NEW PRICE! Beautiful award-winning restoration. Two tops, A/C, power steering, auto. Fantastic color combination. Runs and drives superbly, no rust issues, documented. Beautiful Pagoda SL ready to enjoy!
This brilliant Signal Red SL has been in the same family for more than two decades and was treated to a cost-no-object restoration in the early 2000s. Subsequent to that, it won several national awards, including the AACA badges still visible on the front bumper. Standards have changed since then and it probably isn’t a 100-point show car today, but at the same time, it’s easily the finest Pagoda we’ve had in our inventory. Checking the fender tag, you will note that this car was originally code 423 Tobacco Brown, and we have photos from before the restoration when it was white, so it has been painted at least twice. This was not an inexpensive respray, but a comprehensive restoration that started and ended with a complete car and is well documented in photos. The usual trouble spots like the rockers, rear valence above the exhaust outlets, and lower front fenders are all in excellent condition with no signs of trouble or botched workmanship. This is not a patched-together wreck but a very high-quality car.
The interior was likewise changed to tan in order to better contrast with the Signal Red paint, and we can’t argue with the choice. Virtually everything inside the car was new at the time of the restoration and shows very, very few signs of use today. Correct interior components from Bud’s Benz give it a very well-finished look and it all fits beautifully thanks to expert installationYou will note this car carries its original Becker Europa AM/FM radio as well as the Frigiking air-conditioner underneath, both of which are operational. All the gauges spring to life when you turn the key and only the clock seems to be inoperable. Overhead there’s a beautiful tan canvas convertible top that fits superbly (we suspect we were the first ones to actually fold it into the well) and it includes the original hardtop, which is still white from that older repaint. The hardtop remains in very good condition but perhaps could use new weather seals on the windshield header.
We have detailed photos showing the 2.8 liter inline-6 being rebuilt during the restoration and it runs superbly today. We have every reason to believe this is the car’s original, numbers-matching engine. It is neatly detailed and obviously, with its show wins, remains quite correct. It starts easily and runs well and you’ll find the performance enthusiastic and the sounds it makes are joyous. There’s a wonderful mechanical whirring from under the hood and the engine always feels like it’s on its toes, never seeming to run out of breath. It’s torquey, which is why they bumped displacement to 2.8 liters, and when combined with the quick-witted automatic transmission, it makes for a traveling partner that seems to respond to your inputs as quickly as you think of them. It also feels far more modern than a 50-year-old machine should and you’ll learn to trust the robust inline-six to keep you out of trouble on today’s roads.
The aforementioned 4-speed automatic transmission is well-matched to the engine and while it’s not quite as smooth as a modern automatic gearbox, it feels precise in its actions and that’s the whole point. The SL wasn’t necessarily about pure isolation, but the way it goes about its business feels like an expensive precision machine. 4-wheel disc brakes were standard equipment and the optional power steering on this car means that it’s user-friendly in any environment and with any driver behind the wheel. There’s also a stainless steel exhaust system that gives it a wonderful baritone exhaust note. And while the Pagoda is notorious for rusting in the most demonic ways possible, this one retains all its original sheetmetal and you can easily see that the floors are clean, the rockers are excellent, and even the area below the rear bumper—a familiar spot for rust—is in excellent condition with no issues. It sits on steel wheels with color-matched hubcaps and 185/75/14 Goodyear radials with lots of life left in them.
Documentation is extensive, including a photo album of restoration photos and details on the awards this car has won. Those awards include:
This is an extremely high-quality SL and prices continue to march upwards with no end in sight. The driving experience is worth the price of admission and finding a car restored to this level is always a smarter choice than trying to upgrade an inferior car. Nicely sorted, great colors, and a strong pedigree make this a fine choice for the enthusiast who is ready to enjoy the good life. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
