Advice on 250 SL purchase?

[juleef]

Hello!  I've started looking for an SL to call my own.  I'm pretty novice re: cars in general, but I've been reading up and researching so I can find a good solid car that I can drive and enjoy.

I've recently located a 250 SL that seems quite expensive as 250's go (mid $30's is the asking price)... but is also has some unique features.  So can the brain trust out there tell me if the seller is way out to lunch with this price?

It is a 1966 250 SL.  The negatives he mentioned are:  Bad heater which he's simply disconnected somehow.  Paint job has a few drips, most notably below the gas cap.  The rear of the car must have been damaged in an accident as there is a crack in the paint where somebody's told him  there must be some bondo.  He also said you can feel some rough edges if you reach up under the right-rear panel.

Unique/interesting features:  5-speed manual transmission (car is originally from Italy).  Kinder seat (I have dogs and love the idea of having this).  Pretty wood trim up the uprights (not sure what they're properly called) next to the windshield.  Oh, and I love the color... I'll figure out the code and post it.

He's owned it for less than 10 yrs and bought it in Calif.  He only drives it in dry weather and has fixed a few things that have broken in his tenure of ownership but has undertaken no major projects.  

I don't want to buy a problem-child, so I'm curious how to assess the damage situation (and I'd probably want to fix it eventually).  I'll definitely take it to a shop to assess it before buying.

So, what do y'all think?  

I'm going to go drive the car and see it in person this weekend!

Julee
Tryin' to be patient... shopping for my first SL!

[bluedipper]

Julee, this car worries me.  The heater, dripping paint and apparently excessive bondo are significant and troubling items to note.  I too have a 250SL with a Kinder seat and my dog finds it distracting.  I prefer the flat rear floor overall.  I plan to remove my kinder seat and gain some space when I redo the interior.  The 5 speed is rare and desireable but the rest of the car might be very dissapointing.  

Chuck Gale
68  250SL

[cascadia]

Hi Julee,
I looked at this car when it was for sale on craigslist last Fall.  I remember it as running and driving  very well but needing cosmetics.  Engine bay and underside of hood were painted black, one of my pet peeves.  Heater disconnect by way of pvc plugs worried me, what other items have been neglected instead of repaired correctly?  MBI is right around the corner if you want to do a ppi.  My feeling is that this is worth between 20 and 25, the question is how much on top of that do you want to add for the ZF 5 speed?
Bob in Portland

[juleef]

Thanks so much for the feedback.  My instinct was that over $30k was a lot for a car with body damage.  As much as the rarity of the 5 speed seems alluring, I'd also be a bit worried about getting parts if it needs to be rebuilt at some point... they don't machine new parts when they rebuild a transmission, right?

Bob, I appreciate the insight on the specific car too...  I asked the guy how firm he was on his price and he said pretty firm.  So I'm likely to keep looking. Still think I'll go see it though.  There aren't too many local cars for me to check out.

Thanks all!

Julee
Tryin' to be patient... shopping for my first SL!

[psmith]

I'm not sure why 64sl_robs is so negative.  I've had my car for 12 years now and I still love it.  Sure it may not be as fast as a Ferrari, but the whole package is hard to beat.  To me, the lines are beautiful.  It brings a smile to my face every time I walk in the garage.  As a GT car, I think it's hard to beat.  It's comfortable, it handles well, and it has enough power, if you keep the RPM's up.  And lastly, like all Mercedes from that era, it's built like a brick.  The solid ka-chunk when you close the door is unique to sports cars of that era.  So I say Go For It!  There are lots of us 113 nuts here to help you get it sorted out if needed and lots of us to join you on the road to enjoy it!

Pete S.

[juleef]

Pete, thank you for the counter to 64sl_robs churlish posts.  I was biting my tongue.  

Julee
Tryin' to be patient... shopping for my first SL!

[cascadia]

....I think we all were....

[64sl_robs]

quote:Originally posted by psmith

I'm not sure why 64sl_robs is so negative.  I've had my car for 12 years now and I still love it.  Sure it may not be as fast as a Ferrari, but the whole package is hard to beat.  To me, the lines are beautiful.  It brings a smile to my face every time I walk in the garage.  As a GT car, I think it's hard to beat.  It's comfortable, it handles well, and it has enough power, if you keep the RPM's up.  And lastly, like all Mercedes from that era, it's built like a brick.  The solid ka-chunk when you close the door is unique to sports cars of that era.  So I say Go For It!  There are lots of us 113 nuts here to help you get it sorted out if needed and lots of us to join you on the road to enjoy it!

You are absolutely right. i guess i was just venting. after $8500.+ in mechanical repairs in the last 3-4 years i was finally getting to use the SL and enjoy it until a few weeks ago when i lifted up on gas pedal and Boom! blew a big hole in the rear muffler.
i had apparently gas fouled the plugs from just driving around the neighborhood and not getting the engine hot enough before shutting it off.i put a new set of plugs in and drove about 50 miles and was really surprised how well it runs. now the more i drive it the better i runs -there is alot power in that engine.but really annoyed about the muffler. i thought i was only going to have to buy tires this year
thanks for your post


Pete S.

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by juleef

So I'm likely to keep looking. Still think I'll go see it though.  There aren't too many local cars for me to check out.

Julee,

By all means, go drive this car!  You have no obligation to buy or even make an offer.  One thing you must do when searching for a Pagoda is go drive and closely examine as many as you can.  Experiencing several examples (10 or more?) is the only way to know a "good one" when you see it.

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

[W113SL]

Hey Julee:  If people on the list knew where you are located, perhaps some of us with a great deal of Pagoda experience would be willing to look the candidates over with you.

Pete Lesler in Ohio)

[W113SL]

Hey Julee:  If people on the list knew where you are located, perhaps some of us with a great deal of Pagoda experience would be willing to look the candidates over with you.

Pete Lesler in Ohio)

[Douglas]

So did you have any luck, Julee? Just curious.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[juleef]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

So did you have any luck, Julee? Just curious.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

Hi Douglas...  well, I happen to have the good luck of living in Portland where "Cascadia" Bob is.  I passed on the car I originally posted about, obsessed about Bob's ZF 250 that he sold to the Japanese buyer (such a beautiful car... I ultimately decided it was too nice for me to drive as much as I want) and decided to hold off a bit.  (And just to make sure I really do hold off I started a couple of projects around my house that took over my garage and my spare cash.)

But... I promised myself I'll buy a pagoda before my 40th birthday... and I turned 38 a month ago.

Julee

[France]

Hi Julee,

Keep looking.  Carling arrived for my birthday almost 5 years ago, and she's been a source of joy ever since.  As Pete says, she isn't perfect, but she's bomb-proof.  I've seen/met or heard about at least 6 Pagodas just in my area and in the limited time I spend in the US and not in a big metropolitan area.  I'm thinking there could be as many as 30 hiding out in the immediate area.  There are 2 just in the classic car place in Sarasota.  There must be one with your name on it out there!

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder seat
Sarasota FL; Alsace France; Switzerland
Think of your Pagoda as a woman with a past...