New Member

[Mischief]

Hi all

As per title I'm a new member and live in South London. I have got it into my head I really want a Mercedes SL500. I want to use it but also think this is a future classic. I did have but gave up on a Series 2 Jag Coupe XJ6C due to rot, rot and more rot, I gave it away in the end to a car restorer.

I will/can only spend between £3000 to £5000 for one, I really hope? So before I part with any money thought I better do some research on here as I already found out I will need to be careful on what I buy for this kind of money.

I repaired all my own vehicle so ok with spanners. I've also been on You Tube watching SL repair video's which has been a great help.The one thing that scares me is the electric's and clearing Limp Mode issues? Bolting things off and on is not going to be an issue for me.

I own a London Merc Vito Taxi (2010) with the dreaded rear wheel steer. I'm lucky as mine has been fine so love it.

I'm here for help so any advice on the SL500 would be appreciated.

Sorry but I'm probably not going to be able to add anything to the site as I know nothing about these car at the moment only what I'm reading.

Thanks and cant wait to buy my SL500 in the near future and hear what you guys might advise?????

 

[television]

The chances of an engine limp home is near on zero, you must allow for suspension faults and the SBC, many do not do wrong, but some do.

I am on my second, I had my first for 6½ years, and it was not sold because of any faults.

There is a pretty good knowledge base on here for them, welcome to the forum.

 

[bennyboy]

Ive looked at a fair few SL'S. £5000 is not enough for a car in even fair condition, especially the 500. You may get a reasonable 280 or 320 for that price, but beware, interiors can be tatty

 

[Quick Silver]

Hello and welcome,
I too have a purpose built Vito Taxi but no rear steer thankfully.
I do have an SL 300 r129 model, you dont say which model your interested in but an R 129 is more spanner friendly if your that way inclined and probably nearer your budget mine is 25 years old.

 

[Peter C1974]

An R129 500SL is (for its time) a very technically advanced vehicle and buying a cheap one is a risky prospect. I know, last December I bought a £5k 1990 500SL.

The engine and transmission are tough as old boots, so no worries there. Tatty interiors let a car down but ultimately don't affect the way the car drives. Rust is not a major issue (my car was 100% rust free), you might see the typical MB front wing rot but generally R129s should be structurally sound.

Now the bad news. The roof is a complicated affair. Search R129 on this forum and half the posts refer to issues with roof mechanisms. The Active Ride system means that you're not dealing with just springs and shocks but a (relatively) complex hydraulic system. Forget about working on the engine, the V8 is a tight fit and even basic servicing takes time and effort. Compared with modern cars R129's electronics are simple but considering that you will be buying a 25 year old car you will have issues with sensors and cabling. MB parts are not cheap, although most parts are available.

After 4 months of ownership I swapped my 500SL for a Porsche Boxster, but that was mostly because I wanted a more involving drive. Everyday I do a search for R129 related posts and thank the lord that I don't have to worry about fixing mine.

The lads on Top Gear once concluded that you can buy a Ferrari etc for £10k, but whatever you do, don't. I'm saying that you can buy a 500SL for £5k but I wouldn't, again.