Today A friend took me to the most mindblowing place. I had no idea it was there but a few blocks away from my house exists a restoration facility that specializes in 3.5 and 300sl rebuilding. Everywhere I looked there were gullwings and 3.5's in various stages of completion seriously there was no fewer than 10, maybe 15 gullwings. It looked basically like a clean room at Intel filled with these masterpieces....totally surreal. Without disclosing the location does anyone know the shop I'm talking about?

I'm going to guess Hatch and Son's, though I know you can't confirm.

I've been to Hatch but no, this was west coast.

300SL legend and lore from the early 1970's: Apparently an MB fan in California went down to South America and bought up all the 300SL's he could find, pulling em out of junkyard fields and barns in all sorts of disrepair. Then he loaded them on a freighter and shipped em to California.

This was back in the olden days when privately importing cars into the USA was no hassle. Story goes, this 300SL Cali import operation was done on shoe-string budget by somebody in their 20's.

Heard this story from the parts mgr at MB dealership where I bought fintail parts circa 1973. Maybe the time-warp twilight zone garage you've discovered can confirm this legend.

I wish we got good stuff like like in Texas; I just want to meander around for an hour or two.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

I believe the shop you're talking about is featured in the History Channel DVD "Mercedes SL". And I agree - it looks like a clean room. Why, oh why, can't I win lotto and open a restoration shop......

Gotta be Steve Marx's shop in Costa Mesa.

Steve has been in the same location for more than 30 years. Last time I was there, 4 of the gull wings (including his own) were in the shop for "freshening up" after a day a Laguna Seca. One of those four had a newly acquired block ventilation hole (aka thrown rod ).

Amazing place, wonderful service, reasonable prices. Steve is a true car guy, and loves what he does.

__________________
1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife

Wonderful place. I used to take my first 280 SEL 4.5 there.

They were really sweet in explaining to me why my first Mercedes was a basket case, and why I should just keep her running and drive her, but not spend a silly amount of money.

Still, I took Henrietta there for stuff bigger than an oil change simply because it only took one trip and they always made her right.

Now that I'm in ATL, (and I have ANOTHER basket case) I'm really liking Mat at Old World Automotive. He doesn't have the pure eye candy sitting around that Hatch and Sons had - but he takes good care of Brunhilda.

Ann
72 280 SEL 4.5 parts car
72 280 SEL 4.5 sponge for 100 dollar bills

Call up Joe, in Olden Texas, at Foreign. He's got all kinds of old SL's, from the 50's, and 60's and early 70's parked right out front, of his place, in all stages, of direpair. The only issue with him though, is that he wants to sell them all as one package. Call him anyways though, and talk to him about it.
254-653-2291

Thanks, truckinik. I saw your original post and saved the information. It's a hell of a run up there, but I want to do it in the next month or two.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

Resto places are always interesting,I live in a really rough area but two doors from is this place...where i casn see 300SL's,Gull wings and roadsters on a daily basis among others.The 6.3 pictured cost $220,000 to restore from a $50,000 minter.
http://sleepingbeauties.com.au/completed.html