Hate to Brag but I am - My SL Accepted
 

Well got my letter my 72 SL has been nominated and accepted to the Keeneland Concours d'Elegance.
http://www.keenelandconcours.com/
I am in the sports classics through 1974.
This will be fun, the main marque is Ferrari, so lots of cool cars around.

Guess I will have to get out the clay bar:)
latest pictures in my signature line

Congratulations. :thumbsup:

That looks like quite an event and I'm sure you'll have a great time showing Pearl to her best advantage.

Wonderful -- show those 107 colors!!!

It ain't bragging if you can do it. Congrats. If you don't blow your own horn who would have known.:D

Wow, this is a very big deal, congrats!

Congrats!

Hey MP, are you bringing that classic Benz to my GTG? :D

thanks everyone, I am excited. The group that sponsors the class saw my car and then contacted me to see if I would enter it, I did, and I was accepted. This year they are looking to find "drivers" that represent the class. Kinda like the "original once" idea. Mine is not a 600 point car, but I drive it, and is period correct, and just happens to be very clean indeed
CLK , not sure, but if the weather cooperates I will get her out, if not I'll be in the 300SD

There is a growing interest in survivors. Cars that have not been restored per se but well maintained. Fixing what needs fixing and driving them.
I know that Pearl is kind of a cross. Well maintained, not totally as imported but all of the mods are period correct and she is stunning.
I hope I can get the 500SL 75% of her beauty.

This is actually an issue in a lot of hobbies involving restoration, for example, I was reading an article from a historian that suggested that restoring 1930's and 40's television sets to working order, which is basically impossible without some (not visible without close inspection) modern componentry, was a crime against the future.

I saw a Cadillac on Car Crazy last week that had been in a barn between 1941 and 2002. They got the engine running, but that was it. The cigarette butts in the ashtray were put in there by the driver and passenger before WW II. The car will not be restored further, although the owner has a multimillion dollar Cadillac collection rivalling GM's own museum pieces. I got the impression that he was most proud of this, easily his "worst" example.

With cars the interest in originals and drivers is a sort of an iconoclastic revolt, much like the "rat rod" revolt in hot rodding. Building a hot rod was becoming a ridiculous and very, very expensive arms race, with chrome-plated frames and even engines, 10,000 dollar ultra-exotic paint (and that's not even "installed" on the car), and so on. At that point, the cars don't mean anything to anybody except to the people writing up the bills.

Congrats, you have a beautiful SL, I miss my Red 450's... those cars were great

I think it is extra cool that they sought you out....Rather than the other way around!
Good luck.You should draw a good crowd with this beautiful example.

I like the survivor idea as well, the last issue of Classic Car is all about unrestored originals, very good read.
I have just a few period correct , but not period original ( which I pointed out in my application) parts. The radio is a 612 Becker, correct for latter models, and my dash pod is from a latter year, although the speedo and gauges are original to the car. I have door chrome strips that came in at a latter date as well , but I think look very good and serve a purpose
I have traced its history from 1981. From 1972 till then is an unknown, but original owner was from Missouri. There is some sketchy reference to being in Germany , but I cannot prove that. I do know when I went to put the euros on , the wiring was actually set up for the euros, and looked like it had been refitted for the sealed beams, so its possible
In 1981 it had 105,000 miles , looked as though it was a daily driver for someone until 1992 when in went into "restoration" with 129,000 on the odometer. By the look of the old pictures , rust had taken a toll. Evidently it was placed on the back burner in someone's garage until 1997 when a local body shop obtained the title. From 1997 until 1998 -99 she underwent extensive body work and paint and interior work, and once again placed on "furlough as an occasional weekend driver. She went from the color brown and navy to the "pearl and buckskin" she wears today. I became aware of this car in 2001 and was able to convince the owner to sell it to me in 2007 with 137,000 miles on the odometer. When I obtained the car she was in bad need of mechanical work and returning her to her original state, there were some modifications to the engine, sound and vacuum systems and was missing a lot of parts from the period. Over the last two years I have been able to return her to as near period 1972 as possible, including the recent addition of her euros.
I was contacted by the sponsoring group after I had it out in the Christmas parade here in town. I had the King and Queen in the back! It was cold but it was grand fun, I even drove it home 12 miles with the top down!. Talk about getting looks.:)

Congratulations. Nice SL and pretty much what I'm hoping to get mine restored to. A clean period correct SL that I drive.:)

Want some help detailing it Panda? I've done some damned fine detailing jobs on a couple show cars back in the day.