Thinking about buying a R230

[Thomas Gardiner]

Hello from a newbie. Thinking about buying a R230 and just need to narrow it down which model to buy. Going to browse the various old discussions, got plenty of time on my hands to do this at the moment!

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

Very cheap to buy and when running are a great car. They have some well documented “features” that can cause headaches and bills.

 

[Wighty]

https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/500sl-r230-2004-59-000-miles-fsh.180992/
Member @McDonald is selling this one

 

[LostKiwi]

First thing to decide is are you willing to go to the expense of potential ABC issues? If not then SL350 is your only option.
After that it's a question of budget.
An SL500 will cost less than an SL55 or SL600.

 

[neeklaus]

Hi Thomas,

I'm bought my first R230 almost two months ago. I started looking at SL350s and ended up with an SL55!
Not long into ownership, but very happy with it so far!

These forums are a great resource, and there are quite a few useful buyers guides out there on parkers, piston heads, etc. I think if you're meticulous with your research, know what to expect and patient with the market, you'll find the right one. As advised by many on here, it would be wise to be sure you have a decent back-up fund in place should anything go awry.

Low values mean there are plenty out there which haven't been looked after, so be careful. The SL350 has less to go wrong, but still carries its own particular set of issues that need to be investigated. I was lured to the SL500 and eventually SL55 mainly because of the sound of that V8! But in my mind, whether or not you need a lot of poke, it's the best convertible GT car out there. You can't get much more for the money

Good luck on your search.

 

[LostKiwi]

Hi Thomas,

I'm bought my first R230 almost two months ago. I started looking at SL350s and ended up with an SL55!
Not long into ownership, but very happy with it so far!

These forums are a great resource, and there are quite a few useful buyers guides out there on parkers, piston heads, etc. I think if you're meticulous with your research, know what to expect and patient with the market, you'll find the right one. As advised by many on here, it would be wise to be sure you have a decent back-up fund in place should anything go awry.

Low values mean there are plenty out there which haven't been looked after, so be careful. The SL350 has less to go wrong, but still carries its own particular set of issues that need to be investigated. I was lured to the SL500 and eventually SL55 mainly because of the sound of that V8! But in my mind, whether or not you need a lot of poke, it's the best convertible GT car out there. You can't get much more for the money

Good luck on your search.

I'd agree with most of that but for me I prefer the r129 M119 powered SL500 as a place to be.

 

[neeklaus]

I'd agree with most of that but for me I prefer the r129 M119 powered SL500 as a place to be.

It's interesting that the 129 has looked better and better to me since I bought the 230. What swung the 230 for me was the folding hard-top and nowhere to store the removable hard-top on the 129. The 129s do look great though.

 

[LostKiwi]

It's interesting that the 129 has looked better and better to me since I bought the 230. What swung the 230 for me was the folding hard-top and nowhere to store the removable hard-top on the 129. The 129s do look great though.

The 129s are strange. Not as dynamically capable or as full of toys but there's a certain 'feel' a 129 has that's missing from the 230. The 230 is just a little bit sterile by comparison if you know what I mean.
The 119 engine is also a very different beast to the 113. Technically the torque comes in higher in the rev range but driving it feels the opposite. The 119 also pulls like a schoolboy all the way to redline - probably a lot to do with variable valve timing and 4 valves per cylinder (neither of which is present in the 113).

 

[Thomas Gardiner]

https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/500sl-r230-2004-59-000-miles-fsh.180992/
Member @McDonald is selling this one

Lovely looking car. Just started looking seriously, so no decision which model to go for, but will bear this one in mind. Thanks

 

[Thomas Gardiner]

Hi Thomas,

I'm bought my first R230 almost two months ago. I started looking at SL350s and ended up with an SL55!
Not long into ownership, but very happy with it so far!

These forums are a great resource, and there are quite a few useful buyers guides out there on parkers, piston heads, etc. I think if you're meticulous with your research, know what to expect and patient with the market, you'll find the right one. As advised by many on here, it would be wise to be sure you have a decent back-up fund in place should anything go awry.

Low values mean there are plenty out there which haven't been looked after, so be careful. The SL350 has less to go wrong, but still carries its own particular set of issues that need to be investigated. I was lured to the SL500 and eventually SL55 mainly because of the sound of that V8! But in my mind, whether or not you need a lot of poke, it's the best convertible GT car out there. You can't get much more for the money

Good luck on your search.

It's interesting that the 129 has looked better and better to me since I bought the 230. What swung the 230 for me was the folding hard-top and nowhere to store the removable hard-top on the 129. The 129s do look great though.

Thanks for the reply. Your story sounds exactly like my dilemma. Actually nearly bought a R129 after much research and finding a good example. The seller happened to mention I would need a hand to remove the roof. I had already looked at various different cranes to help with this but after much thought decided a R230 was the way to go. My budget is £10,000 and my thoughts are, do I buy lower and leave a pot for jobs to be done, or buy top budget and hope I buy right. The only thing putting me off a 500 is the suspension. Not really concerned about horsepower as the car is only going to be used for pure grand touring and comfort and my right foot has eased since my RS Turbo days! I'm basically looking for a reliable, not to bad to maintain GT. I have a couple of good merc specialists in my area of County Durham who have given likely problems and costs involved. Not in a hurry to buy as I'm currently on chemotherapy so probably won't be able to use till, well..... ........we'll see!!!!!

 

[neeklaus]

Sorry to hear that Thomas. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

My budget was initially the same as yours but after trying out an SL55 I knew I had to be patient and save up a bit more! If you're not in any hurry to get an AMG, I would say you could get a very nice SL350 for well under that money. No ABC to worry about but you still need to be wary of the balancer shaft issue which as far as I know doesn't affect early cars
This is a useful tool for checking whether cars you might be looking at are affected:
Mercedes Benz balance shaft engine issues. How to check by VIN. M272/273 – MB Medic

The 350 does share the SBS braking system with the other models so you need to be aware of what can go wrong with that too.

From what I've learned and in my short ownership experience these cars are reliable providing you keep up with maintenance and don't cut any corners on services etc. The classic issue of the leaky boot seals is a relatively straightforward DIY fix, which I did on my own car a few weeks ago and seems to have worked quite well:
Boot leaks 230 update. | Mercedes-Benz Owners' Forums

 

[Thomas Gardiner]

Thanks for your good wishes.

Good to hear the boot fix is straight forward, watched a couple of videos on this and think I'm capable. Been a good few years since tinkering with a motor I owned. The VIN check is great. The brake issue not to scary.

Going to enjoy taking my time looking and have a couple of old friends I haven't spoke to for a few years who are in the car trade and will possibly be able to steer me to good one.

Definitely plenty of choice out there. Looking at any colour except black or white, and a cream or grey interior. Want to steer clear of dark interior, although very nice I want something different to my every day car and think the lighter interiors are nearly OTT and make it more of an occasion when you drive it.

 

[Denis O]

Sorry to hear that Thomas. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

My budget was initially the same as yours but after trying out an SL55 I knew I had to be patient and save up a bit more! If you're not in any hurry to get an AMG, I would say you could get a very nice SL350 for well under that money. No ABC to worry about but you still need to be wary of the balancer shaft issue which as far as I know doesn't affect early cars
This is a useful tool for checking whether cars you might be looking at are affected:
Mercedes Benz balance shaft engine issues. How to check by VIN. M272/273 – MB Medic

The 350 does share the SBS braking system with the other models so you need to be aware of what can go wrong with that too.

From what I've learned and in my short ownership experience these cars are reliable providing you keep up with maintenance and don't cut any corners on services etc. The classic issue of the leaky boot seals is a relatively straightforward DIY fix, which I did on my own car a few weeks ago and seems to have worked quite well:
Boot leaks 230 update. | Mercedes-Benz Owners' Forums

Balancer shaft issues do not effect the 3.7 engine, just the 3.5. The 3.5 can also suffer from auto box issues. Midway through 2004 the 3.7 had a minor facelift which effected the nav screen, became larger plus other things which don't come to mind.

I've always been a V8 man but I do not find the 3.7 V6 lacking in the least. I used it to drive to Corfu a couple of years ago and it's a superb drive, as any GT cruiser would be. I did it about 12 years ago in a 911 Cab so I can make the comparison. I'm somewhat older now so maybe that jaundices my decision that these days, the SL, would be my choice, for intercontinental touring.

 

[LostKiwi]

Good point on the Comand. Go for the later version. The early one tends to develop issues with turning off causing the consumer battery to go flat all the time and also uses a D2B optical ring to talk to CD changers, amplifiers etc. Fine when it's working but a pain if not or if you want to change the head unit - especially if you have Bose.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Given your budget and comments you could get a very nice 350 which wouldn’t break the bank in maintenance and running costs

 

[Thomas Gardiner]

Balancer shaft issues do not effect the 3.7 engine, just the 3.5. The 3.5 can also suffer from auto box issues. Midway through 2004 the 3.7 had a minor facelift which effected the nav screen, became larger plus other things which don't come to mind.

I've always been a V8 man but I do not find the 3.7 V6 lacking in the least. I used it to drive to Corfu a couple of years ago and it's a superb drive, as any GT cruiser would be. I did it about 12 years ago in a 911 Cab so I can make the comparison. I'm somewhat older now so maybe that jaundices my decision that these days, the SL, would be my choice, for intercontinental touring.

Interesting the 3.7 is not affected. Feel like the model search has been narrowed in a few hours listening to the experts on this forum.

Thoughts at the moment would be a later model 3.7, (most probably not a 500, really don't need that much car) Cruising down to Corfu sounds amazing. Done a couple of road trip holidays to France and Spain the last couple of years and this is what we intend to do in the SL. Sounds perfect for the job.

 

[Blobcat]

Don’t try a 500 or 55 if you want a 350 is my best advice

 

[McDonald]

Don’t try a 500 or 55 if you want a 350 is my best advice

That's a good tip Blobcat. The 350 is a lovely car, but the 500 leaves a mark on your soul. It's nothing to do with performance (for me anyway) they're both very capable. But the sound and the ride (ABC) is simply better.

 

[LostKiwi]

The worst thing about taking an SL500 (in either r129 or r230 form) is that roof up 80mph seems soooo slooow.
Roof down the general wind noise gets annoying after 3-4 hours.
If you avoid toll roads and travel D roads through France they're lovely with the roof down.

 

[00slk]

Our 500 is still sitting unused and forgotten about..........
Pity it's a 500