Mercedes R107's

[Candellara]

lowdrag said:

Look and weep. A rainy windy night, a country bend, a field where tractors had been in and out all day, and a lot of mud everywhere. This was the result, but the insurers reshelled her for me.

Nice to hear it was reshelled and not written off. BTW, any more updates on the E-Type (love E-Type resto threads) as i also have one "in progress" but not at your level

[lowdrag]

Dapster said:

That photo must have been from 20 years ago judging by the fact that someone thought it economically viable to do such a massive amount of work on the early 80's Audi 100 CS in the background! (nerd alert - definitely a CS - you can tell by the alloys. The higher spec "CD" and lower spec "CC" had steelies with flush hubcaps...)

Actually, the photo was from 30 years ago. I bought the car 2nd hand with 300 miles on the clock. A Mercedes client decided to give his wife a new car for her birthday and bought what was available. He decided it was beneath her dignity to drive a 380 and traded it back in for a 500, and I bought it trading in my 230CE. As regards the reshelling, the insurers overlooked the fact that the hard top was £2,000 extra and if they'd known would have written the car off. I know that in the day it cost them about £17,000 to rebuild her. The damage was mostly caused by hitting an electricity pole head on, snapping it in two and then rolling the car into a hedge that had been recently flayed so just staves. I had put the hard top back on a week before and if I hadn't I don't think I would be here to tell the tale.

[Shezbo]

lowdrag said:

Actually, the photo was from 30 years ago. I bought the car 2nd hand with 300 miles on the clock. A Mercedes client decided to give his wife a new car for her birthday and bought what was available. He decided it was beneath her dignity to drive a 380 and traded it back in for a 500, and I bought it trading in my 230CE. As regards the reshelling, the insurers overlooked the fact that the hard top was £2,000 extra and if they'd known would have written the car off. I know that in the day it cost them about £17,000 to rebuild her. The damage was mostly caused by hitting an electricity pole head on, snapping it in two and then rolling the car into a hedge that had been recently flayed so just staves. I had put the hard top back on a week before and if I hadn't I don't think I would be here to tell the tale.

107's were very well built cars and one of the first to be crash tested etc. as MB were leaders in this area back then. Glad you were in a 107....

[rubystone]

Found myself bidding on a '71 350 SL at H & H recently and ended up owning it for peanuts. Am told it is a very early car...solid car, springy seats, laid back nature, all those things people say on this thread. Have to decide whether to go to town on it or use it and move it on next Autumn. But am tending towards spending some cash on it and enjoying it.

Edited by rubystone on Tuesday 12th November 22:31

[decampos]

rubystone said:

Found myself bidding on a '71 350 SL at H & H recently and ended up owning it for peanuts. Am told it is a very early car...solid car, springy seats, laid back nature, all those things people say on this thread. Have to decide whether to go to town on it or use it and move it on next Autumn. But am tending towards spending some cash on it and enjoying it.

Sounds great. Maybe post some photographs. A good R107 is certainly something to behold. I'm on my second one. The first was a dog of a car but the second is an absolute joy and I'm finding myself enjoying spending money on it.

Edited by decampos on Saturday 30th November 23:59

[Dapster]

Ok, so this is about a good a used one as you'll find, and sold by a proper "top quality classics" dealer, but look at the price!! (Bottom of ad...)





http://www.hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Mercedes-...

[Candellara]

Dapster said:

Ok, so this is about a good a used one as you'll find, and sold by a proper "top quality classics" dealer, but look at the price!! (Bottom of ad...)





http://www.hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/Mercedes-...

The most expensive i've seen was a 88 300SL with hardly no miles on it - £63,950. Don't know whether it sold or not

[6750cc]

6750cc said:

Also over 6ft and had no issue with 2-seat 450SL (78) and later 300SL (87). But I found I couldn't fit comfortably in a 300SL (88) with rear seat option.

The 450SL was much more of an event and would be my choice, despite the horrific fuel consumption.

Cheers,

Andy

Found a pic of the 450SL...

Classic Car Club car - I covered close to 500 miles over Christmas/New Year four or five years back.



Still on the fleet: http://www.classiccarclub.co.uk/cars/mercedes_450_...

[lowdrag]

I've mentioned this on another thread, but the lowest mileage SL I have ever seen was a 450SL with 300 miles on it. A client gave it to his wife as an Xmas present and she told him to take it back because she didn't want it and preferred her Vauxhall Shoveit. He replied it wasn't his to sell but hers, and so the standoff started. It was put on blocks in the heated garage and started and run up once a month by the handyman. It was eventually sold about 15 years later still awaiting its first free Mercedes service.

[TISPKJ]

Mine has 11k on it, I heard of one that attended MB club events maybe 10 years ago that had something like 2.5k but was trailored to events that was a red 450, my pal has just picked up a gold 450 linked above with 5k I think without looking.
Genuine low mile cars are few and far between.

Many years ago I bought a 450 and whilst looking for a car came across a very cheap 450, it was a manual, any thoughts on values of those now as I dont recall ever seeing another.

[Dapster]

Bit of a thread revival.... I've found this, probably the finest R107 on sale. "Finest" in the sense that it has had a factory refurbishment and is sold "as new" by the Mercedes Classic Centre. However, it's a 300 with a manual box. Never the less, it's up for €70,000!!!







http://specials.mercedes-benz-classic.com/en/vehic...

[truck71]

Why would you go to the trouble and expense of having a factory refurb and leave it with a manual box?

Edited by truck71 on Tuesday 21st January 15:43

[lowdrag]

My memories of my SL aren't that good since it was, for me much younger then, a barge, but I find myself looking through rose coloured glasses and thinking of selling one of my cars and wafting along the Cote d'Azur in one again. Will I like the plank-like seats, I ask myself? Will I once again tape over that most annoying econometer? Can I afford the fuel consumption? Well, yes, since the vehicle it would replace is even more thirsty. Whatever, today cruise control would be a must since that accelerator got heavy on a long run, and air con would be nice but not imperative. I think all in all a late 420 would suit me down to the ground. Watch this space.

[TISPKJ]

truck71 said:

Why would you go to the trouble and expense of having a factory refurb and leave it with a manual box?

Edited by truck71 on Tuesday 21st January 15:43

Because the economy 6 cylinder models came with a manual box as std from memory with auto as an option.

[truck71]

Yep get the originality bit, who would want that spec now I wonder?

[CY88]

Couple pics of mine from the weekend


32/365 1979 Mercedes SL by CY2010, on Flickr


33/365 1970s Dashboard - Mercedes 350 SL by CY2010, on Flickr

[velocitas]

Sorry for the tread revival but this week's shed got me thinking about an R107 again. This is the one I've been lusting after for almost a year:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mercedes-Benz/SL-Clas...

Benefits of an 82 car or earlier in Ireland are that it's MOT exempt and anything greater than 30 years old is 50e Road tax rather than 1800e.

Question I have for the PH collective is given that it's been for sale for over a year and has been modified (r129 seats, suspension and wheels) would it appeal to anyone else if I had to resell it?

[tortop45]

Great cars but bog stock is what people wan,t as an investment these days.the best thing about theses cars is you can still get all the body panels and exterior trim from your mec dealer still,at a price thou but not the trim.......

[solid61]

I know you cant tell a lot by looking at photos but that sl looks a bit too got at and would only appeal to a few potential buyers,the seats and wheels are definately not r129,the seats look like old style (very expensive) recaros.

[Candellara]

Not all parts are available from MB anymore unfortunately. Interior trim parts for example and parts seem to have risen in price extraordinarily from MB - like the value of the cars. Over £300 for a rear light lense, carpets not available etc etc. Bumpers in good condition on Ebay change hands for over £1000