Mercedes Pagoda 230 250 280 SL
Discussion
Don`t know whether i am in the right forum here but i am looking at venturing into the Mercedes Pagoda world from TVR and then Aston Martin.
Can anyone furnish me with useful info on the differences,better model,things to watch for etc.Silchester cars seem to deal with a few and any recommended gargaes would be useful.
There seem to be a fair few around so are obviously pretty solid and reliable.
My alternative is looking at late 80`s early 90`s Porsche`s.
I will copy this into the Merc forum just to cover my butt.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Can anyone furnish me with useful info on the differences,better model,things to watch for etc.Silchester cars seem to deal with a few and any recommended gargaes would be useful.
There seem to be a fair few around so are obviously pretty solid and reliable.
My alternative is looking at late 80`s early 90`s Porsche`s.
I will copy this into the Merc forum just to cover my butt.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
www.chelseacars.com always have some good ones in stock. Along with lots of other nice stuff.
The 280 is usually reckoned to be the best because it has the power to cope with modern traffic. Many are autos and that might not be your thing so look around carefully. One thing sure and certain is that they don't lose their value though. As said, Chelsea cars specialise and I'd buy Classic & Sportscar and have a look here too:-
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/31/280SL/
Nice stylish cars, but after what you have had pretty tame I guess. Still, I wouldn't mind one!
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/31/280SL/
Nice stylish cars, but after what you have had pretty tame I guess. Still, I wouldn't mind one!
Nice to see the responses saying the same thing.Thread going on the merc forum so switching between the two.Big change in cars but the specialists say the cars appreciate (now thats a rare word in the car market)at around £1000 per year. Regret letting both Aston and Tvr going but this will hopefully be a weekend car that does`nt lose money.
Thanks again for your help and if anyone out there has a nice 280sl Pagoda auto in silver with a red interior let me know.
Thanks again for your help and if anyone out there has a nice 280sl Pagoda auto in silver with a red interior let me know.
Don't buy one because you are told the values will go up. Buy one because you want one. The values of good classics have been going up for a while, but no one knows what the future holds. But a good classic is far more likely to go up than a modern.
What a lot of people choose not to mention when they discuss how much their classic has gained in value, is how much they have spent on keeping it on the road.
They are lovely looking cars BTW.
What a lot of people choose not to mention when they discuss how much their classic has gained in value, is how much they have spent on keeping it on the road.
They are lovely looking cars BTW.
The values of these are already up, and pretty much mirror E Types. From experience at looking at a few of these, very few are as good as they look - they 'present' well with a few kilos of filler and a paint job. Any SL that has been in Europe it's life WILL have gone rusty and been repaired/restored/bodged. How well it's been done is anyone's guess. You know how badly a 1999 E Class can rust? Well............
I know of a genuinely good 280SL in silver. A very low mileage example that was already very good, stripped to a shell, the (few) rusty bits cut out and replaced and pretty much a concours build. It'll be the thick end of £75'000 which is what a really, really good one is worth. A 230 will be less of course.
£40'000 stuff is often not that good (often polished turds at classic car dealerships), and the £25'000 examples are bodged up rubbish. Avoid.
There's a red 1968 280SL with a black hardtop doing the rounds for anywhere between 25-40 grand. On a quiet night you can hear it barking.
I know of a genuinely good 280SL in silver. A very low mileage example that was already very good, stripped to a shell, the (few) rusty bits cut out and replaced and pretty much a concours build. It'll be the thick end of £75'000 which is what a really, really good one is worth. A 230 will be less of course.
£40'000 stuff is often not that good (often polished turds at classic car dealerships), and the £25'000 examples are bodged up rubbish. Avoid.
There's a red 1968 280SL with a black hardtop doing the rounds for anywhere between 25-40 grand. On a quiet night you can hear it barking.
People are either too young here or have too short a memory. Having owned my car nearly 30 years I well remember the boom of 89/91 when my car was going up daily, let alone annually. I was offered £80,000 for it 20 years back and it is worth perhaps £50,000 today. But the biggest point is that by 1992 it was worth £20,000 at a pinch, and I saw an E-type with £70,000 of restoration by Southern Classics sold for £21,000 at auction in 1992.
This is a hobby, not an investment market, so go into it with your eyes wide open, buy the best you can afford, be prepared for bills and running costs, and keep looking for the next slump. If you don't actually lke the pagoda Mercs, don't buy one, simple as that. They aren't a sports car, aren't infallible and I guess some parts are now expensive, although I don't know since they aren't my thing. I've been out in one and was unmoved, as they say.
This is a hobby, not an investment market, so go into it with your eyes wide open, buy the best you can afford, be prepared for bills and running costs, and keep looking for the next slump. If you don't actually lke the pagoda Mercs, don't buy one, simple as that. They aren't a sports car, aren't infallible and I guess some parts are now expensive, although I don't know since they aren't my thing. I've been out in one and was unmoved, as they say.
911Thrasher said:
To the OP have you gone through your purchase? Any advice welcome.
I am looking to buy one for my fiancee, in London as a daily driver. It will rack up to 3kmiles per year.
It looks like for £30k you can get a nice 230/250.
If you are in London then "Silver Arrows Automobiles" in Putney always seem to have some nice stock in their ads.I am looking to buy one for my fiancee, in London as a daily driver. It will rack up to 3kmiles per year.
It looks like for £30k you can get a nice 230/250.
I've never been to see them, but been tempted, B8HEX is a Mercedes Girl.
Heres another long established trader who always seems to get good press
http://www.silchestercars.co.uk/
http://www.silchestercars.co.uk/
lowdrag said:
People are either too young here or have too short a memory. Having owned my car nearly 30 years I well remember the boom of 89/91 when my car was going up daily, let alone annually. I was offered £80,000 for it 20 years back and it is worth perhaps £50,000 today. But the biggest point is that by 1992 it was worth £20,000 at a pinch, and I saw an E-type with £70,000 of restoration by Southern Classics sold for £21,000 at auction in 1992.
This is a hobby, not an investment market, so go into it with your eyes wide open, buy the best you can afford, be prepared for bills and running costs, and keep looking for the next slump. If you don't actually lke the pagoda Mercs, don't buy one, simple as that. They aren't a sports car, aren't infallible and I guess some parts are now expensive, although I don't know since they aren't my thing. I've been out in one and was unmoved, as they say.
Very wise words. It made me chuckle when I read in Octane that Nick Mason is fronting a consortium to buy various blue chip classics which hopefully will return a 15% profit over three years. You can guarantee that if/when in 2-3 years time the economy is recovering and investors seek to unload their 'investments' en masse, Mr Mason will not be covering their losses!This is a hobby, not an investment market, so go into it with your eyes wide open, buy the best you can afford, be prepared for bills and running costs, and keep looking for the next slump. If you don't actually lke the pagoda Mercs, don't buy one, simple as that. They aren't a sports car, aren't infallible and I guess some parts are now expensive, although I don't know since they aren't my thing. I've been out in one and was unmoved, as they say.
Pagoda Mercs do nothing for me either, especially for E Type/'63 Stingray money. The big fintail saloons and SEB Coupes yes, and the later R107 SL's too.
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