1966 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Roadster
At this point in time this Mercedes is at a crossroads: The two options are as follows. Further neglect will mandate the necessity to break the vehicle down into saleable pieces (called “parting out”), or someone performing a mild restoration will return the car to a state of dependable transportation. The latter case would result in a very desirable, though somewhat shabby, daily driver. The following information notwithstanding, this 230SL is to be considered a prime candidate for an economical restoration. The following discrepancies were revealed after extensive inspections: [ ENGINE COMPARTMENT ] > Accessory drive belts are cracked and weathered, > Radiator hoses are swollen at their attachment points, indicating severe corrosion in the underlying aluminum castings, > Transmission fluid hoses into and out of the radiator were deteriorated > Numerous other hose connections are not reliable. > Water pump bearing has excessive play, resulting in seal failure and inability to retain coolant. > Irepairable damage to heat sensor water lines resulting from shoddy work during an engine change. > Preliminary inspection revealed that there was no valve lash, some of the valves were actually being held off their seat by several thousandths. Also one of the cam lobes shows evidence of severe wear and scuffing. [ FUEL SYSTEM ] > Severe corrosion and contamination inside fuel tank, such that removal and complete refurbishment is necessary. Additional new parts required: tank level sender, pick-up screen, gas cap, electric fuel pump (upgraded), all hosing, fuel pump wiring harness (upgraded), filter element. Thorough purge of entire system of fixed fuel tubing is required. > Some doubts remain about possible damage inside of the injection pump resulting from the presence of five year old degrading gasoline. [ INTERIOR ] > Severe checking and fading of vinyl material on dashboard > Mahogany wood trim veneer peeling off five places > Presence of mold on headlining material [ COACHWORK, PAINT & BODY ] Paint condition is determined to be generally good, but has trouble spots. The color is correct for a ’66 230SL (Parchment White). There appears to be several areas where runs in the paint indicate a poor quality partial over-coat. Cosmetically this car would rate as fair-to-good. There is some evidence of very slight body damage to front fascia and valence behind front bumper. There is no indication of any major front-end collision damage. The undercarriage and rocker panel areas are remarkably rust-free. > Right rear quarter panel has large area of shrunken bondo body filler, as exhibited by numerous cracks and fissures extending through the paint surface. > Several minor rust-throughs are evident on lip of trunk compartment. > All trim pieces and bumpers are intact and in good to very-good condition. [ BRAKES ] Currently, the vehicles brakes are not roadworthy. The emergency brake handle in not hooked up. The front calipers seem to be partially applied at all times. It is suspected that corrosion on the caliper pistons is preventing them from retracting.
