R129 Mercedes SL current market
Discussion
Always loved these but never even driven one. I’ve currently a hole in my garage that would fit one quite nicely.
Had a quick look between eBay, autotrader and car&classic and I couldn’t believe how many are for sale!! For a relatively expensive car new that I can’t imagine sold in massive numbers the quality for sale is unbelievable.
Anyways, looking at the dates some of the adverts were posted, some seem to be for sale for a long time, 12 months plus not being unusual. Do good ones actually sell? Is it a case of trawling the country to actually find a good one?
I think realistically it would have to be a 500. Budget is fairly open, but I’m fussy. If there was a really good sorted one at 10 I’d happily buy it. But if it took 20 to get a proper car I’d pay that rather than a 10k one needing 5-7k of work to get it to standard.
Any do’s/dont’s or advice? Is the wiring loom a thing on these similar to the w124?
Had a quick look between eBay, autotrader and car&classic and I couldn’t believe how many are for sale!! For a relatively expensive car new that I can’t imagine sold in massive numbers the quality for sale is unbelievable.
Anyways, looking at the dates some of the adverts were posted, some seem to be for sale for a long time, 12 months plus not being unusual. Do good ones actually sell? Is it a case of trawling the country to actually find a good one?
I think realistically it would have to be a 500. Budget is fairly open, but I’m fussy. If there was a really good sorted one at 10 I’d happily buy it. But if it took 20 to get a proper car I’d pay that rather than a 10k one needing 5-7k of work to get it to standard.
Any do’s/dont’s or advice? Is the wiring loom a thing on these similar to the w124?
There are a lot of six cylinder cars for sale, not so many eights or twelves.
I bought a 500 a few weeks ago and reasonably priced cars in good condition seemed to move well on the market when I was looking. Cars with issues or being offered at an inflated price hang around.
Biodegradable wiring loom issues affect different engines over different years but for the 500 93-95 seem commonly stated as the problem years, for the six cylinders that seems to start in 92.
If you're looking at the 500 be aware of the gearbox, engine, and build quality variations over the years too. For me the sweet spot seemed to be 96-98 as those cars have the more powerful M119 engine, no wiring loom issues, the first facelifted design which is my personal favourite, the five speed gearbox, and were built before Chrysler got involved.
I ended up buying a car that had led a pampered life for the majority of its existence, but in recent years had suffered from lack of use. As such I recognised a number of issues with the car which were factored into the deal struck. In the past six weeks I have spent about £5k on getting the car up to scratch which I am comfortable with as the cars I looked at that were far more expensive would still have needed at least £2k spent on them to be at MY standard.
I expected to like the R129 and I was not wrong, in fact I'm totally smitten with it.
I bought a 500 a few weeks ago and reasonably priced cars in good condition seemed to move well on the market when I was looking. Cars with issues or being offered at an inflated price hang around.
Biodegradable wiring loom issues affect different engines over different years but for the 500 93-95 seem commonly stated as the problem years, for the six cylinders that seems to start in 92.
If you're looking at the 500 be aware of the gearbox, engine, and build quality variations over the years too. For me the sweet spot seemed to be 96-98 as those cars have the more powerful M119 engine, no wiring loom issues, the first facelifted design which is my personal favourite, the five speed gearbox, and were built before Chrysler got involved.
I ended up buying a car that had led a pampered life for the majority of its existence, but in recent years had suffered from lack of use. As such I recognised a number of issues with the car which were factored into the deal struck. In the past six weeks I have spent about £5k on getting the car up to scratch which I am comfortable with as the cars I looked at that were far more expensive would still have needed at least £2k spent on them to be at MY standard.
I expected to like the R129 and I was not wrong, in fact I'm totally smitten with it.
I bought mine (300-24 5-speed auto) in 2011 and still have it.
The price point for a good car then was around £5-£7k, with condition being more of a determining factor than engine size (V12s and AMG excepted) back then.
The SL60s have increased quite a bit since then, but looking at the 120 or so cars advertised on Autotrader alone, once you factor inflation into the equation, they haven’t gone up massively. £8-£10 looks like a good starting point.
I set out for the earliest really good car I could find, purely because I like the details, styling and quality of the early cars (gingercators, 15-hole Gullideckle wheels etc) but all models have their merits.
For such an expensive car, they sold in big numbers and hide abuse and lack of servicing etc very well.
There is a great buyers / owners guide on PH written by forum member R129, and the SL shop website has some useful information about the various cars.
What I can say, based on some years of ownership, is that they are a delightful antidote to the hoolabaloola of modern motoring. They are comfortable, brisk and attract positive attention from other road users. The parts supply seems to be good, safety is excellent and they look great.
The early 300 / 300-24 cars don’t suffer from biodegradable looms, but really, this isn’t a huge job to put right (I had this issue with my C36).
Definitely a car to buy on condition rather than mileage in any guise. There’s a potential world of financial pain in buying a car to restore, or one that has suffered years of neglect, buy the best you can afford.
I’ve driven the 500, and they have a different character to the high-revving straight 6 as they feel lazier, far more torquey and a little heavier around the front-end.
If you can, have a look for the late Russell Bulgins article in CAR (1994) where he writes about the then-new SL280; it’s fabulous.
The price point for a good car then was around £5-£7k, with condition being more of a determining factor than engine size (V12s and AMG excepted) back then.
The SL60s have increased quite a bit since then, but looking at the 120 or so cars advertised on Autotrader alone, once you factor inflation into the equation, they haven’t gone up massively. £8-£10 looks like a good starting point.
I set out for the earliest really good car I could find, purely because I like the details, styling and quality of the early cars (gingercators, 15-hole Gullideckle wheels etc) but all models have their merits.
For such an expensive car, they sold in big numbers and hide abuse and lack of servicing etc very well.
There is a great buyers / owners guide on PH written by forum member R129, and the SL shop website has some useful information about the various cars.
What I can say, based on some years of ownership, is that they are a delightful antidote to the hoolabaloola of modern motoring. They are comfortable, brisk and attract positive attention from other road users. The parts supply seems to be good, safety is excellent and they look great.
The early 300 / 300-24 cars don’t suffer from biodegradable looms, but really, this isn’t a huge job to put right (I had this issue with my C36).
Definitely a car to buy on condition rather than mileage in any guise. There’s a potential world of financial pain in buying a car to restore, or one that has suffered years of neglect, buy the best you can afford.
I’ve driven the 500, and they have a different character to the high-revving straight 6 as they feel lazier, far more torquey and a little heavier around the front-end.
If you can, have a look for the late Russell Bulgins article in CAR (1994) where he writes about the then-new SL280; it’s fabulous.
I ran a 94 320 as a daily between 2013 and 2022.
I was trawling though the lower end of the market, kissed a few frogs, then foolishly ending up with a cosmetically ok car but lacking in service history. It took me 4 yrs to catch up with the neglected maintenance, on a budget doing most of the work myself, a bit at a time. Towards the end of my tenure I knew the car inside out!
The biggest disappointment was the soft-top, mechanically ok but really an unrefined poorly conceived afterthought.
I was trawling though the lower end of the market, kissed a few frogs, then foolishly ending up with a cosmetically ok car but lacking in service history. It took me 4 yrs to catch up with the neglected maintenance, on a budget doing most of the work myself, a bit at a time. Towards the end of my tenure I knew the car inside out!
The biggest disappointment was the soft-top, mechanically ok but really an unrefined poorly conceived afterthought.
Having owned a 500 (1996) until April this year then the advice I’d give is find one with very comprehensive and up to date service records.
Irrespective of which engine configuration you go for (the V8 is lovely and gives enough punch for real world use) make sure you get the hood up and down several times and then check underneath for any signs of hydraulic leaks and also around the car interior to ensure the rams aren’t leaking.
Great cars when they’re sorted…a nightmare when they’re not.
Irrespective of which engine configuration you go for (the V8 is lovely and gives enough punch for real world use) make sure you get the hood up and down several times and then check underneath for any signs of hydraulic leaks and also around the car interior to ensure the rams aren’t leaking.
Great cars when they’re sorted…a nightmare when they’re not.
Bought my 1998 320 6 years ago and still have it today.
Mine came with a thick service history folder, and was immaculate even at 82K miles. The pano roof is nice if you can find one.
Don't discount the IL6, its a peach of an engine in the real world.
My only gripe, for my 6'3" frame its a bit tight on space.
At some point I'll move it on for a bigger car.
Mine came with a thick service history folder, and was immaculate even at 82K miles. The pano roof is nice if you can find one.
Don't discount the IL6, its a peach of an engine in the real world.
My only gripe, for my 6'3" frame its a bit tight on space.
At some point I'll move it on for a bigger car.
Cheers guys!!
I had the 6 cylinder in a w124 a few years ago and enjoyed it to be fair. Strong and liner engine. I just think for high days and holidays if I didn’t get a v8 I’d be disappointed.
As Nick Forest says up to date service records and spends seems to be the key. There’s a lot of cars that have done 3000 miles in the last 10 years and had an oil service in 2019 400 miles ago. To me this isn’t a full service history nor a car I could be bothered with the hassle of taking on.
I had the 6 cylinder in a w124 a few years ago and enjoyed it to be fair. Strong and liner engine. I just think for high days and holidays if I didn’t get a v8 I’d be disappointed.
As Nick Forest says up to date service records and spends seems to be the key. There’s a lot of cars that have done 3000 miles in the last 10 years and had an oil service in 2019 400 miles ago. To me this isn’t a full service history nor a car I could be bothered with the hassle of taking on.
pcn1 said:
Bought my 1998 320 6 years ago and still have it today.
Mine came with a thick service history folder, and was immaculate even at 82K miles. The pano roof is nice if you can find one.
Don't discount the IL6, its a peach of an engine in the real world.
My only gripe, for my 6'3" frame its a bit tight on space.
At some point I'll move it on for a bigger car.
Almost identical to my old one which was a 1997 model, loved that car had some special trips in it, I keep looking at them again. Mine came with a thick service history folder, and was immaculate even at 82K miles. The pano roof is nice if you can find one.
Don't discount the IL6, its a peach of an engine in the real world.
My only gripe, for my 6'3" frame its a bit tight on space.
At some point I'll move it on for a bigger car.
I've a 28000 mile 320 that'll go at some point, been saying that for years but as it's apparently only done ~310 miles in ten years it's getting more likely haha, I've not driven a 500 far so can't compare them, the 320 is still a ~150 mph car, I wonder how much of a difference there might be in general use
I think the top speed flattered the sl320, it wasn't a quick car to 60, if I was to get another I'd probably go for a 500 although they do seem thinner on the ground compared to the 320, collecting cars sees quite a few r129 going through (from 280 to a 73) at what seems like reasonable money apart from the latter but it's the perfect place to try and sell a issue and make it someone else's.
The one thing that does put me off is the trouble mine had even at 3 years old back in 2000, the controller module for the roof broke and the engine needed work due to constantly stalling at idle, this was a straight 6 320, the recirculating ball steering wasn't the sharpest either, but there is something about them that I love.
An R129 is a fabulous thing, it needs a v8 like all top of the range Mercs but that's a personal opinion only. They feel old school to drive but are modern enough to easily daily (I did for 5 years).
The achilles heel is the hard top - great when it's on, great when it's off but the transition from one to the other is a pain (mine had the glass pano which made it comically heavy to remove/attach).
I'm now in an R230 which many say isn't built as well, my experience so far doesn't support that view.
The achilles heel is the hard top - great when it's on, great when it's off but the transition from one to the other is a pain (mine had the glass pano which made it comically heavy to remove/attach).
I'm now in an R230 which many say isn't built as well, my experience so far doesn't support that view.
Venisonpie said:
The achilles heel is the hard top - great when it's on, great when it's off but the transition from one to the other is a pain (mine had the glass pano which made it comically heavy to remove/attach).
I have the glass pano roof on mine and did worry about how easy it would be to handle. It's about 45kg so fairly hefty and definitely not something to handle alone, however I have found that my partner and I can easily lift it on and off as long as we don't try to rush it. She is a similar height to me though which probably helps.I have also pushed a couple of tennis balls on the rear pins just to ensure it is less likely to scratch the rear deck when being lifted on/off along the rear of the car as find it easier to bring it over the car from behind. I wouldn't want to put it on/off multiple times per day but as a once year on/once year off job it seems alright. It does take a good bit of space in the garage though even on its stand!
Wigeon Incognito said:
Venisonpie said:
The achilles heel is the hard top - great when it's on, great when it's off but the transition from one to the other is a pain (mine had the glass pano which made it comically heavy to remove/attach).
I have the glass pano roof on mine and did worry about how easy it would be to handle. It's about 45kg so fairly hefty and definitely not something to handle alone, however I have found that my partner and I can easily lift it on and off as long as we don't try to rush it. She is a similar height to me though which probably helps.I have also pushed a couple of tennis balls on the rear pins just to ensure it is less likely to scratch the rear deck when being lifted on/off along the rear of the car as find it easier to bring it over the car from behind. I wouldn't want to put it on/off multiple times per day but as a once year on/once year off job it seems alright. It does take a good bit of space in the garage though even on its stand!
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