1970 Mercedes 280SL Excellent Unrestored Olive/Parchment Automatic

I am offering my unrestored and original but repainted 1970 Mercedes Benz 280SL for sale . I purchased it from the son in law of the original owner. The car was sold new in Ventura County California. It was there until 2002 when it came to Kansas after it was inherited by the original owner's daughter. Since arrival in Kansas it was only driven 600 miles. Here it was not driven in rain or snow. It is rust free as you would expect. It is a beautiful car that is in excellent running condition. I have other interests and I'm reluctantly selling it.

Body I am not an expert so I have posted over 150 photos on Photo Bucket. There has been no crash damage or rust repair. The paintwork is excellent. It was repainted professionally approximately 25 years ago. Evidently there was paint failure with crazing. It was painted the original color...olive. The paint is nice but could use a good buff. The hardtop was also repainted the original white/grey. The brightwork on the leading edge of the top has some fine scratches. The interior of the top has some staining but no rips or tears.The panel gaps are excellent and consistent with the factory standards. The panels are straight and flat. The original factory swages are present. The top portion of the passenger plastic headlight lens is broken and is in the glove box. It is hard to notice. There are no significant scratches. The olive green soft top is original and will require replacement. It has several small tears. It is dry and fragile. The frame is straight and clean. When the car was shipped from California several years ago, he driver damaged the rear frame rails. Hooks were placed in the factory frame holes and the metal was torn as seen in the photos. This is a frustrating cosmetic problem that is of no structural concern. The tires have good tread but they are old and should be replaced. The trunk is clean has areas on each side of the floor that does have some superficial scale as seen in the photos.

Drivetrain The engine is original and runs well. When purchased, he oil was changed and it was tuned. A new stainless steel exhaust from Timevalve in Florida was fitted. I had a third generation Mercedes mechanic look it over. The valves were adjusted, iming checked and it was aligned. Compression ...#1 165, #2 192, #3 175, 4 170, 5 190, 6 187. He gave the car high marks. He suggested new motor mounts and replacement of a cold start valve. These repairs have not been done. It has an new fuel pump. Other repairs include...new control arm bushings, ir intake hose, uel injection thermostat, oses, rakes flushed and replaced with Ate fluid, ie rods, teering damper, ir filter, elts, ooling system flushed, nd transmission serviced. The AC has been converted to R134A. The air conditioning is not adequate and I'm having it checked again this week. The compressor does engage. There is a small exhaust leak at one of the joints that will also be repaired this week. The transmission shifts without problem but not like a modern car. The shifter bushings have been replaced so it is crisp.

Interior The interior is parchment, lean, nd original. It had sheepskins from the beginning. The MB Tex (not leather) is supple. The seats look good but it appears that some color has thinned. There is a very small tear on the driver back rest. The door panels are nice with no tears. The wood is excellent. The carpets are nice and original. The heater/air control levers have been replaced which was an effort. They work well. An aftermarket Panasonic stereo has been added and speakers have been placed in the rear deck area. Recently the clock stopped working (last week). I imagine it is a connection/ground problem.

General

This is an a very nice example of an unrestored 280SL. The color combination is stunning. It is reliable and drives nicely. For a 45 year old unrestored car, t is in remarkable condition. I have the original pink build sheet. Other build sheets were found in the interior. Other projects dictate sale. I am not an expert so ask questions.

Terms of the sale

I will provide a good Kansas antique title Your bid is a legal purchase. Do not bid unless you have the funds. I encourage all bidders to inspect the car prior to bidding. I live 90 minutes from Kansas City International Airport. Appointments can be made to view the car. There will be no inspection period or additional negotiation following the end of the auction. Resolve all questions prior to the end of the auction. Highest bidder will own this car and is legally responsible for payment. Buyer agrees that he/she is purchasing this car "as is...where is" condition without written or expressed warranty. Seller has the right to cancel any bids from bidders with negative or less that 10 positive feedback. If you are in this category, ontact me prior to bidding. Car must be picked up at my house within 3 weeks after close of the auction. A payment of $500 deposit will be made through Pay-Pal within 48 hours of the end of the auction. The remainder will be paid within 7 days of the auction close. Payment must be deposited and confirmed prior the car leaving my property. I will not ship but I will assist the buyer.

Ask any question and I will do my best to answer honestly and to the limits of my knowledge. My Ebay feedback supports this. I want this car to go to a good home and I want the buyer to be happy with the purchase. I purchased the car from a family that was very proud of the car and accordingly took excellent care of it. Hopefully, hat tradition will continue. A similar completely restored car with this color combination was sold by RM at Amelia Island last year. My reserve is a fraction of that final value. I have many photos and I am willing to take more. Contact me for the link to Photo Bucket. Again there ore over 150 photos. It will be available for inspection by appointment during the auction. To be clear, he car is sold without guarantee written or implied just as it was when I bought the car. With the information and photos, ou will have significantly more information than I did. Thanks for your interest.