New member introductions

[nikopu]

Thanks Joe for your message.

I didn't receive any leads earlier, so I ordered the book from Germany a couple of days ago. Looks important enough to invest a few $$$ to have that on hand in the garage!

Cheers,
Niko

[Norm]

Well some of you may have seen some of my earlier posts but I was waiting for a good day to take some pictures to post with this message.

I purchased my 1966 162H  Blue Grey 230SL a few months ago through this web site and I want everyone to know how much I appreciate the information everyone so willingly shares.

The car I purchased spent about 40 years in California and after traveling across the country ended up just 10 minutes from the daughter of the CA owner.  I have had several conversations with the owner (now 93 years old) and she let me know that she appreciated the care the car is receiving but I should know that it will always be "her car", and if I every drive out to CA, she would like for me to stop by and take her for a ride.

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to increasing my time logged into this site.

Norm
1966 230SL Blue-Grey

[dtuttle123]

Norm - the car is beautiful - you should be very proud to be the steward going forward.

[dlesbrown]

I'm the owner of a Horizon Blue 1970 280SL with dark blue interior.  I purchased it 20 years ago in 1989 from Showroom Auto Sales in San Jose CA-- it was a beautiful cosmetic restoration, but required a fair amount of mechanical work early on.  For a number of years it was my main source of transportation, but after my kids were born, the need for more than 2 seats and 4-wheel drive in the New Mexico winters meant I drove it less and less.  I'm back in California now, where you'd think I would drive it more, but it has been sitting in the garage for the last 6 years, basically undriven.  Now that my oldest is approaching driving age, I've realized we need a third running car, and so I found a great mechanic in Palo Alto who has been bringing it back into good, safe driving shape.  After four weeks in the shop, I got it back in mid-July and have been enjoying that wonderful top-down experience driving the back roads of Northern California.

I discovered the Pagoda Group a few months ago and have found it a great resource, particularly for helping with some of the maintenance and restoration issues that I'm able to handle myself-- for example, I never would have figured out how to remove and replace the interior rear-view mirror without the helpful information in the Technical Manual. 

I'm looking forward to enjoying the car more again, and look forward to learning more and hearing from other SL owners through the Pagoda Group.

David Brown
1970 280SL
2004 E320W 4matic

[Peter van Es]

Welcome David, and post some larger pictures of your car in the Photo forum!

Peter

[Starzan]

Hi all,
My name is Christian and I have been a member now for a year and a half. I'm a Swedish national but my Pagoda currently resides in Cyprus. I've had the car now for a while and I'm on the forums almost daily, you guys are amazing with so much collected knowledge in one place. I've managed to solve so many small issues with this (in my view) very complex automobile.
The car was imported from the US in 2007 and I have no information of it's previous life. Bodywise it's in great shape with only two tiny rustholes in the floor. Mechanics are in decent condition with a few issues still outstanding.
The car came with a very good black hardtop and a disconnected airconditioning unit. An automatic gearbox, MB-tex upholstery and A nonworking original radio are other points of interest (maybe). I found the secondhand 15" rims at a local tire shop by chance, I'm not sure if I will be keeping them on the car as they are not original.
I've got a few questions coming but will post them under the correct categories. Till then, the obligatory picture.
///Christian
 

     

[Peter van Es]

Christian...

welcome... nice car... and it looks like you like driving it. Should you ever wish to sell the 15" rims, you can sell them to me. You'll find that they are quite popular. I have 14" Fuchs Alloys (original) and I'll swap them for yours!

Peter

[Starzan]

Peter,
Thanks for your message and thanks for the offer. I'll stick to the rims for a while but will let you know for sure if I change my mind.
I think I have to lower my car just a "touch" in order to make it look better, maybe that is the reason why I feel it doesn't look correct.
///Christian

[MikeV]

Hi Everyone,
I just joined as a full member.  I purchased a 1968 280sl from a client of mine, who owned it since 1986.  It is in great shape, although it has been repaired from an accident.  The leather seats are recently re-done, there is virtually no rust, and the mechanicals are great.  I have to remove the tank and have it cleaned out, hopefully to solve the stalling problem.
In any case, I really enjoy driving the car, and it receives a lot of attention.


Mike Veenhuizen

[Peter van Es]

Welcome, Mike. Nice car. For an instance I thought you were in the Netherlands... based on your name!

Peter

[MikeV]

Hello Peter,
My parents emigrated to Canada in 1952.  Almost all of my relatives are in Holland.

Mike

Welcome, Mike. Nice car. For an instance I thought you were in the Netherlands... based on your name!

Peter

[JosephBach]

I am a new member to this fine group of individuals.  I am also a proud father who has watched his son (also a member) turn a 1967 230sl
from sitting in his grandmothers garage for sixteen years without ever being started to a fully operational  almost near perfect car.  He has quite  a lot of patience and is
a stickler for detail.  He researches almost everything about this car.  For a seventeen year old man he probably knows more about this particular car then
some of the foreign car mechanics I have met so far.  This membership would appreciate this man.  I know I do.
He goes by xcashewx. Tried to post a picture of his car, but could not get it to upload. Any suggestions?

[66andBlue]

Hello Joseph,
welcome to the group. Are you allowed to drive the car once in awhile? 
It sure looks nice and I enjoy being able to follow the progress from the beginning:
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=10950.msg72940

[JosephBach]

Yes I have driven the car. (when he was at school).  It is a joy to drive in.
A totally different view of the road.  Even if your a passenger you feel a sense of nostalgia.

[KW-BYBEE]

I just joined a few days ago.  I am in the process of buying a 1967 250SL.  It has been sitting in a friends garage for several years.  They claim they have started it frequently but now it turns over but will not start.  Once I get it in my possession I will be on line to seek help in restoration.  This seems like a great forum and I am anxious to be involved in such a great group of people who share the love of the Pagoda

Kyle

[ja17]

Hello Kyle and welcome!

Yes, you found the best place on the web for your new pagoda hobby.  Keep us up to date!

[cbero]

It has been about almost a month since I have joined this group.  Three weeks ago my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world.  That same week I also bought the 250 SL.  You could say I got two babies in one week.  At night when she is out of control and crying up a storm, we go out in the garage and just sit in the Pagoda.  This for some reason it claims her.

I had a few MBs in the past and also currently own a 2007 E class.  I am a card carrying Mercedes-Benz Club of America member and I visit their site often.  However, I find the Pagoda site much more helpful.  Attached I have included some pics of the car. Having owned a Porsche Boxster…nothing compares to the Pagoda roadster.  Maybe it’s the fact that I am such a car nut…but owning this car is very surreal.

I am in the process of putting together my “rolling” restoration fix-it list.  But first I will be adding a jump seat for the baby.  I am looking forward to taking my wife and kid on ice cream runs next summer. 

As the weather here in Texas cools down this fall, I will be dropping the top and taking the car out on the open road.  Also I look forward to talking with you all and maybe meeting you at a future upcoming MB event.

[Eminent]

Well, i don't have much to tell but i would like to say hello.
My name is Rini and live in Terneuzen, the Netherlands.
I don't have a Pagode (sorry for that) but i own a W108 (a 280 SEL) from '68.
A lot of things from the W108 are similair to the Pagode so that was the reason to become a member.
I also have a second oldie and thats an Opel GT from '73. Both cars are comming from California by the way.
Well, i read some topics and this seems a nice, interesting forum, there are also a few dutchman i noticed.
Regards Rini.

[Peter van Es]

Welcome, Rini... nice cars (mooie auto's). That little Opel also looks good, and is well worth preserving. And yes, like some other W108 owners here I'm sure you'll find the technical knowledge on this forum outstanding!

Peter

[xcashewx]

my name is Alex, im relatively new to this fourm. i have an absolute love for these cars, i remember when i was 3 years old and i would go into the garage pretending to drive the 230sl (not then my own of couse), and spending hours cleaning it with a bottle of water and a rag. Then one day it actually became my car to drive. this car is like my child i guess you could say haha. ive finally gotten all the mechanical aspects of the car perfect, now to move on to the cosmetic portion of it all. i certainly get a lot of stares while driving around town 
id like to thank the people of this fourm that helped me solve some of my issues, it is greatly appreciated.
i thought id post some pictures

[festeem]

Hi, Y'all.
I am a new member on this site. 56 years old, with two great kids living in Groningen.
    I am from Holland but I live in Vietnam. Already for 4 years and I will never
leave this beautiful area.
I allways wanted a sports MB from the old days, and I fell in love with the 280 SL
which I bought through EBay in Tennessee.
    I went to the States to check it out and have holidays at the same time.
Price was right but the automatic felt like an earthquake. Paint on the car was good.
Surely I bought the Green MB 280 sl.
    It was shipped to the Netherlands, and I picked it up myself from SCL Schiedam.
Now, 3 weeks ago, the MB is getting an overhaul," automatic" part, in the Netherlands.
It turned out that the automatic was overhauled in the States but not put back right
together. This is fixed now by specialists in the Netherlands and the costs for the overhaul
is way lower than expected. ''Love you guys there''. The seats were very soft, more, they felt
like sitting on the base off the seats. Miles on the MB 47.000 Conclusion,
 1) previous owners, 2 only, very heavy.
 2) mouse having a ball in the seats.
       I noticed during the third day off test driving in the States, 1 mouse trying to escape the
drivers area. So I think there was a small family having a good time in the seats.
Attached the pictures.
Maybe I am on the wrong ''New Introduction membersite''. because it is a ''reaction'' Anyway.
Somebody might be able to put it at the right site.
Festeem on your site.
Regards, Ronald Aldewereld.

[Peter van Es]

Welcome Ronald.

And are you going to ship the car to Vietnam after you are done restoring it ?

Peter

[festeem]

Hi Peter.
No, I will keep the MB in the Netherlands and after the complete check up
I will have it registered on my daughter name, as I am not a Dutch resident.
But, I will drive it once or twice a year, when I am visiting my daughters Europe.
Ciao.
Ronald Aldewereld.

[tomaco1]

I just got my 1969 project 280SL which I will be restoring with the students at the Career center where I work. The car needs to be completely put back together but it seems like everything is there, minus the gas tank. I love this site, and apologize if my first couple of posts were in the wrong place. I am a member of a site very similar to this which deals with Land Rover D90s, which has been unbelievably helpful in restoring my truck.
The pagoda has always been my fathers favorite car, but I could never get him to pull the trigger on a restored car, but after seeing my LR restored he suggested we do a 280sl, and he would bank roll it. The CL search began, and I soon found a car that was a perfect match for my resto, already taken apart and mostly complete.
I have also always likes the w113 body style,(kids don't learn from strangers), but after siting in the driver seat of the shell of a car, I am hooked.\
Thanks in advance for answering my many questions, and don't worry, I will try a search first!

[dum]

HELLO TO ALL !

I have been posting for some months now, as I was restoring my early 250sl.
The car is now almost ready and the pics are for you to check it out.
Still some problems to resolve, but I could not be happier with the outcome.
I have included two before/after pics of the interior in order to see the progress.
I have owned more than 20 cars. None got even close to the feeling I receive from the pagoda.


So glad to be with you guys!