54k-Mile 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL

This 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL has 54,818 miles and is finished in silver over blue with both tops included. It was purchased from the believed original owner by the sellerâ??s mother in March 1976 with 40,900 miles on the odometer. Over the past 40 years, the car has stayed in the family and has been driven just 14k miles in fair weather only. This automatic-equipped example was put into long-term storage in 1996, and was refreshed mechanically this summer in preparation for the sale. Recent work included a valve adjustment, new water pump and thermostat, most belts/hoses, a full transmission service, brake work, a professional detail, and more as detailed below. This largely original, low-mileage 280SL is now offered with service records from 1975 to 1982 and the recent mechanical refresh, along with a clean Kansas title.This car was built in September 1970 with the seller describing current cosmetic condition as a very nice for a driver. Silver is the factory-correct color, and the vehicle retains all of its original fenders and has never been involved in an accident to the sellerâ??s knowledge. In 1980 the right-front fender started showing surface rust and was professionally repaired/repainted accordingly.The body appears straight with consistent panel gaps throughout and a nice shine as the result of a complete professional detail just performed. Various minor paint chips are present as expected for a vehicle of this age, along with some scratches in the chrome bumpers and a few small dings in the chrome door trim. A new OEM trunk lid seal was just installed.This SL is sold with both the hard and soft tops, with the hardtop remaining in very good condition. The soft top is described as being brittle in places and likely not water tight, but the frame is in solid shape as pictured in the gallery below.The factory wheels look clean in photos with all four corners detailed in the gallery below. Four Michelin Defender tires were installed in July 2015 and remain in near-new condition. The recent mechanical refresh included rebuilt rear brake calipers with new rotors and pads, a new brake master cylinder, two new tie rod assemblies, a center rack rod, and a new steering damper. As a result, the car is noted to handle and brake well.The interior has been kept as original as possible according to the seller, including factory upholstery and trim.Both seats present quite nicely in photos, with some typical age-related wear present. The upholstery is noted to be soft and crack-free throughout with good support and no major sagging present. The seller notes that the driverâ??s seat base could use new foam in the near future.All instrumentation, lighting, and features are in good working order including the Frigiking A/C, stock Becker radio, and dash clock. During the recent mechanical refresh, the tachometer and speedometer were cleaned and calibrated along with new cables fitted and all instrument bulbs replaced.Under the front-hinged hood, the 2.8L inline-six and automatic transmission are said to be in strong mechanical condition following extensive work recently performed, including:Valve adjustment and new valve cover sealNew spark plugsNew water pump / thermostat / coolantRadiator cleaned and testedMost belts and hoses replacedFull transmission serviceDifferential fluid flushedPower steering fluid and filter changedThe car is noted to drive smoothly and quietly with the transmission shifting well. The seller believes that the cylinder head may have been changed to an SE type, which he is told was a common modification to aid cooling in A/C equipped SLs.A few undercarriage photos are included in the picture gallery below. The seller notes that there is no major corrosion or damage anywhere underneath the car and that factory stickers still remain on the exhaust system. The fuel tank, fuel gauge sender, all fuel lines, and related seals/screens were just replaced and the fuel pump was rebuilt to factory specification.