You’re witnessing more than just a factory-customized vehicle; this is a remarkable resurrection. Who would have imagined that removing a windscreen and allowing a classic car to gather eight years of rodent remnants could culminate in such automotive perfection?
Ted Gushue: How did you stumble upon this Mercedes 190sl?
Michael Potiker: I was taking a walk with my father in our neighborhood when I noticed an open garage door at a somewhat run-down house nearby. I saw a car under a cover, with just a hint of chrome peeking out. It was completely enveloped in layers of dust and grime. Being so close to the ocean, it had accumulated clay and dirt from the coastal cliffs for what must have been years. It looked intriguing. Clearly, someone recognized its value, as it had a custom car cover, but it seemed they had long forgotten about it. I went home, pondered it, and returned the next day to knock on the door. A nurse answered, which is where the story takes an interesting turn.
I asked if I could lift the cover to get a peek, and she agreed, but only at the front. As I raised the cover, the prominent Mercedes Tri-Star emblem became visible, and I was immediately impressed. “Whoa!” was my first reaction. At that moment, I even mistook it for a 300SL. I turned to the nurse and exclaimed, “Wow! This must be some old Mercedes or something. I don’t really know much about these older models.” Then, quickly, I replaced the cover and walked away. I managed to find the house phone number through a neighbor and called the next day.
I inquired about speaking with the car’s owner, and I was informed that he was in palliative care and unfortunately unable to communicate. Being persistent yet respectful, I eventually got in touch with the trustee of his estate and his attorney. They allowed me to negotiate the purchase of what I then realized was a Mercedes 190SL. Apparently, my interest stirred some attention among others involved in the estate, but through sheer luck, I managed to secure it.
The car had been stationary for about 8 to 10 years. Although the hardtop was on, the windows were left open underneath the cover. It had become home to a significant rodent population, with droppings scattered everywhere. According to the nurse, a dog had also resided in the car at some point.
TG: What breed of dog, if you could tell?
MP: Judging by the amount of hair inside, it was definitely a shedding breed (laughs). It was utterly revolting. I had to wear a full Tyvek suit with booties and a hood just to start vacuuming. Soon, I realized the best approach was to simply use a razor blade and remove the entire interior. After removing the carpet, I found these tiles stuck to the floor with duct tape and nails. They were clearly not original. My goal was to reach the floor to assess the extent of the rust damage. When I pressed a screwdriver against a tile and tapped it with a hammer, orange dust billowed out, and I realized, to my surprise, that they were asbestos tiles. This discovery made a strange sort of sense when I noticed a pair of flip-flops in the back of the car. Clearly, the previous owner enjoyed driving barefoot.
TG: Why would anyone consider using asbestos tiles in a car? Was there ever a time when asbestos tiles were thought to be suitable for fireproofing in automobiles?
MP: Asbestos tiles are indeed fire and heat resistant, but they are entirely inappropriate for use in a car’s interior. It seems the previous owner must have had some leftover from a home project back in the 70s. Perhaps he was bothered by the heat while driving along the beach and thought, “Okay, I’ll just nail some asbestos tiles to the floor of the car and cover it with the carpet.” There were numerous makeshift repairs like that throughout the car. I found a woman’s brass bangle clamped onto a hose with a hose clamp, acting as a makeshift connector. There was extensive use of Bondo on the floor, and even a household window screen being used as part of a repair. Fortunately, the body itself is completely original and had never been in an accident, which meant we avoided any bodywork.
The entire floor of this Mercedes 190SL had to be cut out and replaced. I entrusted the car to Hjeltness Restorations, renowned specialists in ‘Gullwing’ Mercedes. Their metalwork experts meticulously removed the old floor and fabricated and installed a completely new one. Incredibly, after retrieving it, the car actually started. We got it back to the shop, connected a new battery, fed fuel directly from a can, and after cranking, it roared to life. It didn’t run smoothly, but it started.
I had Hjeltness rebuild the carburetors, but the engine itself is original to the car – numbers-matching throughout. It was a special export model to Japan, as the original owner was stationed there with the Marines. It features a unique plaque on the engine, characteristic of some Japanese market cars. I am only the second owner, and I am absolutely enamored with this Mercedes 190SL. It’s the most enjoyable vehicle I’ve ever owned.
TG: Do you know the official name of the paint color?
MP: Yes, it’s Mercedes DB190, known as dolphin grey. Originally, the interior was parchment, but the restoration shop offered me this red interior, and I couldn’t refuse. It was from a Concours-quality 190SL that had the wrong interior color for its intended originality. The owner wanted it returned to original spec, so I happily took his red interior, and they installed it in mine.
TG: What other modifications have you incorporated into this Mercedes 190SL?
MP: The wheels are actually space-saver spares from a Volkswagen Rabbit, modified to fit the Mercedes hub correctly, and painted in DB190 to match the body. I also installed New-Old-Stock French selective yellow headlights with halogen bulbs, along with a substantial lighting relay under the dash to manage them. Then there are the Cibié 9″ Super Oscar driving lights, incredibly bright and rated for daylight visibility at a mile away. The leather straps on the trunk were added for aesthetic appeal, although I later rebuilt the trunk mechanism anyway, so they are purely decorative now.
The small windscreen is a custom addition, an exact replica of the RennSport screen Mercedes offered for the 190SL. The dash has been extended upwards by two or three inches to allow the tonneau cover to fit into a fairing, providing space for the push-to-fit connectors.
It’s equipped with a very aggressive set of coilovers, tuned for rally use. It handles speed bumps and rough roads smoothly while maintaining excellent grip. A more robust sway bar from the 190SL club, custom-made for them, is also installed. It has a new gear reduction starter and an alternator, also sourced from the 190SL club. Weber carburetors have replaced the original Solex units, adding about 35 to 40 horsepower. The Webers were installed by the previous owner, but I had them completely rebuilt. The exhaust system was entirely rusted out, so it’s been replaced with a straight-through stainless steel setup.
Eric Hjeltness has provided fantastic suggestions, and we are currently working on a Weber linkage and planning to install new racing bucket seats for better lateral support. I haven’t rebuilt the transmission or the engine, and I feel incredibly fortunate that it runs as reliably as it does after sitting for so long.
TG: Why would you? [Rebuild them preemptively?]
MP: Exactly, why mess with it when it runs so well after such neglect, until it maybe dramatically fails at some point (laughs). It’s just a wonderful little car. It’s incredibly fun to drive. You instantly become everyone’s friend when you’re driving it around.
