in the engine compartment. I also spotted  american hose clamp on the firewall heater hose.

Bob Geco