R129 SL 500

[dickyf]

hi
i was hoping for some general help.
i am being drawn towards one of these after seeing a mint back one last week with the roof down in the sunshine.
i have shortlistred the 500 1996 model onwards as i owned the previous incarnation and adored its lazy nature and character.
has the R129 lost any of this?

if you happen to come across one or are aware of one for sale please post a reply, i am looking in the usual classified ads pistonheads, autotrader, car and classic etc but wish to widen the net further .

if i find something i like i will have a specialist look over it but is there anything obvious i should be looking for?

thanks in anticipation

[r129sl]

They're great. Comfortable tourer which will pick up its skirt and race if asked to do so. Very well built. Very fast in 500 guise (Porsche 996 fast). Buy on condition. Avoid anything non-standard. You want the Becker or Mercedes radio, the small (these days) Mercedes wheels, the two-tone paint job, Michelin tyres, above all the orange indicator lights: all of the things the idiots change. Especially avoid comedy grilles.

[petrol_heads36]

I totally agree with the previous post, I would add to check all the electrics work as they tend to fail if the car is not driven-I should know, have a 1991 SL500 that I use sporadically at best, just had the 2 electric window motors repaired, 2 electric side mirrors have given up and the radio/cd has a mind of its own, dont want to replace it as its original. Of course make sure it has its 3 Mercedes overmats and that the soft top works seamlessly, I think my mechanic told me there's 12 different motors involved in the roof!! Pricey!! Great car, wonderful cruiser and serious pace when required, get the auto transmission fluid & filter changed asap as there's a lot of bhp going through that box and they're not the lightest car either. Finally the bhp actually decreased on the SL500 as the model went on hence mine had 322 whereas a 2000 model 'only' had 305, not important but a bit of trivia none the less. Goes without saying avoid models from 1998 on as quality control went through the floor.

[r129sl]

I agree with the previous poster, too. Make sure everything works. Remove the hardtop and cycle the roof. Any bona fide seller will want you to do this. Also, high mileage is nothing to be afraid of so long as the maintenance has been kept up. My 1999 model has more than 176,000 miles on it today (it'll have 177,000+ on it tomorrow) and has never missed a beat: it is like a 2 year old car inside and out. However, it has cost me at least £35k in maintenance over the years! These cars are made to be driven and driven a long way. Quality is up to scratch throughout the build range: the design and materials hardly changed. Post-1998 engines are indeed down on power but they are very much up on torque and weigh less, so it is swings and roundabouts there.

[dickyf]

cheers for the replies. all i need to do is find one at the right sort of money!
If anybody does happen to stumble across anything in the classifieds locally or indeed wants a good home for theirs please let me know.
SL 500 1996 onwards