Looking at buying a 450sl

[BSC]

I've found a 1979 450SL with 147k miles for sale. It has both hard and soft tops, light blue on dark blue, AC & power windows. It has been sitting in a barn for a couple of years. "It starts but won't stay running" What should I expect to pay for something like this, ballpark figure? What would it go for if it were running and in fairly good shape? I'm knew to older MB's and this one sparked my interest.

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[Skylaw]

Welcome to the forum, and sorry about the delay in responding. I'm reluctant to answer your first question by directing you to another forum, but you will find http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c1...ume-107-a.html and the links embedded to be one of the most useful resources on the R107.

You can expect fuel and fuel system problems on a car that was stored for a long time - especially if improperly stored. See http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c1...el-distro.html. Also see http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c1...y-reviews.html for a list of things to evaluate.

You will want to pay attention to rust, a real problem depending on where the car has been driven and how well it was cared for.

I can't give you a good estimate - but it would be low, under $3,000. As to what you might anticipate in repairs, see what I have spent on my $3500 '78 450SL - so far. See http://www.mbworld.org/forums/sl-slc...ed-advice.html The car was running pretty well when I bought it - but you can see it needed a lot of work, despite not looking too bad. Pics at http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c1...old-car-2.html and some additional mods/costs at http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c1...tics-into.html

You don't buy these cars because they're inexpensive. Buy them because you love them, and be prepared to spend time and money.