1985 Mercedes Benz 280SL VIDEO, Original, Serviced

Description

1985 Mercedes Benz 280SL Imported German Market Example Final Year R107 280SL Original Paint, Low Miles Just Serviced VIDEO WITH LISTING VIN: WDB1070421A016828 Color: Signal Red (568) Interior: Palomino (274) Built August 1984, Delivered September 1984 to Wuppertal, Germany We purchased this ‘85 Euro 280SL out of Tennessee, where it had remained since being imported in 1985. This car has an interesting story behind it; only a handful of years after being brought in from Germany, the car was sidelined at just 59k miles due to what is believed to... have been a mechanical issue and was confined to a storage barn. The car remained in that barn for close to 20 years, until it was rescued by the gentleman we bought the car from. The storage barn was dry and well-ventilated, and aside from all the dust and grime on it, the car emerged in tremendous original condition. The car will come with a bunch of photos from the day it came out of storage, absolutely filthy, as well as a newspaper article about the car from the previous owner’s small town in Tennessee. The car will also come with the original build sheet, which we found stuck to the underside of the driver’s seat, as well as a major service receipt for work performed since we got the car. Since purchasing the car we’ve gone through the fuel system in its entirety – we sent out the fuel tank to be refurbished, replaced the fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, filter, all fuel injectors and seals, as well as the fuel accumulator. We then replaced the distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs, tires, some wiring, all fluids, and checked timing. Since then we have been driving the car quite a bit and even have taken it to a couple local shows. It now runs very, very well. An awesome sunny weekend car. Exterior: - Please see the video along with the listing, as the car is shown in detail. All blemishes are shown close-up and in direct sunlight. Blemishes are all very minor, just a couple small chips in various spots. - Original paint! With the exception of the hood and trunk lid, which both appear as-factory. We put an elcometer on every panel and got readings of 3.6-3.9, whereas the hood and trunk lid read between 5.5-7.5. Paint is in astonishingly nice condition. We buffed and waxed the car and the shine is fantastic. There are no spots of clear coat issues or really any noteworthy signs of age whatsoever; paint is extremely impressive and has a mirror-like finish. - Steel wheels with chrome hubcaps is the right look on these cars. We love them. Wheels are in great shape, with no dents or curb rash. Hankook tires are brand new. - There is one tiny chip on the upper windshield. Aside from that, glass and light lenses are all clear and crack-free. Lights and signals are all functional. - Black soft top is in like-new condition. Removable hardtop is excellent and original. - Chrome is excellent throughout. The slim, European-market bumpers look so good on these cars and are in great shape. No dents, dings, oxidation, or broken rubber pieces. Interior: - Odometer reads 59,854 and unfortunately is not functional. These R107 Mercedes odometers just about always stop ticking, and this one did not survive 20 years of storage. With the known history and observable condition of the car, 59k is certainly likely to be very, very close to actual mileage. All other gauges are functional, aside from the analog clock. - There is one thin crack in the center of the dash top, stemming from a defrost vent. - Seats are in fantastic shape. There is one tiny almost-puncture on the driver’s seat bottom (see photos/video), but other than that there’s really no observable wear. Outside of the bolsters show no scuffs or anything like that. - “wood” inserts are all in nice shape, with no cracking, discoloring, or peeling. - Sony radio is not functional. - Fan is functional, air conditioning does not blow cold and remains on its original R12 setup. - Car will come with the original tan MB floormats as well, which are in nice shape. Slightly discolored, but not torn or stained. Under the Hood / Underbody: - Please take a look through the underbody photos, as the car is documented in detail. Underbody is in nice shape and has been professionally undercoated. The exhaust shows some surface rust, as is to be expected for a car of this vintage, but other than that the car is quite dry. We so often see the corners of the rockers rotten on these cars; the rockers of this car are in excellent shape with not even the slightest bubbling or damage. - The car starts immediately upon first turn, idles cool and steady, and accelerates with no stuttering or hesitation. Brakes are effective and the car tracks straight under both acceleration and braking. The car is rock solid at highway speeds and feels very planted and confidence-inspiring. The automatic transmission is a bit sluggish on upshifts to be honest, as is typical of R107s, meaning it may shift at 3300rpm when it feels like it really should be shifting at 3000rpm. Backing off the throttle will ensure a smooth upshift; this is very easy to drive around, but is worth noting as this is otherwise a super nice example. Please reach out to Jake at 773-303-6122 with any questions, requests, or to discuss purchasing.