crb49

Very Cleeen, RennTech. Nicely said and welcome to the forums.

I've wondered if i would be as happy with the 230 as opposed to the 129. Read something the other day (was that on these posts???) about 230 guys being a bit detached from their cars as opposed to 129. Not so passionate, I guess.

Be it the 500 or 600, what do you like about your 230 over the 129...and visa versa?

jjay911

I own a 91 300sl with the 5 speed. I was wondering your oppinions and impressions of this car. I have put 14k miles on it and I just love it on the highway. JJ

Bagger Lance

Dern it ReNNtech, you've almost talked me back into the SL600.
Why should anyone go through life without owning one at least once!

But I've heard that once you have one, there's no going back. muwahahahaaa.

lynns

May I suggest that you keep your eyes open for a 99-02. Preferably a 99 SL500 w/ SL1 and SL2 packages. But if you must then take a look at this car http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/99-Me...QQcmdZViewItem
I bought a triple black 2000 SL500 w/ SL1 and SL2 packages and 20K miles in 7/06. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/2153831-post95.html

I did have to spend some money after the purchase in order to bring the car up to my requirements. Here is a post of what I spent. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/2085589-post1.html

I live in Orange County SoCal. The hotbed of M-B ownership. Before purchasing my car I test drove 3 SL500's and 3 SL600's and as you can see decided on the SL500. You may want to take a look at some other Forum owners pics prior to your decision. http://www.benzworld.org/gallery/sho...ry.php/cat/503

Please take a look at these 96-02 R129 cars. http://motors.listings.ebay.com/_Car...22QQsofocusZpf

Bagger Lance

The hunt continues...

Not trying to threadjack Audi. These are things that might help in your pursuit of a great car.

I could make this a buyers saga, but I'll save y'all the agony.

This is my fourth candidate.

Spotted a nice looking 99 SL600 AMG Sport off of Ebay here in my home State. The pictures and description looked good. The colors I wanted and the price looked right, and it was a trade-in at a local Chrysler dealer. As most of you know, SL500 SL1/SL2 options are all bundled into the SL600 from 98 (somebody verify the date, cause I don't recall when the AMG options kicked in on the 500) on, and then some.

Forgive me, but most domestic dealers have no idea what they have when one of these gets traded in. It was worth a try so I called the dealer and when I started grilling the sales rep, he quickly ran out of answers. I had to instruct them over the phone how to take the hard top off in order to inspect the soft top. I wanted everything verified as operational before I made the 200 mile trip to inspect it for myself. Here is where researching the cars pays off. When they finally got the hard top off and soft top up, it had the typical 4 inch thread breaks between rear window and soft top fabric. For some reason it's always the drivers side in my experience.

To net it out, I made the trip on a Saturday when my choices were yard work, or check out a rare car.

I arrived in time to get the car in the service bay before they closed the doors on the repair shop. The first order of business was to hoist it up on the rack and check seals, any leaks, exhaust, brakes, suspension, collision repair, etc. The visual checked out save for needing new rotors and tires have been running low on air. Have about 5K left on them.

Next up, check everything cosmetic and electrical before the test drive.

This car had been rode hard and put away wet as we say in Texas. For 60K miles, it looked over double that +. Leather needed significant restoration, door fabric was torn, Sirus radio install was botched, but those are pretty minor repairs. It was however an indicator of other potential issues.

Time for the test drive - With the sales guy in the passenger seat we set off. 100 yards later the sales rep says Oh..sh.. and begins wiping his right pants leg.

Not as a result of my driving... , but from the accumulator leaking from the right window seal. Fairly common when owners don't pay attention says I.

Next up my drive. I do my typical SL600 run. When ever the sales guy starts talking nonsense, I gun it and take his breath and thought process away. I run the car fairly hard and check out traction control, steering, any suspension noise, and general acceleration characteristics. I push it for about 15 minutes and then gently glide back into the dealership while checking the cruise control; woops....cruise control broken. Also a funny hard knocking from the front suspension on quick turns.

As I pull into the lot and park the car I have the team gang up on me for "the close". Finance guy, GM and sales guy are all smiles. I say I want to grab a quick lunch and think about it. They say, sure...take the car with you...

I look down and see coolant streaming in gallons from under the car and ask them if they really want me to take it to lunch. . As their smiles fade I say, Doncha hate it when that happens?

We decided to regroup and talk about price later.
My quick math estimate...add $7-10K to bring her back, but I would never commit without a PPI from a good Indy.

The fun continues...

Bagger

lynns

Take a look at these two cars even if you have to use some FF miles.
The red one has been 4 sale 4 some time.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/99-Me...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-...QQcmdZViewItem

RENNtech-er

That is THE TRUTH! I had never driven any SL before flying to Illinois from Baltimore in Dec. 1995 to get the '94 SL600 (23,000 miles; diamond blue metallic with navy interior and soft top) from a leasing company. The initial drive around local streets was "intorquesicating," and that was with the car starting off in 2nd gear rather than 1st. I know that stoplight grands prix are supposedly for adolescents, but the reality of the areas that I live in is that straight line runs are the only chances I had to exercise the car. Although the later years of my ownership of the '94 SL600 were frustrating due to reliability issues (including the dreaded wiring harness frazzles) and consequent high repair bills (but I did have the car for 7 years and ran it from 23,000 miles to over 100,000), when my lease on the '02 SL500 that replaced the '94 SL600 ended after 39 months I just had to have a 12 again. Time will tell if maintenance on my '04 SL600 is as much of a pain in the wallet as it was on the old '94, but for now I ain't regretting the 230 series SL600 one bit.

AMGSport

I'm currently in a 98 SL500 Sport...I've never owned an SL600, but I did own a Jag XJS with the V12...There is no doubt they are two different cars, but I've come to the conclusion that everyone should own a 12 cylinder car at least once. When they are right, they have this weird "instant-on" torque electric motor feel that I've not seen reproduced in any other motor type (though I have not driven a V10 Viper)...Maintenance headaches aside, they are the sh*t...Torque is addicting; my last car was a Porsche 951 (944 Turbo)...and the torque produced by a 2.5 liter four cylinder was ridiculous...

On the street, it's all about torque, not horsepower, as far as I am concerned...

Bagger Lance

Nice examples Lynn - Thanks!

Here is the car I checked out last Saturday.
Pano, AMG pedals, just too tempting to resist a closer look.
FYI - This car will sell. Sales guy was very nice and accomodating. Just didn't know the car.

When buying on ebay it's always Caveat Emptor.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-...QQcmdZViewItem

Bagger

lynns

It was probably the Pano top that caught your attention. Understandably so. But try not to make that such an issue. Many Forum members but what I think is to much of a premium on the Pano top. Just my 2 cents.

lynns

Take a look at this site.
http://cars.kbb.com/go/search/fs_sea...06&aff=carskbb

mebeJOE

Bagger:

There are a few of these babies in very good shape here in So. California. This is a zero rust area, BTW. Many have been owned and pampered by wealthy folks (but mores so the SL500's than the 600's).

Because you are looking for a pretty rare car, you might need to expand your search. It would be worth the travel expense to find THE RIGHT baby, yes?

You can do a regional search on cars.com

If you see something you like in the greater L.A. area (L.A., O.C., maybe Palm Springs, Riverside, San Berdo; HA HA -- not likely you'll find these in the last two places) and you would like me to give it a quick check out for you -- just send me a P.M. -- it would be a pleasure to help out.

Bagger Lance

PM sent.

You guys are great!

Bagger

RENNtech-er

I don't know about the "bit detached" descriptor of 230 series owners. Guys on the 230 board seem pretty passionate to me, as are the 230 AMG board contributors.

I really like the R230 cars. Comparing them to the R129s:

Looks: The 129 is classic; the 230 is gorgeous. I remember coming to a dead stop, whirling in a 180 and silently mouthing a "WOW!" when a black 230 series eased by at a shopping center one time. The 230 is just "it" for me.

Acceleration and power: absolutely no contest. The R230 55/600/65 are smile-a-second road burners--as they should be, being 15 or so years more advanced in everything from the 129s.

Seats and front room: The 230 seats are more comfortable for me, I think that there is more legroom in the 230 than 129 (but could be wrong), and the seats can recline more when they're adjusted towards the back of their fore-aft travel. The ventilation and pulse features of the 230 seats are pretty subtle and no big deal one way or the other.

Luggage space: here the 129 has it over the 230. The trunk of the 230 seems smaller than the 129, and really closes in when the hardtop is stowed. Also, having to close the panel that separates the luggage area from the top stowage area in order to open and stow the top is a pain, as I'm always forgetting to do that, so have to pull over, get out, and close the darn thing. The parcel shelf in the 230 is barely the width of a window ledge and mostly useless, whereas the shelf in the 129 is decently accommodating, even for a Labrador retriever on a 1050 mile trip from Maryland to Ft. Lauderdale.

Hardtop/softtop: Kind of a draw, in a way. I loved the look of the 129 with the hardtop on, but putting it on and taking it off is definitely a task that has to be done slowly and carefully, even with an overhead winch and stowage cart, as the top is severely weight biased towards the rear and prone to tilt in that direction when handled, which can bounce the two corner securing studs that protrude from the top onto the surface of the car. I had no leak or other problems with the 129 softtop, and the car was quiet enough for me when the softtop was closed. The 230 hardtop is another "WOW" feature of the car and certainly gives a sleeker look.

Electronics: again, being 15 years newer, the R230s are in a totally different class of electronic gimcrackery than the 129s: very advanced slip and skid control, brake assist, anti-lean in corners, adjustable ride height and "sport" setting, Parktronic, Distronic, etc. Now, whether all this wizardry makes for a "better" ride may be debated. I do like the ride of my 230 SL600.

I've probably left out some items, but at least this is a start.

lynns

I don't believe these cars sold due to "Reserve not Met". You may want to investigate.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...3977200&rd=1,1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...1798646&rd=1,1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...5503779&rd=1,1

Bagger Lance

Picked her up today and she is in the garage. It was a good hunt.

I looked, drove and pre-inspected nine cars including two SL600's. Per the thread topic, get out and compare for yourself. It's worth it.

She's a clean Silver/Black 99 SL500. AMG package including skirts, AMG chrome wheels, xenon, and heated seats.

I drove it home 250 miles and can't get over how smooth, solid, and quick these older cars are.

Well ahead of their time.

Dr. Phil was the original owner, so I got that going for me. The car seems relatively balanced.

crb49

pics!!!

bobterry99

So, how much did you have to pay and how many miles on the odometer? I'm selling a similar car advertised in the Autotrader and wonder how your deal compares to the $22.5K I am seeking for my car with 75K miles.

Quality of many Mercedes introduced after the W140 S-Class in the early '90s is definitely lower. But I don't think a later R129 is any less well-made than an early car.

The R230 with ABC suspension is a significantly better chassis than the R129. The ride is softer, yet handling is better. Cowl shake and vibration driving top-down are far less with the newer car. Fit and finish and the quality of the interior is as good or better, but electronics and mechanical components fail more frequently with the R230, so it is not as reliable as the R129.

Bagger Lance

Bob,

It has about 90K on the clock, but the condition is superb. I took it to my mechanic yesterday and we did a complete 2 hour inspection. It needs plugs, transmission flush, and a cabin filter.

It was listed for one day and met my criteria for color combo, SL1/SL2 packages, clean carfax/autocheck, and very attractive price. I was skeptical but made the 3 hour drive to check it out.

After 30 minutes with the car I pounced.

I wouldn't have any problem selling it for $22.5K and I would make a $4K profit. In fact, I would have bought it for $22.5K.

The Honda dealer that sold it didn't know what they had. They were selling it for a friend of the owner.

Should start a thread on how to buy/sell these cars. I think there are certain key things that should be highlighted in the ads and a bunch of things buyers should look for.

Bagger

lconn

Hi,

I've owned a 95 SL600 for about 9 years. I would still take it over the 500 for the options and just to own the V12 which is a wonderful engine. The car has been a bit of a hangar queen but nothing specific to the V12, I would have had the same problems with the V8. One issue is parts. The V12 parts are few and far between and not much used available. Few mechanics who know the car well and a difficult DIY if it's more than routine stuff. Remember, regardless of what you pay for the car itself, you are buying parts for a $130k car. 5speed started in 96. Biggest headache would have to be the decomposing wiring harnesses which manifest themselves in numerous ways, make sure they've been replaced or assume you will be doing it. They really do turn to dust, regardless of what you do.

Leonard

Bagger Lance

I've lost my SL500!

My wife has adopted it and there isn't much chance I'll have it back.

She berated me for months as I was doing pre-purchase inspections.
"You can have it, it's an old mans car",
"If you really want a convertible, why don't you look at the new Hondas or VW's?"

Now she absolutely loves the car!
Every time I go to the garage it's gone, golf clubs and all!
I'm back to driving my c230 or F150 crew.

I don't have any other cars in mind at the moment. The SL was (past tense) what I really wanted. But I love my wife and she can have it. Yep...She's a hottie...looks like a movie star in the car and no, I won't post pics.

Now there's a true test of commitment!
Or maybe I should just be committed.

Damn, I shoulda gotten the V12! She definiately didn't like the power.
Who woulda known?

Are there no "guy cars" left in the world?

Bagger

lynns

Well that sounds like a good enough excuse to get yourself a SL600. If your wife looks like a movie star then why not look like a mid-lifer with this RED 47K miles 1999. And check out those wheels!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-...QQcmdZViewItem

Bagger Lance

Very nice specimen Lynn. Carfax looks clean as well.
I would definately resemble the mid-lifer in that one.

Oddly enough she suggested another SL. One of her favorite shows growing up was Hart to Hart.

I never watched it but she tells me the show opens with husband and wife each having 450SL's playing cat and mouse on PCH.

I don't think I can go there. Kinda like wearing the same clothes when you go out for "date night".

But then again...who cares!
SL's are the undisputed King of high-end Roadsters and the SL600 is da bomb.

Bagger

crb49

First of all, where's the love?

You can't just throw down all that preamble to your buds and then not give us at least one good combo pic. Say you're sorry and get the camera out.

Re: your ride....I think the only thing left to do is get a 230 55 in black.


BTW, re: Lynns red 600 pics, what is "oil canning"?

lynns

Oil Canning
A moderate deformation or buckling of sheet material, particularly common with flat sheet metal surfaces.