1978 MERCEDES 280SL

2716cc, automatic. This white Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (R107) is offered as a promising project from a long-term owner. It features a smart black interior trim with 2+2 seating and a removable hardtop, and the white bodywork shows only a few signs of age. The vendor describes it as being in mostly original condition, though he believes it may have had a colour change by a previous owner. The odometer shows only 62,665 miles (unwarranted).

The vendor purchased the car in Hong Kong in 1998, and its sills and floors were replaced the following in year. In 2000 it was shipped to the UK, then moved to France where it remained in storage (covered) until 2024. It finally returned to the UK earlier this year, and since then it has received a new water pump and V-belts, the fuel tank has been cleaned, and the seats have been re-covered. We're told the idle valve needs to be replaced (parts supplied), and as this has been removed there is currently no coolant in the system. With this replaced, it should apparently run well. Also needing renewal are the exhaust box (supplied), rear-right stabiliser (supplied) and gearbox filter, and we're told there is a broken bolt in the block. The vendor is including many of the required parts, sourced from SL Shop.

The car comes with a copies of its old-style V5, its MoT certificate from 2002 and its recent coolant pump. The copied V5 records this as a “280 SEL Coupe” but it is in fact a 280 SL with the rear seat option and detachable metal roof. (Presumably the DVLA had it confused with a C107 SLC.)

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