1981 Mercedes 500SL Euro

I have up for auction a 1981 500SL euro. Its an early 500 being serial number 561. This is a great candidate for a restoration or just a driver.
It looks to have been brought into California in 2000. It passes California smog so is a candidate to stay in California.
At some point in the past, it was given an amateur AMG style monochromatic paint job in British Racing green. The car was originally ChampagneMetallic. The paint is now peeling off the chrome trim. The paint itself is not that great. It will need to be repainted.
The car runs well with a strong engine. Acceleration is very brisk. The transmission shifts well. Its drives as well as the other 500s I've had.
There is some service history from 2010 in which the previous owner spent a small fortune on the water pump, rebuilding the AC, and suspension bushings.
The interior is in decent shape. The dash does have cracks. The console wood needs to be refinished. The console body itself is good and still fully in place in the dash. Often they warp and pull out at the top edges. The door cards are in good shape.
Soft top is in good shape. Windows are clear and the canvas has no rips. Its nice and black.
Most important with R107 SLs is rust. Thefloor boards are solid. There appears to be some rust at the bottom of the front fender. The battery box area in the trunk is solid and the actual battery cradle in the engine bay is good. Please see the extensive photos in the photo bucket slideshow. There is rust in the rear trunk lid. This is common on 500s as the water comes in through the holes drilled in the deck for the spoiler. There was also a little surface corrosion in the soft top storage compartment. But overall, this SL is not rotted out like many SLs.
It does have a salvage title. I can't find evidence of any structural repair to the front or rear frame. Most likely, it had a small fender bender and the insurance company did not want to repair it. Please see the extensive photos of the under carriage.
Shipping to Europe runs about $1200. For a $100 fee, I'll deliver to CFR Rinkens for shipping. www.cfrrinkens.com
Bidders with no feedback must contact me or your bid will be deleted.
Reserve is set at a very reasonable number. This is the least expensive 500SL in the country that is not a rusted out hulk.
Here is a video showing a drive around the block.
Here is the Photobucket slideshow for the undercarriage and other details.