A long time ago (1975) in a galaxy far away (California) my father bought a 1958 Mercedes 190SL roadster. It was white. And cute. My dad didn't drive it much. He had a Porsche for his daily driver. I drove it a lot. So did my brother, Rick. We took it up to the mountains to go rock climbing several times. We'd put our ropes and gear behind the seats and cruise up to Idyllwild or maybe Joshua Tree. I don't think either of us fully realized how cool it was to be able to drive this classic. I moved out of my parents house in 1978 so my younger brother Rick became the car's main driver at that time. On one trip, probably around 1979, the oil pump failed and the engine seized. Oops! The car was dead.
Dad managed to find a new short block still in the Mercedes Benz crate. He took the car to a mechanic in Brea to put the new engine in and it sat outside at that shop for most of a year. The mechanic took forever. Because it was stored outside in the hot Southern California sun the convertible top deteriorated. Eventually the engine was installed, started, tuned up, and turned off. The car was brought home and put in the garage.
Randy and friends working on the car.
Around 1982 or so, my youngest brother, Randy, and his friends started work on getting it going again. A new clutch, new brakes, and new exhaust system was installed. The gas tank was cleaned and coated and several of the chrome parts were re-chromed. The body was repainted fire engine red, which was the original color from the manufacturer. A few of the chrome bits were re-installed and some upholstery work was started but all work stopped in 1983. The car was stuffed into the garage, filled with uninstalled parts, and there it sat. For thirty years!
My father had died in the mid-eighties with a fine collection of classic cars. Over the years they were sold off, one by one, until only three cars remained - a 1932 Packard, a 1963 Porsche, and the 190SL. At the start of 2013 the Packard and the Mercedes were still in mom's garage. We three brothers decided to try to get the cars going.
In March 2013 was the big car extraction adventure. We filmed the whole thing. It was fun! Randy took the Packard to Moser Restorations in L.A. to get the engine going and I took the Mercedes home with me to Arizona to start its resurrection.
The car is now at my house and I have been messing with it a little over the past ten months. I managed to get it started, cleaned it up a little, and put some of the chrome back on. That will be the subject of a future post. At some point it will be drivable. I don't know when, but I will post the progress for your enjoyment and amusement. Below are some photos of the extraction process.
The Carlson brothers open the garage where the car has been stored for 30 years
a cool car hiding under a stack of car covers
Randy reveals the front of the car.
The Mercedes Benz emblem on the hood
Dusty!
The interior was full of car parts
More dust on the truck lid
Randy's friend, Paul Hansen, brings the jack so Royce can take the wheels off.
All four tires were really flat
The wheels are off while Royce takes the rims to get new tires put on them.
Randy hooks up a tow strap while Paul and Royce look on.
Paul pushes and Royce steers while Randy pulls the tow strap with his truck
Dad managed to find a new short block still in the Mercedes Benz crate. He took the car to a mechanic in Brea to put the new engine in and it sat outside at that shop for most of a year. The mechanic took forever. Because it was stored outside in the hot Southern California sun the convertible top deteriorated. Eventually the engine was installed, started, tuned up, and turned off. The car was brought home and put in the garage.
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