280 Coupe - Picture of Armor Plate

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hello Peaches,

When I bought this 280C it was supposed to be armor plated with bullet proof glass and originally owned by a celebrity. The car does not have bullet proof glass, but a conversation with second owner confirmed the original was Shirley Temple Black. We took the panels off the rear section to work on the electric windows and found what could be armor plate.

What I would like to know is whether anyone else has plates like this on their car?




Thank you in advance!

Jeffrey

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Here is the other side...

[andersbenz]

Very interesting. Curious as to what you find out.

[johnathan1]

I doubt it.

If that IS armor, it wouldn't be very effective at all.

[thorsen]

My coupe did not have those. I am not a ballistics engineer, but if that was armor plating I would have two questions - what about the rest of the area that is not plated, and shouldn't it be more firmly attached, not held on with screws?

[diametricalbenz]

That plate is completely useless. It looks like someone got some sheetmetal and screwed it into the door frame. It would be like putting a pack of playing cards in your shirt pocket and calling it a bulletproof vest!

The door panels would have steel plate welded to the frame covering the door and or some sort of sandwiched aramid fiber or something like that. The windows would be insanely thick and heavy and probably immovable, reinforced door hinges etc.

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by diametricalbenz

That plate is completely useless. It looks like someone got some sheetmetal and screwed it into the door frame. It would be like putting a pack of playing cards in your shirt pocket and calling it a bulletproof vest!

The door panels would have steel plate welded to the frame covering the door and or some sort of sandwiched aramid fiber or something like that. The windows would be insanely thick and heavy and probably immovable, reinforced door hinges etc.

X2. Armor is typically installed with the window mechanism removed, the door reinforced, sometimes with an additional hinge, plus kevlar glued to the door trim just in case, to catch shrapnel. No windows would open.

There would also be trunk reinforcement and armor there as well There would be armor placed behind the back portion of the rear seat. Additionally, heavier springs and shocks would be used and no window would be operable.

When Shirley Temple Black was US Ambassador to the Czech Soviet Socialist Republic during the Reagan administration, her official car was a 1981 armored Caddy Fleetwood. But it didn't have max armor because the threat wasn't considered as serious as Central America or the Middle East.

They would never use a 200 series Benz for that. If they did, it would definitely be an M100.

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

Here is the other side...

Looks like sheet metal to me...

From the seller's description of bullet-proof glass, and armor-plated, how would you figure that's "armor??"

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hey guys! I don't know?? I am asking! Has anyone seen what is behind the door panels of a 1973 280 coupe? If all the W114 Coupes have these plates then I have an answer. If nobody else has these plates, I have a mystery or a curiousity.

I agree with you all... The metal is 1/8" aluminum; is that enough to stop a bullet? In 1974, Shirley Temple Black was Ambassador to Ghana. Maybe she was trying to stop a spear instead of a bullet?

Also, I expected to see the entire panel covered instead of a small portion. I have not removed the back seat or the front door panels yet. Maybe there is more plating there?

Perhaps she paid for armor plated body panels and got ripped off?

[t walgamuth]

That might stop a 22 short.

[Wodnek]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

That might stop a 22 short.

100% effective against airsoft projectiles at up to point blank range.

[Pooka]

There are several ways to armor a car. It depends on the threat you are facing.

If the glass is not about 40mm think then no one suspected a threat from a firearm. The 'plates' you show appear to be an attempt at stiffining the body.

Look at the floor. If there are steel plates welded inside or under the car then the threat was from mines. A car armoured in this way cannot be set up to also defend from the sides as the car would be too heavy. Vice versa, cars with heavy armor in the doors and glass normally don't have mine protection.

Yeah, I know, our Presidents' car is armored aganst everything, but the cost is also enormous and most armored cars are not in the same league as the Presidents.

How many gallons of gas will it hold? Armored gas tanks look the same from the outside but are sometimes filled with a foam that seals the tank if case of a bullet hole. With no side armor I would doubt that the tank would be self-sealing, though.

Hopefully this helps a little bit.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Pooka,

Thank you for your thoughtful response. The gas tank does not have any modifications. We are going to get the car on the hydraulic lift next week. I will look for anything under the car that looks like armor plate underneath.

The car is a 1973 model year, and Ambassador Black was appointed to serve by President Gerald Ford in 1974. This coupe was probably her personal car, not an official Ambassador type vehicle. I can imagine her feeling a need for protection and spending her money to get it. The car also had a mobile phone; which was not common in 1973.

[JiveTurkey]

Here's a shot of Wilma's rear inside quarter. No idea what those plates are for.

[POS]

It's definitely interesting b/c it isn't factory - but why put it there? It's certainly not effective as a bullet-stopper.