1996 Mercedes R129 SL500
Discussion
So...
This happened.
That's my new toy being delivered this evening. It arrived a bit later than planned so I just snapped a couple of pictures of it before it got too dark. There will be plenty more to follow, don't worry.
Why this?
Good question.
I've always had a hankering for SLs, both the R107 and R129 variants. They're just so damn classy. I have in fact, in years gone by, hired an R107 300SL for a weekend, and it was glorious. Driving around in that just made you feel like you're on top of the world. I vowed that one day I would have one. Well, the years came and went and my wallet remained disappointingly devoid of suitable funds, so the SL remained a dream.
Until now. I'm 40 next year, and certain life events have led to a situation where I could, if I wanted, prioritise some cash towards the longed-for car. Of course I did.
Now, don't for a second think that the R129 is the consolation prize because I couldn't afford an R107. It's true that the soaring prices of 107s have put them in a league I am unlikely to be promoted into any time soon, but the R129 stands alone. Anyone following my other thread will know that I have a bit of a fetish for 90s cars, and the R129 fits beautifully into the crossover between classic and modern. It is 'modern' enough to have the creature comforts and drive like a modern car, whilst still having the presence and kudos of a classic. And I wanted a V8. Before the world bursts into flames because there are too many V8s, or the government prices them off the road in order to avoid the world bursting into flames (probably a good idea, actually). I am led to believe that if one wants a V8, one can't do much better than a Mercedes-Benz M119.
My criteria, when looking for my R129, were as follows:
- SL500 because V8.
- 1996-98, because I believe what I read on the internet and wanted the M119 with 5-speed box. Post crumbly wiring looms and pre-chrysler build quality. Baaa.
- Back seats, because I want to enjoy this with my kids. Whether they enjoy it is entirely unrelated.
- Not silver, because yawn. Yes, I know it's a Mercedes thing, but you can keep your silver arrows, I find the colour dull. Blue, red or green makes me happy.
- Ideally I wanted a light coloured interior, because it feels a bit more special than black. There aren't that many to choose from though, so couldn't be too picky.
- Enough service history to reassure me that it's been looked after a bit, but not such a comprehensive and up-to-date main dealer history that I'd feel obliged to continue it. I don't want a garage queen that I'm scared to drive in case I lower the value. I want to drive, enjoy, and service it myself.
-That was about it, apart from making sure all the bits work as they should. I'm led to believe that the soft top hydraulic fluid has been topped up recently but awaiting confirmation from the dealer I bought it from next week.
What are my plans for it? Mainly to drive and enjoy. It's probably sacrilege but I quite fancy putting a stainless exhaust on it. Why have a V8 and not be able to hear it? I'm not loving the wheels, but have a feeling they might grow on me. I certainly don't hate them enough to prioritise replacing them over anything else at the moment. I have ordered some three-point belts for the back from Quickfit SBS, and will look at fitting them myself. I know it involves cutting holes in the rear bulkhead, but if access is good then I'll probably crack out the angle grinder and have a go. This is so that I can wedge the kids in the back in slightly more safety than they'd get with the lap belts. They are at an age where they should fit in the back relatively comfortably, which was one of the reasons I wanted to buy the car now, rather than saving it for the future. Once they're teenagers, they probably won't want to origami themselves into the back to humour the old man.
So there it is. Another 1996 car. I now have two from 1996 and one that I've had new from 2012, and at 114,800 miles the SL is the lowest mileage of the lot! I guess I'd best get out and drive it, then...
The hard top is off and in the shed, ready for the last sunny weekend of the year.
Brave or foolhardy? Let's see.
This happened.
That's my new toy being delivered this evening. It arrived a bit later than planned so I just snapped a couple of pictures of it before it got too dark. There will be plenty more to follow, don't worry.
Why this?
Good question.
I've always had a hankering for SLs, both the R107 and R129 variants. They're just so damn classy. I have in fact, in years gone by, hired an R107 300SL for a weekend, and it was glorious. Driving around in that just made you feel like you're on top of the world. I vowed that one day I would have one. Well, the years came and went and my wallet remained disappointingly devoid of suitable funds, so the SL remained a dream.
Until now. I'm 40 next year, and certain life events have led to a situation where I could, if I wanted, prioritise some cash towards the longed-for car. Of course I did.
Now, don't for a second think that the R129 is the consolation prize because I couldn't afford an R107. It's true that the soaring prices of 107s have put them in a league I am unlikely to be promoted into any time soon, but the R129 stands alone. Anyone following my other thread will know that I have a bit of a fetish for 90s cars, and the R129 fits beautifully into the crossover between classic and modern. It is 'modern' enough to have the creature comforts and drive like a modern car, whilst still having the presence and kudos of a classic. And I wanted a V8. Before the world bursts into flames because there are too many V8s, or the government prices them off the road in order to avoid the world bursting into flames (probably a good idea, actually). I am led to believe that if one wants a V8, one can't do much better than a Mercedes-Benz M119.
My criteria, when looking for my R129, were as follows:
- SL500 because V8.
- 1996-98, because I believe what I read on the internet and wanted the M119 with 5-speed box. Post crumbly wiring looms and pre-chrysler build quality. Baaa.
- Back seats, because I want to enjoy this with my kids. Whether they enjoy it is entirely unrelated.
- Not silver, because yawn. Yes, I know it's a Mercedes thing, but you can keep your silver arrows, I find the colour dull. Blue, red or green makes me happy.
- Ideally I wanted a light coloured interior, because it feels a bit more special than black. There aren't that many to choose from though, so couldn't be too picky.
- Enough service history to reassure me that it's been looked after a bit, but not such a comprehensive and up-to-date main dealer history that I'd feel obliged to continue it. I don't want a garage queen that I'm scared to drive in case I lower the value. I want to drive, enjoy, and service it myself.
-That was about it, apart from making sure all the bits work as they should. I'm led to believe that the soft top hydraulic fluid has been topped up recently but awaiting confirmation from the dealer I bought it from next week.
What are my plans for it? Mainly to drive and enjoy. It's probably sacrilege but I quite fancy putting a stainless exhaust on it. Why have a V8 and not be able to hear it? I'm not loving the wheels, but have a feeling they might grow on me. I certainly don't hate them enough to prioritise replacing them over anything else at the moment. I have ordered some three-point belts for the back from Quickfit SBS, and will look at fitting them myself. I know it involves cutting holes in the rear bulkhead, but if access is good then I'll probably crack out the angle grinder and have a go. This is so that I can wedge the kids in the back in slightly more safety than they'd get with the lap belts. They are at an age where they should fit in the back relatively comfortably, which was one of the reasons I wanted to buy the car now, rather than saving it for the future. Once they're teenagers, they probably won't want to origami themselves into the back to humour the old man.
So there it is. Another 1996 car. I now have two from 1996 and one that I've had new from 2012, and at 114,800 miles the SL is the lowest mileage of the lot! I guess I'd best get out and drive it, then...
The hard top is off and in the shed, ready for the last sunny weekend of the year.
Brave or foolhardy? Let's see.
Edited by buy_cheap_pay_later on Friday 24th September 21:40
Northbrook said:
Looks good. Tourmaline green?
I hope you're getting up early tomorrow, because clearly we need more pics
All the best with it!
Thanks. Yes, it’s Tourmaline Green. I hope you're getting up early tomorrow, because clearly we need more pics
All the best with it!
I am getting up early tomorrow, but unfortunately it’s because I have something to do that involves driving off in my faithful Skoda and leaving the SL on its own for most of the day.
Superb, I shall follow your updates.
I have a 300SL, & I do love driving her even though as someone once said on here you sail a 107 rather than drive it!
But I also love 129’s, & I have an inkling they’re a far more usable car, & inevitably in reality easily two generations newer rather than just one.
Congratulations on achieving your dream
I have a 300SL, & I do love driving her even though as someone once said on here you sail a 107 rather than drive it!
But I also love 129’s, & I have an inkling they’re a far more usable car, & inevitably in reality easily two generations newer rather than just one.
Congratulations on achieving your dream
Splendid car, but you know that.
I’ve had mine for ten years or so now, and like you, fitted rear three-point belts from QuickfitBS (cheap to buy) to transport my offspring.
It’s a simple fix, and yes, you’ll need an angle grinder to make an aperture in the bulkhead, and then drill through the rear wheel arch to secure it.
I did post pictures of the installation on here some time ago.
Edited to add, always raise the roll-over bar when the kids are in, as per the handbook advice.
If it deploys in motion (which it can over severe humps etc) it may cause injury.
Enjoy.
I’ve had mine for ten years or so now, and like you, fitted rear three-point belts from QuickfitBS (cheap to buy) to transport my offspring.
It’s a simple fix, and yes, you’ll need an angle grinder to make an aperture in the bulkhead, and then drill through the rear wheel arch to secure it.
I did post pictures of the installation on here some time ago.
Edited to add, always raise the roll-over bar when the kids are in, as per the handbook advice.
If it deploys in motion (which it can over severe humps etc) it may cause injury.
Enjoy.
Edited by MickyveloceClassic on Saturday 25th September 11:48
buy_cheap_pay_later said:
So...
This happened.
<snip>
Why this?
Good question.
I've always had a hankering for SLs, both the R107 and R129 variants. They're just so damn classy. I have in fact, in years gone by, hired an R107 300SL for a weekend, and it was glorious. Driving around in that just made you feel like you're on top of the world. I vowed that one day I would have one. Well, the years came and went and my wallet remained disappointingly devoid of suitable funds, so the SL remained a dream.
Until now. I'm 40 next year, and certain life events have led to a situation where I could, if I wanted, prioritise some cash towards the longed-for car. Of course I did.
<snip>
My criteria, when looking for my R129, were as follows:
- SL500 because V8.
<snip>
V8 is the best reason to buy a car when the UK is going nuts and emptying all the tanks at petrol stationsThis happened.
<snip>
Why this?
Good question.
I've always had a hankering for SLs, both the R107 and R129 variants. They're just so damn classy. I have in fact, in years gone by, hired an R107 300SL for a weekend, and it was glorious. Driving around in that just made you feel like you're on top of the world. I vowed that one day I would have one. Well, the years came and went and my wallet remained disappointingly devoid of suitable funds, so the SL remained a dream.
Until now. I'm 40 next year, and certain life events have led to a situation where I could, if I wanted, prioritise some cash towards the longed-for car. Of course I did.
<snip>
My criteria, when looking for my R129, were as follows:
- SL500 because V8.
<snip>
I like the wheels - They look like they need a spacer to bring them out a little and fill the arches a bit better but that’s probably just me
There won’t be any more company coming any time soon. Three is probably my limit - I’d just start getting confused after that. I can only drive one at a time anyway.
Had a bit of an outing today. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get any fuel, after visiting 8 petrol stations yesterday and finding zero litres of fuel. So we didn’t go far.
Coincidentally my friend, with neither of us knowing of the other’s plans, took delivery of a new car on Friday, the same day my SL arrived.
We took them to the pub, naturally.
It’s interesting that we’re the same age, yet he has gone for the hooligan hot hatch, and I’ve gone for a tartan rug on wheels. Two very different approaches to the motor car, but the world would be dull if we all liked the same thing, wouldn’t it?
I had a bit of anxiety about my big, complex, expensive (to me), most importantly, old, piece of equipment and its potential for throwing huge bills at me. I was hoping taking it for a drive would help with that. It did.
It transmitted the bumps in the road into my bottom a bit more than I thought it would, but that could just be tired suspension parts. Also the driver’s headrest is stuck and just makes clicking noises when I try and adjust it. Never mind, I’m a short arse and it’s stuck low down. I’ll have a look at that when I have some time. I love all the dials behind the steering wheel. It kind of feels like I’m in a steampunk airship or something.
I had the top down throughout. On the way there it got a bit chilly but putting the heater on full blast helped with that. On the way back I had the wind deflector on. That made a huge difference. I only needed the heater on a bit on the way home.
The dealer fixed the broken aerial before delivery, which is good. It stays up the whole time the ignition is on though, even if the radio is off. Not sure it’s wired up correctly. I’ll look into it. I do love how 90s an auto-extending aerial is though!
I did manage to get some fuel on the way back, albeit E10, which is not what I’d go for given the choice. On this occasion the choice was E10 or nothing, so it has a tank full of that. I’ll just have to use it up quickly and get some proper stuff in there.
Apart from the couple of niggles, which were inevitable on my first outing in it, it was a lovely experience. You don’t see many of these around, and it feels special cruising with the top down. You can just about hear the V8 when you boot it, but it’s very subdued. I will consider an exhaust, but will drive it some more before making any decisions. A lovely beast, and now it’s full of petrol I think I’ll drive it to work tomorrow.
I’ll leave you with some more pictures.
Had a bit of an outing today. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get any fuel, after visiting 8 petrol stations yesterday and finding zero litres of fuel. So we didn’t go far.
Coincidentally my friend, with neither of us knowing of the other’s plans, took delivery of a new car on Friday, the same day my SL arrived.
We took them to the pub, naturally.
It’s interesting that we’re the same age, yet he has gone for the hooligan hot hatch, and I’ve gone for a tartan rug on wheels. Two very different approaches to the motor car, but the world would be dull if we all liked the same thing, wouldn’t it?
I had a bit of anxiety about my big, complex, expensive (to me), most importantly, old, piece of equipment and its potential for throwing huge bills at me. I was hoping taking it for a drive would help with that. It did.
It transmitted the bumps in the road into my bottom a bit more than I thought it would, but that could just be tired suspension parts. Also the driver’s headrest is stuck and just makes clicking noises when I try and adjust it. Never mind, I’m a short arse and it’s stuck low down. I’ll have a look at that when I have some time. I love all the dials behind the steering wheel. It kind of feels like I’m in a steampunk airship or something.
I had the top down throughout. On the way there it got a bit chilly but putting the heater on full blast helped with that. On the way back I had the wind deflector on. That made a huge difference. I only needed the heater on a bit on the way home.
The dealer fixed the broken aerial before delivery, which is good. It stays up the whole time the ignition is on though, even if the radio is off. Not sure it’s wired up correctly. I’ll look into it. I do love how 90s an auto-extending aerial is though!
I did manage to get some fuel on the way back, albeit E10, which is not what I’d go for given the choice. On this occasion the choice was E10 or nothing, so it has a tank full of that. I’ll just have to use it up quickly and get some proper stuff in there.
Apart from the couple of niggles, which were inevitable on my first outing in it, it was a lovely experience. You don’t see many of these around, and it feels special cruising with the top down. You can just about hear the V8 when you boot it, but it’s very subdued. I will consider an exhaust, but will drive it some more before making any decisions. A lovely beast, and now it’s full of petrol I think I’ll drive it to work tomorrow.
I’ll leave you with some more pictures.
Great car ; I would have one if I could afford it !
I have owned a couple of soft top cars: A classic Lotus Elan, and an E36 BMW 328.
Different in a lot of ways.....but the open top experience is the same !
It makes a long drive 'special' but that would only make sense to someone who has done it....if you see what I mean !
Re your car, I would definitely look at a stainless system, even a custom built one that can be made to your requirements ( I have read of specialists who can tune the sound to exactly what you want)
That would probably be about the same if not cheaper than an OEM Merc one !
And the wheels... agree with you on that...
Have a look at Lorinser wheels ( I just put Lorinser alloys for R129 into Google ) Some of them are really good designs, but maybe quite pricey even used I would guess.
Really like the colour of your Merc, that must be quite rare ?
Keep the updates coming, I find these cars amazing !
I have owned a couple of soft top cars: A classic Lotus Elan, and an E36 BMW 328.
Different in a lot of ways.....but the open top experience is the same !
It makes a long drive 'special' but that would only make sense to someone who has done it....if you see what I mean !
Re your car, I would definitely look at a stainless system, even a custom built one that can be made to your requirements ( I have read of specialists who can tune the sound to exactly what you want)
That would probably be about the same if not cheaper than an OEM Merc one !
And the wheels... agree with you on that...
Have a look at Lorinser wheels ( I just put Lorinser alloys for R129 into Google ) Some of them are really good designs, but maybe quite pricey even used I would guess.
Really like the colour of your Merc, that must be quite rare ?
Keep the updates coming, I find these cars amazing !
If you are changing your wheels and wish to sell the current ones let me know. 
Mine came with some fake AMG jobbies, all the integrity of 20p pieces. I replaced them with some sturdy but aesthetically challenged winters.
Ride improved no end, strong and practical. But do make me wince a bit.
Loving your colour combo BTW. I wanted a dark interior for practical reasons, but all the dark metallics I viewed had grey or beige trim.
Mine came with some fake AMG jobbies, all the integrity of 20p pieces. I replaced them with some sturdy but aesthetically challenged winters.
Ride improved no end, strong and practical. But do make me wince a bit.
Loving your colour combo BTW. I wanted a dark interior for practical reasons, but all the dark metallics I viewed had grey or beige trim.
Edited by 23.7 on Monday 27th September 08:33
My three-car garage. If only I had a garage big enough to keep three cars in...
In fact, at the moment I'm between houses, which goes some way towards explaining how filthy all three of my cars are. I wouldn't take either the Merc or the BMW to a car wash - the former because I don't want it picking up any more scratches, the latter because I'm slightly worried that it would come out with significantly less paint than when it went in. So I'm waiting until I have my own home and facilities and it's less of a pain in the backside to give them a good going over. The Skoda I would happily take to a scratch wash, but I haven't recently. No excuse there. The reason I took this photo now, though, is that once I do have my own place, it's unlikely that the three amigos will all be in the same place at the same time again. If it does transpire in the future that they do come together again, and they are clean, I'll take a better one.
Anyway, some stats:
18 cylinders
approximately 700bhp (in theory)
approximately 382,000 miles
a combined age of 59 years
The Merc is the lowest mileage and most valuable. The Skoda passed 130k miles recently and is closing fast on the BMW's 137k. Having owned the Skoda from new I feel quite kindly towards my faithful utility vehicle, and imagine it will make it to 200k in my ownership. The BMW will probably explode on a track well before it gets to that sort of number.
Having owned the SL for just over a month, and done nothing to it except fill it with fuel, drive it, and repeat (until today), I have formed a couple of initial impressions.
I still love the '90s-ness of the automatic aerial. It makes me smile every time it goes up and down. I also still like the cleverly engineered single wiper. I've had a chance to put my foot down a few times and the V8 does make a satisfactory noise once you get up towards the top of the rev range. I am still leaning towards an exhaust to release that lovely sound lower down though. Launching from a standing start is fun. The nose points at the sky and it picks up very nicely with an excited roar. From a rolling start it's a bit less savage, even with the kick down, but still enjoyable. I've been driving round with the hard top on, given that it's winter and I don't currently have anywhere to keep it if I took it off. It doesn't feel quite as luxurious inside as I thought it might, but I suppose it is 25 years old and standards of refinement have moved on. One thing that has impressed me, though, is the climate control. It's very responsive to changes in temperature in the cabin (sudden strong sunlight on the windows), and does a great job of maintaining a comfortable temperature without the need for my intervention. The seats are nice too. They give a lovely hug and are adjustable in 17,000 ways (or thereabouts).
I've been driving it about once a week, mostly to pick up the kids and go to football training. They love the fact that it's a bit different and special, and will always remind me to raise the roll over bar whenever they are in the back! I really should get on with those three-point belts if I'm going to keep putting them in there, although they have discovered the hilarity that we used to enjoy as kids in the back seats in the '80s and '90s, when you'd all pile up on one side every time you went round a corner. We haven't had any squished legs yet. It's fortunate that we are not a tall family.
I'm enjoying the occasion of driving it, and it's comfortable and fun. What was annoying me a bit though was the stereo. It had a CD slot, but all my CDs are packed away somewhere, and it seemed incapable of auto-seeking a radio station. I just tuned it to Radio 4 and was pretty much stuck with that unless I knew the exact frequency I was looking for, or was prepared to sit there searching button-press by button-press through the entire range.
Most of the preceding paragraph is in the past tense because today I fixed that annoyance. I had a modern head unit in the BMW, with Bluetooth and hands-free telephony capabilities. Given that there is no requirement for a stereo in a track car, said head unit has now made its way into the Merc.
The old one is on the seat and the new one is in place. I can now stream audiobooks, podcasts and music, and talk to people on the phone, rather than being stuck with Radio 4 and non-existent CDs. That's a win in my book, especially because I'm planning a long(ish) trip up North in a few weeks. A greater choice of listening material is key when on such jaunts.
One day I'll do a 'look how clean my SL is' post.
Well, I promised a 'look how clean my SL is' post.
Today I washed all three cars, starting with the SL. Unfortunately when I started the sun hadn't made it over the building yet and the temperature was just below freezing. That makes washing and drying a car a bit tricky. In fact I gave up on rubbing the ice with my towel and moved on to washing the BMW, which was slightly warmer for living in a garage and I was able to park it in the sun to avoid the re-freezing issue. As an aside, there was a whole lot of death on the front of the BMW. I think my last visit to Mallory must have constituted genocide of some species of flying insect. Most of them are gone from the front end of my car now, fortunately, and the Hague hasn't caught up with me yet.
Anyway, as a nod to our detailing perverts, I bought two buckets yesterday. Not your £20 Meguiar's bucket, I'm afraid. More your £1 Halfords bucket. No grit guard. I'll build up to that level of professionalism. I two-bucket-methoded all three cars, which took a while. Yogioes was spot on though - the wheels on the SL are very easy to clean. The ones on the BMW were a bit of a pain - more so for having half a hundredweight of brake pad dust stuck to them.
I know what you're thinking. Where are the pictures of the super-sparkly-shiny SL500 that I came here for?
Here you go:
As I'm sure you'll agree, it looks like a totally different car...
Unfortunately it will be enduring another few weeks of living outside, until I have my new house. Then it will be tucked away in my lovely new garage that I'm ever so slightly excited about. I had thought about evicting the BMW so the SL can go indoors, but that felt a bit churlish after all the abuse I've given the old Beemer. I have been using the SL semi-regularly, until I figured out exactly how much it was costing me in fuel to do a single return trip to my home area. I will be using it for a decent schlep up north in a couple of weeks though. I'll visit a few petrol stations along the way, I'm sure.
Today I washed all three cars, starting with the SL. Unfortunately when I started the sun hadn't made it over the building yet and the temperature was just below freezing. That makes washing and drying a car a bit tricky. In fact I gave up on rubbing the ice with my towel and moved on to washing the BMW, which was slightly warmer for living in a garage and I was able to park it in the sun to avoid the re-freezing issue. As an aside, there was a whole lot of death on the front of the BMW. I think my last visit to Mallory must have constituted genocide of some species of flying insect. Most of them are gone from the front end of my car now, fortunately, and the Hague hasn't caught up with me yet.
Anyway, as a nod to our detailing perverts, I bought two buckets yesterday. Not your £20 Meguiar's bucket, I'm afraid. More your £1 Halfords bucket. No grit guard. I'll build up to that level of professionalism. I two-bucket-methoded all three cars, which took a while. Yogioes was spot on though - the wheels on the SL are very easy to clean. The ones on the BMW were a bit of a pain - more so for having half a hundredweight of brake pad dust stuck to them.
I know what you're thinking. Where are the pictures of the super-sparkly-shiny SL500 that I came here for?
Here you go:
As I'm sure you'll agree, it looks like a totally different car...
Unfortunately it will be enduring another few weeks of living outside, until I have my new house. Then it will be tucked away in my lovely new garage that I'm ever so slightly excited about. I had thought about evicting the BMW so the SL can go indoors, but that felt a bit churlish after all the abuse I've given the old Beemer. I have been using the SL semi-regularly, until I figured out exactly how much it was costing me in fuel to do a single return trip to my home area. I will be using it for a decent schlep up north in a couple of weeks though. I'll visit a few petrol stations along the way, I'm sure.
The SL surprised me this evening. In a good way rather than a 'back end overtaking the front end' way.
It has sat untouched, outdoors, for over a month. It's been cold in that time, and my previous experience of old(ish) cars standing still for extended periods in the cold led me to a fairly certain belief that the battery would be flat. At the very least I expected it to be lacking enough oomph to get the V8 ticking over.
I was wrong. It laboured a little on start up, but off it went with remarkably little drama. I probably shouldn't be, but I was a bit impressed. I wasn't looking forward to the promised frying of control modules if I tried to jump it, or the apparent shenanigans that these cars can play on you if you take the battery out. That may all be internet scaremongering, but I'm glad I didn't have to find out.
As a reward, I took it out for a drive for 45 minutes or so and filled it up with some lovely Esso Supreme 99+. Here's a picture, just because.
(I am not a photographer!)
I now have possession of my lovely new garage. The next stage of the plan is to build a shed (ordered) so that I can take all the superfluous crap out of the lovely new garage and insert the lovely old Mercedes into it. Soon it will not have to live outside.
It has sat untouched, outdoors, for over a month. It's been cold in that time, and my previous experience of old(ish) cars standing still for extended periods in the cold led me to a fairly certain belief that the battery would be flat. At the very least I expected it to be lacking enough oomph to get the V8 ticking over.
I was wrong. It laboured a little on start up, but off it went with remarkably little drama. I probably shouldn't be, but I was a bit impressed. I wasn't looking forward to the promised frying of control modules if I tried to jump it, or the apparent shenanigans that these cars can play on you if you take the battery out. That may all be internet scaremongering, but I'm glad I didn't have to find out.
As a reward, I took it out for a drive for 45 minutes or so and filled it up with some lovely Esso Supreme 99+. Here's a picture, just because.
(I am not a photographer!)
I now have possession of my lovely new garage. The next stage of the plan is to build a shed (ordered) so that I can take all the superfluous crap out of the lovely new garage and insert the lovely old Mercedes into it. Soon it will not have to live outside.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff