R129 SL500 - resources, buying guide, etc....
Discussion
Everything?
I now have the car and am a happy bunny.
First order of business: who are *the* best independent Merc specialists who can inspect and give an informed opinion of what might be awry.
Next: who does a good aftermarket exhaust which makes it sound more like a V8? It's just *too* quiet right now!!!!
I now have the car and am a happy bunny.
First order of business: who are *the* best independent Merc specialists who can inspect and give an informed opinion of what might be awry.
Next: who does a good aftermarket exhaust which makes it sound more like a V8? It's just *too* quiet right now!!!!
Also.. a more considered reply..
It's a 1998 model SL500 in designo blue metallic with 56000 miles and panoramic roof. I'm busy Zymol'ing it now, half done half to go, then I'll refresh the inside with more Zymol products to give it that from-factory look!
On Monday I picked it up and did about 180 miles, mostly on the motorway, when it started to smoke
. So back to the dealer Tuesday who diagnosed a weeping rubber seal between the rocker cover of the right bank of cylinders and the block, dropping the occasional drip of oil onto hot compnents and generating smoke. Nothing serious. It was replaced and the car returned yesterday.
It made me think, though, what sort of things should be checked or replaced on a car of that age / mileage? I confess I saw it and fell in love and didn't do extensive research prior to handing over the readies! Is there a big bill imminent for, for example, cambelt change or something like that?
Thanks!
It's a 1998 model SL500 in designo blue metallic with 56000 miles and panoramic roof. I'm busy Zymol'ing it now, half done half to go, then I'll refresh the inside with more Zymol products to give it that from-factory look!
On Monday I picked it up and did about 180 miles, mostly on the motorway, when it started to smoke
. So back to the dealer Tuesday who diagnosed a weeping rubber seal between the rocker cover of the right bank of cylinders and the block, dropping the occasional drip of oil onto hot compnents and generating smoke. Nothing serious. It was replaced and the car returned yesterday. It made me think, though, what sort of things should be checked or replaced on a car of that age / mileage? I confess I saw it and fell in love and didn't do extensive research prior to handing over the readies! Is there a big bill imminent for, for example, cambelt change or something like that?
Thanks!
Independents, sorry!
Woking...hmm, not a zillion miles away from George Fraser. Tony Purslow is also very good, although I think they are main dealers?
Get yourself onto www.mbclub.co.uk as theres a couple of 129 owners on there in your neck of the woods...
With regard to things going wrong, well, not a lot on your car! Mine has the older ignition system so it can be a little more tempermental. OK at the moment - touch wood!
Other than that, mine has had the following:
1) Aircon recharged - looking through the history, it had never been regassed. Ever! So that was 15 years on one charge - not bad!
2) New bulbs in headlights as originals weren't so good - but I'm guessing yours might have the factory Xenons?
3) New indicator stalk as one by one everything on the stalk packed in - in the rain, of course!
Other than that, nothing so far, its a weekend driver, but as reliable as anything. I have it serviced at a specialist in Milton Keynes, who are all ex MB and know 129s inside out.
I also have a couple of good web resources for 129s as well, theres www.mbclub.co.uk and also www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/index.php - the SL forum.
HTH,
Greg
PS - pictures please!!
Woking...hmm, not a zillion miles away from George Fraser. Tony Purslow is also very good, although I think they are main dealers?
Get yourself onto www.mbclub.co.uk as theres a couple of 129 owners on there in your neck of the woods...
With regard to things going wrong, well, not a lot on your car! Mine has the older ignition system so it can be a little more tempermental. OK at the moment - touch wood!
Other than that, mine has had the following:
1) Aircon recharged - looking through the history, it had never been regassed. Ever! So that was 15 years on one charge - not bad!
2) New bulbs in headlights as originals weren't so good - but I'm guessing yours might have the factory Xenons?
3) New indicator stalk as one by one everything on the stalk packed in - in the rain, of course!
Other than that, nothing so far, its a weekend driver, but as reliable as anything. I have it serviced at a specialist in Milton Keynes, who are all ex MB and know 129s inside out.
I also have a couple of good web resources for 129s as well, theres www.mbclub.co.uk and also www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/index.php - the SL forum.
HTH,
Greg
PS - pictures please!!
a mate put me onto them. If you really want to get into some in depth dicussion, www.mercedesshop.com has a dedicated SL forum. Lots of knowledgeable folk there. Its in the US but that doesn't change anything 
.
.Congratulations Peter. That Designio special edition is a beauty and the V8 engine is gorgeous. My 1997 SL500 was a great car and cost me virtually nothing to run in the 18 months I had it. Depreciation was another story though.
Web sites I found very useful during my ownership are as follows:
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/index.php?
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/
www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/index.php
Enjoy.
Web sites I found very useful during my ownership are as follows:
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/index.php?
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/
www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/index.php
Enjoy.
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