greetings everyone,
just got this 500SL yesterday, and wanted to share as a token of appreciation to the information found here from you guys (although i find it extremely saddening that this forum is not near as lively as it should be - hope to change that soon)

*yes, i know about the wiper going to take them off altogether when i take care of all the minor glitches i am counting in the interior


my to-do list with the car:

1. AMG 5 spoke 18s (more on this very soon)

2. debadge the trunk (no 500SL + take off the "dealer sign" viewed on the right hand side)

3. 98 taillights + change the 3-vents side to the 2-vent (1996 and up i believe)

4. clear turning signal on the side

5. change the interior (not decided on colour, leaning towards red just as the S class)

6. repaint the car (black, not sure if this my final decision - honestly, i am not satisfied with the depth of the color as is now)

i THINK this is all i have decided i must do, but of course first i will have to take care of a bunch of things (primarily, getting a new 'cover' for the hood from the inside (one that protects the paint from the engine heat)

i am open for any leads or ideas if you think otherwise from what i have put .. would love feedback

 

Sincerest congratulations. More detail? Miles, year,mods, interior pics?

 

thanks

i apologize, it's a 1993
158k km (~99k miles)
no mods (but definitely thinking of many as mentioned in the Edit above)
and i haven't got any interior pics for now, sorry (nothing special to be honest. YET)

my dad used to have a 500 since back in 94, and it was the first car i ever drove! no wonder i'm ruined for life
i took him with me to inspect the car, and he has pointed out many of the same things i have noticed prior, and nothing was major. i insisted he take the test drive and not i, and he said it's a good car to get since all we noticed was in need of change is very minor and can be attended to collectively

he was especially happy when he knew the car did not have ADS.. in fact, when i told him i was looking for an SL he was a bit reluctant and was very wary if it had hydraulic suspensions

the car itself drives extremely well, i'm not sure if i would have preferred a 1996+ model with the 5spd automatic, because that was the only thing i was thinking of before getting this car (my dad's was a 93 as well if i remember correctly and so i did not know how different the 5spd would be)

i was extremely pleased that the top works perfectly, as i have gathered that it is a common problem from this boards (?)
all in all, i'm very pleased after 2 days of purchase with how the car drives + the electronics of the interior
i know what to attend to, and in what order .. so hopefully, before the end of this month i will have done everything i want before touching the paint/interior for change

 

Good deal. Nice to have the history with your dad and his ride. You've got a pretty extensive list there. Keeps you off the streets. Keep us posted.

 

Congratulations!

 

Congratulations...... but about changing the 3-vents side to the 2-vent side..... it will not fit...... unless you change all the bottom piece to a 1996 or newer......... good luck......

 

thanks guys


SL Brabus,
thanks for the heads up, but which bottom piece exactly? do you mean that it is not just a matter of replacing the COVER, but also what goes underneath it?

-

HLG600 has been extremely kind to respond quickly to my query regarding his wheels, but is there any place you guys know of that ships internationally and has a wide range of wheels fitting the R129?

from HLG600's kind information, i am to understand that what i am looking for is 8.5F, 9.5R, correct?
(tire sizes as well have been supplied by HLG600 - many thanks once again)

 

Glad to be of help.

 

meaning you have to replacing the whole plastic panel in order for it to look right...... ( door panel plastic, side skirts, rear quarter panel plastic, and ect..... which will cost you a lot of $$$........ good luck......

 

SLB, I never knew nor thought...and where is the logic in that design, other than the fact they just made it that way?

 

I don't know........ I guess MB think it time for the facelift.... ..... 1996 is the major facelift for the SL...... then 1999 a minor facelift for the SL....... Some of the thing are look the same but it won't fit........ example the hardtop....... 1990-1995 hardtop won't fit 1996-2002........

 

Just tryin to keep things fresh, I guess. Sort of like the new Mini Coopers. If I remember right there are over 200 changes, but wouldn't notice at first glance.

 

thanks SL Brabus for the clarification .. I will ask more about this when i make the trip to the shop to change fluids so the car is "on my clock".
i'm sure they have changed a number of those vents (as well as taillights) before

at any rate, just back from the dealer.. i got the following

1. protective cover that goes on the hood from the inside .. i didn't like the condition the one it had was in, so i ripped it up

2. along with it, i got the set of 14 clips that hold the cover in place .. they're all there on the car now, but i thought it was the safe thing to do "just in case" i need one or two in the future, then i would have a full set handy

3. a new cover that goes in the trunk: the one which has a hole for the trunk light and extends to both sides of the trunk .. the one it has now has a missing piece in the middle that covers the lock of the trunk, and isnce it isn't sold seperately i got the full part

4. small clear (white) turn signals that go behind and over the side fenders

5. the plastic "head" piece that retracts the drawer in the interior

unfortunately, they did not have the whole lid that covers the compartment designated for the tapes .. but in a way that's a good thing because i was thinking of taking the tapes space out and making it into a side compartment as an extra space for, say, a wallet and a mobile (instead of putting them up in the space above the AC)
still, of course, i will probably order the lid in the future because it wouldn't look nice to have a "big hole" in the middle of the car even if it was made into a big hole

i also asked about the side vents and the 98 taillights .. i'm not sure which is which, but if i remember correctly the pair for the taillights would come to ~$500, and the side vents ~$630 for a pair.
does that sound right?

in addition, and MOST importantly, the AMG wheels!
HLG600, yours are the EXACT same that go on the new SL55, correct? because the guy handed me a catalogue to choose and it was for the newer models.
the rear ones costed a bit more, and the whole set of 4 would come to a cost of $2,560 (they would have to order it, but i would pay nothing extra .. just put down a deposit)

i think that's about it for now!

 

The newer models have two retractable beverage holders in there. Pretty handy because when folded, there is a flat storage space there. May want to check that out and see if those fit. Tony, any idea???

 

thanks for the thought
but i'm not too big on cup holders in cars nor do i need them (not a coffee drinker, perhaps why) and i also have a no-food no-drink rule in cars

say, where can i see some pics of both your SLs?!

 

No problem. Posts #7 & 77 on 129 picture thread.

 

I hope you not driving your car with out the new hood pad because with out the hood pad, the heat from the engine is killing your paint on the hood....... oh, yeah don't forget to use the 3M super trim adhesive gule if you have not put in your new hood pad.......

The taillights sound like it cost a lot, you could get a pair for about $320....but the side vents sound right.......
I think you want to get the 99-02 taillights not the 98 because 98 and 93 are the samething......

good luck......

 

yes, they are pretty handy.... .. If I remember someone here in this forum did it before...... and he say it was pain in the butt to change it........