Choice of R230s.. what should i go for?!. HELP!

[Veridian]

Dear All,
It's been some years since I last posted on here.. back in the days of my old E430 and C270Cdi.. (and the late, great Malcolm / Television) Anyway I find myself now in the position of looking to pick up an R230. im playing around the 8-10k mark and have 2 contenders in mind. Both are specced the same with the pan roof and vented seats. One is an '05 75k miles 350SL Looks to have been hanging around at the dealers a while as the MOT ran out in March and it needs a cpl of rear tyres.. thats around the 8700 mark... the other, which Ive driven and has no issues despite sitting outside the owners house for a few months, is an '02 47k miles 500SL on for 6500. However whilst the 350 claims to have a full MB/Indy history, the 500 has an MB history up until 7 or 8 years ago and then is a mix of specialist and local garage.. ive carverticaled it and all is well, the 500 has practically brand new Michelins all round has had £2900!! spent on rear ABC shocks 5k miles ago, plus a new front brake pipe.. i think the offside one will now need doing too.
But, and it's a big But, it's sinking onto its stops front AND rear after a couple of days parked up, which indicates to me that the ABC valve o-rings have likely gone, as its not leaking fluid on the drive. Given the lowish mileage, the car is like new inside and out other than a couple of small rear wheel arch rust bubbles that can be sorted. It has no malfunctions and is being sold by the owners wife as the owner died recently. I spoke to MBS Exeter last week who after some teeth sucking advised that it could be upto a couple of K a piece to sort out the valve blocks, and having seen the videos of trying to do it yourself - i dont think I'd be brave enough.. besides it would need rodeoing after anyway, and I'm not 'Star'ed up.

What are your thoughts, drop the price by a cpl of K and go for the 500, or go for the 350, get 3mths guarantee, get em to throw in an MoT and new tyres (which is reckon it will need anyway) and avoid the current and future ABC headaches.
Given the price of fuel and as the summer drifts on I think it is a buyers market for these cars at present.. Anyway I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Cheers
Steve.

 

[JBell]

Loads of ABC specialists on here

@Craiglxviii knows his way around it very well and an probably advise on costs.

@alexanderfoti owns AMF Automotive and loves an ABC challenge.

Is the car near Exeter (thinking about MBS)?

 

[Veridian]

Hi Jbell thanks for the useful info!.. I live just east of Exeter and used MBS about a dozen years ago when it was a much smaller outfit, very good they were then too!! The cars is up near Milton Keynes, the owners family have said they are taking it to the local Merc specialist to give me a rundown in writing.. I have to admit they are being very helpful as I don't think the rest of the family have a clue about the car.. it seems it was the father's pride and joy and they didn't interfere, I queried the sinking suspension and explained to them how it works as I'm trying to be as straight amd fair with them as possible about what it could be and the potential cost as I don't want to end up having to fork out another 4k just to get it thru an MOT and keep it on the road for 6 months! - without a reflection in the price of course!

 

[Craiglxviii]

Dear All,
It's been some years since I last posted on here.. back in the days of my old E430 and C270Cdi.. (and the late, great Malcolm / Television) Anyway I find myself now in the position of looking to pick up an R230. im playing around the 8-10k mark and have 2 contenders in mind. Both are specced the same with the pan roof and vented seats. One is an '05 75k miles 350SL Looks to have been hanging around at the dealers a while as the MOT ran out in March and it needs a cpl of rear tyres.. thats around the 8700 mark... the other, which Ive driven and has no issues despite sitting outside the owners house for a few months, is an '02 47k miles 500SL on for 6500. However whilst the 350 claims to have a full MB/Indy history, the 500 has an MB history up until 7 or 8 years ago and then is a mix of specialist and local garage.. ive carverticaled it and all is well, the 500 has practically brand new Michelins all round has had £2900!! spent on rear ABC shocks 5k miles ago, plus a new front brake pipe.. i think the offside one will now need doing too.
But, and it's a big But, it's sinking onto its stops front AND rear after a couple of days parked up, which indicates to me that the ABC valve o-rings have likely gone, as its not leaking fluid on the drive. Given the lowish mileage, the car is like new inside and out other than a couple of small rear wheel arch rust bubbles that can be sorted. It has no malfunctions and is being sold by the owners wife as the owner died recently. I spoke to MBS Exeter last week who after some teeth sucking advised that it could be upto a couple of K a piece to sort out the valve blocks, and having seen the videos of trying to do it yourself - i dont think I'd be brave enough.. besides it would need rodeoing after anyway, and I'm not 'Star'ed up.

What are your thoughts, drop the price by a cpl of K and go for the 500, or go for the 350, get 3mths guarantee, get em to throw in an MoT and new tyres (which is reckon it will need anyway) and avoid the current and future ABC headaches.
Given the price of fuel and as the summer drifts on I think it is a buyers market for these cars at present.. Anyway I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Cheers
Steve.

Sorting out the valve blocks is £50-100 per block. @00slk is in the middle of doing this exact same job on his 230 right now.

Anyone quoting you that much is giving you f-off pricing!

 

[horatio]

I too have have been tempted by R230’s for a while. Yes I am a philistine but my strategy would be to castrate a 500.

I believe an assortment of OE parts would complete the crime - SL350 struts & rear AR bar, front bar and PS pump from W220 S500.

 

[Veridian]

Sorting out the valve blocks is £50-100 per block. @00slk is in the middle of doing this exact same job on his 230 right now.

Anyone quoting you that much is giving you f-off pricing!

Aha! Useful to know, I thought it was a massive job labour wise.. mainly with the removal, and re commissioning. But if both can be refurbished and installed for a fraction of that so much the better.

 

[00slk]

Here is my two pence worth, I buy with the heart so first off if the 500 is Jasper Blue knock them down to my starting....Oops I mean your starting price of £4000, you can always go up I love the V8 SL500 so I am bias too and have had a few. As mentioned above there are some good Indies that really know their ABC's. With that mileage it is fairly reasonably priced but don't tell them that
I am getting older and some would say wiser (but no-one I know would tell me!!) The 350 is what I would like as a replacement for the 55 when the time comes, I would opt for the 05+ years as they do have a slightly better nav, and no ABC so again I would start low price for the 350, if you go high you can't drop your price and haggling can be quite fun for me, because I am evil
Well I guess this hasn't helped you one bit

 

[00slk]

Sorting out the valve blocks is £50-100 per block. @00slk is in the middle of doing this exact same job on his 230 right now.

Anyone quoting you that much is giving you f-off pricing!

Yep, a fun job and even better that my delivery of one valve block is the end of August to the beginning of October

 

[Veridian]

I too have have been tempted by R230’s for a while. Yes I am a philistine but my strategy would be to castrate a 500.

I believe an assortment of OE parts would complete the crime - SL350 struts & rear AR bar, front bar and PS pump from W220 S500.

Yes I did wonder about this.. i hadn't spotted Tavarish had done this to his SL.. but will check it out.. I was trying to find out if there were any UK merc specialists that would do this, although there seem to be two schools of fault as to whether its better just to try and keep the ABC system well maintained and keep that ticking over where possible. In anycase if I go down the 500 route I was going to get the ABC flushed and refilled anyway.. I assume that's a 500 poundish job in itself?

 

[Veridian]

Yep, a fun job and even better that my delivery of one valve block is the end of August to the beginning of October

Eek. I watched

Which made it look a right faff. Well, beyond my probable abilities. It was enough faff changing the reversing light switch on my w210 e430 yonks back.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Yes I did wonder about this.. i hadn't spotted Tavarish had done this to his SL.. but will check it out.. I was trying to find out if there were any UK merc specialists that would do this, although there seem to be two schools of fault as to whether its better just to try and keep the ABC system well maintained and keep that ticking over where possible. In anycase if I go down the 500 route I was going to get the ABC flushed and refilled anyway.. I assume that's a 500 poundish job in itself?

Flushed and refilled is a £100-150 job dependent on Pentosin prices now, DIY with only a piece of garden hose and a couple of big plastic containers needed.

ABC is a much better suspension technology than normal spring struts, so I would advise to keep it if at all possible. I don’t have an ABC car anymore (Airmatic) and must admit I do miss it.

 

[JBell]

Hi Jbell thanks for the useful info!.. I live just east of Exeter and used MBS about a dozen years ago when it was a much smaller outfit, very good they were then too!!

I am in Torquay, I use Coverdale 2 in Newton Abbot

 

[Veridian]

Flushed and refilled is a £100-150 job dependent on Pentosin prices now, DIY with only a piece of garden hose and a couple of big plastic containers needed.

ABC is a much better suspension technology than normal spring struts, so I would advise to keep it if at all possible. I don’t have an ABC car anymore (Airmatic) and must admit I do miss it.

Aha yes I did see a YouTube about this yesterday, think the chap used some merc supplied drain tool,- basically a long L shaped bit of pipe that stops the fluid being recirculated and fits in the bottom of the filter housing. I think I need to wait and see what the garage they are taking it to has to say and them make them an offer based on that. .. or just go for the 350 which is newer and being an 05 car should have avoided the worst of the dodgy merc but era as I understand the R230 production line was re tooled in '04.

 

[Veridian]

I am in Torquay, I use Coverdale 2 in Newton Abbot

Just checked then out, didn't even know they were there! Good to have another Indy not too far away

Here is my two pence worth, I buy with the heart so first off if the 500 is Jasper Blue knock them down to my starting....Oops I mean your starting price of £4000, you can always go up I love the V8 SL500 so I am bias too and have had a few. As mentioned above there are some good Indies that really know their ABC's. With that mileage it is fairly reasonably priced but don't tell them that
I am getting older and some would say wiser (but no-one I know would tell me!!) The 350 is what I would like as a replacement for the 55 when the time comes, I would opt for the 05+ years as they do have a slightly better nav, and no ABC so again I would start low price for the 350, if you go high you can't drop your price and haggling can be quite fun for me, because I am evil
Well I guess this hasn't helped you one bit

On the contrary, its always good to have another perspective! And yes i think I am by nature too nice when it comes to haggling.. although after being pestered in Nepal by a street urchin I completely threw him by turning the tables and saying if he paid me $10 for his pointless wooden miniature violin I'd take it off his hands for the fire.... After looking at me odd for a bit he realised the local tourist police were about to nick him anyway so scarpered... sorry! off topic But the 350 is tempting for its relative simplicity at that age.. I would like to go for a 2009> one with the 315bhp but that's for the future. And I'm not paying 650 road tax! Govt leeches! And I guess 75k miles isn't that bad for one of these which I see are commanding reasonable cash well up over 120k.

 

[SL63 Mark]

I would look for a local car that is fully sorted, rather than looking at cars with problems, especially ones that are a ?six hour drive away from you. There are 100s of R230 SLs on Autotrader to choose from, many within your budget.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Aha yes I did see a YouTube about this yesterday, think the chap used some merc supplied drain tool,- basically a long L shaped bit of pipe that stops the fluid being recirculated and fits in the bottom of the filter housing. I think I need to wait and see what the garage they are taking it to has to say and them make them an offer based on that. .. or just go for the 350 which is newer and being an 05 car should have avoided the worst of the dodgy merc but era as I understand the R230 production line was re tooled in '04.

You don’t even need a special tool, just a 3/8” to 3/8” hose connector and a 6’ length of garden hose, plus someone to pour 8 litres of CHF.11S in at roughly the same rate it gets pumped out.

 

[Veridian]

I would look for a local car that is fully sorted, rather than looking at cars with problems, especially ones that are a ?six hour drive away from you. There are 100s of R230 SLs on Autotrader to choose from, many within your budget.

Hi Mark, yes I've been doing the old late night AT browsing for these for some months now.. hence my seeking a bit of advice now im whittling down the list.. I did see a lovely r129 designo 320sl with the glass roof back in March that was in superb condition but was just out of my budget...in the chaps photo of his glass roof, you could see the reflection of his DB9 in the garage beside it. Whoever bought that had a beauty. Anyway I'm waiting for the garage report on the 500,and will go from there.. unless I spot something else!

 

[LostKiwi]

If it's in MK Star Motors in Reading is a small detour in your way home. Ian @star is familiar with r230s (he did some work on mine and has one of his own). If you source a pair of refurbished valve blocks he may be able to swap them in your way home (but ask if he's ok to do it as some Indy's won't fit customer supplied parts in case there is a problem after fitting). He may be able to quote and source for you.

Only issue is he is often booked months ahead.

 

[BPD07]

Anyway I'm waiting for the garage report on the 500,and will go from there.. unless I spot something else!

If the local indie in Milton Keynes is Autoclass, they are pretty honest and trustworthy.

 

[ajlsl600]

Here is my two pence worth, I buy with the heart so first off if the 500 is Jasper Blue knock them down to my starting....Oops I mean your starting price of £4000, you can always go up I love the V8 SL500 so I am bias too and have had a few. As mentioned above there are some good Indies that really know their ABC's. With that mileage it is fairly reasonably priced but don't tell them that
I am getting older and some would say wiser (but no-one I know would tell me!!) The 350 is what I would like as a replacement for the 55 when the time comes, I would opt for the 05+ years as they do have a slightly better nav, and no ABC so again I would start low price for the 350, if you go high you can't drop your price and haggling can be quite fun for me, because I am evil
Well I guess this hasn't helped you one bit

Again 350 the way I go.unless u plan full overhaul of the system, thus gain some likely hood of a peaceful abc future You cud be lucky. But aging abc not for me, despite the magnificent ride and road holding. If u must have the v8 Consider coil over, a failed abc will prob leave u looking a car transporter, if 4 miles from home, dealer not big issue, if half way on summer drive thru Italy, imagine!
However if u buy with abc, THEN change to coil over. Likely u will never feel the same about the car again, working as designed its pretty hard to beat, no roll in cornering, no dive on braking, no nose up on acceleration. Just planted to the road.
Me if doing again I wud be on 350. Pays ur money, make ur choice. I am very often a benz, modern car critic, but the r230 is a beautiful car and WILL be a great classic, tho I believe the origional high specced coil over versions will be the most sought after.