SL/R230: Supercharger for SL500
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
From: Omaha, NE
2003 Mercedes Benz (R230) SL500 (CONV)
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 623
Likes: 213
From: My house
SL55AMG, GL450, SLK, S550, Maserati Coupe
This is a very old thread, and SL500's can now be bought for ten grand or maybe 15 depending on a few things. Thirty grand back in 2009 when it was still fairly new... Anyhow...
An SL500 for one dollar? Must be a special brother deal or it doesn't run? Anyhow, congrats that is a cheap price. Almost nobody can go out and buy a car for a dollar. LoL. The SL55 AMG's compared to the SL500, they didn't just drop in a motor with a supercharger and call it good. The AMG's have bigger rear axles, heavier strength steel rear subframes, bigger wheel bearings, a few other upgrades to handle the extra power. Plus, the AMG engines are hand-built by one engineer whose name is on the top of the motor. If it were me and I had an SL500, and wanted a supercharger, I'd sell the 500 or trade it in buying an SL55 AMG. In fact, that's what I did. First R230 I owned was an SL600, which I sold when co-vid (BS) came along and "wrecked the world". My buddy two states over, still owns the car and visits here every summer. Not wanting to go thru life without an R230 to call my own, I bought a SL550 (M273) with 400 HP. After a year, I missed all that extra horsepower so I found an SL55 AMG and did a trade-in buying the AMG. Whoever wound up with my SL550 would have been happy to find that car so highly serviced, it even had new cabin air filters and new wipers, and didn't need a thing. I never looked back, my SL55 is just an amazing car. For anyone who wants to "upgrade" for the extra HP and torque, I'd say sell or trade to get the AMG. They really are fantastic cars.
An SL500 for one dollar? Must be a special brother deal or it doesn't run? Anyhow, congrats that is a cheap price. Almost nobody can go out and buy a car for a dollar. LoL. The SL55 AMG's compared to the SL500, they didn't just drop in a motor with a supercharger and call it good. The AMG's have bigger rear axles, heavier strength steel rear subframes, bigger wheel bearings, a few other upgrades to handle the extra power. Plus, the AMG engines are hand-built by one engineer whose name is on the top of the motor. If it were me and I had an SL500, and wanted a supercharger, I'd sell the 500 or trade it in buying an SL55 AMG. In fact, that's what I did. First R230 I owned was an SL600, which I sold when co-vid (BS) came along and "wrecked the world". My buddy two states over, still owns the car and visits here every summer. Not wanting to go thru life without an R230 to call my own, I bought a SL550 (M273) with 400 HP. After a year, I missed all that extra horsepower so I found an SL55 AMG and did a trade-in buying the AMG. Whoever wound up with my SL550 would have been happy to find that car so highly serviced, it even had new cabin air filters and new wipers, and didn't need a thing. I never looked back, my SL55 is just an amazing car. For anyone who wants to "upgrade" for the extra HP and torque, I'd say sell or trade to get the AMG. They really are fantastic cars.
Last edited by tonylinc; Oct 13, 2025 at 05:01 PM.
