R230 SL500 Prospective Buyer - Advice Needed!

[peterws1957]

When I say I would use the car infrequently, I envisage using it 1-2 times per week in the summer (weather permitting) and once per 7-14 days in the winter, even if it's just a case of turning the engine over. I am going to see if any neighbours have any garages they can rent out or recommend nearby, but failing that I have two options:

1. Keep the car on the street at home, where I can turn the engine over and go for short runs frequently, but be more susceptible to the elements
2. Rent a garage a 30 minute drive away, which will help with the elements but means the car will be turned over/used less often

It's a tricky conundrum!

I also appreciate I really need to know what I'm looking for when viewing an R230; the comments above have been helpful but are there any detailed buying guides (preferably with photos) so I could start checking them out myself? There are a few SL's for sale within a reasonable radius of where I live; none of them are worth considering purchasing but I could use them as opportunities to get familiar with what I need to look out for.

A Google search or a search on MB Forums will reveal all the information you will ever need to know on the R230 (and some you don't want to know!). What to look for on a R230 is probably the most common question asked on forums, so all the information is out there. Well worth spending a couple of hours trawling the vast number of posts. Good luck in your search for a nice car.

 

[SL63 Mark]

Mine's garaged, always has been in my ownership. I wouldn't consider leaving it outside through the winter. To be honest, they are approaching classic car status now, and are not really suitable for use as a daily driver. Great fun cars, and look great. I highly recommend them for a fun weekend car.

I have had a new PSE pump and ABC pump, but spread over 12 years that is not bad. Other than that, the ABC system has not really caused any trouble. The engine is bomb proof and pulls like a train.

 

[drmw]

Bear in mind - people who write in forums have problems. There are a great many more who don't.

I have had R230s so far for ten years now. They have always been parked in a driveway. They are daily use - I have never had to give way to weather.

Probably 7 days off road in 10 years due to one thing or another - nothing.

If you go into the deal with your eyes open - nothing to catch you (me) by surprise.

 

[JohnOS]

When I say I would use the car infrequently, I envisage using it 1-2 times per week in the summer (weather permitting) and once per 7-14 days in the winter, even if it's just a case of turning the engine over. I am going to see if any neighbours have any garages they can rent out or recommend nearby, but failing that I have two options:

1. Keep the car on the street at home, where I can turn the engine over and go for short runs frequently, but be more susceptible to the elements
2. Rent a garage a 30 minute drive away, which will help with the elements but means the car will be turned over/used less often

It's a tricky conundrum!

I also appreciate I really need to know what I'm looking for when viewing an R230; the comments above have been helpful but are there any detailed buying guides (preferably with photos) so I could start checking them out myself? There are a few SL's for sale within a reasonable radius of where I live; none of them are worth considering purchasing but I could use them as opportunities to get familiar with what I need to look out for.

When I say I would use the car infrequently, I envisage using it 1-2 times per week in the summer (weather permitting) and once per 7-14 days in the winter, even if it's just a case of turning the engine over. I am going to see if any neighbours have any garages they can rent out or recommend nearby, but failing that I have two options:

1. Keep the car on the street at home, where I can turn the engine over and go for short runs frequently, but be more susceptible to the elements
2. Rent a garage a 30 minute drive away, which will help with the elements but means the car will be turned over/used less often

It's a tricky conundrum!

I also appreciate I really need to know what I'm looking for when viewing an R230; the comments above have been helpful but are there any detailed buying guides (preferably with photos) so I could start checking them out myself? There are a few SL's for sale within a reasonable radius of where I live; none of them are worth considering purchasing but I could use them as opportunities to get familiar with what I need to look out for.

Have you searched for classic car storage facilities nearby? I tried to find a garage for my 2012 E500 Cab, drew a blank, then found this 5 mins away: https://www.classiccarstorageuk.co.uk/ That's where my E500 hibernates October til April, plugged into a trickle charger.

 

[martduff5]

Have you searched for classic car storage facilities nearby? I tried to find a garage for my 2012 E500 Cab, drew a blank, then found this 5 mins away: https://www.classiccarstorageuk.co.uk/ That's where my E500 hibernates October til April, plugged into a trickle charger.

Thanks John, that's really useful. I did a search and came up with one nearby; £24 per week + VAT though doesn't come with the trickle charger...I wonder how much they'd charge for that. Seems ok though, and a 10 minute drive from home so pretty good. Thanks for the help!

 

[Viscount]

Thanks Viscount, that's very helpful. The problems you had with various functions not being available; was that before you got a trickle charger? Might the secondary battery have been in a poor state due to infrequent usage, either by the previous owner or by you? I'm encouraged to see that you didn't mention too many other gremlins though, especially as I'd be using the car in a similar way as you.

The trickle charger solved the issue completely. Sorry for late response but I thought I'd get an email if the thread got traffic.

 

[Mr Greedy]

My recommendation is (noting no garage at your place) either the SL if you can find classic storage nearby, or forget it and accept that your situation unfortunately isn't right at the moment.
For the money you are probably looking at, couldn't you just forego the SL and pick up something like an E63 as your main car AND weekend car? A partial compromise, but not much! Pretty decent performance even by SL standards and can live outside.

 

[peterws1957]

Bear in mind - people who write in forums have problems. There are a great many more who don't.

Works the other way as well of course. Not every SL owner who has had problems goes on forums for help. The only problem we have had with ours was a failed alternator which was 14 years old. Ours is garaged though.

 

[martduff5]

My recommendation is (noting no garage at your place) either the SL if you can find classic storage nearby, or forget it and accept that your situation unfortunately isn't right at the moment.
For the money you are probably looking at, couldn't you just forego the SL and pick up something like an E63 as your main car AND weekend car? A partial compromise, but not much! Pretty decent performance even by SL standards and can live outside.

I have sourced a classic car storage facility 20 minutes away that includes a trickle charge, I am checking it out on Friday. Nice idea re merging the weekend car and daily car into one, but I already have a Jaguar XF-S Sportbrake as my daily runner and (under normal circumstances) I do >20k miles per year, so I wouldn't want to devalue a car like an E63 AMG (Estate) plus pay extortionate fuel bills for my motorway driving. I have 3 kids under 6, so I am actually trying to find a 2 seater so I can get a bit of time to myself!!
The main things I am looking for in a weekend car are firstly to have a convertible with that low slung driving position, and secondly get something that might appreciate in value or not lose it's value quickly. As a result I am considering the SL350/500, TVR Chimaera 400/450 or even a Toyota MR2 GT-TBar. I have looked at many other options too (Alfa Spider 3.2 or GTV 3.0, Brera 3.2, MX-5, S2000) but they all fell short, usually in the desirability category (judged by my partner, who is an essential stakeholder in the process as I am sure you can appreciate!).

 

[martduff5]

If I go with the SL, I am thinking the 350 would give a far more trouble-free owning experience, whilst only taking the edge off of the driving experience (for my casual touring purposes). That said, the classic car storage place I am seeing on Friday are selling an SL500, so I'll get to drive it then and I suppose I will see whether I can live without the V8 rumble or not.

If I go for the SL350, am I right in thinking the main expensive bill I might come across will be a new PSE pump? Is this an item that is expected to be changed at a set service interval? I am just trying to work out what to look for in the service history records of any cars I look at.

 

[NJS5]

I went through the same process when buying my SL350, the second one I have owned.

Sadly I don't think you should assume that an SL will appreciate though.

NJSS

 

[martduff5]

I went through the same process when buying my SL350, the second one I have owned.

Sadly I don't think you should assume that an SL will appreciate though.

NJSS

I watched the R129's for a number of years and about 6 years ago thought that that model was going to go up in value and sure enough they have. What was £4k in 2014/15 seems to be £8-10k now. The R230 has all the right credentials to be a future classic, so a well looked after one would have potential. Of course, the wrong engine/colour combination/condition will all affect pricing, but I feel that SL's are pretty much at the point where they won't go any lower. The SL500 is already starting to creep up very slightly, having plateaued for a period. Anyway, I guess that's my risk.

Given I want a car I can actually enjoy using, what would be helpful would be some clarification around the queries I have mentioned above.

 

[Craiglxviii]

The trouble with a 350 is that it’s missing two cylinders.

An R230 has one major, major problem irrespective of the engine choice- they all have the ability to leak horrendously. Whatever car you buy needs to have the rear glass weather seal gently peeled back to inspect for edge corrosion, and if not done then Malcolm’s weather seal modification carried out.

Same with the wheelarch liner mod- last thing you want are the wheel arches rusting through from the inside.

Then you need to check out the roof mechanism opening & closing functions are smooth. Check all rubbers are flexible and smooth. Buy Gummi Pfledge for this.

Check that the car properly goes to sleep within 20 minutes of engine off and doors locked, battery drain should reduce to <50mA in this time. Check both batteries are holding over 12.2V with engine off.

After all of that, you have the question of ABC or non ABC? The ABC equipped cars are a much nicer ride, it really is one of the best systems ever. Comes at a price so to give you an idea of parts costs:

Tandem ABC/ steering pump £500
ABC strut new £350-400
ABC Valve block refurb £150 per axle
Pulsation dampers £250/ea
ABC strut ball joint replacement £100/ea

Throw in labour costs to suit. I bought an ABC-equipped car that had NOT been looked after, and it cost me big time as the whole system pretty much needed replacement. However, that’s an exception; if you budget £150/mth in maintenance you won’t be far wrong.

The good thing is that thanks in no small part to this forum, we have significantly reduced the cost of ABC maintenance over the last 5-6 years by sourcing parts & suppliers that just weren’t about beforehand.

 

[NJS5]

I entirely agree with what Craiglxviii says.

After much consideration I decided to avoid ABC, which I don't regret, although I accept that there are those who say it is essential.

I don't have a Pano roof, but I'm happy with that.

NJSS

 

[martduff5]

The trouble with a 350 is that it’s missing two cylinders.

An R230 has one major, major problem irrespective of the engine choice- they all have the ability to leak horrendously. Whatever car you buy needs to have the rear glass weather seal gently peeled back to inspect for edge corrosion, and if not done then Malcolm’s weather seal modification carried out.

Same with the wheelarch liner mod- last thing you want are the wheel arches rusting through from the inside.

Then you need to check out the roof mechanism opening & closing functions are smooth. Check all rubbers are flexible and smooth. Buy Gummi Pfledge for this.

Check that the car properly goes to sleep within 20 minutes of engine off and doors locked, battery drain should reduce to <50mA in this time. Check both batteries are holding over 12.2V with engine off.

After all of that, you have the question of ABC or non ABC? The ABC equipped cars are a much nicer ride, it really is one of the best systems ever. Comes at a price so to give you an idea of parts costs:

Tandem ABC/ steering pump £500
ABC strut new £350-400
ABC Valve block refurb £150 per axle
Pulsation dampers £250/ea
ABC strut ball joint replacement £100/ea

Throw in labour costs to suit. I bought an ABC-equipped car that had NOT been looked after, and it cost me big time as the whole system pretty much needed replacement. However, that’s an exception; if you budget £150/mth in maintenance you won’t be far wrong.

The good thing is that thanks in no small part to this forum, we have significantly reduced the cost of ABC maintenance over the last 5-6 years by sourcing parts & suppliers that just weren’t about beforehand.

Thanks Craig, this is really useful indeed. The £150 pcm you mention refers just to ABC maintenance or does it include general maintenance too?

I agree with what you're saying- the 350 is missing two cylinders! That's part of the attraction of the TVR Chimaera; it had almost no electrical parts to go wrong, body panels are fibreglass so no rust, essentially the main concern is the condition of the chassis. And the fact that I could end up in a hedge or worse at any given moment!

 

[martduff5]

I entirely agree with what Craiglxviii says.

After much consideration I decided to avoid ABC, which I don't regret, although I accept that there are those who say it is essential.

I don't have a Pano roof, but I'm happy with that.

NJSS

The pano roof comes with the AMG pack, right? I haven't seen many 350's with the pano roof, but I think I have seen some. Anyway, I'd usually be taking it out when the sun is out, so less of an issue for me.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thanks Craig, this is really useful indeed. The £150 pcm you mention refers just to ABC maintenance or does it include general maintenance too?

I agree with what you're saying- the 350 is missing two cylinders! That's part of the attraction of the TVR Chimaera; it had almost no electrical parts to go wrong, body panels are fibreglass so no rust, essentially the main concern is the condition of the chassis. And the fact that I could end up in a hedge or worse at any given moment!

Well. When I took over my car, I ended up replacing the ABC pump. Three times; the first garage did a bad job & killed it, second pump failed, third pump was good. Then the rear flexi line corroded out. Then a strut failed. And another. And another. Then the valve block jammed due to crud and needed stripping down, cleaning & seals replacing. All due to poor/ zero maintenance over years. So, long & short of it is that your budget for the first couple of years should reflect the condition of the car. I’ve not touched the ABC system on mine in 3 years now, it’s due a flush and filter change and that’s it.

Much grief can be prevented by stripping the under trays off and waxoyling or liberally spraying with Dinitrol, all of the (steel) ABC - and for that matter brake- lines.

 

[flowrider]

The pano roof comes with the AMG pack, right? I haven't seen many 350's with the pano roof, but I think I have seen some. Anyway, I'd usually be taking it out when the sun is out, so less of an issue for me.

No, the pano roof and the AMG body kit were separate options. IMO the panoramic roof is very desirable whist the AMG body kit is extremely desirable. I have both on my SL but the body kit was hard to find.

Something to watch out for is that the parking sensors were an option as were bi-xenon headlights but most SL350 have them.

 

[LostKiwi]

I’ve not touched the ABC system on mine in 3 years now, it’s due a flush and filter change and that’s it.

You've not driven it in four!

 

[Craiglxviii]

You've not driven it in four!

I’ll have you know that half of the engineers at Cosworth have been trying to figure out what it is since October!