Educate me on R129’s – please.
Discussion
I’ve been researching R129 SL’s so as to go in with my eyes wide open. I won’t be making a purchase this year but will be keeping an eye on the market so as to learn what’s out there and what is realistically achievable.
My preference is for an early pre facelift one, though I’m not dead set on a 500 (300-24 will do) the two below that just happen to be on PH seem to be pretty much what I’m looking for. Can those in the know point out what’s right/wrong with the ones in question – if this isn’t allowed for a private ad please let me know etc .
Other than colour both seem pretty similar, mileage etc, the pearl blue one not having heated seats, but airbags, the blue/black one having heated seats but no airbags. What else can the experts note?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10548398
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10545821
Cheers in advance.
My preference is for an early pre facelift one, though I’m not dead set on a 500 (300-24 will do) the two below that just happen to be on PH seem to be pretty much what I’m looking for. Can those in the know point out what’s right/wrong with the ones in question – if this isn’t allowed for a private ad please let me know etc .
Other than colour both seem pretty similar, mileage etc, the pearl blue one not having heated seats, but airbags, the blue/black one having heated seats but no airbags. What else can the experts note?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10548398
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10545821
Cheers in advance.
One issue that has cropped up is the disintegrating wiring loom on earlier cars. If not aware, a search will bring up more info, from memory it was fixed by the time of the facelift and, possibly, affected something like 1994-1995 cars. Of course, quite a few will have been replaced by now.
Generally, good cars. The 280 was deemed underpowered by some, also a few reported issue re headgaskets on them.
Check that the hardtop comes with it, also that the roof actually works.
Generally, good cars. The 280 was deemed underpowered by some, also a few reported issue re headgaskets on them.
Check that the hardtop comes with it, also that the roof actually works.
I have a 1997 SL500. I bought it 9 years ago and I've had absolutely no real issues with it. I did some research and went for this year as it's got the 5 Speed, better M119 V8 engine and no wiring loom issue. It seems to be one of the best years from what I heard. The only thing that occurred was the cam oil feeder tubes needed replacing, as there was a ticking noise at idle but a friend did this and it wasn't a difficult or expensive. Great cars and you won't regret it, but I'd go for the V8 if you can. Not much difference in fuel consumption and hold their value better.
Edited by BrightonIMD on Saturday 18th July 12:26
If you need engine harnesses SILECK is your man, based on the south coast. Send your old one off, and he duplicates it.
You'll need 4, upper engine, throttle body, lower engine, A/C fans. The last 2 are easy enough for a numpty like me to cobble together. Budget around £500 for the lot.
You'll need 4, upper engine, throttle body, lower engine, A/C fans. The last 2 are easy enough for a numpty like me to cobble together. Budget around £500 for the lot.
PositronicRay said:
If you need engine harnesses SILECK is your man, based on the south coast. Send your old one off, and he duplicates it.
You'll need 4, upper engine, throttle body, lower engine, A/C fans. The last 2 are easy enough for a numpty like me to cobble together. Budget around £500 for the lot.
I bought mine from Mercedes for about £520. Took under an hour to fit it myself. You'll need 4, upper engine, throttle body, lower engine, A/C fans. The last 2 are easy enough for a numpty like me to cobble together. Budget around £500 for the lot.
Doofus said:
PositronicRay said:
If you need engine harnesses SILECK is your man, based on the south coast. Send your old one off, and he duplicates it.
You'll need 4, upper engine, throttle body, lower engine, A/C fans. The last 2 are easy enough for a numpty like me to cobble together. Budget around £500 for the lot.
I bought mine from Mercedes for about £520. Took under an hour to fit it myself. You'll need 4, upper engine, throttle body, lower engine, A/C fans. The last 2 are easy enough for a numpty like me to cobble together. Budget around £500 for the lot.
PositronicRay said:
For all 3? What did you do about the TB?
I don't remember, TBH. It was about ten years ago. I spent about an hour with the dealer identifying the correct part numbers, waited about a month for them to arrive from Germany, and paid a little over £500. I was surprised at the cost, and I think the chap in the parts dept was too.A friend helped me fit everything (undo one plug, plug in the new one, rinse and repeat), and apart from one spare wire left over near the rad, everything went really smoothly.
Thanks for all the responses, appreciated.
I've read R129SL's guide on the PH one and (sadly) read through the long running 3/4k R129 thread.
I'm still set on an early one, even though I appreciate the updated M119 with the 5 speed is a 'better' combination in some eyes and still maintains the build quality of the early ones. I do think the original design really is so lovely.
I've read R129SL's guide on the PH one and (sadly) read through the long running 3/4k R129 thread.
I'm still set on an early one, even though I appreciate the updated M119 with the 5 speed is a 'better' combination in some eyes and still maintains the build quality of the early ones. I do think the original design really is so lovely.
acme said:
Thanks for all the responses, appreciated.
I've read R129SL's guide on the PH one and (sadly) read through the long running 3/4k R129 thread.
I'm still set on an early one, even though I appreciate the updated M119 with the 5 speed is a 'better' combination in some eyes and still maintains the build quality of the early ones. I do think the original design really is so lovely.
I deliberately looked for an early face-lift car. Straight 6 3.2, 5 speed gearbox, blink light diagnostics, and most importantly colour coded plastics. I've read R129SL's guide on the PH one and (sadly) read through the long running 3/4k R129 thread.
I'm still set on an early one, even though I appreciate the updated M119 with the 5 speed is a 'better' combination in some eyes and still maintains the build quality of the early ones. I do think the original design really is so lovely.
Original two tone cars (to me) just look 1/2 finished.
Bit late to the party, but since you’re not buying this year, I think I got away with it. 
The price range delta for this car is immense. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, getting one from the cheaper end of the market & revitalising is probably the easiest way into one. Of course, if you’re not hands-on, check someone else has done the work relatively recently.
I think these are £10k+ cars now, you can pay less, you can pay a lot more, but 10k for a fully working, relatively good condition is about right to me (for reference, the black one in my Photo was 4.5k in May’18, but I’ve spent that again on it & still have soft-top to do. The blue one (5k) March ‘19 is mechanically good, but is a 15’ car cosmetically - no problem as it lives in Cyprus now where touch parking is the norm).
Some points.
The price range delta for this car is immense. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, getting one from the cheaper end of the market & revitalising is probably the easiest way into one. Of course, if you’re not hands-on, check someone else has done the work relatively recently.
I think these are £10k+ cars now, you can pay less, you can pay a lot more, but 10k for a fully working, relatively good condition is about right to me (for reference, the black one in my Photo was 4.5k in May’18, but I’ve spent that again on it & still have soft-top to do. The blue one (5k) March ‘19 is mechanically good, but is a 15’ car cosmetically - no problem as it lives in Cyprus now where touch parking is the norm).
Some points.
- Early cars are 27+ years old, that’s a lot of time for rubber to cure, etc. Fuses are the older ‘strip’ type, contacts corrode, etc.
- You can get new discs/pads/springs/rear-end multi link kit/all fluids for <£1k, fitting isn’t difficult (depends what you’re used to).
- Check all the locks work - the cubbies in the doors, the glove box, the centre console, the fuel flap, the doors & boot all lock/unlock on an air system, some of these not locking are more hassle than others!
- Check the roll bar & roof multiple times - not just one up/down - the soft-top wires can lose tension, the hydraulics can leak.
- Make sure you get the fancy roof spanner in the toolkit, finding out you don’t have one when it’s an emergency is not good.
- Check the working of the keys - not always available from MB, so >1 working key is very desirable.
- Sooner or later, they all rust where the bumper meets the wheelarch at the front.
- Having the clip-in cover that hides the wind-deflector when not in use is desirable, you’ll see big clips against the bulkhead in the boot if it was specced - getting hold on one on ebay etc is hard, so if not there, why not? Haggle!
- While in the boot, take out the spare & have a look at the hydraulic pump unit - should be upto max level and ‘transparent’ fluid (not clear) -if not, might there be a leak somewhere?
- Seat side bolsters are notorious for wear, both the cars you show above mention repairs, factor £200ish if not.
- Seat foam on an early car will be old too - it might not be as comfortable as you’d want - again, can be fixed by an upholster.
- Hirshmann antennas are increasingly hard to find - you see lots of cars with the aerial not fully retracted. It might need taking apart & oiling/cleaning, it might have been bent by some oik. Check!
- Early cars have 2x speakers in each door & might (not all do) have tweeters in the dash. If original, the speaker cones are likely well past their best, (might also have water ingress over time) so sound will be poor, no matter what head unit you drive them from, if you’re used to more modern stuff.
- It’s possible the A/C doesn’t work (neither of mine do), it’s ££££ to fix, I just live without it.
- Depending on what you’re used to, the ride (and roll) might be soft/excessive, even with refreshed suspension - that’s how it was made! I counteracted this a bit by putting 18” wheels on the black one, the blue one keeps 16” and squidgy 55 profile sidewalls because Cyprus roads are not always perfect.
- As already mentioned above, there’s really not a lot of difference between the 6 & 8 cylinder in terms of economy, but the 500 can do waft & snarl with greater effortlessness IMO - neither are bad, but you work the 6 harder for the same pace, and that’s not what I want from the car, so a 500 it was. (That might not have been the best idea ever with the €1532/year road tax in CY though!)
The prices really do vary wildly, I started off looking for mine at the £12-14k mark (I wanted the 96/7 post-facelift SL500) and ended up spending £23k on mine. To be fair, it's a 1997 SL500, 2-owner car with pano roof with ultra-low miles and in immaculate condition, but I'm sure if I looked really hard I could have found one in great nick for a bit less.
That said, it's an absolute tank and the feeling of solidity is what really stands out. Performance is pretty rapid, although the slushbox takes some getting used to having come from PDK/DSG in my last few cars, but it is utterly serene to waft about in.
I recently replaced all of the suspension with Eibach/Bilstein stuff, I wanted it a bit lower than factory and shortly I'll be fitting spacers so I can improve the stance a bit (The R129s with the proper AMG split rims really do look great because they fill the arches so much better), but even with these changes it rides superbly, although the handling is on the soft side. That being said, the standard 16" rims look pretty good and understated, and the pre-facelift cars do look more retro cool.
The market seems to value originality, although there's not much you can do to these to modernise them anyway, and the V8 is certainly far more desirable than the 6-cylinder options. Some prefer the 4-speed box on the V8 for it's robustness, but it of course comes with a compromise with the missing 5th gear - I tried both and preferred the 5-speed when at motorway speeds, just a little more hushed. You should also consider that the pano roof has a more sleek design compared to the standard one, but it weighs a ton and is a real job to fit on/off.
It's a pretty rare car nowadays, hopefully values are only going to go one way...
That said, it's an absolute tank and the feeling of solidity is what really stands out. Performance is pretty rapid, although the slushbox takes some getting used to having come from PDK/DSG in my last few cars, but it is utterly serene to waft about in.
I recently replaced all of the suspension with Eibach/Bilstein stuff, I wanted it a bit lower than factory and shortly I'll be fitting spacers so I can improve the stance a bit (The R129s with the proper AMG split rims really do look great because they fill the arches so much better), but even with these changes it rides superbly, although the handling is on the soft side. That being said, the standard 16" rims look pretty good and understated, and the pre-facelift cars do look more retro cool.
The market seems to value originality, although there's not much you can do to these to modernise them anyway, and the V8 is certainly far more desirable than the 6-cylinder options. Some prefer the 4-speed box on the V8 for it's robustness, but it of course comes with a compromise with the missing 5th gear - I tried both and preferred the 5-speed when at motorway speeds, just a little more hushed. You should also consider that the pano roof has a more sleek design compared to the standard one, but it weighs a ton and is a real job to fit on/off.
It's a pretty rare car nowadays, hopefully values are only going to go one way...
Edited by Jefferson Steelflex on Tuesday 21st July 14:17
PositronicRay said:
I deliberately looked for an early face-lift car. Straight 6 3.2, 5 speed gearbox, blink light diagnostics, and most importantly colour coded plastics.
Original two tone cars (to me) just look 1/2 finished.
When you say 'blink light' diagnostics I assume you mean the simple type along the dash under the clocks etc?Original two tone cars (to me) just look 1/2 finished.
Your car at the end of the 3/4k thread looks absolutely cracking. I wholeheartedly agree with you, the two tones the best, it's the simplicity of the design, with the flat faced alloys there's something unique about them.
Prinny said:
Bit late to the party, but since you’re not buying this year, I think I got away with it.
The price range delta for this car is immense. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, getting one from the cheaper end of the market & revitalising is probably the easiest way into one. Of course, if you’re not hands-on, check someone else has done the work relatively recently.
I think these are £10k+ cars now, you can pay less, you can pay a lot more, but 10k for a fully working, relatively good condition is about right to me (for reference, the black one in my Photo was 4.5k in May’18, but I’ve spent that again on it & still have soft-top to do. The blue one (5k) March ‘19 is mechanically good, but is a 15’ car cosmetically - no problem as it lives in Cyprus now where touch parking is the norm).
Some points.
Many thanks for your in depth response, appreciated.The price range delta for this car is immense. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, getting one from the cheaper end of the market & revitalising is probably the easiest way into one. Of course, if you’re not hands-on, check someone else has done the work relatively recently.
I think these are £10k+ cars now, you can pay less, you can pay a lot more, but 10k for a fully working, relatively good condition is about right to me (for reference, the black one in my Photo was 4.5k in May’18, but I’ve spent that again on it & still have soft-top to do. The blue one (5k) March ‘19 is mechanically good, but is a 15’ car cosmetically - no problem as it lives in Cyprus now where touch parking is the norm).
Some points.
- Early cars are 27+ years old, that’s a lot of time for rubber to cure, etc. Fuses are the older ‘strip’ type, contacts corrode, etc.
- You can get new discs/pads/springs/rear-end multi link kit/all fluids for <£1k, fitting isn’t difficult (depends what you’re used to).
- Check all the locks work - the cubbies in the doors, the glove box, the centre console, the fuel flap, the doors & boot all lock/unlock on an air system, some of these not locking are more hassle than others!
- Check the roll bar & roof multiple times - not just one up/down - the soft-top wires can lose tension, the hydraulics can leak.
- Make sure you get the fancy roof spanner in the toolkit, finding out you don’t have one when it’s an emergency is not good.
- Check the working of the keys - not always available from MB, so >1 working key is very desirable.
- Sooner or later, they all rust where the bumper meets the wheelarch at the front.
- Having the clip-in cover that hides the wind-deflector when not in use is desirable, you’ll see big clips against the bulkhead in the boot if it was specced - getting hold on one on ebay etc is hard, so if not there, why not? Haggle!
- While in the boot, take out the spare & have a look at the hydraulic pump unit - should be upto max level and ‘transparent’ fluid (not clear) -if not, might there be a leak somewhere?
- Seat side bolsters are notorious for wear, both the cars you show above mention repairs, factor £200ish if not.
- Seat foam on an early car will be old too - it might not be as comfortable as you’d want - again, can be fixed by an upholster.
- Hirshmann antennas are increasingly hard to find - you see lots of cars with the aerial not fully retracted. It might need taking apart & oiling/cleaning, it might have been bent by some oik. Check!
- Early cars have 2x speakers in each door & might (not all do) have tweeters in the dash. If original, the speaker cones are likely well past their best, (might also have water ingress over time) so sound will be poor, no matter what head unit you drive them from, if you’re used to more modern stuff.
- It’s possible the A/C doesn’t work (neither of mine do), it’s ££££ to fix, I just live without it.
- Depending on what you’re used to, the ride (and roll) might be soft/excessive, even with refreshed suspension - that’s how it was made! I counteracted this a bit by putting 18” wheels on the black one, the blue one keeps 16” and squidgy 55 profile sidewalls because Cyprus roads are not always perfect.
- As already mentioned above, there’s really not a lot of difference between the 6 & 8 cylinder in terms of economy, but the 500 can do waft & snarl with greater effortlessness IMO - neither are bad, but you work the 6 harder for the same pace, and that’s not what I want from the car, so a 500 it was. (That might not have been the best idea ever with the €1532/year road tax in CY though!)
If I remember correctly from the 3/4k thread you bought Zonergem's second one? You clearly have a deep affection for 129's.
Having had a good look around 10-12k does seem to be the rough price for an early 500 privately. Ideally I'd like to buy one from an enthusiast, ideally from the Merc club or similar as what always worries about me when cars initially these expensive get to this price is they fall into the hands of people who either aren't willing to spend as required or don't understand they may be sub 10k cars but they still incur the running costs of a 70k+ car.
I've read all the guides etc but you've mentioned some things I've not thought of, the spanner for manually doing the soft top, didn't know about the hydraulic pump and that you can check its level.
You're not wrong about the aerial, and quite a few I've seen have another secondary short one on the drivers side too.
Roll/ride wise I've got a 107 so am use to, to quote someone off here 'sailing' her! I'm well aware they're wafters, and in many respects that's why a 300 would do me, I'm becoming a little tired of cars you simply can't use on our roads.
Thanks for the pics, cracking.
Interesting.... would it be in addition to the R107, or replacing? If replacing, then I guess having a word with places like the SL Shop might be a path to explore - sure, you pay top $, but you’ll know what you’re getting, and while you’ll no doubt pay for the sourcing, etc, they’ve a reputaion to maintain too, so should look after you on the transition.
Of course, if it’s in addition to, that falls by the wayside a bit! When it gets nearer the time, make a nuisance (not really) of yourself on the barge thread & lots of like-minded helpful souls will start keeping a lookout too!
Yes, the blue one is indeed Zoner’s SL2 (nice guy & SL1 is a real peach!). I get where you’re coming from on the 300 is sufficent part, I really do - now that I spend more time at home and not on the continent, it gets harder & harder to justify the M6 - it’s a great car, it really is, but going shopping does it no justice, it’s just too capable and only comes alive at speeds that are egregiously excessive for this small isle. If I fit in a GR-Yaris (it’s not looking promising) then the M6 is gone.
Two more points for the checklist, one prompted by your comment.
Two - similar thing - but more concerning - the cabling for the O/S speakers ran past the dash wiring/steering column, and when turning right, it’d occasionally cut the ignition completely for a split second, everything would momentarily die & then turn back on! I fixed that by re-routing the speaker wiring, but also made sure all the dash/ignition connections were solid...
This is what you might find lurking in the dash of a ~30y/o car...
Of course, if it’s in addition to, that falls by the wayside a bit! When it gets nearer the time, make a nuisance (not really) of yourself on the barge thread & lots of like-minded helpful souls will start keeping a lookout too!
Yes, the blue one is indeed Zoner’s SL2 (nice guy & SL1 is a real peach!). I get where you’re coming from on the 300 is sufficent part, I really do - now that I spend more time at home and not on the continent, it gets harder & harder to justify the M6 - it’s a great car, it really is, but going shopping does it no justice, it’s just too capable and only comes alive at speeds that are egregiously excessive for this small isle. If I fit in a GR-Yaris (it’s not looking promising) then the M6 is gone.
Two more points for the checklist, one prompted by your comment.
- A secondary aerial is likely a holdover of not further damaging the body when the ‘90’s car-phone was ripped out. Eyesore now, and if it’s all still working, then the wiring no doubt got removed sufficiently well to not cause issues (or did it?) Phantom earths - etc might be no issue at all, might be draining the battery when stood or doing something bizarre. (when I upgraded the stereo in the black one, I made right probably 20 years of different radio fitters along the way - it was a veritable nightmare of electricians tape, cheesblocks, etc... In doing so, putting it all back together, I managed two things.
Two - similar thing - but more concerning - the cabling for the O/S speakers ran past the dash wiring/steering column, and when turning right, it’d occasionally cut the ignition completely for a split second, everything would momentarily die & then turn back on! I fixed that by re-routing the speaker wiring, but also made sure all the dash/ignition connections were solid...
This is what you might find lurking in the dash of a ~30y/o car...
- Don’t jump-start an R129 - you’ll fry the roof-control module, replacements are approx. £700 (exchange) from the SL Shop, etc - so it’s not a good thing to do!
Earlier cars had BOSCH CIS fuel injection and don't suffer from wiring issues. They also had the robust 4 speed automatic (or a 5 speed manual in some models). They made the most power @322 hp for the V8.
92-95 cars got EFI and biodegrade wiring. 96-98 got coil on plug ignition, 722.6 5 speed auto and updated climate control from 97+ I have a 98 because I wanted all of the above with the M119 engine. In 99, they switched to the M113 V8 which is also a good engine, they had a restyle and got much bigger brakes.
Aside from wiring , plastic around the mirror tents do break and hydraulic tops leak. Mechanically they are very solid.
92-95 cars got EFI and biodegrade wiring. 96-98 got coil on plug ignition, 722.6 5 speed auto and updated climate control from 97+ I have a 98 because I wanted all of the above with the M119 engine. In 99, they switched to the M113 V8 which is also a good engine, they had a restyle and got much bigger brakes.
Aside from wiring , plastic around the mirror tents do break and hydraulic tops leak. Mechanically they are very solid.
Conders4008 said:
its only the very late cars circa 98 onwards that lost the M119 5.0l unit, which dropped for the M113 5.0L. I am certainly not aware of many reports claiming this updated engine was better, far from it. I think you are right going for an early car, but make it the 5.0L V8!
I think the later M113 was a 3 valve head design and ultimate BHP was down on the M119 but had a better torque spread and no doubt efficiency. The M119 is a fantastic power plant, effortless performance and suits the R129 perfectly. Prinny said:
Interesting.... would it be in addition to the R107, or replacing? If replacing, then I guess having a word with places like the SL Shop might be a path to explore - sure, you pay top $, but you’ll know what you’re getting, and while you’ll no doubt pay for the sourcing, etc, they’ve a reputaion to maintain too, so should look after you on the transition.
Of course, if it’s in addition to, that falls by the wayside a bit! When it gets nearer the time, make a nuisance (not really) of yourself on the barge thread & lots of like-minded helpful souls will start keeping a lookout too!
Yes, the blue one is indeed Zoner’s SL2 (nice guy & SL1 is a real peach!). I get where you’re coming from on the 300 is sufficent part, I really do - now that I spend more time at home and not on the continent, it gets harder & harder to justify the M6 - it’s a great car, it really is, but going shopping does it no justice, it’s just too capable and only comes alive at speeds that are egregiously excessive for this small isle. If I fit in a GR-Yaris (it’s not looking promising) then the M6 is gone.
Two more points for the checklist, one prompted by your comment.
Two - similar thing - but more concerning - the cabling for the O/S speakers ran past the dash wiring/steering column, and when turning right, it’d occasionally cut the ignition completely for a split second, everything would momentarily die & then turn back on! I fixed that by re-routing the speaker wiring, but also made sure all the dash/ignition connections were solid...
This is what you might find lurking in the dash of a ~30y/o car...
Thanks for the offer, sadly I'm in the deep South!Of course, if it’s in addition to, that falls by the wayside a bit! When it gets nearer the time, make a nuisance (not really) of yourself on the barge thread & lots of like-minded helpful souls will start keeping a lookout too!
Yes, the blue one is indeed Zoner’s SL2 (nice guy & SL1 is a real peach!). I get where you’re coming from on the 300 is sufficent part, I really do - now that I spend more time at home and not on the continent, it gets harder & harder to justify the M6 - it’s a great car, it really is, but going shopping does it no justice, it’s just too capable and only comes alive at speeds that are egregiously excessive for this small isle. If I fit in a GR-Yaris (it’s not looking promising) then the M6 is gone.
Two more points for the checklist, one prompted by your comment.
- A secondary aerial is likely a holdover of not further damaging the body when the ‘90’s car-phone was ripped out. Eyesore now, and if it’s all still working, then the wiring no doubt got removed sufficiently well to not cause issues (or did it?) Phantom earths - etc might be no issue at all, might be draining the battery when stood or doing something bizarre. (when I upgraded the stereo in the black one, I made right probably 20 years of different radio fitters along the way - it was a veritable nightmare of electricians tape, cheesblocks, etc... In doing so, putting it all back together, I managed two things.
Two - similar thing - but more concerning - the cabling for the O/S speakers ran past the dash wiring/steering column, and when turning right, it’d occasionally cut the ignition completely for a split second, everything would momentarily die & then turn back on! I fixed that by re-routing the speaker wiring, but also made sure all the dash/ignition connections were solid...
This is what you might find lurking in the dash of a ~30y/o car...
- Don’t jump-start an R129 - you’ll fry the roof-control module, replacements are approx. £700 (exchange) from the SL Shop, etc - so it’s not a good thing to do!
It would be in addition to the 107. Thanks for the tip re the barge thread, though I'm a little concerned about looking in on that one as it might get me into all sorts of bother!
GR Yaris, nice, I really am coming to the conclusion that circa 200bhp is the sweet spot for a road car, least where I live and B roads are everywhere.
I guess looking out for an original radio might help ensure wiring hasn't been messed around with, though I note very few of certainly the early ones still have their radio - I'd be tempted to put the continental one that looks pretty period whilst having bluetooth/DAB etc. Being an older guys car generally, hopefully there won't be too many with the equivalent of 6x9's in the parcel shelf!
Thanks for comment re jump starting, I have read that and whilst I keep my cars on a monitoring charger it can happen, what can you do other than wait whilst on charge, you can hardly push start a SL!
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