The Official UCP Ownership Challenge

[csl177]

Finally closing in on completion of this project, so thought I'd post some in-progress pics. The car was originally dark gray with red vinyl interior but I bought dye-matched hides for the seats, panels and dash, and went with DB904 blue. It's a striking combination. Note the restored alloys from a 6.3... also have warmed the motor over a bit since it was a complete tear-down. P&P, bigger valves, freeflow stainless exhaust. Sounds burbly and in keeping with the character of W113's, not too loud. I'm especially pleased with the
restomod door cards: 230SL map pockets & hardware, I did these myself. Sending it off to the trimmer for finishing.

[pimento]

Nicely done!

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I don't like those sorts of wheels, but the rest of that?

Nice, very, very nice.

[cmcpokey]

all in all, great work. though i am with IB4R that those wheels are not my favorite. IMO the originals with the big hubcaps really do a better job of completing the look of the car. but i also wouldn't turn it down...

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Wheels can be changed

[pimento]

Agree with the wheels dissention. Originals are nicer.

[csl177]

Really you guys, no love for the bundt pans? The car was originally optioned with alloys (a rare thing), we have the factory build card... the retired doctor we bought it from ordered it new and wanted sporty. I had this set on my old 280SE coupe but kept them when I sold that car. Best aspects are lighter weight and wider tires, much better handling. Of course, it still has a slushbox... but it is the wife's car. Do have an ivory shift knob to match the steering wheel, though.

Other mods: shaved the U.S. sidemarkers, Euro headlights, 230SL map pockets and armrests. Fabricated billet bellcranks for the heater/AC controls; the stock ones get brittle and break. Pertronix ignition with an MSD box. Also fabricated a rotary AC compressor mount (under the right side of the engine) plus an adjustable tensioner for the serpentine belt as it's a really crowded engine bay. The bulky dealer-installed under dash Kuhlmeister will be replaced by a tiny unit and blow through the fresh air vents. Will post some mechanical details but need to take digital photos. The resto book is all 35mm prints and Polaroids.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The bundt pans on their own are ok, I suppose. a little bit 70's but whatever.

But combined with this car it just doesn't sit well. You don't buy a 280SL, particularly an automatic one, for it's Sportyness.

[csl177]

It's a subject of (sometimes heated) discussion among the W113 Registry guys, too. They may look '70s (I disagree) but were available from late '68 on. As to the steelies & hubcaps, still have some should we decide to change looks. It is a restomod with the goal of practicality and safety. Remember, we DRIVE our cars.

There are truly bad choices , but for some of us the period factory alloys work.

EDIT: Meant to include, IB4R: the people that bought SL's in the day absolutely expected sporty... just not what we would think of as "sporty" today. And manual gearboxes in these things are VERY rare. Personally, a 230 or 250 with the 5spd would be killer, but it's the
Holy Grail for 113 enthusiasts!

[pimento]

Your choice of alloy is much better than the fool with the blue one there. I just really like those hubcaps, they're more elegant. I wonder if there's some wider steelies that those hubcaps would work with.. What's the difference in tyre width between the originals and your alloys?

Mmm, a manual 113 SL.. droooool. How possible is a gearbox swap?

[csl177]

Our "choice" is just a wider version of what came on the car, 14X6.5" instead of 5.5" which allows 205's instead of 185's. That's another debate issue for early SL owners, tire availability. Only a few choices anymore, some reeeeeeally expensive.

Swapping a 4 or 5 speed into an SL that wasn't originally so equiped is insane $$$. Gearboxes occasionally come up for sale, anywhere from $3-6,000. Not to mention the clutch, bellhousing, pedal set, driveshaft, etc., etc. The 4-spd is pretty durable but the 5-spd is considered fragile, although I once drove a 280SE coupe with one; a blast keeping the engine in the band. Big 'ol Merc screaming at all of 5500rpm. Shoulda bought that car, the guy that did put abominable wire wheels on it... talk about ugly. Anyway, the autobox is actually very good, shiftable and robust.

[pimento]

I drove a '68 280SE saloon auto around a bit, the autobox is pretty good, yea. I was expecting it to be horribly slushy given the age of it. Come to think of it, I think that had 205s on steelies.. possibly bigger radius though. Unfortunately that car is just rusting out the back of a place in Perth.. you can see it on google maps. Its turning circle was amazing.. probably better than the '65 mini panelvan I had. Very impressive given the size of the car.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It's a subject of (sometimes heated) discussion among the W113 Registry guys, too. They may look '70s (I disagree) but were available from late '68 on. As to the steelies & hubcaps, still have some should we decide to change looks. It is a restomod with the goal of practicality and safety. Remember, we DRIVE our cars.

There are truly bad choices , but for some of us the period factory alloys work.

EDIT: Meant to include, IB4R: the people that bought SL's in the day absolutely expected sporty... just not what we would think of as "sporty" today. And manual gearboxes in these things are VERY rare. Personally, a 230 or 250 with the 5spd would be killer, but it's the
Holy Grail for 113 enthusiasts!

Those blue wheels are heresy.

The second set might be wider and perhaps better handling, but there is no price on elegance. They're just too fiddly a design for something as simply elegant as this.

As for the sporty element, I suggest more of a GT than a sports car, ergo the automatic. Sporty US is not necessarily sporty elsewhere

This is the car those wheels work on.

[Ferrer]

EDIT: Meant to include, IB4R: the people that bought SL's in the day absolutely expected sporty... just not what we would think of as "sporty" today. And manual gearboxes in these things are VERY rare. Personally, a 230 or 250 with the 5spd would be killer, but it's the
Holy Grail for 113 enthusiasts!

Weren't the 5 speeders only available in the 280s, and as an option instead of the standard 4 speed? Here manuals are more abundant than autos, altough W113s aren't really "abundant".

I agree with what most say about the wheels, but in any case, what a car.

[csl177]

The 15" steelies were (I think) limited to 108 ambulances and wagons in the '60s, and of course the Grosser 600's.
As far as I know the wheel diameter for all 1960s S-class cars was 14".

No, there were three transmission options after '65, but most were autos. Largely because the USA was the biggest market,
but plenty were sold in Europe as well. The 230SL with 5 speed is the most highly sought as the purest example of the model.
It really is a "sport light" car, and quite rare. The 250 was interim as a one-year-only issue, and the 280 the most robust; many improvements to the engine and drivetrain.

Got that you don't like the wheels, IB4R (even though they are factory correct options for the 113) but how are the
lines any less elegantly simple on the SLC?

Tell ya what... you get to choose on your own SL.

Also, it wasn't just the US market for autobox sportiness. Remember, the Citroen SM, BMW 2800CS and others were considered GTs...
while the SL was treated the same as today's model is. Guess you had to be there. Check out period European ads, leisure suits abound!

Fahren mit stil gemacht!