.avif)
1982
Complete Restoration
Finished
The successor to Mercedes’ famous SL “Pagoda” sports car was a completely new and modern SL, model designation R107, which remained in production from 1971 to 1989. After the legendary G-Class, it became Mercedes’ second longest-running model. Also known as the “Panzerwagen,” this roadster came in various versions.
In 1980, new models were introduced with aluminum alloy V8 engines — the 380 SL, 420 SL, and 500 SL, as well as the 560 SL for the American market.
This car was truly built to last — no metal was spared. As a result, it was quite heavy for a sports car, since Mercedes engineers wanted the convertible to be just as rigid as a hardtop coupe. The focus was on comfort, low noise levels, and luxury.
Perhaps the only true sports car of the series was the most powerful model — the 500 SL, with 232 DIN horsepower. It reached a top speed of 230 km/h and could accelerate to 100 km/h in about 7 seconds — doing so with stoic calm and without fuss. The 5-liter aluminum alloy V8 with an overhead camshaft was likely one of the most capable engines Mercedes built in the 1980s, and even by today’s standards, it offers an enjoyable driving experience.
The last R107 rolled off the production line 18 years after the first — an “Astralsilber” 500 SL (August 4, 1989), which now resides in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The 500 SL in our possession was purchased a few years ago from Switzerland, having only 96,000 km on the odometer when it arrived in Estonia.
The car was in excellent condition, completely original, and in flawless working order, showing only a single owner — a construction engineer from Lausanne. This expensive car was likely bought from the beginning as a summer car, with subsequent annual mileage between 1,000 and 3,000 km, always being garage-kept and regularly maintained.
After a few years of active use in Estonia, some minor visual flaws — and one larger issue — started to stand out. The front right fender had previously been damaged and poorly repaired.
We decided to replace the fender with a new original part. During removal, we also discovered a few rust spots, wear and tear, and several dents on the body.
As is often the case, this led to the decision to carefully disassemble the entire car, inspect everything, repair or replace where needed, repaint the body inside and out, and reassemble it with new seals and trim.
During the process, we fully restored the complex bumpers and re-galvanized all bolts, nuts, and fasteners. The impact on the front fender had extended into the door and front part of the rear quarter panel, so those areas required proper repair — finished with lead filler for authenticity.
We carefully sanded off the clear coat and paint layers, leaving the exceptionally thick and high-quality factory primer intact where possible. The cleaned and sanded body was first coated with Standox NON-Stop Füllprimer.
For the sanding primer, we used the new Standox VOC Xtra Füller, which provides an exceptionally strong and even surface.
For the color coat, we used modern Standoblue basecoat — the same system now used by Mercedes' official restoration department in Stuttgart. The result turned out beautifully!
The 500 SL is unique in that it was the only model in the R107 series available in a factory two-tone color scheme.
The paintwork required great precision because of the multiple shades and transitions: the lower half was painted in the dark metallic gray "Neutralgrau," with the rocker panels in a separate semi-matte gray. As always, our master painter Raul delivered a perfect result.
Now in 2025 the car also recived black museum numberplates and was enlisted in the Estonian old vehicle registry.
02 Jul 2015
