Mercedes R107's

[EdJ]

TonyF55 said:

EdJ said:

I saw this one for sale last year when I was looking. Love the 70s colour scheme! They do seem to be cars that people keep for a long time. I'm the second owner of my 420SL; the first one owned it for about 28 years.

Mine is a more boring silver, but what really convinced me to get it was the blue hood.

Is your 420SL a C-Reg ? could I have possibly seen you in it very near to Gants Hill roundabout ?

Tony

Hi - no, mine's a D reg, and based in the Cotswolds.

Nice to hear that Jude Law is driving around in a similar one though! Gives it a bit more street cred.... I think...

[jke11y]

Thats two things I have in common with Jude Law then; a son called Rafferty and a 107! I like that he pops down to ECP for bits for it too



I am collecting mine in a couple of hours from garage after some paint and a new distributor.

[jdw1234]

Thats the car. He was driving with 3 other people in the car as well!!

[idiotgap]

Jude's car sadly looking a bit ropey with corrosion on the rear valance and the rear wing.

[jdw1234]

I miss this thread.

Anyone else bought/buying one? Any spots?

[jke11y]

I miss mine, but now I've moved out of London and back to Scotland it would have been a real high days only car - will watch from afar now, as they continue to gain £ probably.

[jdw1234]

I'm sure the r129 soothes the pain!

I've just had to increase my insurance so I could just get one from the SL shop if the worst happens.

They seem to have jumped over the past year. Not sure if it's sustainable or what they actually change hands for privately.

Mind you, everything seems to be bonkers now.

[idiotgap]

I just got mine back from the paintshop, I was planning to have this done last year as a 30th birthday spruce up for the car, but the time and money to do it came this year instead in the end.

I took it up to see gullwing/trimming specialist Kevin O'Keefe because he's local and had done a bit of work on the hard top before. He referred me on to another man who he collaborates with since I didn't need any trimming and it wasn't a massive project. This other guy had a pagoda in the shop when I went to see him and clearly knew the cars well so took the plunge. He's gone over the car touching in any chips etc, made some repairs to the under-bumper valances front and rear where they starting to go as well as the bottom of the passenger front wing, a couple of panels had some attention where the paint seemed to be begining to react showing some pimpling.

The weather's been so grotty and I've been busy since I got it back a week ago so no pics and I haven't had chance to have a really good look, but really looking forward to getting out in it sometime soon.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I'm looking forward to seeing the titivated car idiotgap - any chance you'll take it to the mini-reunion at MB World on 29 Dec?

Would be great to see some of the residents of this thread there.

As an aside, that sorry-sounding-MOT-historied 107 in colours similar to yours posted on the MB Club site - really likely to be a basket case or worth a look do you think?

[idiotgap]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I'm looking forward to seeing the titivated car idiotgap - any chance you'll take it to the mini-reunion at MB World on 29 Dec?

Would be great to see some of the residents of this thread there.

As an aside, that sorry-sounding-MOT-historied 107 in colours similar to yours posted on the MB Club site - really likely to be a basket case or worth a look do you think?

Every chance I will take it to MB World on the 29th for the smoker barge 1-5k thread meet-up. I might not if they've salted the roads.

I would ask red107 and merc-tec on the mercedes-benz-club forum - in the 107 section specifically rather than the spotted on ebay bit, I've never tried to deal with a rotten 107, everything you read will tell you the killer is the bulkhead area which goes in a structurally compromising way.

I hate to say it, but the 280 engine isn't that well liked... "gutless","thirsty"... I don't know any different but everyone says the post-facelift 300 is miles better.

[jdw1234]

I have heard the 280 engine referred to as sweet and the wheeler dealers episode implied it was a lovely engine?

Meet up at Benz world on 29th?

[IanA2]

idiotgap said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I'm looking forward to seeing the titivated car idiotgap - any chance you'll take it to the mini-reunion at MB World on 29 Dec?

Would be great to see some of the residents of this thread there.

As an aside, that sorry-sounding-MOT-historied 107 in colours similar to yours posted on the MB Club site - really likely to be a basket case or worth a look do you think?

Every chance I will take it to MB World on the 29th for the smoker barge 1-5k thread meet-up. I might not if they've salted the roads.

I would ask red107 and merc-tec on the mercedes-benz-club forum - in the 107 section specifically rather than the spotted on ebay bit, I've never tried to deal with a rotten 107, everything you read will tell you the killer is the bulkhead area which goes in a structurally compromising way.

I hate to say it, but the 280 engine isn't that well liked... "gutless","thirsty"... I don't know any different but everyone says the post-facelift 300 is miles better.

Yup, very thirsty indeed.

[jke11y]

Sadly I won't be able to make the 29th, would have been good.

On the topic of values, as always I bought mine well and sold it well; I know it's vulgar to discuss such matters but it'll cheer you owners up - all told I made ~£5k, so not too bad for 6 months ownership with a driving holiday to the south of France / Italy thrown in.

[jdw1234]

Don't want them to get too expensive.

Expensive enough they are looked after is fine.

I don't want to feel bad about riding three up to the pub or leaving it parked with the roof down!

[idiotgap]

jke11y said:

Sadly I won't be able to make the 29th, would have been good.

On the topic of values, as always I bought mine well and sold it well; I know it's vulgar to discuss such matters but it'll cheer you owners up - all told I made ~£5k, so not too bad for 6 months ownership with a driving holiday to the south of France / Italy thrown in.

That's a shame JJ, but understandable given the distance you have now. Your 107 was great and you did buy very well, I suppose there isn't always going to be vendor handy who doesn't know what they've got, but you made the most of it by reacting quickly.

jdw1234 said:

I have heard the 280 engine referred to as sweet and the wheeler dealers episode implied it was a lovely engine?

In truth the M110 is a nice engine in many ways. The thirst isn't really a concern because it's unlikely to be used for high mileage these days (I get under 20mpg whatever kind of driving I'm doing and it's happiest on v-power). I think the performance is fine, the handling in my 107 isn't razor sharp so it's not a car to drive on the edge. I've never felt it needed more push. Inline sixes are very smooth dues to the natural balance and under load, to me it least it makes a decent noise. Having said all that, I've not owned all that many cars and never had a v8 so maybe I'm not really qualified to say!

jdw1234 said:

Meet up at Benz world on 29th?

Yep, as CdeG mentioned earlier, there's a plan hatching in the smoker barge 1-5 thread for an informal meet at 11am on the 29th Dec at MB world. There's no strict dress code when it comes to the car and although there will be some barges undoubtedly, folk are being encouraged to come in the most interesting thing they've got.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

jdw1234 said:

Meet up at Benz world on 29th?

Yes, as idiotgap mentions, a bright spark has come up with the idea of a few like-minded folk escaping the families and mince pies and taking their cars to MB World for a few hours. Basically, I think anything goes in terms of vehicle, the point being to meet strange men off the internet!

If the geography is do-able, should be a nice opportunity to put faces to names and escape the domestic mayhem, as well as give the cars a winter run-out.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

There are a few 107s on the market at the moment. Seems a slightly sub-optimal time to be selling.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C686925 £8.5.



http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C615327 £8750.



http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C670658 Looks nice, £10.5.



ETA - Some interesting MOT history on each of those cars. The purple one was tested twice on the same day, passing the second time with many fewer jobs showing. Wonder if it was at the same test centre?

Edited by CharlesdeGaulle on Sunday 6th December 14:17

[Tankman104c]

Bought my first SL earlier this year ( my first Mercedes! ). It's a R129 SL320 which I have loved driving but while I did realise it was a complicated vehicle before I bought it I didn't realise just how complicated the R129 is! I like to do as much spannering as I can but some of the pneumatic/hydraulic systems are out of my experience!
So I think I will start looking for a 107 next year hoping they are similar driving experience but less complicated?

[jdw1234]

I've only passengered in a r129.

I would describe driving a R107 like cruising in a old wooden speedboat.

It's fantastic (I prefer it to my old F355) but it's no sports car.

[Humper]

Got to echo the above, imagine it as a sports waterbed and you'll not go far wrong
My Daimler, which is meant to be a big luxury cruiser, would eat my 107 on a twisty road.
It's hard to explain the attraction, tbh, but the 107 just has something special.