neeklaus
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2019
- Messages
- 120
- Reaction score
- 171
- Your Mercedes
- 2002 SL55
Hi MBers,
Greetings from a hopefully soon-to-be Mercedes owner!
Earlier this year, after about 8 years of non car ownership, I started thinking about getting a convertible. My thoughts took me to the R230 SL and have not budged since...
I've read many contributions to threads started by likeminded posters in this forum, as well as posts on maintenance of these cars. I am very grateful for this resource, which has been informative and eye-opening!
A few months later, after researching, keeping an eye on ebay and AT and a bit of umming and ahhing, I finally went to see some SLs for sale in the flesh.
I’ve always liked the look of these cars and the folding hard top makes it the perfect all-year car for me. If one drove past, it would catch my loving gaze. Now I've had the pleasure to try out a few, I‘m a goner. The R230 SL is definitely the one for me.
I started with a 350 from 2005 which seemed ok but the service history turned out to be not quite as full as the dealer had led me to believe in the listing. Being the first car I saw, I also had nothing to compare it to.
The same day my girlfriend and I went to see a 500. I have never owned a V8, but when we started the engine I knew that noise was something I needed in my life!
Yesterday we went to check out a 500 which was looked great and was in one of my favourite trim/colour combos but unfortunately seemed like an ABC minefield.
A bit disappointed, we checked out Autotrader to see what was on offer nearby. A couple more 500s that were a bit further than we were prepared to travel but... what’s this... an SL55? Only half an hour away...? Hmmm...!!
At this stage, having tasted the goods of a 500 V8, I felt I wasn’t going to need any more grunt. Being only *just* within the realms of what I can afford, I felt an AMG might give me more grief than was worth it. Like quite a few others on this forum, I went to see what the fuss was about.
Oh dear... now I know! How that car has complicated my buying choices. Wow! The sound that thing makes. The acceleration. Not to mention all the toys you get with it... that is a LOT of car.
The drive home was filled with very excited talk about our SL55 experience - the dealer generously let me take my girlfriend out for a test drive (at dark, in the rain!). And when I pressed the accelerator pedal of our hired Golf, in my mind I would hear the roar of that AMG V8.
With my sensible cap on I suppose I am still open to the idea of an SL500 since it seems possible to get a good one at two thirds or even half the price of a 55. Cost of maintenance and fuel on the 55 does seem a bit higher, which is a factor, as well as the up front cost of the car itself. I would not have much spare change for any work that would need to be done immediately.
However... it has an emotional pull on me that is much stronger than the 500. And when it comes to making decisions like these I am often one to follow my heart over my mind!
Of course, one could spend forever researching these cars online but eventually that knowledge needs to be tested out in the real world. While I have my checklist and a good basis for understanding, these cars are still new to me and there are some specifics that aren't always clear when examined in the flesh for the first time. So I have come to report my findings and ask for your opinions and advice.
#1 SL500
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910313893378
Viewed at short notice, seller is a dealer but was using the car himself. Everything worked and the ABC went up and down quickly and evenly. When I checked the boot there was dampness on the carpet above the pump. There were droplets on the metal cylinder of the pump, but it was dry elsewhere. The seller said these droplets were condensation. But since I've seen others without this condensation I am wary whether this was actually the case...
The ABC fluid was definitely brown, but there were no warnings in the dash about anything ABC related. Drove the car roof down and up and seemed to drive quite well over speed bumps. But I just didn’t feel confident about a car with no history and 5+ owners – that it was priced very low (£5,000) didn’t help either. Though I admit the price still made it tempting.
#2 SL500
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201907129996902
Best looking car I’d seen with very nice AMG wheels and ash/metal trim combo but sadly the looks were deceiving. Again, viewed at a dealership without calling ahead and the battery was flat. First warnings on the dash were ABC ‘drive carefully’ and ESP, but I have come to understand the ESP warning will always come on after starting from a flat battery.
ABC seemed to work well on the first go. But after turning off the car and checking out the exterior, the ABC 'visit workshop' warning glared red on the dash when I restarted the car. The ABC system wouldn’t respond when I tried to raise or lower it. So at this point I felt I had to walk away. Had a quick check of the engine bay where I detected a little bit of smoke emanating from between the engine and the ABC pump and a smell of burning oil. The ABC fluid seemed a touch greener than the previous 500 I saw, which prompts me to ask how green the ABC fluid actually is - if brand new should it be a bright neon green like some engine oils?
I’ll post a pic of the fluid from this car so you can see the colour for yourselves. I felt it was predominantly brown but could detect a hint of greenness to it. Unfortunately not enough service history to really call it ‘full’ as was described in the listing, so I said my thank yous and scurried away!
#3 SL55
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910253706415
Have to say I wasn’t feeling the red trim in the pictures but having sat in it, it was very cool! Private seller, viewed with about 2 hours notice, but turned out to also be on sale at a dealership elsewhere. The owner was not present but the car was being sold by a friend who owns a car wash, which is where we viewed the car. He had a CLS63 there and an M6. The enthusiasm for big engine cars did give me a bit of confidence along with the service history which was the most comprehensive I’ve seen yet. Lots of history from MB main dealer with previous owner, but after that there were no invoices more recent than 2016. The history seemed to drop from regular MB services and fixes to next to nothing while under the present owner, though he has owned it for 5 years. The SBC was replaced (IIRC, but could’ve been rebuilt – should've taken note) in 2012 and there was something done to the ABC pump, but I can’t quite remember what it was either. I should take pics/notes of the service history next time, but what I recall is that it was something valve or pump related costing about £600. The owner was aware of all the problems of these R230s and assured me it was free of any issues. The boot seals looked like they had been done. But as it had been raining quite hard, once we got it under cover and opened the boot it was difficult to tell whether it was truly leak-free because some of the water from the boot lid ran off into the boot itself. This does seem like something that will happen no matter how well the boot seals have ben fixed. Still, the sponge was dry and the pump itself was too. We had a go putting the roof up and down a few times, though it did seem a tad slower than others we’d tried. The ABC went up on the first setting but on the second setting it seemed to me as though the front was lifting more than the rear. It didn’t look like anything was awry when seen from outside the car, and the seller of course assured me it was fine. But I couldn’t help but feel it was definitely lifting more at the front when I raised the suspension on the second setting... I don’t think we were on an incline but if we were parked on a slight angle would this affect the suspension levelling somewhat? Perhaps it was just me... but has anyone else experienced this?
As with the other cars the battery was flat when we arrived and it needed a jump start. At which point the ESP and ABC 'drive carefully' warnings came on. But after driving around for a few minutes they went away. Unfortunately the roof-lifting button in the boot wouldn’t work when the roof was folded down. But otherwise the car seemed in pretty good nick. And did I mention how the sound of that V8 tore right into the depths my soul?! Oh I should also mention the ABC fluid was probably the greenest of all SLs i’ve seen so far. It was a dark green but to my eyes certainly more green than brown. I’ve attached a pic of this too.
I suppose my main reservations would be the seller going for quite a hard sell. And at £11,750 is it wishful thinking that there won’t be a huge bill heading its way imminently?
One minor general question – I noticed only the rear right foglight illuminated on the cars I tested. I'm guessing that's just peculiar to the SL – they only have one rear fog? Either that or it's a strange coincidence...
Whether I end up going for a 500 or a 55, I think I’d get it checked out by a local indie. Definitely seems worth the relatively small outlay. I’d be really grateful to hear what you think about my experiences so far and I’ll be share more of my journey as the search deepens. Conor’s recent thread about his search for a SL500 was a great read but it was interesting to see he’s now looking around for a v12! Which makes me think about whether I’d be truly satisfied with a 500 after all... I feel like the 55 is that forbidden fruit...
Warm regards,
Nic
Greetings from a hopefully soon-to-be Mercedes owner!
Earlier this year, after about 8 years of non car ownership, I started thinking about getting a convertible. My thoughts took me to the R230 SL and have not budged since...
I've read many contributions to threads started by likeminded posters in this forum, as well as posts on maintenance of these cars. I am very grateful for this resource, which has been informative and eye-opening!
A few months later, after researching, keeping an eye on ebay and AT and a bit of umming and ahhing, I finally went to see some SLs for sale in the flesh.
I’ve always liked the look of these cars and the folding hard top makes it the perfect all-year car for me. If one drove past, it would catch my loving gaze. Now I've had the pleasure to try out a few, I‘m a goner. The R230 SL is definitely the one for me.
I started with a 350 from 2005 which seemed ok but the service history turned out to be not quite as full as the dealer had led me to believe in the listing. Being the first car I saw, I also had nothing to compare it to.
The same day my girlfriend and I went to see a 500. I have never owned a V8, but when we started the engine I knew that noise was something I needed in my life!
Yesterday we went to check out a 500 which was looked great and was in one of my favourite trim/colour combos but unfortunately seemed like an ABC minefield.
A bit disappointed, we checked out Autotrader to see what was on offer nearby. A couple more 500s that were a bit further than we were prepared to travel but... what’s this... an SL55? Only half an hour away...? Hmmm...!!
At this stage, having tasted the goods of a 500 V8, I felt I wasn’t going to need any more grunt. Being only *just* within the realms of what I can afford, I felt an AMG might give me more grief than was worth it. Like quite a few others on this forum, I went to see what the fuss was about.
Oh dear... now I know! How that car has complicated my buying choices. Wow! The sound that thing makes. The acceleration. Not to mention all the toys you get with it... that is a LOT of car.
The drive home was filled with very excited talk about our SL55 experience - the dealer generously let me take my girlfriend out for a test drive (at dark, in the rain!). And when I pressed the accelerator pedal of our hired Golf, in my mind I would hear the roar of that AMG V8.
With my sensible cap on I suppose I am still open to the idea of an SL500 since it seems possible to get a good one at two thirds or even half the price of a 55. Cost of maintenance and fuel on the 55 does seem a bit higher, which is a factor, as well as the up front cost of the car itself. I would not have much spare change for any work that would need to be done immediately.
However... it has an emotional pull on me that is much stronger than the 500. And when it comes to making decisions like these I am often one to follow my heart over my mind!
Of course, one could spend forever researching these cars online but eventually that knowledge needs to be tested out in the real world. While I have my checklist and a good basis for understanding, these cars are still new to me and there are some specifics that aren't always clear when examined in the flesh for the first time. So I have come to report my findings and ask for your opinions and advice.
#1 SL500
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910313893378
Viewed at short notice, seller is a dealer but was using the car himself. Everything worked and the ABC went up and down quickly and evenly. When I checked the boot there was dampness on the carpet above the pump. There were droplets on the metal cylinder of the pump, but it was dry elsewhere. The seller said these droplets were condensation. But since I've seen others without this condensation I am wary whether this was actually the case...
The ABC fluid was definitely brown, but there were no warnings in the dash about anything ABC related. Drove the car roof down and up and seemed to drive quite well over speed bumps. But I just didn’t feel confident about a car with no history and 5+ owners – that it was priced very low (£5,000) didn’t help either. Though I admit the price still made it tempting.
#2 SL500
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201907129996902
Best looking car I’d seen with very nice AMG wheels and ash/metal trim combo but sadly the looks were deceiving. Again, viewed at a dealership without calling ahead and the battery was flat. First warnings on the dash were ABC ‘drive carefully’ and ESP, but I have come to understand the ESP warning will always come on after starting from a flat battery.
ABC seemed to work well on the first go. But after turning off the car and checking out the exterior, the ABC 'visit workshop' warning glared red on the dash when I restarted the car. The ABC system wouldn’t respond when I tried to raise or lower it. So at this point I felt I had to walk away. Had a quick check of the engine bay where I detected a little bit of smoke emanating from between the engine and the ABC pump and a smell of burning oil. The ABC fluid seemed a touch greener than the previous 500 I saw, which prompts me to ask how green the ABC fluid actually is - if brand new should it be a bright neon green like some engine oils?
I’ll post a pic of the fluid from this car so you can see the colour for yourselves. I felt it was predominantly brown but could detect a hint of greenness to it. Unfortunately not enough service history to really call it ‘full’ as was described in the listing, so I said my thank yous and scurried away!
#3 SL55
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910253706415
Have to say I wasn’t feeling the red trim in the pictures but having sat in it, it was very cool! Private seller, viewed with about 2 hours notice, but turned out to also be on sale at a dealership elsewhere. The owner was not present but the car was being sold by a friend who owns a car wash, which is where we viewed the car. He had a CLS63 there and an M6. The enthusiasm for big engine cars did give me a bit of confidence along with the service history which was the most comprehensive I’ve seen yet. Lots of history from MB main dealer with previous owner, but after that there were no invoices more recent than 2016. The history seemed to drop from regular MB services and fixes to next to nothing while under the present owner, though he has owned it for 5 years. The SBC was replaced (IIRC, but could’ve been rebuilt – should've taken note) in 2012 and there was something done to the ABC pump, but I can’t quite remember what it was either. I should take pics/notes of the service history next time, but what I recall is that it was something valve or pump related costing about £600. The owner was aware of all the problems of these R230s and assured me it was free of any issues. The boot seals looked like they had been done. But as it had been raining quite hard, once we got it under cover and opened the boot it was difficult to tell whether it was truly leak-free because some of the water from the boot lid ran off into the boot itself. This does seem like something that will happen no matter how well the boot seals have ben fixed. Still, the sponge was dry and the pump itself was too. We had a go putting the roof up and down a few times, though it did seem a tad slower than others we’d tried. The ABC went up on the first setting but on the second setting it seemed to me as though the front was lifting more than the rear. It didn’t look like anything was awry when seen from outside the car, and the seller of course assured me it was fine. But I couldn’t help but feel it was definitely lifting more at the front when I raised the suspension on the second setting... I don’t think we were on an incline but if we were parked on a slight angle would this affect the suspension levelling somewhat? Perhaps it was just me... but has anyone else experienced this?
As with the other cars the battery was flat when we arrived and it needed a jump start. At which point the ESP and ABC 'drive carefully' warnings came on. But after driving around for a few minutes they went away. Unfortunately the roof-lifting button in the boot wouldn’t work when the roof was folded down. But otherwise the car seemed in pretty good nick. And did I mention how the sound of that V8 tore right into the depths my soul?! Oh I should also mention the ABC fluid was probably the greenest of all SLs i’ve seen so far. It was a dark green but to my eyes certainly more green than brown. I’ve attached a pic of this too.
I suppose my main reservations would be the seller going for quite a hard sell. And at £11,750 is it wishful thinking that there won’t be a huge bill heading its way imminently?
One minor general question – I noticed only the rear right foglight illuminated on the cars I tested. I'm guessing that's just peculiar to the SL – they only have one rear fog? Either that or it's a strange coincidence...
Whether I end up going for a 500 or a 55, I think I’d get it checked out by a local indie. Definitely seems worth the relatively small outlay. I’d be really grateful to hear what you think about my experiences so far and I’ll be share more of my journey as the search deepens. Conor’s recent thread about his search for a SL500 was a great read but it was interesting to see he’s now looking around for a v12! Which makes me think about whether I’d be truly satisfied with a 500 after all... I feel like the 55 is that forbidden fruit...
Warm regards,
Nic