Real Fiero Tech

Saw some old guy driving this down the highway today. Sweet little car, and it was in excellent shape.

I love those cars, used to work on tons of them when I worked at a vintage Mercedes shop. 230/250/280SL W113, or more commonly the Pagoda.

I'm sure I'll get a bunch of shit for this, but I would argue its one of the easiest to own and love classic European cars. Most of the sex appeal of the 50s Benzes with the reliability and conveniences of the later cars. Lots of them have Behr AC on them, with two AC condensers, so the air on them is very cold, almost all have 4 wheel discs, power brakes, power steering, they have alternators not generators. But they have manual heater controls that don't break (other than the plastic knobs on the dash get brittle), they have crank windows. I did know a guy that had a euro with no air, no power steering, a 4 speed, the hotter euro cam in the 2.8L motor but with the factory tubular header from a 2.3 and that car moved really well.

They all have mechanical fuel injected straight 6s with 150-170HP that run like champs and the cars around 2,900lbs . So they aren't rocketships but they perform very well, and a decent number of them are 4 speeds.

I have the SL before and after the W113, I have the W121 190SL and the R107 350SL. I'd really like to add a W113 to my collection, just waiting for the right one to pop up.

I won't give you any shit, that's a badass car to me, and pretty good set of options too. Classic Benz's are the sexiest cars ever made in my opinion, along with the 69 Camaro of course. The Christmas MB commercials put white stains in my pants.

When I worked on Vintage Benzes we had a really cool customer (now hes just a friend I guess lol since I don't work on his car anymore) who bought a 280SL and had us do EVERYTHING to the car. TIming chain, full tune up, suspension components, brakes, tires, transmission service, sent the Becker radio to becker who can integrate an iPod input into the original stereos, etc. He drove the car to upper peninsula Michigan a week after he got it back, then he drove it to visit friends in New York City, and uses it as his daily to drive to work. Its fantastic to see the cars used like... cars. And they perform damn good doing it.

Here is another friends 280SL, hes had this car a long time, recently drove it to Virginia and back for a W113 club meet


Just because, this car has since sold, but its from the same evening we were working on the blue car, but the blue 280SL in the picture is a different car from the other one.

So I need one, got phone calls in to contacts on 2 of them. I get the impression the one is sold, but we will see.

Looking at one tomorrow. Silver '71 280.

So this is a first, they called me, I looked at the car, made an offer, and had the cash in hand. Then they told me they were not emotionally ready to sell, car is from a deceased parent. So hopefully they decide to sell me the car, they called and told me they were still thinking a couple days after I saw the car. So this is new for me.

In the meantime I'm looking into one out near Will, so I may end up with 1, 2, or none. I'd like to have one in the next two months so I am ready for spring.

How near? I might be able to snag pics and talk to the owner for you.

Don't know exactly where in VA he lives. The car has been down here a few times for Mercedes events so I know the car, and he threw a number out over the phone and I'd pay that. So now comes the question if he's serious about selling. I'd like to drive the car home but not this time of year. But I also don't like towing in the snow so if he waits a couple weeks I'm okay with that if the weather calms down a bit.

With either of the cars its a hurry up and park it situation given the time of year so I'm not in a big rush on either car.

Mission accomplished: pics to follow.