new purchase - advice

[ibiza]

hi there

am new to this forum but am just wanting a bit of advice.

i have been looking to get either a Porsche 944 or a Merc SL/SLC - and i have spotted a mint 450 SLC v reg '79 for £9k at a dealer with 65,000 miles. I suspect you will say that it is over priced but it is very very nice !!

my main concern is running costs. I don't do that many miles so petrol consumption isnt too much of a concern but are these cars expensive to fix if they go wrong or on general servcing? There is a good merc specialist near where i live.

Would they be cheaper to run than a Porsche 944?

Many thanks for your help.

 

[nasher]

It would have to be unbelievably good for 9K. That's about the price of a good SL. Unless it was a 500 SLC, I wouldn't pay that much. The running costs would be similar to a 944.

An S4 928 would be my choice

 

[classicsl]

that does sound very expensive for an slc. in terms of running costs my 300sl does about 18mpg combined. servicing and maintenance costs arent too bad as the parts are still easy to come by, just have one word for you...RUST!

 

[sclass]

I think i will buy up some old mercs and ship them to england .you all seem to spend silly money on old high mileage cars.If you give me a list of what is the most popular i will gather them up.There are lots over here just lying about.

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Only one reason to avoid the Merc. RUST.

 

[classicsl]

do you want the slc for the fact that its is a longer car and has a usable rear seat? if not you can get a nice sl for that sort of money, if you go for one go for the alloy block version as the older ones are achaic and will cost a bomb to run

 

[mjtray]

944 has a glvanised body!

I would be loathe to use an SLC on a daily basis.....the bodywork on these does enjoy rusting in a major way.

How about the 944 as a daily driver and have the SLC tucked up in the garage.

Lastly, £9k for an SLC is major money....it would have to be an absolute minter with very low mileage and one owner etc etc

 

[DaveS]

Hope this isn't too late. I had a 944 from 1989 'til 2002. It cost me £120 p.a. for servicing at local garage, a new petrol pump and a new battery. I also had the camshaft belts renewed every 5 years. It was used as an everyday car, got 35 mpg on a long journey. You won't believe how much you can cram in the boot. All in all the cheapest car I've ever owned.

Why did I change? Because the roads of Britain are no longer suitable for a sports car - too many cars, cameras etc. the fun has gone out of it. So now I drive a car which is comfy and easy to drive. (just try the clutch pressure on a 944)

 

[Arnie]

There's a cool 1989 SL500 on sale on this forum for maybe less than the SLC....