No. of Previous Owner Opinions

[Minimalist]

Hello All,

So in the market for a R129 SL 500, and although I was lined up to get one it has been delayed due to various reasons on the sellers part.

Anyway, in the meantime another has presented itself but the only downside I can see to this car is the number of previous keepers which is 9, making the seller the 10th owner and me the 11th. Overall the car is very clean and he has had it for 7 years, which is why I was surprised since the condition seems really good, new soft top, new veneers etc and has been regularly used.

On the other hand, the one I was supposed to get has less than half the owners (I'd be 5th or 6th owner, need confirming, there was a discrepancy) and they've owned it for twice as long (14 years) but the condition is worse, in that the paintwork would need some attention (respray some areas) driver seat bolster torn, door veneers coming apart....mileage is 110k, failed MOT due to power steering pump which is now being reconditioned, currently the car is SORN and had not been used for around 2 years.

The 10 owner car has mileage of 130k, but doesn't have any of the above issues. Was owned by a mechanic, so although he hasn't stamped the service book he has taken care of the car and regularly serviced it.

It's a real pickle for me......what would you guys do given the above info? I'd like to hear what you guys think, might help me make a decision.

Thanks,
M.

Edit: I should also add, this car will be with me for the rest of it's life...that is the plan anyway.....but do plans ever go as expected!?

 

[s5tuart]

Cars like the 129 can often be a toy for the summer and then due to lack of use gets sold on.
I would always buy a well maintained car over one that needs work as it's shows the previous owners have cared for it.
Good luck, they can be superb cars. There is a buying guide on the forum.

 

[Bay Leaf]

My thoughts on this are. If say the car has had say five previous owners but the last one has had it for quite a number of years any problems in the past would have presumably been sorted out. What would ring alarm bells for me would be if the previous owners had each owned for 12 / 18 months they may have skimped on the servicing etc. I once went to look at a eight or nine years old Jaguar XK (I can't remember exactly ) but when I asked about previous owners it had had seven so I walked away.

 

[00slk]

Every used car is a gamble, whether it has had 1 owner or 20 owners, if the car is what you want, it looks good, drives nice, interoir is lovely and has service history, if that too is important to a prospective buyer and isn't a pos, buy it.
If not buy a new car, which too can have issues

 

[d215yq]

I'd always get the one that works and has recent normal use. Would never buy again something that's done very little mileage over the last few years.

Also with these older cars I'd always go on recent service history/owners only (e. G 5 to 6 years) . So what if worst case it was a dog in its first 8 years and had 8 owners by then and skipped a few oil changes. 20 years later the issues have been sorted and any negligence back then would already show...

 

[A.J.]

I'd always get the one that works and has recent normal use. Would never buy again something that's done very little mileage over the last few years.

Also with these older cars I'd always go on recent service history/owners only (e. G 5 to 6 years) . So what if worst case it was a dog in its first 8 years and had 8 owners by then and skipped a few oil changes. 20 years later the issues have been sorted and any negligence back then would already show...

I would only buy low mileage. I usually but at three years old, no older if poss. That way I know that nothing is going to drop off, let go or look tired. I have had four MB's now and that policy has served me well so far.

 

[bembo449]

the miles on a car doesn't really bother me , mainly as 3 of the best cars ive ever owned were high milers and ive also owned cars with many previous owners , I take the car on merit , if its in good nick , runs well , priced accordingly and the reason for the sale is genuine then i'd buy it , in this case the current owner has had it a long time so defo a good thing

 

[BillyBoy]

If the current owner has owned it for 7 years, it shows it wasn't a nail when he bought it. He is most likely selling for one of three reasons:

1. He wants something newer (just because, or because there are better features on the newer one)
2. He wants something different because it doesn't fit his lifestyle / requirements any more
3. It's starting to develop a lot of costly faults

If you can rule out 3 in conversation, it's probably a good purchase as it sounds like it's been cared for.

 

[d215yq]

I would only buy low mileage. I usually but at three years old, no older if poss. That way I know that nothing is going to drop off, let go or look tired. I have had four MB's now and that policy has served me well so far.

I was talking in the context of 30 year old cars like the OP is looking for/My car. 3 year old and done very low mileage - great - 30 years old and 1000 miles in the last 3 years and SORN for half that period, not so good, rather have one that's done 5-10k a year recently, even if it's much higher mileage overall.

 

[sonic]

the miles on a car doesn't really bother me , mainly as 3 of the best cars ive ever owned were high milers and ive also owned cars with many previous owners , I take the car on merit , if its in good nick , runs well , priced accordingly and the reason for the sale is genuine then i'd buy it , in this case the current owner has had it a long time so defo a good thing

With you on that one brembo. I am more interested in a good service history than low milage. All my high milage cars were reliable, the worst was the only new car I ever bought.

 

[Hotspur]

I have for many years dismissed cars with a high number of keepers - but recently i was thinking, so this may be an extreme or exaggerated example but to explain my new thinking...

If a car is say 8 years old and has had 8 keepers, it means it has constantly changed hands and on average about 1 per year, I reality I imagine however some keepers would have had it longer than that and others less, but on average a year per keeper...

Then if you think when YOU get a new car, you typically would cherish it for the first year, making sure its nice and clean, parked safely in supermarket carparks where door dings are less likely, you dont push your new car in the early days and treat it well, service it in a timely way etc, it's only human nature for most of us...

Then think, this 8 owner car has been cherished by each owner in turn back to back for their average 1 year each and that gives you a car that hasn't been (or not likely to have been) abused, kept well and was the owners pride...

In essence I guess I am saying after a year or so you start to neglect it, don't clean it as much, park it anywhere to save your tired legs rather than a safer spot, and now you are used to it after a year you start to give it more beans when out and about...but if this car is sold on before your attitude to it changes in a similar way that your partner was once a new sexy gf...and before it becomes the equivalent to a nagging wife...then it should have escaped any poor treatment...

These are my revised thoughts on cars with many keepers - anyone think there is some logic in that?

 

[A.J.]

Then if you think when YOU get a new car, you typically would cherish it for the first year, making sure its nice and clean, parked safely in supermarket carparks where door dings are less likely, you dont push your new car in the early days and treat it well, service it in a timely way etc, it's only human nature for most of us...

Or, knowing you are only going to keep the car for a year thrash the nuts off of it as it won't affect you long term

I only buy low mileage, my current car being three years old and 12,000 miles when I bought it, being fairly confident that it is not tired and nothing is about to let go, and it is all nice, crisp and clean inside. I have always adopted this policy and it has served me well so far. I then usually keep the car another three years and as I only do about 5-6,000 miles a year I have a nice low mileage car to sell at the end of my ownership

 

[umblecumbuz]

When the last owner has had the car for a good number of years, Mot's and maintenance would have been carried out regularly.
For me, the next decider would be the owner himself.
Does he seem honest? Is the car clean and tidy? Are his premises (or house) in good repair? What is he like as a person?
The answers to these and similar questions would affect my decision more than the mileage or number of past owners.

 

[robparker]

It's all about the car. I often only end up keeping a car for a year, or less, but it always leaves my ownership in much better condition than I bought it in, but on paper my short ownership will be off-putting for some.

 

[s5tuart]

I have for many years dismissed cars with a high number of keepers - but recently i was thinking, so this may be an extreme or exaggerated example but to explain my new thinking...

If a car is say 8 years old and has had 8 keepers, it means it has constantly changed hands and on average about 1 per year, I reality I imagine however some keepers would have had it longer than that and others less, but on average a year per keeper...

Then if you think when YOU get a new car, you typically would cherish it for the first year, making sure its nice and clean, parked safely in supermarket carparks where door dings are less likely, you dont push your new car in the early days and treat it well, service it in a timely way etc, it's only human nature for most of us...

Then think, this 8 owner car has been cherished by each owner in turn back to back for their average 1 year each and that gives you a car that hasn't been (or not likely to have been) abused, kept well and was the owners pride...

In essence I guess I am saying after a year or so you start to neglect it, don't clean it as much, park it anywhere to save your tired legs rather than a safer spot, and now you are used to it after a year you start to give it more beans when out and about...but if this car is sold on before your attitude to it changes in a similar way that your partner was once a new sexy gf...and before it becomes the equivalent to a nagging wife...then it should have escaped any poor treatment...

These are my revised thoughts on cars with many keepers - anyone think there is some logic in that?

I see the logic in that but I also note @AJD has implied the opposite which is also very feasible.
I always buy on condition. The condition of the car itself, how well the history has been managed and presented and on the overall condition of the seller!

 

[davemercedes]

My car shows 3 previous owners. But first it was registered to MB as a demo car then it was re-registered to the buyer with a private plate, then it went back to its original number and overall the first = 3 = 1 owner had it for 18 months before me. This goes on a lot with cars owned by the manufacturer or held by a group-company. As most people have remarked, it's all about the condition and service history. Apart from it coming with 1 year MB warranty, I knew I'd done okay when my local garage said "wow!", this is in superb condition - how did you find it?

My granddaughter who passed her test less than a year ago bought an 8 year old Matiz from a local lady who knows their family etc. and kept it while she sorted out the dosh. It's in remarkably good condition and she takes extremely good care of it - I think mainly because she worked hard to scrape together the cost. She wanted the independence of transport so very good luck to her!

 

[sonic]

My sister is in her late 60's never been married always bought a new car every 3 years. Her old one would only have about 25K miles on the clock when sold. She was always a car salesman's dream come true. I asked her why, she said she was always afraid of the car failing its MOT. However I have persuaded to keep the cars longer now purely from a money saving position. So the last but one was 4 years old, & the last was 5 years old when sold. A big saving when you look how little cars deprecate in years four & five.

 

[RhodieBill]

I purely go by the condition of the car overall, service history and previous faults if known, mileage, number of previous owners and what the person selling it is like and where he/she lives and occupation, and if he has other cars what they are like.

It has to pass the first one, generally before considering the others.

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

I bought my SL500, R129 (my98) almost ten years ago.

I was very dubious because I would have been and am, the tenth owner, it was approaching 100k too.
Almost every owner kept it for a year, had it serviced and moved it on. Unfortunately one owner kept it almost two years and had the audacity to rack up 60k miles.
It has turned out to be a good car.

Every purchase has its risks.


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