Rusty Bowtie
General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: trbomax on September 21, 2013, 02:13:32 PM
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The last time I built the car it was the early 60's. I was working my way thru engineering school at a high school friends dads salvage yard in toledo. This was a really great job,I could make my hours the way they needed to be ,plus it was like a candy store for the parts I needed! When it came time for an interior, Ilooked thru the whole yard and there they were! I fell hoplessly in love with a pair of buckets in a 1959 300sl gullwing door Mercedes. They were in new condition and leather to boot,but a dark green color. Well, I snagged them and installed them and they are still there today.I only drove it about 6 months and its been put away since.
Next week I'm going to get the car,so Ive been thinking abouthow I am going to rebuild it.Now,a lot has changed since1963 in terms of parts and I would guess that mint condition 300sl gullwing door seats are one of them. I am going to have to either recover or dye them because the green aint gonna fly on a blue pearl car! My concience says that someone might really need these seats and be willing to pay more than they are actually worth to me for them.I dont want to destroy something that has historical value as they only made a couple thousand of these cars in the first place.
So,my delima is do I a)dye them black and use them,b) have them recvered in black and use them,or,c) make an attempt at returning them to a 300sl somewhere and figure out something else for my car. They do fit perfectly in the 28 and they are very ergonomically correct,especially considering thier age. So what do you guys think? I know its not a very good pic,its just all I have untill next w/e.
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I would think the best first step would be to get on a Mercedes forum and see what they are worth considering some of those Gullwings sell for over $500,000 and some well over 1 million dollars.
I'll even give you a set of leather 95 Camaro Z28 buckets!
Ed
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That's a tough call. If they fit and are comfortable it's hard to let them go. But if they mean a lot to a guy with a Gull Wing it's hard not to put them in the place they were meant to be. Your call.
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They fit and are very comfortable. I did some surfing for 300sl forums,there seems to only be one and you have to join thier club to acess it!
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There will never be another set of original gull wings seats made so from a historic point of view it would be a shame to use of modify them for any other vehicle but on the other hand you have to do what makes you happy. If they are worth a ton of money then that could go a long way toward building the rest of the car they way you like it. I had to go through the same struggle when I made my stock and in great condition 32 into a hot rod. In the end I decided I wanted to safely drive and enjoy the car without worrying about over heating,lack of power for today's traffic conditions and relaying on mechanical brakes to stop in a panic situation. I must add that I'm not sorry I did it. It's a tough choice but in the end I again I say do what makes you happy.
Moose
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As everyone else has said check out the value they might be worth a large amount to a collector and maybe not, but the cash you might get for them could go a long way in your restoration.
good luck.
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I found a couple numbers of places that do 300sl interiors but I'm doing a road trip wed to pick the car up and bring it home,so that will have to wait untill next week,Ive got to get all my"recovery" tools and equipment loaded and hooked up!
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I'm with Ghost and the other guys. They could be worth a small fortune, which could go a long way in funding your project. I say: sell them, they are only seats..........But, you have to live with the decision.
I sold a pair of 1967 Corvette seats out of my '32. They were beautifully reupholsted in white vinyl, great shape. Sold them to a guy in Florida, put the cash back into my car. My seat now is a bench out of a Ford Aerostar and I like it better!