buying a 129 sl

[beemer328]

Hi All, Im looking to buy an sl, anyone got any tips on what problems to look out for. also any ideas other than flea bay auto trader or pistonheads to look for one? im looking to partex my clk coupe so prob have to be a dealer. any advice greatfully recieved. thanks.

 

[mikestrivens]

there are lots of specialist dealers advertising these in the various Mercedes Benz magazines. Others with more experience will be along to advice on look outs. But my advice would be to check that everything works as it should. Check the rag top for any splits in the rear windows where they fold. New top is around £1200 new windows around £400. Check the aircon works. If it doesn't it probably needs a new condenser (rad at front of car) because they collect a load of crud and rot. Cost around £400 to £500 to replace. Make sure there are no leaks on engine or gearbox. Get it on a ramp if possible.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

there are lots of specialist dealers advertising these in the various Mercedes Benz magazines. Others with more experience will be along to advice on look outs. But my advice would be to check that everything works as it should. Check the rag top for any splits in the rear windows where they fold. New top is around £1200 new windows around £400. Check the aircon works. If it doesn't it probably needs a new condenser (rad at front of car) because they collect a load of crud and rot. Cost around £400 to £500 to replace. Make sure there are no leaks on engine or gearbox. Get it on a ramp if possible.

As for Mike. A "specimen car" (up to 60-70,000, good history) should look and drive pretty much like a new car. They have lots of toys, which in my experience are very reliable, but check that they all work.

Prices are very low at present, given that we are at the beginning of what we Brits laughingly call summer, and the bargains are certainly there to be had.

The age of the cars (1990-1998 for example) may often dictate that they will be in a car lot rather than an MB dealership. If the history and provenance are good, I would not be put off by that.

Don't rush, there is a choice, and Forum members have reported some real "results" recently.

Good hunting.

PS, my personal preference is for a 500, but don't try one unless youy are prepared to buy it - it will spoil you for anything else.

 

[gladholm]

Get one, great cars.

welcome beemer, and my - that's wide ranging question!
Nothing wrong with those vendor outlets, you just need an idea what you want. Do you plan to "keep it or move it on soon" is always relevant too. Selling is difficult right now, and bargaining is easy. There are literally hundreds for sale. How far are you prepared to travel for the right one?

I wanted a black, late, v6, low mileage, with 2 owners max, that was in good nick. Eventually I found one in my price band after 2 months of looking. And I drove to Cornwall to get it! 2 years later - still love it. And nothing is broken.

All vehicles have issues at some stage, but with a 129 if it is properly serviced, and it is working, it probably will continue to work for a good while to come.
Check the roof mechanism functions fully, otherwise walk away.
Later CD based Sat Nav APS 30 has none of the current generation of features, so save your money.

These cars are 10 + years old now, so you must expect tarnished wheels, and body moth evident. Top of roof pillars is common. But nothing untoward.
Air con condensers and evaporators will be a costly item (£500) at some point, virtually a service item. Anticipate some service items are a little more costly.

V6 or V8 is a different debate, If I had the choice again, I might have stumped up for a V8 as I have been delighted with running costs of my first merc, the extra cost for a few less mpg would have been worth the V8 growl for once in my life.

As for your clk, sell privately, flea etc, only way to get shot...

 

[beemer328]

ok guys, thanks for the info, I have a friend with a 500 coupe who tells me to go for the sl500 and i am really tempted but i worry the fuel consumption will hurt and make me want to get rid, i am quite happy with the consumption with my 3.2 v6 will the v8 be a lot more juicy? I dont do many miles but most of my journeys are on b roads and lots of stop start traffic in towns. are the v8s a lot more expensive to maintain and does anyone know what insurance group they are.My plan is to buy one to keep as they seem to be holding prices better than most other mercs.

 

[mikestrivens]

Depends how you drive. A light foot on a SL500 will give more MPG than a heavy foot on a 320. if you are doing lots of b roads then a 500 will bring a huge smile to your face like few other cars can. But for sure a 5 litre is going to be thirsty in town, what do you expect. I get around 18 to 19 mpg in town driving and around 29 mpg on motorway driving in mine and I don't save the horses much. The fun of driving such a car is compensation for the extra juice.

The SL500 is insurance group 20. The advantages are that many of the consumables are pretty cheap as there are so many on the market and many parts are widely used in other MB cars. The standard services are about the same as my 320TE and the V8 is pretty bullet proof. Clearly tyres are more expensive and you will get through them quicker, but again depends how you drive.

 

[JWB]

Hi Beemer,

I'm fairly new to 129 ownership.

I bought a 500SL a few weeks ago and so far so good. I would say it depends on what you want it for? I bought mine as a weekend "top down" treat that I can go out in with my wife and baby daugther ( having "baby friendly" seat belts fitted next week in the back ) Petrol consumption isn't an issue for me as I don't use it often, having moved form a twin turbo Gen 3 Mazda RX7 I must say I haven't really noticed a difference as that used to drink fuel. As many have said already, it depends on how you drive the car. I personally wanted the 500 and I don't regret this decision.

Larger engine petrol cars are representing great value at the moment, I don't expect that the 129 500SL's will stay at the current price levels for long. Full MBSH is obviously desirable and will bump the price up, but it doesn't mean that you won't end up needing to spend money on it. I took my car to Silver Star today ( indie MB garage nr me ) and the owner was telling me about a customer who bought a 1991 500SL ( funnily enough a Jap import, which I spotted at the Loughborough dealership when picking up a touch up stick ) who bought the car off e-bay and the control unit and gearbox packed up within a month of buying it and has cost him £3000 so far. The other side of the coin is my car was inspected today and the owner said everthing is looking good and nothing needs doing! It's a bit of "pot luck" but isn't that the case with any car?

If you want my opionon, buy one!!

Jonathan.

 

[brianbrian]

Yes buy one you will enjoy it, Hope this helps

 

[beemer328]

Thanks guys, I think if the right 500 comes up i may well be tempted now

 

[HPW]

Hope it is not rude to muscle in on this thread.... I joined this forum some months ago to pick up some tips on buying a R129, sadly the credit crunch made my job a little wobbly so I chickened out. Just starting to feel confident again so returning to the search this week.

JWB: you mention you are getting baby friendly seat belts fitted, Can you elaborate on what you are getting (and are you allowed to say from whom) ? I need to do the same, get 3-point belts in back to fit a 15mth olds baby seat and also to feel more comfortable about my 6 yr old sitting on a booster seat there. They will only be in this car infrequently, and I have not had a chance to check whether a full-on baby seat will even fit in the back (ignoring the seatbelt issue for now).

Any pointers ?

 

[JWB]

Hi HPW,

I'm having 3 point seat belts fitted, pretty much what you get in a regular car. As you probably know, there are only lap belts in the back of the 129.

I'm using a company called "Seatbelt Services Ltd" based in London Tel:020 84 595 464. They offer a mobile fitting service, albeit I'm having to pay the call out fee to Loughborough ( max 130 miles )

Would be happy to let you know how it goes. Baby seat wise, you'll need one with a slim back to it, and will need to have the seat all the way forward. Actually, a 6 year old on a booster seat would have more room from what I can tell. The baby seats are bulky!

Hope this helps.

Jonathan.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Hi HPW,

I'm having 3 point seat belts fitted, pretty much what you get in a regular car. As you probably know, there are only lap belts in the back of the 129.

I'm using a company called "Seatbelt Services Ltd" based in London Tel:020 84 595 464. They offer a mobile fitting service, albeit I'm having to pay the call out fee to Loughborough ( max 130 miles )

Would be happy to let you know how it goes. Baby seat wise, you'll need one with a slim back to it, and will need to have the seat all the way forward. Actually, a 6 year old on a booster seat would have more room from what I can tell. The baby seats are bulky!

Hope this helps.

Jonathan.

Bear in mind the rollover bar. Handbook states you should drive with it up when this sort of object is in the rear seat space - or at least test that the seat does not foul the arc on which the bar deploys.

Will that affect the mini occupants view or enjoyment of the ride?

 

[hairyg]

Just to second Alex's comments about the roll bar. I can confirm from experience that it deploys very forcefully and you wouldn't want to be in the way.

The cause was a deep pothole in floodwater at walking pace, no damage to the car but the rollbar did deploy and scared me half to death.

 

[JWB]

Thanks for your commnets guys.

I will ensure I fully test the up / down operation of the ARB with the Baby seat in before our first outing. I had no idea it was so sensitive. Thanks for your concern, much appreciated.

Jonathan.

 

[television]

Just adding that the rollbar must be up when baby is in the seat, the early cars have 2 sensors, one on each side of the rear axle, it also applies to later cars. I also think the the 129 looks good with it up