hi i am looking to purchase an sl 500 or 600 looking for pros and cons between the two.

 

Welcome to the forum, adventuris. When you get a moment fill in the rest of your profile with location.

You can start researching the two different models here,

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...materials.html

If you have a local to you Qualified Independent(non-dealer) Technician, go make him your 'new best friend'. Discuss these two models with him.

 

I have an '01 SL500 and i love it but be prepared for HIGH repair bills. It's an awesome machine but it costs a lot to fix. Just be sure to keep that in mind when budgeting.

 

MB and Volvo( maybe others) used a wiring harness that was "green" for different models during years 93-96 . Heat and vibration were not positive for the wiring integrity. insulation breaks and voltage leakage is hard to locate and not limited to a few problem spots. I had a good mechanic and no need for the use of the car for prolonged blocks of time. After full replacement of the upper and lower harnesses in the engine compartment and a few relay replacement and $ 20K, It work very nicely! These vehicles are not simple like my early Benz, 190 D, 190 SL, 220S, 220SE or even a 450SLC.
A good mechanic, who understands the complexity of a R 129 is important. Good luck finding the cherry.

 

I purchased a 98 SL500 with Pano roof about 2 months ago after months of research and looking - I love it. It was one owner, clean CarFax, perfect body, but had several minor problems which were great for negotiating a better prices. For starters, Suggest you go to this link and read the buyer's guide - it is well done http://www.brianclifton.com/cars/r129-buyers-guide/.

You didn't say how mechanically inclined you are. I've done a lot of work on Japanese and U.S. cars and trucks (advanced DIY), but hadn't touched an MB. Using the information I found this forum and benzworld.org I knew what to look for, and how to fix what I found wrong. I was able to knock more than $2k off the dealer's price by pointing out what was wrong with the car and the MB dealer's cost to repair (they took the car to an MB Dealer to verify). I did the work myself for under $600.

When you start looking seriously pay particular attention to the top cylinders (11 on my '98) - know where they are, run the top up and down at least 3 times and check each for leaks. The MB dealer price to replace all is in the $4k neighborhood. You can do it yourself for under $600 if all were leaking by using the sources you'll find in the forums. Similarly, look for things like cracking front strut mounts (parts are $60 each, and it is a :30 DIY), drive shaft flex joints, front & rear suspension bushings, etc. Source your parts carefully on the internet and you can save a bundle.

When you get down to "the car", pay $150 to have an MB dealer or indy with a Star diagnosis set-up scan all the computer controlled systems (there are a lot on these cars and they are sensitive to things like battery chargers and jump starting).

Good hunting and good luck...

 

He is right. There is good reason why these $78-$80,000 autos drop down to $12,000 after ten years - because that is precisely when many of the "systems" such as hydraulic top cylinders, ADS, vacuum locks, etc began to deteriorate.

The Active Dampening shock system on my friends 1998 cost $3,000 to repair - I decided against the V12 when I saw his car had 3 different warning lights lit up! Ouch. Big bills.

My 1991 Sl 500 needs $750 of work and that's little by comparison.

They are not just expensive to purchase - but expensive to keep up.

 

As I was just saying to a member in the W140 section, keep in mind maintenance on these cars is very expensive. You are buying a $7-35k car, but you are still paying for maintenance on a $95-140k Mercedes Benz. With that said, last year I put just over 9k miles on my '99 SL500. Other than buying some AMG wheels, clear corner markers (as well as some other performance parts), and engine oil, I have not spent a penny on the car other than insurance/gas money. It has held up very well to the abuse I put it through (took it to the drag strip several times, did a top speed run in Wyoming, went racing up through the mountains several times, did a burnout or two occasionally, and regularly exceeded speeds of 100mph). They are great cars that hold up very well and (for the moment at least) are not depreciating too much.

Off the top of my head, I've noticed the 500's have slightly better "off the line" performance where as the 600's have better performance once rolling. The 500's will (most likely) cost less to insure/maintain/fill with gas/etc than a 600.

In the end though, if I ever was going to buy another R129 (selling my SL500 because I am sick of being stuck in a two door, two seater car), it would definitely be a 600. The 500 was fun while it lasted, but you just don't get the feeling of all the torque and power the 600 has to offer.

Ricky

 

Make that a +1 for the SL600. Very, very different that the SL500. w/ smiles Jimmy

 

Excellent resourses, thanks