Merc SL 500 help needed !

[Arcangel]

I have been offered a SL 500 J reg 168k FMBSH 18" amgs, hard top. £3500 is there any problems with this type of merc I should checkout before I spend some money and relise I need to fork out another £?

 

[stumpy]

I have been offered a SL 500 J reg 168k FMBSH 18" amgs, hard top. £3500 is there any problems with this type of merc I should checkout before I spend some money and relise I need to fork out another £?

Hi and welcome. I don't know what your budget is but there are much newer, lower miles cars for not much more money. Especially if there are a few k's to spend bringing this one up to scratch.

 

[Arcangel]

Thanks Stumpy for the reply so quick, I am basically looking at it for a now and again summer ride as I already have a E39 M5 and the wife has a company car. She works in the trade and its a car they have taken in. I just wanted it to let the wind blow through my fastly disapearing hair and the wife to keep quite!

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I have been offered a SL 500 J reg 168k FMBSH 18" amgs, hard top. £3500 is there any problems with this type of merc I should checkout before I spend some money and relise I need to fork out another £?

They all came with a hard top which, when you lift it off for storage, enables you to use the electrically folding soft top. Many will also have the folding wind deflector which should live in a case in the boot, and when the hard top is off, can be fitted inside the roll over bar.

I agree with stumpy's comment, there is a good choice of these cars in the market, many with far lower mileage and in really good order but for not much more money.

For any of these, check that it comes with all the bits, check on the condition and operation of the soft-top (will mean removing the hard top - if the vendor declines, walk away). In addition, worth checking the climate control.

Other than that, you should expect it to be pretty corrosion free and if it has been serviced correctly should be mechanically sound.

I think they are probably difficult to sell at present, so it is conceivable that someone has dropped the price dramatically to shift it - the mileage will give it a real handicap compared with other similar cars.

Good luck - it will be interesting to hear how you get on.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Thanks Stumpy for the reply so quick, I am basically looking at it for a now and again summer ride as I already have a E39 M5 and the wife has a company car. She works in the trade and its a car they have taken in. I just wanted it to let the wind blow through my fastly disapearing hair and the wife to keep quite!

Hi again.

You may have explained the price! If you are being offered the car at what the trade paid fo it, that sounds about right.

 

[IanA2]

Firstly where are you? There are plenty of Indie specialists that would give it a look over for you.

If you do that, and they give you the all clear, and the car has a FSH, and ALL the electrical bits (including roof) work, then I'd bite their hands off at that price. I have two 129's, MY91 500 (about 100K miles) and MY98 60 (about 90K miles) and I actually prefer the build quality of the earlier model. I've had the 500 about three years and have had to spend £400 a year on it. Terrific car.

 

[Arcangel]

Just got back after a good look at the car. It is dirty inside and out, but only cosmetical grime. A good 4 hour clean and polish would bring it back to life. Everything seems to work, includingthe electronic suspension. The alloys are slightly kerbed but again are not to bad! The good news the price was wrong, the £3.5k was to the sell to the retail but as the wife gets it as trade it is only £2k!!!!!!!!!!1 Does that make a diffrence and make the mileage not look so bad.

 

[IanA2]

Electronic suspension? Do you mean adaptive damping? If so I'd be a bit wary and definitely get it checked by someone who understands it. You may have to take it to a main dealer, if you can find one who has someone with the knowledge.

 

[Richard Moakes]

Electronic suspension? Do you mean adaptive damping? If so I'd be a bit wary and definitely get it checked by someone who understands it. You may have to take it to a main dealer, if you can find one who has someone with the knowledge.

I very much agree, the ADS system is complex and can have many expensive faults, are you sure it is working and not leaking?

Believe me, I have been there, I know !!! :sad:

 

[Arcangel]

Thanks for the replies lads, I will take the car to a local merc specialist this week to get it checked out by Prestige German Cars in the North East who service my BMW. I hope it will be ok as the car has a lot of potential and the thought of a conv merc in the last of the summer sounds good(well not so good as it hasnt stopped raining).:roll:

 

[100%Bitch]

I would take the view that if it was dirty inside and out it has not been looked after, and that could be the same with servicing and repairs.

 

[d215yq]

I've been looking for SL500s of a similar age and haven't seen any for as low as £2,000! If you see any more for that price give me a shout!

If its got a good MOT and all works surely its worth a go at that price, even if it packs up completely it can't be worth much less than that as spare parts anyway