This is a brand new page and is the place where I will try and answer your vintage car questions.  I will post selected questions and answers here.


Put "Ask Brian" in the subject line and send your questions to: 
mail@motoringinvestments.com

Dave in Montana writes:
I have just found your fine web page today and have greatly enjoyed perusing it. I am considering the purchase of a Mercedes for my wife sometime within the next year and am torn between something from the fifties, like the 190SL or something with more of the modern creature comforts such as the 280 SL or the 560 SL (Air Conditioning is not all bad). My initial impression is that the 280 would pretty well fit the bill. I would appreciate your input as to the relative investment merits of the models listed above, as well as the comfort level and handling and drive-ability. This would be a car that would not be driven a great deal. I see you use the term Pagoda for certain of your automobiles; what qualifies as a Pagoda. Also in discussing the cars sold at auction you refer to #3+; I assume this is the same scale that I see in Hemmings listings. By the way is a 3+ better than a three or higher than a three and therefore closer to a 4. Also, what is the difference in the above models and a Cabriolet? I would certainly appreciate any and all information you can give me relative to the above.

Dave,

 
Investment-wise a 280SL or a 190SL is probably better at this time than a 107 chassis(560, 450SL ect...) as these newer cars are still just on the cusp of being appreciating assets(disclaimer: I lack a crystal ball).

The 113 chassis cars(230, 250, & 280SL's) aka Pagodas are the much more usable cars.  People like 190's for their more vintage feel and look.  Nothing wrong with them but the 280's are more competent amongst modern traffic(read power and disc brakes).  Its a bit easier to find a good Pagoda vs. a good 190SL(121 chassis).  Also, the 190's were even more susceptible to rust than the 113's.

 
I take 3+ plus to be a bit better than a 3(great question though).  Yes, it is the same scale as in HMN.
 
Typically a "cabriolet" is a car with a thick padded soft top that when folded stands proud of the rear body work.  An example would be a 1968 through 1971 280SE Cabriolet.  It is a five passenger car and a member of the 111 chassis family.  They are very desirable and valuable.  A "roadster" has a thin top that disappears when folded or removed. 
 
 

Karen writes
I have a 1972 Mercedes 350SL. I asked someone to renovate it a few years ago. He started, got the front end free of rust then stopped working on it. It has been stripped apart
since then. I saw it when the framing work had been done, everything was taken out of it, seats, carpet, etc.  Now, after 4 years of it sitting in his garage he is starting to work on it and says there is more work to do than originally advised. He took it apart before he gave me the original quote. I have given him $8000 as he bought parts and did work (after he did the work). Now the cost is $25,000 which includes new paint and rocker panels (not originally needed), reupholstering seats, carpet, & dash board. I really like the car. I got it in 1982. It was the first car I ever bought and only car I ever bought until 2000 when it had to go in for restoration. Is it worth the investment? If restored correctly will it have rust within10 years if garage kept and only driven on nice days?

Thanks for taking my email. I look forward to hearing your opinions.
Respectfully, Karen

Hi Karen,

 
To answer your basic question, No, it is not worth the investment.
From a financial perspective, the rule of thumb is, never restore a rusty car.
Tired, but rust-free examples can be had for $7000.  Very good cars that don't need a restoration can be bought for $15,000 or a bit more.
That said, this particular car means something more to you due to your history together.
If the work is done properly( a big IF*), the rust should be gone indefinitely if garage kept and driven only on sunny days as you intend.  It might pay you to have an appraiser or other vintage car professional visit the shop and make sure the work is being carried out properly.  If the work is being done properly, $25k is very, very reasonable.
One bright spot for you  -  eventually the W107 cars will start to appreciate and the '72 350SL should be at or near the head of the group.  Keep in mind, for your car to be worth something down the road to someone else, the restoration work must me nearly invisible.  In other words, it must look original.
 
*The rusty metal must be completely removed, new metal welded in, the seam then seam-sealed and the bare metal primed and painted.  Visit the links on my web page that talk about restoration, for instance: http://www.motoringinvestments.com/RestorationServices/theprofessor.htm  and/or http://www.motoringinvestments.com/RestoPages/MillerTR6/resto_m_TR6_1.htm
 
 

Brian W. writes:

I think I have an absolute original 1969 280sl.  It was purchased in Beverly
Hills and then sat in a garage in Montecito from 1984 to about a year ago
when the daughter of the deceased owner traded it to me for a 2000 CLK420
cabriolet and I do not want to damage the integrity of the original condition.   I
mean this car never had the hard top off as evidenced by the brown wrapping
paper still on the levers to remove the top in the tool kit.  And the paper
is still on the rest of the tools.  It is in spooky good condition.  The
owner’s maintenance records book in glove box is current to last oil change
stamped.  I am curious could I  have the driver door window crank adjusted or fixed
it seems a little  fragile from use and I don't want it to break it even though
I am careful or  will even the slightest change be regarded as having
lessened its integrity.  What is the deal with "original" as you seemed to revel in
the restoration of a car you felt was virtually perfect?  What is the break
point for originality versus perfect reconditioned experience???

 Brian,

     Two categories of 280SLs occupy the top of the market: extremely original cars in excellent condition, and cars that have had full, correct restorations.  Cars in these two categories attract different groups of enthusiasts.
    Your car sounds like it might fit the first category.  If your car is in excellent condition, economic prudence would dictate that it be preserved and used only sparingly, as its value lies in its originality.  If it is not excellent, then its condition has more of an impact on its value than its originality.
    The knobs on brand new window cranks from Mercedes have quite a bit of play in them, at least the last one I purchased did.  However, if your window crank is about to break you will want to remove and save it, replacing it with a new one.
    Regarding the car that we recently restored for a client: it was especially original but had tired cosmetics.  Our client wanted a car that looked and drove as new, so he was in the second group of enthusiasts.  In undertaking a restoration, it makes sense to start with an example that is as original and correct as possible.


Tony writes:

Hello Brian,

    I am looking to purchase a 1985 Aston Martin.  The car has a salvaged title...anything I should know about a salvaged title?  I have never dealt with one before.  Also there is some oil and transmission fluid leaks...is this typical of these cars?  The space between the tire and wheel well from the right side to the left side does not match up...there is more space on the passenger side than the driver side.  Is this because these cars were hand built and has a certain amount of difference from one side to the other?  Please let me know if you can give me any advice about these things.  Thank you for your time.

Tony,

    RUN, don't walk from this car.  Aston Martins are known to have been hand built at one time but by '85, believe me, quite a lot of machinery and automated processes were used in their manufacture. The ride height should be the same right to left.  There are two reasons to run from this car.  The first is that it seems this car may have had a severe crash that has not been repaired properly indicated by this ride height issue.  The second and more important is the salvage title issue.  Any time an insurance company ends up owning a car whether it be from a total write off or a theft recovery the "salvage" reference stays with the car FOR ETERNITY!  Even if a car with a salvage title was never damaged it will typically sell for a fraction of what a car with a "clean" title sells for.  And, when I say "fraction" I'm not talking about 7/8's.  Put a way, way smaller number in the numerator.  
    Invariably when I am asked this salvage title question people tell me, "but I'm going to keep this car forever, so the value doesn't matter right"?  No, it doesn't matter unless you don't want your heirs to think you were an idiot.  No offense intended.  Just buy a good car.
 

Bill L. writes:

    I own a 1978 MGB with 8,000 original miles, I bought it this past year w/
only 6,100 miles on it.  It is in excellent condition!  It currently sports
15" X 5.5" center-lock alloy wheels (spline drive) with 185/65-HR15 Dunlop
D60-A2 tires. Other options/accessories include (but not limited to); O.E.
oil cooler, period Cibie Bobi headlamps, halogen tail lamp bulbs (8W,30W),
special tuning front sway bar (3/4"), period Alpine am/fm-cassette stereo,
Pertronix ignition system (undetectable installation), Amco floor mats, etc.
Of course it also has it's original top, tonneau, boot cover, tools and
owner's manual. It still has the (factory) inspector's chalk marks on the
timing cover, differential, etc.
    Is 93.5 octane going to hurt this engine??  Should I use regular, plus or
ultra in the vehicle.  I have been using 89 octane.  Also, is the anything I
should do to this car before storing away for winter?  Just recently changed
the oil and filter.  Thanks in advance for your time and consideration of my
questions.

Bill,

    It sounds like you've got a "keeper" there.  Due to emissions regulations
the later model MGB's had lower compression ratios and retarded ignition
timing so should handle the medium grades of gasoline.  A rule of thumb
though is if you notice pinging under load then go up a grade in fuel.
    Before winter storage would be a good time to do an annual coolant change.
Fill up the gas tank and add some fuel stabilizer.  A full tank will be less
likely to accumulate condensation and the stabilizer keeps the fuel from
breaking down into its component parts.  Older British cars' hydraulics seem
to be susceptible to the ravages of corrosion so now would be a good time to
check your brake & clutch master cylinders, calipers, wheel cylinders &
clutch slave cylinder for leakage and rebuild or replace as necessary then
flush all of the old fluid out with new.  Being that standard brake fluid is
hydroscopic( attracts water, literally "water loving" ) before winter storage would be a good time to
start of with nice new "dry" fluid.  This way you at least have a chance of
rolling your car out in the spring and not finding a puddle of brake fluid
eating away at a painted garage floor.  It would be a good idea to place
some of those "mouse be gone" packets under the hood and in the cockpit.
This discourages rodents from taking up residence in your car and gnawing
away at your wiring and seats.  We recently fired up a TR6 that had been
sitting for some time and were sprayed with dry dog food firing from the
exhaust like from a machine gun.  Seems a rat was using the inside of the
muffler for a pantry.  These are just some ideas that come to mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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