pauld

It's still a fantastic piece of engineering....

And even the 350 will beat 95% of anything you'll meet on the road. Have fun and enjoy....just make sure your wife doesn't just keep driving one day and not come home!!

Pauld

Mustard

Checked again - the orginal quote was for a new SL500 without tracker (not required). £992 from my broker. Changed my car spec before re-checking insurance - SL350 even less. Might be more with increased value of SL55, but can't see it being double.

Tracker fitted quote was £944.

PM me and will give you Broker's name & tel.....

pauld

Sorry I should have made clear...my insurance quote includes business coverage.

Pauld

Mustard

So does this - business use for SHMBO and myself - if that's what you mean. Does not cover other vehicles, however.

pauld

OK Photo's

Arrow show impact point....you can see the slight shadow and crack line.

pauld

Looking down you can see the distorted tyre.

pauld

This shows the distortion better.

pauld

I hadn't noticed this crack in the rim till I took these photo's (wiped dust off wheel).

You can see it fairly clearly.

pauld

And this is where it grazed the rear wheel.

blueSL

The distortion's incredible! It's amazing it didn't blow out and is still holding pressure - no chance of salvaging that wheel. As you've said, at least you're in one piece. Let's hope there's no damage to the suspension.

pauld

As I said in an earlier posting...I woke up on Sunday and realised how lucky I'd been (post shock syndrome?). I agree though that it's extraordinary that the car tracked in a straight line and that the tyre didn't blow. In most cars I'm pretty certain that this would have been a 3 or 4 car pile up.

Pauld

Mustard

Thats a shocker! Glad you are OK out of it - testimony to the tyres too, I'd say. Raises a few questions about alloys in my mind - have had four distorted 5-spoke alloys on the BMW, (two after a particularly bad pot hole) but just wonder about the structural integrity of lesser-spoked alloys. Wonder if the 19 spoke fan-types would have done the same?

Worth a go at the local authority - especially with photos and description of place / time. Worked for me. Its their legal obligation to keep the roads free of debri - they may on-sue the contractors.

mookie

Can u say Lucky! Cool pics.

morebhp

Would never have happed with the 19 spokes - there much tougher - especially the ones fitted to the faster more powerful Jasper Blue cars

Pity you had so much traffic around you - having just done the AMG driving day I'm sure you (and the car) could have missed it. The ESP it pretty impressive.

Even with ESP off the ABS and steering work great.

The wife scuffed my rear in the 360 about the same as your rear scuff - it was 75 UKP for the repair.

Pleased to hear you are OK.

Paul

blueSL

You let your WIFE drive the 360? Goodness, that would be asking for trouble in my household. Fortunately, my MSO hates the Ferrari although she is taking rather too keen an interest in the SL55.

morebhp

Last time she drove it - these are the genuine quotes.


"Why wont it go? - how do I det it in gear?"

I tell her to pull back the right paddle to select first. (F1 box)

She does this and revs it "But it still wont go"

I point out that she needs to put her foot on the brake to get it into gear!

She responds "Which one is the brake?"

At which point I really am losing confidence!!!! Of she went.

I sold it to finance the SL55 which she is much safer in!

mookie

I think that u are lucky she doesnt know how to drive a stick, it saves u the problems that will accure when she does something crazy

pocholin

LOL ! ! !, you are not alone:
once I told my wife I needed to change the front rotors on her Corvette (99) because they were warped and the dealer had changed them 2 times and kept doing the same crap, I changed them I put cross drilled rotos, when I was finished I asked her to come and take a look, I pointed to the tires, she didn't know what I had changed, then I pointed to the rotor! and she said "ohh the shinny thing there! what was wrong with it?" LOL

morebhp

Her regular drive is a 323i with stick (or manual here in the UK)

"What's the whirring noise" was another great example from her in my old Toyota Supra Twin Turbo.

pauld

BlueSL I owe you a beer if you ever want to hook up....Micheldever charged me £139 for the tyre.

Rim comes Monday so I'm back on the road (assuming no rain) on Monday night.

Life's good when you're single with an SL55 in London!

Pauld

blueSL

No problem, Paul!

The other good thing about them is that they take great care of your rims when changing tyres. There's no point cleaning them regularly and taking care not to kerb them if some idiot then goes and wrecks them changing the tyre.

Did the suspension check out OK?

pauld

Won't know till the fit the new Rim on Monday...I'll let you know.

Pauld

Mustard

Another beer rom me BlueSL - arranged to have my dented rims done by Pristine, which gives me a c ouple of spares to swap for the kerbed ones when I sell....

What a nice bunch. They even swop out two or four good rims while doing the repairs. Didn't need that, but 75% cheaper than having new alloys.

Thank you, too.

London Lad

Hi all,

Any of you guys got any rattles in your SL55 ?

I have a plastic sounding rattle coming from the boot or rear of the cabin area.

It is most noticeable when the cabin is cold first thing in the morning and disappears as you drive. After about 10-15 mins it is gone!

I've looked everywhere but I can't find it.

BTW I'm in Westcliff on Sea in Essex, maybe we should have an SL55 'meet'

Graham.

blueSL

No rattles here, is it related to engine speed, road speed, bumps in the road? I assume you've checked the two bins, my wheel bolt "key" was in there. Tried it with the roll bar Up?

A meet sound a good idea, when the weather improves? I sense a photo op... and I'd be able to cash in on all these offers of beer!!