SL/R129: I miss my SL600!
06-07-2007, 01:20 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
I miss my SL600!
I bought an SL55 nearly 5 years ago and overlapped with an R129 SL600 which I sold in 2004 and I have to say I miss it. The SL55 has never really got under my skin like the SL600 did and it's clear to me, if you have an R129, look after it because what you'll replace it with will likely not be as good.
06-08-2007, 02:14 AM
#2
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Calgary, Canada
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1997 SL600R, 2007 Denali, 2005 Ducati 749, 2005 Custom Ducati Monster, 2006 WR250F, 2008 Skido revxp
Interesting
I have an r129 SL600 and have considered upgrading to the new body style (sl55) but have not made a final decision. What do you miss about the SL600?
06-08-2007, 10:42 PM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Good to hear from you BlueSL.
Even if it is in remorse for selling the R129.
You can always buy another one .... cheap!
What a bargan these cars are.
I ran into a guy that bought a 1997, SL500, 23,000 miles for $ 19,000 US last September off Ebay.
Has the word gone nuts?
These are great cars!!!!
Even if it is in remorse for selling the R129.
You can always buy another one .... cheap!
What a bargan these cars are.
I ran into a guy that bought a 1997, SL500, 23,000 miles for $ 19,000 US last September off Ebay.
Has the word gone nuts?
These are great cars!!!!
06-09-2007, 12:46 AM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
I think it's three or four things...
- I certainly miss the build quality of the R129 compared to the R230 which just doesn't have the same "hewn from solid" feel about it. I have an early car, and it's possible current production is better, but I'm not about to take the depreciation hit to find out.
- I think the SL55's styling is compromised to get the roof in, not good from a a rear 3/4 view. Even now, when I see an R129, I think the styling is timeless and looks great. The R230 is already starting to look over-fussy and dated.
- I actually miss the soft top; the roof is clever and all but I used to like the way the car is transformed when you take the hard top off the R129. Winch it into my garage roof and summer is here!
- I miss the smoothness and "authority" of the V12; the supercharger exhaust note of the SL55 gets to you after a while, like someone talking loudly in a restaurant.
I had trouble with my R129 in the last months of ownership (new gearbox, wiring loom failure, airbag controller failure) which made me petulantly trade it for less than I should have done, in exchange for a 911 C4S that turned out to be a dog and I only kept for 8 months.
So the mourning of the loss of the SL600 is compounded by the knowledge I made a bad purchase decision in moving on...
- I certainly miss the build quality of the R129 compared to the R230 which just doesn't have the same "hewn from solid" feel about it. I have an early car, and it's possible current production is better, but I'm not about to take the depreciation hit to find out.
- I think the SL55's styling is compromised to get the roof in, not good from a a rear 3/4 view. Even now, when I see an R129, I think the styling is timeless and looks great. The R230 is already starting to look over-fussy and dated.
- I actually miss the soft top; the roof is clever and all but I used to like the way the car is transformed when you take the hard top off the R129. Winch it into my garage roof and summer is here!
- I miss the smoothness and "authority" of the V12; the supercharger exhaust note of the SL55 gets to you after a while, like someone talking loudly in a restaurant.
I had trouble with my R129 in the last months of ownership (new gearbox, wiring loom failure, airbag controller failure) which made me petulantly trade it for less than I should have done, in exchange for a 911 C4S that turned out to be a dog and I only kept for 8 months.
So the mourning of the loss of the SL600 is compounded by the knowledge I made a bad purchase decision in moving on...
