When I bought it, the car was solid, original, and had apparently not been in any accidents, but it had been neglected for several years. The engine was in pieces, partly in the trunk. I restored it completely in 2002 - 2003: rebuilt the engine, put in new upholstery and carpets, repainted it, did necessary chrome plating, replaced the shocks and subframe mounts, and renewed all necessary smaller items (this is the expensive part of a restoration). The new soft top was installed in 2007; new rear springs and bushings in 2011, and the fuel injector pump was rebuilt in 2021.
The car has been entered in a number of Concours d'Elegance, winning second place awards in 2005 in Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, and Palos Verdes, and in 2007 in Los Angeles, and third place honors in 2004 and 2007 in Newport Beach, in 2006 in Beverly Hills, in 2007, 2008, and 2009 at the Muckenthaler Festival, and in 2009 in Los Angeles.
The same body style was used later also for the 250SL and the 280SL. Some general facts about
all three models, showing the similarities and differences, are given below.
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From Above |
2nd place, Palos Verdes Concours 2005 |
The Mercedes 230SL was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 as the replacement for the 190SL. The new innovative design was the work of Paul Bracq, a Frenchman, who worked for Friedrich Gegner. (Later, Bracq also designed the BMW 630 coupe).
The car was given the nickname Pagoda by the staff at the Sindelfingen plant, because of the shape of the removable hardtop -- higher at the sides than in the middle. The same body style was also used for the 250SL and the 280SL, which had larger engines but were heavier, so performance stayed much the same. All three models had an in-line 6 cylinder overhead-valve engine with Bosch mechanical fuel injection. Suspension was fully independent, with coil springs all around, double wishbones in front and swing axles with a single low pivot in the rear.
The total number of Pagodas produced was 48,462. Of these, 34,215 were exported, 19,440 of them to the US. Here are some other facts about the cars:
Years built Number produced Engine displacement Horsepower (DIN) Torque Main bearings Fuel tank capacity Brakes Weight (empty) |
230SL 1963 – 67 19,381 2306 cc 150 @ 5500 145 ft/lb @ 4200 4 65 L (17.2 Gal) Discs/drums 1295 kg (2855 lbs) |
250SL 1966 – 68 5,196 2496 cc 150 @ 5500 159 ft/lb @ 4200 7 82 L (21.7 Gal) Discs/discs 1360 kg (2998 lbs) |
280SL 1967 - 71 23,885 2778 cc 170 @ 5750 177 ft/lb @ 4500 7 82 L (21.7 Gal) Discs/discs 1360 kg (2998 lbs) |
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Hardtop weight Overall length Wheelbase Height with hardtop Original tire size Turning circle diameter Drag coefficient (Cw) Approximate top speed |
49kg (108 lbs) 4282mm (14 ft ½ in) 2400mm (94.5 in) 1305 mm (51.4 in) 185 HR 14 10.35 m (34.0 feet) 0.610 (open), 0.481 (soft top up). 200 km/h (124 mph) |