Achtung! Another Benzer!

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CincinnatiFiero
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Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Aaron said I needed one, I agree. 1968 280SL, first year for the 280SL, 4speed manual, factory 4.10 gears, previous owner had it for 30 years. Stacks of receipts, nice solid car, runs, drives, and performs like it should. I sought out a car with a manual gearbox and a car that never had AC.

Mechanically fuel injected 2.8L straight 6. Around 170-180HP, its a great car. I am not much of a writer, but owning the 190SL and the 280SL at the same time, a friend of mine and I may do a comparo write up. The 280SL is about 80% of the sex appeal of the 190SL and 200% the drivability. It has power steering, disc brakes all around (230 and 250SL's have front disc, rear drum, 190s are 4 wheel aluminum drums), fuel injection, more modern climate control, FM radio, etc. I have not driven it much, but it is already proving to be everything I was looking for in an SL. Its not the whale that my 350SL is, but it also does not drive like a truck like a 190SL or 300SL does.

I will post more pics as I begin to improve it, the interior is tired, and the engine bay is dirty, but the car has tons of potential, and I am looking forward to turning it into the level of car my 190SL is currently.

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CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

First upgrade/repair

Intake boot was torn up, sort of a lame update, but at the same time, this was availabe in two days from the dealership for $100. I am continually impressed by how easy parts are to get from MB. They aren't cheap, but also not outrageous. But price aside, their support for their cars has proven to be excellent.


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CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

The day I finally registered this car, my buddy and I drove from Columbus to Pontiac Michigan for the National Alfa Romeo convention. Car performed beautifully, I am totally in love with this car. My only critique is this car has 4.10 gears and SCREAMS on the highway. Mercedes knew how high the car revved and the car never seems labored and runs smooth as glass at huge rpms, but gas also wasn't $4/gal in 1968. Running 80-85mph I got around 10-11mpg because I was turning close to 5,000rpms! Slowing down to 70mph and staying around 4,000rpms I got more like 18mpg. You can drive the car around town in 4th gear if you wanted to the gears are so short. It makes for a surprisingly quick car for its age, it pulls really hard in midrange through 3rd and into 4th, and on the highway since you're always in your powerband, it overtakes just about anything you need to.

However, it is very common for Pagoda owners to "upgrade" to 3.27 gears from a 280SE 4.5, and I have begun looking for that diff. I will keep the 4,10s on the shelf obviously, but I think the 3.27s will make it much nicer to cruise around in.

Also Mercedes Benz - USA has informed me the car is a Euro car, so it should have the euro cam and a few extra HP.

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CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

3.27 gears arrived with some additional spare parts attached.


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Probably do the swap this winter or early in the spring.
Last edited by CincinnatiFiero on Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Dark Side of Will
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by The Dark Side of Will »

Pic's broken
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Should be fixed, here are some pictures of a trip my friends and I took to put-in-bay which is an island in ohio only accessible by ferry. We me up with a former MBCA president who lives on the island and keeps a 250SL on the island. Phenomenal day.

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Emc209i
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by Emc209i »

I'm happy that it makes you happy. That color and body style isn't "me", so I don't get it. But... if I came across that metallic red Benz pictured above, I'd steal it.

I don't want to know what you payed for that car. Autotrader classic hurts my eyes.
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Red car is the same year, model, everything.


As for what I paid, like all my vintage benzes, rest assured, I'm in it right.


Personally I like the muted single stage non metallic colors. I think the really bright metallics detract from the lines of the car. On quick glance the pagoda is a simple shape, if you look close there are a lot of deliberate body lines there and its a very beautiful car upon further study.
The Dark Side of Will
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by The Dark Side of Will »

Looks like a good time.
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Its fun to have cars like these out on the road, and not just down the street to the cruise in but taking them on hundreds of miles drives. Even more fun to go with a good group of friends who own the cars to enjoy them and aren't pretentious about the cars value and don't hesitate to get it dirty.
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

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CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Brief Mercedes parts support anecdote.

Driving around a construction zone on I70 in Columbus concrete fell off a bridge and smashed the window on the 280SL, luckily it did no other damage.

Called ODOT, they said get an estimate from the dealer, and we will reimburse you. So I did that and they paid me for the glass. Ordered a new windshield from the dealer using my serial number.

Glass shows up clear. My car has the green strip at the top. Turns out there are 3 windshields for this car, clear, insulated (mercedes call it tinted on the the data card) and "insulated with darker strip at top". They weren't sure what my car was built with, called the factory in Germany, an hour later they faxed the Classic Center and my dealer my data card. Sure enough my car was built with the tinted and dark strip glass. Classic center produced a part number for the different glass for my dealer to order.

However the kicker is, the clear glass retail was $500.00. The green strip... $945.00. I buy parts at wholesale and Mercedes sold me the green strip glass at cost so I ended up only paying around $70 for the tint since I initially ordered by the serial number but got the wrong glass.

But at any price I think its pretty damn impressive that Mercedes produces, stocks, and can have 3 variants of glass for a 50 year old car in 2 days.
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Emc209i
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by Emc209i »

That is very impressive. One of the best features on the Lexus has been the double insulated windows and windshields, a feature that was standard on Mercedes for a long time. I'm glad you discovered and were able to source the better insulated glass.
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by The Dark Side of Will »

That's ruddy brilliant. I hope parts support for the 190E's is that good.
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

It is. I ordered a european bumper strip for my Euro 190E, still available, $120, had it in 3 days.

Flex disc for the girlfriends 190 diesel, got it from the dealer, it was the same price as aftermarket.

Never hesitate to call the dealer first and price the parts.
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

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CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

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Still have this one too, over the winter it got the head rebuilt with fresh valve guides, timing chain, timing gears, injectors, oil pump drive bushing (serious wear item on M130s that people forget about until they have zero oil pressure at 5000rpms), engine mounts, control arm bushings, etc. This still remains one of my favorite cars to date, I love it.
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Daily drove the Pagoda last week with the hard top on. Popped the hard top off yesterday and cruised around yesterday looking for interesting places, thought this picture turned out well.

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Emc209i
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by Emc209i »

She's a great accomplice. Your alibi is that you're taking pictures while she snoops out the loot. :good:
CincinnatiFiero
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Re: Achtung! Another Benzer!

Post by CincinnatiFiero »

Another pic from the other side of the same building. It's an old trolley storage/maintenance facility from back when Columbus had street cars.

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