Here is the first step at triage: removing the front left fender. Not as bad as it could have been.

http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll4/pwogaman/1980%20Mercedes%20280SL/1980%20Mercedes%20280SL%20Disassembly/

My friend here aint quite right. :D

How to put this delicately............

That car is a piece of crap. I don't see one redeeming quality except that it is a challenging project.

I am glad you are wealthy and retired and if you are not....you should be.

THAT, is going to be huge.

On that note, good luck and I look forward to your progress.

That is precisely the point: the redeeming quality is that it is a challenging project, and to that extent it is not a piece of crap. Perhaps not too many members frequenting the SL forum take on such a project and if that is the case then that will change starting now. ;)

Proof it can be done: http://www.geocities.com/mb350sl/
(look at the restoration links, and be sure to click on the "more" pictures)

I hear ya. I restored a '71 Nova SS over two years from the age of 19 to 21.
That was also a piece of crap. No redeeming qualities except that everyone said I shouldn't waste my time.
I won two trophies with that car. In two car shows.
Carry on!

Got the car titled and registered okay today. I ordered antique specialty tags: "80 280SL" , "280SL" was already taken - duh.

Now I can really start work on it.

looked at your pictures, wish you closer, I have a a lot of metal you could use, on my W107 parts car lots of odds and ends as well
Good Luck, if I can help let me know

I love what you've done with your 220! Nothing quite like a barn find is there? Thanks for the offer on the metal, but you are pretty far away for driving by with the price of fuel the way it is. I have already removed the front left fender and there is easily a few square feet of unrusted material I can salvage for the area behind the front wheels and in the trunk with a bit of hammering. That should save me on the little pieces. The pain will come with funding the rear quarter panels, but who am I to argue, I bought the thing for $1.2K afterall!

thanks for the props, yup I keep my eye peeled all the time for barn finds, what really helped me out on that one is a lister on the vintage site had a W114 280 that I took for a parts car, He was nice enough to tow it down to me. If I can help you out with parts let me know The biggest parts I have shipped so far has been the seats, most fragile - drivers window, heaviest - complete front bumper!

I did some more triage on the interior floor pans today - pictures at link.

Not looking too good on the passenger floors, but it appears limited to the middle of the panels, so welding in sections should not be too difficult. I even have some sections of the front left fender which I can use for some patches.

The "rear seat" area on the passenger side is also toast - you can see right through it. The area behind on driver's side is better and I should be able grind the surface rust off of that.

http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll4/pwogaman/1980%20Mercedes%20280SL/1980%20Mercedes%20280SL%20Disassembly/

wow you got a lota work to do, but if you enjoy it then - great.:D Seriously all I got left to take out of my parts car is the steering box, and then if you can arrange to get it, you can have whats left:rolleyes:

The front fender, we can use it for a chip-n-dip platter.

Paul, are you completely disassembling the car and restoring it piece by piece? I always thought that would be fun to do if I had the time, money, and space to do it. Oh yeah, and the SKILLS required, too.

Wrecking Yard Loot!
 

I went to Crazy Rays pick and pull yard over last weekend, looking for another 107 with a good right front fender (I already have the new front left) - no luck, not a one. I did manage, however, to happen across a 1980 280CE with the front end smashed in. It had cruise control (note I said "had"). I pulled the entire CC system intact and I am now going to be adding it to my 1980 280SL. I've checked the wiring schematics for both and they are the same! :) (column switch, actuator with M110 mounting brackets, speedometer cable with speed sensor, amplifier (which I will resoldier), multi-wire brake light switch, and a bunch of plugs and extra plugs with conductors). I'll do the picture thing when I get around to installing that. For now I've got to get the front fenders done before I start in on other things. My wife has a term for this: "scopecreep." She really has my number. :rolleyes:

I also picked up the seatbelts because the SL's are frayed quite badly. The set-up on the C123 looked very similar to the W107. If it works, fine; if not, I'll have another set laying around the garage (maybe the kids can use them on a go-kart).

For the 300SD I picked up a slice of rear fender, right behind the rear wheel. I have not been totally satisfied with my prior weld repair at that point so now I will have a straight out donor piece instead of a fabricated one.

Also, on the way out I passed a 300SE W126 where someone had taken the evaporator and other under dash components. They left the dash just sitting there and there wasn't a crack to it - not a one. That only cost me $20. :) I might come in handy someday, but for now my 300SD has only 1 crack about 1 1/4 long.

All told, the day only cost me about $100 (plus the cost of the hacksaw someone stole when I had by guard down :mad:).

I've been following your post since it started and I must say, you are taking on a serious restoration project. You inspire me!!!. I have several restoration projects 61 TR3, 64 Volvo p1800 and a 66 Beetle and they are all in different stages of repair. I'm very interested in seeing what your going to do with the metal that just has surface rust on it and no holes. Are you going to use rust stop with Por-15 or are you going to cut all the floors, trunk etc. out and replace it.. I know the areas that are swiss cheese or completely gone will be replaced, but it appears that many areas my just have surface rust. What's your plans on these areas?