snowster007
Active Member
I'm thinking of buying a 1980 450 SLC. It's done 100k miles and appears in great nick, with service history and receipts. Does anyone know of issues to be aware of?
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450 Slc
- Thread starter snowster007
- Start date
Rust, Rust and Rust!
SLC bodies attract rust like its going out of fashion....I've been looking at a couple recently and all were rotten.
Problem area's I noticed, front foot wells (lift carpets), sills, rear boots (all I have looked at were like swimming pools in the boot), lower Rear screen, rear footwells. See if you can have a look under the back seat.
As other poster states, plenum chamber just ahead of the front screen and front bulkhead.
Get under the car with a torch and a screwdriver and have a real good prod about.
In terms of mechanicals, these are normally a secondry concern, your major concern will be bodywork as its expensive to put right and will often cost more than the actual worth of the car.
If you do not have the luxury of a garage I would avoid getting an SLC as it will just rust away.
Good luck
SLC bodies attract rust like its going out of fashion....I've been looking at a couple recently and all were rotten.
Problem area's I noticed, front foot wells (lift carpets), sills, rear boots (all I have looked at were like swimming pools in the boot), lower Rear screen, rear footwells. See if you can have a look under the back seat.
As other poster states, plenum chamber just ahead of the front screen and front bulkhead.
Get under the car with a torch and a screwdriver and have a real good prod about.
In terms of mechanicals, these are normally a secondry concern, your major concern will be bodywork as its expensive to put right and will often cost more than the actual worth of the car.
If you do not have the luxury of a garage I would avoid getting an SLC as it will just rust away.
Good luck
karenjackson
New Member
This is a strong damnation of the 450 slc, they are easily restored as is any classic car it just depends on the "hole in the pocket" , perhaps you have been looking at very cheap models that require attention. You can pick up a 450 slc with sound coachwork for around £4000 - to avoid all together is to miss out on superb sleek styling for 4 !!!! ONE NOT TO BE MISSED AND TRASHED!!!!
Just to give some perspective on this......granted if your looking at SLC's costing upto £2000 they will be rotten and you have to expect that.
The problem I have had is that the price bracket from £2000-£5000 also seems to have a load of superficially nice shiny looking SLC's which then turn out to have nasty cases of rust underneath or in the boot etc etc, none of which is cheap to repair.
Unfortunatley for the SLC they seem to be in the wilderness years at the moment, ie cheap to purchase, but often needing work that is uneconomical to repair.
Lovely cars and I will continue my quest to find a nice one for a decent price
The problem I have had is that the price bracket from £2000-£5000 also seems to have a load of superficially nice shiny looking SLC's which then turn out to have nasty cases of rust underneath or in the boot etc etc, none of which is cheap to repair.
Unfortunatley for the SLC they seem to be in the wilderness years at the moment, ie cheap to purchase, but often needing work that is uneconomical to repair.
Lovely cars and I will continue my quest to find a nice one for a decent price
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