Author Topic: POLL: Pagoda Idiosyncrasies (Read 64591 times)

tuultyme · « **Reply #75 on:** June 10, 2007, 21:39:24 »

I enjoy the way the outside mirrors "funnel" air into the interior of the car; adds just a little extra cooling to the interior while enjoying a leasure drive,

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

Ben · « **Reply #76 on:** June 13, 2007, 09:34:04 »

Most of you guys wont know about this, but if you have a freshly polished Pagoda, and it gets exposed to a torrential downpour :evil: which leaves a lot of water in lovely bubbles all over the car, and then you drive it, a stream of water comes off the front of the car right onto the front screen in your line of vision !!

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.

Cees Klumper · « **Reply #77 on:** June 13, 2007, 16:56:07 »

never noticed this until you pointed it out Bruce: checked it today and sure enough, a nice stream of cool air comes in via the mirrors!

quote:
Originally posted by tuultyme

I enjoy the way the outside mirrors "funnel" air into the interior of the car; adds just a little extra cooling to the interior while enjoying a leasure drive,

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

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

Cees Klumper · « **Reply #78 on:** June 13, 2007, 16:57:43 »

Not sure whether this was mentioned already, but ... just noticed today that the half-empty mark on the fuel gauge does not say "1/2" but "2/4". never noticed this on other cars, but maybe that's my lack of perception?

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

TheEngineer · « **Reply #79 on:** June 13, 2007, 19:48:11 »

When I came to the US, my first job was at Allen Bradley in Milwaukee as a special machine designer. It was my job to design things that couldn't be purchased. So I made drawings of things. One a drawing I dimensioned a distance as 10/16th. My supervisor at the time, Gerald Lohf, took great delight in pointing out that it should say 5/8th

'69 280SL,Signal Red,Automatic,retired engineer, West-Seattle,WA

J. Huber · « **Reply #80 on:** June 13, 2007, 21:48:49 »

Here's one that is sort of true for other cars but especially for my Pagoda:

The way using the washer fluid and wipers makes more of mess than its worth. First off, half of it runs right off the windshield and leaves blue drips, puddles and streaks down the side of the car. Second, it shoots out like some high-powered water pistol and practically gets the car behind me too! (well almost)

Its just much more efficient to clean it by hand.

James
63 230SL

Kemal · « **Reply #81 on:** June 14, 2007, 05:54:08 »

I cant find much wrong with our babies however once I read all the messages ....
How very true you all are .... and so funny to read .

Here's one from me ; Does anyone else find it awkward getting / climbing in to the seating position , what with the size of the steering wheel digging in to your thigh ?

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

quote:
Originally posted by J. Huber

Here's one that is sort of true for other cars but especially for my Pagoda:

The way using the washer fluid and wipers makes more of mess than its worth. First off, half of it runs right off the windshield and leaves blue drips, puddles and streaks down the side of the car. Second, it shoots out like some high-powered water pistol and practically gets the car behind me too! (well almost)

Its just much more efficient to clean it by hand.

James
63 230SL

mdsalemi · « **Reply #82 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:58:15 »

quote:
Originally posted by cees klumper

Not sure whether this was mentioned already, but ... just noticed today that the half-empty mark on the fuel gauge does not say "1/2" but "2/4". never noticed this on other cars, but maybe that's my lack of perception?

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

I think it's a German thing. The tach on my 1979 BMW 320i did not read "RPM" but rather, "1/min x 1000" Like the bumper sticker says, "Eschew Obfuscation".

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

glennard · « **Reply #83 on:** August 24, 2007, 07:12:58 »

Gifts category- We all need BIGGER budgets- There should be a federal subsidy for our adiction- druggies get one, why not us?

quote:
Originally posted by glennard

After forty years- every Pagoda is idiosyncratic. Even if MB built two which were identical(which I doubt), we tinkerers, mechanics, neophytes, saturday sophisticates, etc. have modified the CSV, relays, ignitions, FI, sound systems, steering wheels, horns, etc, into beasts rivaling NASCAR wheels. And all on pretty small budgets by comparison.

Mike Hughes · « **Reply #84 on:** August 24, 2007, 07:39:01 »

quote:
Originally posted by kemal shah

Does anyone else find it awkward getting / climbing in to the seating position , what with the size of the steering wheel digging in to your thigh ?

No, but I do whack my knee sometimes on the underside of the projecting windscreen frame when getting out of my SL! Ouch!

- Mike Hughes -ô¿ô-
1966 230SL Auto P/S
Havanna Brown (408)
Light Beige (181)
Cream M-B Tex (121)

Douglas · « **Reply #85 on:** August 24, 2007, 09:37:24 »

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Hughes

quote:
Originally posted by kemal shah

Does anyone else find it awkward getting / climbing in to the seating position , what with the size of the steering wheel digging in to your thigh ?

No, but I do whack my knee sometimes on the underside of the projecting windscreen frame when getting out of my SL! Ouch!

- Mike Hughes -ô¿ô-
1966 230SL Auto P/S
Havanna Brown (408)
Light Beige (181)
Cream M-B Tex (121)

I've done that more times than I care to remember.

Here's my contribution for an idiosyncrasy—the kickdown switch on an automatic can be a crazy Jeckyl & Hyde experience at certain speeds, particularly on the highway. It can be too severe, even on a properly sorted-out car.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

JPMOSE · « **Reply #86 on:** January 08, 2008, 18:55:47 »

Time to revive my old thread for 2008! I can't think of anything else to add...but I keep thinking there has to be something?

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

al_lieffring · « **Reply #87 on:** January 08, 2008, 21:00:43 »

quote:
Originally posted by JPMOSE

Time to revive my old thread for 2008! I can't think of anything else to add...but I keep thinking there has to be something?

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

Here is one that I remember from when I drove my Pagoda as a daily driver.

When driving a Pagoda in the rain at highway speeds (I'll bet most of you have never done that) the drops on the side window run up instead of down because of the air flow from the windshield.

Al Lieffring
66 230SL

Peter van Es · « **Reply #88 on:** January 10, 2008, 07:52:35 »

quote:
Originally posted by al_lieffring

Here is one that I remember from when I drove my Pagoda as a daily driver.

When driving a Pagoda in the rain at highway speeds (I'll bet most of you have never done that) the drops on the side window run up instead of down because of the air flow from the windshield.

Of course I've done that. With the sidemirrors you actually get interesting swirl patterns with the rain drops...

Peter

1970 280SL. Also known as 'admin@sl113.org' and organiser of the Technical Manual.

Richard Madison · « **Reply #89 on:** January 10, 2008, 09:36:28 »

May not be a flaw but it is annoying when you don't give the soft top frame that last hard push and the entire top gets stuck in the horseshoe compartment!!!

And with a manual tranny and typical rear end, have to shift out of first too quickly for my taste...

And a problem not with the car but with people who describe the transmission as "4 Speed"; don't both manual and automatic trannies have 4 speeds? Is it only me or are others confused by "4 Speed" transmssion?

Richard M, NYC

blue230sl · « **Reply #90 on:** January 10, 2008, 11:18:31 »

quote:
Originally posted by 280SL71

And a problem not with the car but with people who describe the transmission as "4 Speed"; don't both manual and automatic trannies have 4 speeds? Is it only me or are others confused by "4 Speed" transmssion?

Richard M, NYC

here in south carolina, my mechanic calls my manual a straight transmission...

john
64 230sl
89 190e 2.6

hauser · « **Reply #91 on:** January 10, 2008, 13:50:57 »

Quite a few refer to a manual transmission as a 'standard'.[:0]

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

Bob G ✝︎ · « **Reply #92 on:** January 14, 2008, 23:53:56 »

Has any groundups been tortured riding in the Kinder jump seat side ways. Who invented this was not thinking of a full size person.

Bob Geco

Richard Madison · « **Reply #93 on:** January 15, 2008, 05:03:00 »

Let me beat this up a little more:

In some listings or descriptions a 113 car might be described as a "4 speed".

If you saw just this phrase and no more, would you know that the tranny was manual or automatic or could it be either?

Richard M

Douglas · « **Reply #94 on:** January 15, 2008, 07:26:22 »

quote:
Originally posted by 280SL71

Let me beat this up a little more:

In some listings or descriptions a 113 car might be described as a "4 speed".

If you saw just this phrase and no more, would you know that the tranny was manual or automatic or could it be either?

Richard M

Good point, Richard. I think when people say this they generally mean it's a manual.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

rwmastel · « **Reply #95 on:** January 15, 2008, 10:27:37 »

quote:
Originally posted by Douglas

Good point, Richard. I think when people say this they generally mean it's a manual.

True, and I believe it's true because most people don't care how many gears are in an auto transmission. It's automatic, after all!

Rodd
Pagoda Technical Manual
please contibute: http://www.sl113.org/wiki/pmwiki.php
1966 230SL
2006 C230 Sport Sedan

JPMOSE · « **Reply #96 on:** January 21, 2008, 19:55:53 »

I just thought of a very current and major idiosyncrasy of the Pagoda. It's the cost of possessing a Pagoda! Have you noticed shops and restorations sources stating "it will cost you more JUST because it is an SL!" I discovered the truth in this statement when I inquired about the re-chroming cost of my rear bumper. They asked me immediately "what type of car is this off of?" I stated it shouldn't make a difference if they provide the same quality of work across the board. I then told them for grins, "It's off a Pinto!" They immediately stated it appears to be a Mercedes bumper....It turned out that they have a fixed price for each auto manufacturer. Guess how Mercedes pans out!

Of particular interest to me was the statement...."60's Mercedes SL's are becoming quite collectable in the past few years".

I guess all services rendered will be based somewhat on the perceived escalation value and the willingness to spend of the typical upscale Pagoda owner!

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

waltklatt · « **Reply #97 on:** January 22, 2008, 08:37:48 »

Exactly what I found too J.P.
I was looking for a headliner material for the fintail wagon I restored a few years back. I waltzed into several upholstery shops in search for the lining material that I can cut it to fit the wagon. They always asked me the same thing, what kind of a car is it from? So I tried, that I have two cars, one a Mercedes and the other a VW Bulli van. They said oh the VW, no problem, so and so price, but Hmm the Mercedes, that's much more.
I said its the same material and quantity.
So you can guess what I did.
Yep, bought them (2 sedan ones) from Tom Hanson, at a much cheaper price than the shops gave me.
But had to sew the two sedan ones together.
So it's not just you, it's me too.
Guess they(shops) all think MB owners have deep pockets loaded with money ready to burn.
Not true at all. Owning MB's on a students income is not much, thus elicts creativity.
But now, all the wiser.
Walter, now wiser
1967 220SL diesel

JPMOSE · « **Reply #98 on:** January 04, 2009, 15:43:35 »

Well...it's been another year! Can anyone think of some new Pagoda Idiosyncrasies?

tuultyme · « **Reply #99 on:** January 13, 2009, 23:13:10 »

I guess our cars are no longer unique! I read the following from Motor Trend, January 2009; "...and the lower front and rear fascias and the rocker panels are now black instead of body-color, part of the effort to make the color look smaller." This is describing the new 2010 Mustang.

News:

Author Topic: POLL: Pagoda Idiosyncrasies (Read 64591 times)

tuultyme

Ben

glennard

Douglas

al_lieffring

blue230sl

hauser

Bob G ✝︎

Douglas

tuultyme