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What tire sizes and engines were used in 2006 and 2007 SL 500 and 550
I am very serious about buying a 2006 SL 500 or 2007 SL 550. Both have around 70000 miles and each has very nice interior and exterior. They appear to have been well maintained. What tire size did they use? 19 inch tires seem to be more readily available than 18 inch tires. What were the engines used? M273 or M 113. Looking on the internet I have become very confused.
Do these models have any expensive problems that seem to come up at these mileages? I am 81 and so not DIY anymore so will have to pay to have work done.
I have played with old cars since i was 19 in 1962 when a 1926 Model T was my daily driver. I have had a lot of cars since then, including 2 1929 Franklins, a 1932 Lincoln V 12, a 1923 Lincoln, a 1939 Delage D6-75, a 1958 Jag XK150, a 1933 MG J-2 roadster, a 1957 Corvette, a 1919 Cadillac limo, 1972 and 1974 Panteras, a 1971 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1 , a 2000 BMW M roadster, and a 2000 Corvette roadster and a 2006 Z06. I did most of the work on them myself, but not anymore.
Any help would be appreciated.
My 2 current cars. A very rare 1916 Model T coupelet. Coupelets were made for 3 years and only about 60 are known to exist.
Last year I finished a total repaint, along with doing a new leather interior and making a new top for the car. I did the work myself.
Very nice cars! The '07 was a minor facelift year that included the M273 as base engine, replacing the M113 ('03-'06). A decent power improvement, but both are pretty reliable. More importantly, the '07 has a revised version of the ABC active suspension with revised valve blocks and other enhancements. These do tend to be fairly high maintenance cars, especially the roof and suspension, so you should aware of that if you choose to buy one. I have a neighbor at a similar age that purchased a 2009 after his Corvette was t-boned and totaled. He seems to be happy with his choice and I have done some minor repairs for him.
I wouldn't be too obsessed with mileage, the powertrain is reliable and most maintenance issues are more age related than mileage. You will see many cars with aftermarket wheels and either 18's or 19's are fine. I like the look of 19's, but they are a bit easier to damage. Also, make sure to check date codes on tires. These cars tend to be lightly driven and tires will often age out before wearing out.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Good advice from @MikeJ65 . Not sure what the two are selling for, but I'd go with the newer even though the M113 is rock solid. I don't know much about the M273, but you will probably appreciate the ~30% increase in horsepower. Also, the newer models probably have Bluetooth for hands-free mobile phone use. (The earlier models also had hands-free cell phone support, but I found it kludgy.) The big consideration is the improved suspension. The earlier generation ABC was amazing until it didn't work -- then it became a big PITA. Also, earlier versions had a problem with the baffle in the gas tank coming loose and knocking around as the gasoline slushed about. Not sure if all of that was fixed in the years you are looking at.
Another consideration is the 2015/2016 SL400. It has the M276 3.0 liter bi-turbo that can be easily tuned to produce about 400hp. Otherwise it's at 329hp stock. I found the big advantage to the SL400 is that the electronics are improved, is available without ABC, but still has adjustable suspension settings, is lighter, and MUCH easier to work on in the engine bay compared to a V8. Though you said your wrenching days are over, a simpler engine should mean cheaper maintenance costs. The sweet thing about all of these cars is that the oil filter is on top of the engine and accessible from above, AND the prescribed method for oil changes is to vacuum out the oil through the dipstick tube, and not crawl around under the car. MityVac (and others) make a nice extraction tool for about $100 or so on Amazon. There are both hand pump and air compressor models (I prefer the air compressor since I can start the extraction and come back after 10 minutes or so).
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