Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) – Clock Round Classic

The smallest V8 from the first year of construction for a classic inspection

With its eighteen years of production, the Mercedes SL R107 is perhaps one of the most famous products from Mercedes. Already during that cycle it grew into a desirable classic. Nick Koster’s 350 has the smallest V8 that was for sale in this model and dates from the first year of construction.

When you come face to face with Nick’s Mercedes you’ll be amazed that this car dates back to the early 1970s. It’s no wonder as the SL was the precursor to what we saw from Mercedes in the years that followed . Just take the distinctive ribbed taillights, intended to resist dirt: we first saw them on this model and they have remained in fashion at Mercedes-Benz for years. Angular headlights like these were also not commonplace in those years. It is also striking how beautifully the design of the SL has matured over the years. The SL has not always had the very best image, but today there is an elegantly designed roadster of a modest size. The color, Tunis Beige, also helps in this case to make the SL a chic appearance.

Grandpa bought this SL

It was Nick Koster’s grandfather who bought the car. He did not get it himself from Germany where it was originally delivered, but bought it from a Skoda seller in Voorburg. Then the SL was a project; the history was unknown and moreover there was only one key. Grandpa took up the restoration of the car himself. After his death, the Benz went to Nick’s uncle, who keeps a close eye on the inspection today. “At one point there were too many cars at my uncle’s house,” says Nick. “He had a total of three SLs and one had to go due to lack of storage. I had often expressed my interest in grandpa’s car and that is how it ended up with me. I have a young family and so little time for R107. When the kids are finally in bed, I go to the garage again to do odd jobs for a few hours. I know there is still some work to be done on the Mercedes. In the spring and autumn I drive it to work a few times and a few times a year I take it for a pleasure ride in the evening. My 4-year-old son is also crazy about this car, so he always drives along.”

In the Koster family, the apple does not fall very far from the tree. In the time he has had it, something has ‘definitely’ happened to this car, Nick assures us. “I do a lot myself. At some point it was time to replace some fuel hoses. When I had done that job, I drove around for a while with a fire extinguisher on board, just to be on the safe side,” he laughs.

Judge Dennis Koldewijn is satisfied when he returns from his test drive. “Even though the car is lowered, it springs and dampens well.” The reason for the reduction appears to be the LPG tank. Nick: “As a result, the Benz was lower at the rear. That has been solved by lowering the front as well. But the idea is still to remove the gas installation and put it back on its original springs.”

Engine runs messy

Dennis does notice that the engine is running messy. Nick has also noticed that and he hopes to hear today what the cause is. But that’s not as easy as it seems. Dennis gives some suggestions: “It could be in the spark plugs or the spark plug cables, the distributor cap or perhaps the valves need to be adjusted. That’s a lot of research. If you’re smart, you find someone with the same car and you exchange parts. This is the fastest way to find out what is not working properly and you avoid buying expensive parts for nothing.”
Indeed, that was not Nick’s intention. “I once worked on an outboard motor that I invested thousands of euros in before I had to sell it because I couldn’t get it right. That won’t happen to me again, I can tell you.”

Chunky machine

And then there’s the chunky machine. “You could do maintenance on it, but there is a good chance that it is simply related to age. If you don’t drive that much, I’d leave it alone”, is the sober assessment of our technician. When we are under the SL, Dennis first looks for another complaint from Nick. He himself noticed the crack in the steering and the solution turns out to be amazingly simple: tightening a bolt on the stabilizer bar bracket solves the problem immediately. After that, a play on the differential is also dismissed as ‘old age’. But something like that gets in the way of driving pleasure. Dennis: “You can adjust it again or have it overhauled. But the latter is not always a success. Each differential requires specific tools. Specialists often don’t have that in-house, so a revision doesn’t work out well.”

SL gets rusty on the underside

Finally, it is noticeable that the SL is getting quite rusty at the bottom. Still, Dennis doesn’t panic about that. “He is over forty years old, so MOT rejection is irrelevant. And it’s indoors so it won’t get much worse anytime soon. Still, it deserves attention soon, because you don’t want to be late. Moreover, it becomes unsightly and that does not suit this car.” Don’t worry, Dennis: after the inspection Nick is already making plans with his uncle. Transfer sills are being sought and the telephone number of a welder in the area is under the button for the gentlemen. Nick’s grandfather bought the car in 2004. He spent a year on the restoration. The following issues have been addressed:

• Replace used original left and right front screen
• Replace windscreen
• Replace exhaust
• Replace brake lines, pads and discs
• Replace the interior fabric at the footwells and floor mats
• Bought a used hardtop; the old one was beyond repair.
• Have a new imitation soft top fitted
• Have it sprayed again.
• Replace chrome strip under tailgate
• Bumper rubbers and partial replacement of the chrome of the bumpers
• Headlight lenses renewed including chrome frame
• Replace rear light units
• Front fog lights installed
• Spoiler lip added under the front; was not yet ex works in the first model series
• Replace spark plugs and battery.
• Crown cap wheels mounted and later replaced by the manhole cover model
• Original wind deflector installed

In the management of Nick are also done:
August 2020 subframe welded
Replace fuel pump and tank strainer in September 2021
December 2021 replace a piece of brake line
February 2022 have wheels blasted and coated
March 2022 fuel hoses engine compartment replaced and injectors cleaned
August 2022 muffler welded

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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl

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