Here we have documented the sympathetic reconditioning process of this very original 280SL.

Click on any small photo to see its full size version.

Factory original canvas top. Due to their nature of being a "soft replaceable" these are rarely seen today...
The pictures shown below are of our master upholstery technician installing a new German canvas top onto the folding frame.
The new top canvas fits to the frame like a glove.
Seats - As an extreme originality purist I do not take lightly the renewing original items. These seat covers exhibit wear consistent with low original miles, storage indoors and careful use. However with a heavy patina and one cut the decision was made to renew them so that the car can be consistent with world-class standards.
As we carefully removed the original covers we noticed that the production number (# 595) was written in grease pencil on the inside bolsters. This number can be seen in many places including the body plate affixed to the top of the left front wheelhouse in the engine bay (see below)
The production number is also written on the seat frames.
The seats were carefully rebuilt maintaining as much originally a possible.
Carpet - While there was virtually no wear damage our Southern California sun did have a go at it. Since the color red has the most pigment it is the most vulnerable.
In keeping with quality of the rest of the car the carpeting was renewed as well.
Above are close up images of the original trunk weather seal. We can look very closely and see 11-May-1968.
This very original pagoda came in with her original bumpers but as was the practice at some U.S. Mercedes dealers, the buyer was sold an "upgrade" in the form of bumper guards. These were practical in an era of sharing the road with American behemoths with gigantic chrome battering rams. Today they look very out of place and seem to be made to a scale more appropriate to a large sedan. In '68 U.S. 280SLs came with clean bumpers just like their European home market contemporaries. In the model years '69 through '71 the U.S. cars mostly all came over with an optional model specific bumper guard (much smaller than those pictured here). While an option in Europe, most buyers opted to leave their cars with clean bumpers (no guards).
	Original bumpers, both front and rear.
We took this car back to its original specification maintaining its original factory bumpers. The guards were removed, the attachment holes welded up, the bumpers completely re-chromed to factory standards and finally the back sides painted as was the factory practice in off-white.
Of course these cosmetic improvements are just the "tip of the iceberg" as altogether we've spent over 400 shop hours bringing this car to the level you see in the photos. This includes mechanical maintenance and functionally items not limited to seals, gaskets, mounts, levers, lights, tuning, hoses, belts and adjustments. This motorcar now functions absolutely the way Daimler-Benz intended.