How often do you spot another Pagoda ?

[Dick M]

Cees...
Must have just missed you... I also bought tickets on the Opera car with the same result.
Dick
Nevada City, CA

[W14]

Living in Victoria, I buy a ticket every year, and they must have "lost" it again!!
My ticket for this year is hanging on the wall, and the draw is on Sep.15th.....
But this time....IT'S MINE....ALL MINE....MMMUUUUUAAAAHH, MMMUUUUAAAHHHH...

(ps: please feel free to contact me when in Victoria - my car is finally on the road, and we can do a "Pagoda Tour" or something!!)

Will W14
1965 230SL 4spd
Victoria,BC

[Jonny B]

There are a few 113's here in NE Ohio, one belongs to a good friend of mine that I see at the local car shows. Other than that, they are quite rare. Not exactly on topic, but close. Last week while coming back from western Ky on I-24 I saw two 300 SL's, a gullwing and a roadster. I have no idea where they were heading (west toward Illinois). They were not wasting any time moving westward.

Jonny B.
1967 250 SL

[France]

Finally, (except for Speyer) for the first time since I came to France, yesterday at 6 am we spotted a silver/blue hardtop 280SL near the German border, a really nice car.  Not only that, but at 4 on the way back from the trip, she was spotted again coming the other way.  She had a Karlsruhe license, so her German owner must have spent the day tooling around Alsace.  

By the way, anyone considering a driving trip in Europe should check out the  Vosges Mountains--there are miles of beautiful winding roads, vineyards, great restaurants... and NO traffic.  I am always amazed when I drive out of the village and into the hills.  There is simply no traffic any time of the year.  Just beautiful vistas, little villages full of flowers, fun driving.  



Trice
1968 280SL US, signal/bl leather, auto

[Douglas]

Slightly off-topic, but not too far off the mark:

After 2 weeks in Alaska where, for some reason, I didn't see any classic cars, I stopped by Seattle for one evening.

Just as I walked up to a nice restaurant there (Dahlia's), a 300 SEL 3.5 (W 109) in a light brown color was pulling out of a parking spot.

I have never seen a vintage Mercedes that looked as good as that car did at that moment.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#018260

[n/a]

I work in Beverly Hills, a block from Rodeo Drive, with a window facing the street. It's a non-stop car show, yet I spot maybe only three 113's a week. Without fail, every morning at 8am a stunning white 280SL rolls by, driven by a distinguished older gentleman, top down with tonneau protecting all but driver's area...a joy to the eye and a balm to the soul...It is satisfying to note that in this jaded burg the restrained, elegant and timeless Pagoda gracefully maintains its rightful place in the Pantheon of great design. The Pagoda nevers shouts...only whispers good taste, balance, stength and yes: intelligence.
That counts for much where the car-scape is cluttered with Modenas, Lagondas and Arnage Red Labels...not to mention Jay Leno's Blower Bentley!

230SL

[kns]

This city (Perth in Western Australia) is about as far from Beverly Hills as you can get, both literally and 'car-scape'-wise. There are one or two noted car collectors (one of whom has the good grace to house his collection in two museums open to the public), but this is not otherwise a car fancier's Mecca. One of the local families of note run a few classics, and could (one assumes) drive whatever they choose. It is heartening that the matriarch of the family, a distinguished lady "of a certain age" (all ladies are twenty one and some months.....) CHOOSES as her daily driver the 250 that she has owned from new. She can often be spotted on local highways travelling between engagements, and is instantly recognised by her car. Otherwise, Pagodas seem to be few and far between.

kns

[Douglas]

How often do I see another Pagoda? Not very often. And that includes even my own, particularly this summer. I've been either rained out, potentially rained out, or "blacked out" (is this a new verb?) of every car event I've planned to attend this season.

Things were different yesterday. Richard Madison and I proudly caravaned out to New Jersey in our Pagodas (along with Mrs. Nordmann, the wife of the later president of Mercedes from the 70s, in her E320) to attend a New Jersey chapter picnic at the farmhouse of longtime Mercedes enthusiast, John Bleimaier.

Here are a couple of pix of the event:


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More pix to come....

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#018260

[Ben]

As I've said before I rarely see any over here in Ireland, except at car shows and also cars belong to other members. I'm meeting one tomorrow night in fact !

Anyway on Monday I was driving to Galway in the west coast and about 20 miles out I spotted a red Pagoda aproaching. It had German (I think)plates and was beautiful red with tan soft top. It looked great and had massive road presence compared to all the other mundane machines !

I flashed lights and gave the thumbs up and recieved two big grins !

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

[France]

This is hard to believe...I've only seen one Pagoda in France or Germany in 2 years (aside from Speyer gathering).  But everywhere else I go, there are 190s.  Two weeks ago I posted a sighting of a 190 on the Costa Verde in Portugal, on top of a mountain (lazily posted on "which other antique car do you own" thread).

Late last week I crossed the Piazza della Repubblica in Rome.  There in front of a posh hotel were 6 190s, all in beautiful condition, and a 300 roadster.  But no Pagodas...  I shudder to think what happened to these cars in trying to get home when the blackout hit on Saturday night.





Trice
1968 280SL US, signal/bl leather, auto

[France]

Uh-oh.  I had the last sighting too.  Just returned from running the Ford GT 40 in the historic Zugspitz-Cup race, a regularity run up a 2.6 km overall 12% grade (but some parts very, very steep) on the highest mountain in the German Alps.  This was the first time it's been run since the War--it started in 1928.  Weather: absolutely glorious golden top-down snow-capped fall-colour crisp.  Three Pagodas showed up, one an early 230, the other two both 1970 280s.  One particularly fetching blue model driven by a "mature" man who was so bent over it didn't look as if he could drive.  His daughter served as co-pilot/timekeeper and they didn't do too badly.

They put us in first position, probably to announce that this was a RACE (the 40 being a rather seriously sexy number and screaming red).  Over 10,000 people lined the roads, dotted the forest, camped in the meadows.  I don't know how they got insurance.  As we roared up the hill, people snapped billions of pix and waved thumbs-up.  With 140 cars divided into 2 groups, we formed an almost constant parade through the tiny mountain village of Grainau.  People were really, really jazzed.  

Practice started with a bang, when the ugly souped-up Beetle driven by an idiot lost control, crashed just before the finish line and burst into flames.  During the first run a 911 bounced off the guard rail on the steepest tightest curve.  The next day another 911 was jockying with an E Type and went underneath the bent-up railing and into the forest.  The one-legged driver walked away.  There was also a Lola driven by a youngish man who had been paralyzed from the waist down in another race.  He still races that car...

It was our first race, and we were pleased to acquit ourselves above the middle of the field.  All in all, a wonderful weekend of beautiful old cars.

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal/bl leather, auto

[n/a]

Like Mogul123, I work in Beverly Hills too. And I live about 1 1/2 miles from there. In the aproximate 7 minutes it takes me to get to work, I can usually spot at least one other 113....and not always the same one, if I make my way "downtown" Beverly Hills, more than that! There are two shops there that people who drive these cars flock to...Royal Motors and in the garage below them, one of the finest restorers of Mercedes there is anywhere...Scott Melnick. Always a treat to visit Scott, even though he grabbed the Beverly Hills Classic with one of his restored 113s ( a real trailer queen...the car, I mean). So, yeah...they are out there!

Steve W.
1968 280SL
www.stevewaddington.com/camaro

[Cees Klumper]

Another place that still has its share of Pagodas is Palm Beach. I lived there for some time and on a normal day I could spot at least one. A natural place for this car.

Cees Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[J. Huber]

Here's an interesting twist ... I answered this a few months back with "next to never" given I live in a smallish community. All told (or is it tolled?) there are maybe 6 in our county...

Anyway, the other day I was coming home from work (45 mins away) and happened to take "the back way" through some small towns. Well, I passed an old service station and spotted a white Pagoda inside the garage. Immediately, I whipped in there, just to take a gander. I was in my truck, so it wasn't obvious that I had "Pagoda-itis"...

Well, it was not bad looking really, a 64 euro 4-speed -- and had a for sale sign on it (no price). A couple of "ol gas station types" were hanging out...and kind of watching me... so I said hey does it run? One guy said -- yea but needs a new fuel pump ... other guy says "and the hardtop's never been off..." so I sensed these guys were jokers and maybe didn't know too much ...I said "so how much ya asking?" Again, one guy says "4 grand cash"... I checked it out a bit longer and headed home ... wondering is it really 4000? or would they take 2000? still wondering....

And, it was still there last weekend as I meandered by!

James
63 230SL

[rwmastel]

OK, I'll bite.  Where do you live?

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

[J. Huber]

Hey Rodd

Not meant to bait anyone ... just another Pagoda sighting story. Having said that, I live in California, in the Gold Country, about an hour Northeast of Sacramento.

If my situaton at home were conducive to having a second Pagoda --as a project or  a parts car, I may have pursued it. (although like I said, it was not that shabby). Mentioned it to the wife -- and well, let's just say , I am a one Pagoda kinda guy...

I got the impression they were not the owners, and that price may have been an uneducated attempt at humor ... But it COULD be that whoever owns it thinks it has major problems when it may just need some TLC ... and at 4 grand, I was eyeballing the chrome, the straight panels, the euro headlights, and all red taillights! !






James
63 230SL

[J. Huber]

For what its worth (and that IS the question), the car is still there...

Mel's Chevron 530-346-2913 Colfax California

I am not going to call -- it could become a matter of "if I didn't know now, what I didn't know then.." But I would gladly look at it closer for anyone who might be interested.




James
63 230SL

[pembash]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

For what its worth (and that IS the question), the car is still there...

Mel's Chevron 530-346-2913 Colfax California

I am not going to call -- it could become a matter of "if I didn't know now, what I didn't know then.." But I would gladly look at it closer for anyone who might be interested.

Hello All,
I called Mel's Chevron to ask about the '64 Euro Pagoda. It is still available. The asking price is $ 26,000.
Hope with this the anxious speculation of Pagoda Lovers comes to rest.
Best
Bob


James
63 230SL

[J. Huber]

Thanks Bob.

Well, like I said -- the guys at the station were in the dark. And just to throw in my humble opinion: the car is worth more than 4 and less than 26. Split the difference and it may be a deal.

James
63 230SL

[pierre]

A late reply to that topic.
A few days ago I saw a Pagoda in a car park in Perpignan,south of France  but its licence plate told it was coming from the region of Toulouse, about 200 kms from Perpignan. Other signs show that the car seems to be driven quite often: It had a modern Windshot and a Gpl gas system (bi carburation)to reduce driving costs. I took a picture of the airshot equipment, but I don't know how to insert it into this message. If your car has a third seat like mine, that "Kindersitz" has to be taken away.

Pierre . 230 SL 113042 02443

[Joe]

We watch a lot of the Home and Garden TV network (HGTV), and have spotted, twice in the last week, an ad for DIYNET.com that features a guy polishing a red Pagoda in his garage. There are three shots, front, rear and dash, and each one is a fraction of a second. Has anyone else seen this ad? Perhaps the car belongs to a list member.
Joe
1965 White Euro, 4-speed

[n/a]

They're very common in southern CA. I even see them come in for service here at Caliber once in a while.

[J. Huber]

Well, I realize this was a thread within the thread but since we are back on the subject:

The car in Colfax is still sitting there (see below). Hasn't moved in 3 months ... Anybody feeling frisky? Do I hear 10K out the door? (although it already is outdoor -- ouch!)

James
63 230SL

[n/a]

This has been a really long thread, hasn't it? I'd like to report my most recent Pagoda spotting experience. A few weeks ago I was driving along my favourite section of winding road near home and on a sharp bend passed a Pagoda going in the opposite direction. It was like looking in a mirror. The car appeared to be identical to mine. I've seen plenty of silver, red or white Pagodas and occasionally ones painted other colours but never another car like mine in the flesh. It is a light blue colour but much richer than the sky blue cars I've spotted from time to time. We both had our tops down and gave each other a big wave. Haven't seen it since.

Regards

Mark

1965 230 SL light blue, auto, RHD

[rwmastel]

I saw an interesting Pagoda a few weeks ago.  I live in the far Northwest reaches of the Columbus, Ohio Suburbs.  It's fairly rural but getting built up with homes, shopping centers, schools, golf courses, etc.  Anyway, near my house I saw (going the other way, of course!) a Pagoda being carried on a flat bed truck.  The car either was very rusty or possibly had been through a fire!  It had no top up, no hub caps, and I couldn't see head rests so I don't know if had an interior with out them or no interior at all!  It looked to have some chrome still as I recall seeing some reflective parts, but I only had 1 or 2 seconds to quickly recognise it, let alone take a good look at it.  I don't even know if the head and tail lights were intact!  Anyone in Central Ohio know where this car was coming from or going to?

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