ddzc

Hey everyone,

I currently have a G35 coupe. Love the car to death, but after 6 years, it's time to change things up. I'm still going to keep it and store it away for personal reasons and future project ideas for it. In the interim, I want to upgrade to something else.

For many many years, the SL55 and SL65 have been one of my top wanted cars. I'm also looking at a G37 IPL, but I'm not a huge fan of the body style. My questions are for the folks who have transitioned from other sports cars and to the folks who own the older SL55s.

1. All of my cars have been stick and I absolutely love it. I hate auto. My worry is that I'll get bored of this car after a while and want something standard again. Has anyone run in to these concerns? Is the SL55 a truly fun car to drive, just as much as a stick shift sports coupe?

2. Maintenance comparison. I don't spend much on my G35 and it rarely ever breaks down. There's tons of aftermarket parts for it and getting things repaired and replaced isn't too expensive. I researched and know about the costs of an SL65, which I'm not ready for. I'm curious, what on average is spent on maintenance and repairs on these cars, similar years.

Just to add more knowledge to the topic. I'm looking at an 04 SL55 Hardtop Convertible and it has 106,000 KM (65,865 Miles).

Thanks!

carguyshu

The SL55 isn't going to be a whole lot cheaper than a SL65 when it comes to upkeep. The v12 has more expensive rotors, coil packs that go bad, and require the entire subframe and engine has to come out to do motor mounts, otherwise the costs will be similar.

ABC suspension is probably the biggest wildcard. A 12/13 year old car will likely need all the accumulators replaced and its possible you'll be needing to replace some hoses in not too long too.

You're also eventually going to have to replace the SBC brake unit (although at 65k you probably have 20k or so to go before it needs replaced). The part for that is about $800 and you will have to do a full brake bleeding, which to do properly requires a STAR tool (which is what the dealer uses for service and diagnostics).

If you want to try and keep costs down at all and/or DIY a STAR tool is a must and you can probably pick one up for 500-900. It is sophisticated enough that for instance if the left seat bolster in the drivers side seat is bad it will tell you that, tell you the part number needed to replace it and also then bring up the exact page in the factory service manual that has a step by step guide on how to go about replacing it. Dealers are really part changers at this point in time with this type of tech.

If you are having a shop do the work, bills can add up quickly on an SL. 3-5 hour labor bills add up quick if you're paying $100+ an hour.

There is a reason these cars sold for $130-$150k+ new and are only selling for in the $20-$30k range now. It is a lot of car for the money, but it also requires a lot of money to keep the car in top shape. If you DIY the parts aren't too terrible (mbdirectparts.com is the cheapest place I've found parts and they are a merc dealer in Nebraska. Take a look around that website for various parts to get an idea on price). If you are paying full retail price on parts and full labor at $200+ an hour then this is not the car for you.

You need to have at least $2k a year stashed away for maintenance and repair. Not that it will cost you that much every year, but there are going to be years where it is more than that, especially considering the cars age.

The drivetrains are near bulletproof in these cars, its all the other stuff that adds up.

ddzc

Sweet, thanks a lot for that detailed response. 2K a year is not bad at all, I was expecting a lot more.

I forgot to ask, for the folks who get nasty winters and snow like we do in Canada, how does this car handle in the winter? Or is this the type of car which should be put away for a few months in storage.

kbob999

So to answer a couple of your questions...
The car has a side shift on the stick, and a full manual mode with shift paddles, so you can drive like a stick all day long.

Park it in the winter. It will save your *** with g meters that maintain composure when you get sideways, but it is low ground clearance, and has wide tires, and tons of power, which is bad in snow.

Plan to spend money up front to flush ABC, replace accumulators, fix a few electrical issues, replace all fluids and filters, buy a SDS computer, replace batteries, replace suspension bushings and motor mounts, fix the known issues, etc.

Then drive it like you stole it. Do donuts with your friends, and enjoy top down cruising. It's a great super car but it does require attention to maintenance at ~$2K/year. A bargain in my mind, but advanced help is required when it starts throwing codes. You can find that help here.

ddzc

Awesome, thanks a lot!

I took a look at the car today from a used car lot. The car was beautiful and in excellent condition, given it's year. It was immediately throwing two codes

1. "SOS" "TeleAid Defective - Visit Workshop"
2. ESP Malfunction - Visit Workshop

The glove box was busted as well and didn't close. Also, the Pulse button was jammed in and activated at all times...I couldn't get this feature to come off.

The carproof shows a theft on the car and an insurance claim for around $50,000. Apparently, the car was stolen, insurance claim submitted and fulfilled. Shortly after, the car was found. The car was also revined due to this....not sure why nor do I know the process around stolen/recovered vehicles. The guy who ran the shop was a little sketchy also.

Overall, the car did run very nice and it's absolutely gorgeous. The above reasons are making me a little hesitant though. I requested maintenance history and repair history which he did not have. Apparently he will try to get it for me by the previous owner.

I wish this experience went a lot smoother than anticipated. I still want the car but I don't want to make a bad decision at the same time.

carguyshu

the teleaid message is normal & can be ignored. The cars came from the factory with a teleaid system that is analog & no longer used, which is why the code is showing up. You can either upgrade to the digital (which in my opinion is a waste) or with a STAR tool disable the message.

The esp malfunction could be a lot of different things. When looking at an SL you'd be wise to get someone with a STAR tool to hook up to it & read every computer to see what else may be a lurking problem. I'd also strongly suggest getting the car up on a lift, removing the under body panels & inspecting the ABC hoses. I didn't do that when I bought mine & regret it. I just got the car up in the air for the first time & have found nearly every single hose is leaking, which is going to require a lot of time & money (even with me DIY) to fix.

ddzc

This is really informative, thank you very much!

carguyshu

once I get all this maintenance done I'll be writing several long posts about what I did, what the costs were, as well as a detailing recommended maintenance schedule along with the price for each item

kyleSL55

I have a 2004 SL-55 Renntech car and would be happy to talk to you at length about this particular model of car. I have owned this car for about 4 years but I have owned several other SL-55 and SL-65 cars. They are fun cars but like others have mentioned in this thread, you have to set aside several thousand a year for proper maintenance.

Kyle

gotglasses

Thanks for the pictures of the undercarriage. A lot of those spots up front look like engine oil from a valve cover leak. I purchased my '04 SL500 in August and bought it based on great looks and a test drive. Price seemed right at $14,900 with 59K miles. I had car on a lift since the parking brake would not latch and the release came off its cable. Saw no leaks. I am an OG with lots of British car experience and wanted a quick but safe car for easy top down motoring. This fit the bill.

The SL folding hardtop worked well, and everything was dry. What sold ME on the car was that it is also a PILLERLESS HARDTOP! Great for summer night cruising with the windows down. Took me back to my 60's muscle cars. About the same performance as my 440 GTX with incredibly better BRAKES and SAFE car control for idiots like my wife and I. While a lot of people bemoan the lack of a standard shift - automatics are safer in everyday use. Take your foot sharply off the gas on a muscle car in traffic and you can easily swap ends. This is still a problem today as anyone who has driven track days understands.

Unfortunately, my SL started to droop noticeably (rear only) a couple of days later and I started learning all about ABC. It is really not a problem for a daily driver, there are no red warning lights or leaks, yet. I have noticed that the rear of the car drops a lot faster in cold weather. The car will soon be laid up for the winter and will be stored on a lift with the wheels hanging down. Will such storage prevent the car from settling down when I take it off the lift???

kbob999

The settlement you are having is from leaking valves in the ABC valve blocks. You could flush the fluid and change the filter, hoping it will work, but that is like rinsing a frying pan after cooking. It's still dirty in the valves.

Best is to rebuild the valve blocks via DIY or others like forum guru 'cnash'. Price DIY is less than $100, and there are o rings kits on eBay. You will still need to flush the fluid and buy an ABC filter for about $100, but that should cure the issue.