1973 Mercedes SLC

Author
Discussion

alabbasi

2,510 posts

87 months

Thursday 24th January 2019
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CharlesdeGaulle said:
The LHD car is optimistically-priced I'd have thought.
That's a 107026 which a limited production model. The 450SLC 5.0 / 500SLC cars were homologation cars that were made so that Mercedes Benz could rally. Aside from the grand 600, they were the most expensive Mercedes Benz made at the time. I believe that around 1600 450SLC's were made and 1100 500SLC (total ~ 2600). IIRC, they were only available in LHD and price reflects pedigree.


Edited by alabbasi on Thursday 24th January 21:40

paulyv

1,020 posts

123 months

Sunday 19th May 2019
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Spring has been and almost gone, and my mind starts to wonder what all the other SLC's on this forum are up to...

alabbasi

2,510 posts

87 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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My 450SLC 5.0 is buried in the back of the shop waiting for me to get to it.


CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,242 posts

180 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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Desirable garage. Very nice.

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,242 posts

180 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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Mine is slumbering. It'll stay in situ whilst I spend the next 4 months in a rather undesirable hot and dusty location. Hopefully the car will not punish neglect by being difficult on return.

paulyv

1,020 posts

123 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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alabbasi said:
My 450SLC 5.0 is buried in the back of the shop waiting for me to get to it.

What a wonderful sight. I am sure there are plenty of young lads who would be happy to give you a discount to come around and wash off of those. I myself would offer if I were closer!

paulyv

1,020 posts

123 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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CharlesdeGaulle said:
Mine is slumbering. It'll stay in situ whilst I spend the next 4 months in a rather undesirable hot and dusty location. Hopefully the car will not punish neglect by being difficult on return.
Beautiful. A few turns of the key and it'll be ready for you (he says in an entirely uninformed manner).

I hope things go well for you abroad in the meantime.

alabbasi

2,510 posts

87 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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paulyv said:
What a wonderful sight. I am sure there are plenty of young lads who would be happy to give you a discount to come around and wash off of those. I myself would offer if I were closer!
It's a large building and it's quite full. Washing cars could be become a full time job.

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,242 posts

180 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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Almost exactly a year to the day after parking the car up in my underground garage and sticking a battery conditioner on it, it saw sunlight once more.

It's been a fairly 'interesting' 12 months for all sorts of reasons, but with decent weather and a relaxing of the lockdown over here on the Continent, it seemed about time it saw some 'essential' use. I checked and corrected tyre pressures, checked the oil level, and lay on the floor to check that nothing was amiss (not that I'd have known what to look for anyway unless something was obviously hanging-off) and then turned the key. It started!

After another quick check I set off pretty gingerly on the first trip the car had done in a year. I was slightly concerned that a long lay-up might have caused problems, but there was no sign of any drama. About 20 minutes into the drive I did get worried about a fuel-type smell, and when I stopped to have a check I saw smoke coming from underneath the bonnet which focused the mind somewhat! There is clearly a slight oil leak somewhere as I'd had to put paper under the car when it was parked-up, and I am pretty sure that it was old oil burning off as the engine got hot. Oil pressure and water temperature were both spot-on, and everything works.



I returned home and washed it, and then took a friend out in it again. Cheap petrol offsets the utterly dismal fuel economy and I have to say that it performed faultlessly. Even looks pretty shiny now the storage dust and cobwebs are off it.



I have booked it in for a service at an old-school garage in the city that I have used once before for my other car and was impressed with, and I'll get them to give it a proper appraisal. I also need to get the heater fixed.

I'll ask them to cost-up the work needed to get it through the Controle Technique (MOT equivalent) with a view to registering it over here, because at the moment I'm running it as a UK-legal car on UK insurance, but I fear I may be on dodgy ground. If getting it through the CT is too complicated, I'll need to either find a UK insurer or consider selling it. Difficult decisions ahead. I still really like this car, and it got lots of smiles and thumbs-up during the drive. I'm hoping to be able to keep it.

SpeckledJim

31,608 posts

253 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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This is such a classy car. I really really like it.

TR4man

5,222 posts

174 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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What a beautiful car!

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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JPvanRossem said:
Beautiful motor. Don't sell it!
This. I have one on the edge of my radar.

Captain_Morgan

1,229 posts

59 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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CharlesdeGaulle said:
I'll ask them to cost-up the work needed to get it through the Controle Technique (MOT equivalent) with a view to registering it over here, because at the moment I'm running it as a UK-legal car on UK insurance, but I fear I may be on dodgy ground. If getting it through the CT is too complicated, I'll need to either find a UK insurer or consider selling it. Difficult decisions ahead. I still really like this car, and it got lots of smiles and thumbs-up during the drive. I'm hoping to be able to keep it.
This might help on insurance front but I understand not cheap

tgr

1,133 posts

171 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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What happened to that fellow Strela?

jamesson

2,987 posts

221 months

Sunday 17th May 2020
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Dear God, man, don't sell it. What a magnificent motor car.

Captain_Morgan

1,229 posts

59 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Sorry I forgot to post the link
https://www.stuartcollins.com/

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,242 posts

180 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Captain_Morgan said:
Sorry I forgot to post the link
https://www.stuartcollins.com/
Thanks for that. I'd heard of them before but never tried them. I'll get a quote and see how it compares; insurance is expensive here anyway so it may well be a feasible option.

ferrisbueller

29,314 posts

227 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Really hope you don't have to sell it CdG. An SC430 just won't fill the gap. I've never had to insure something over there for more than a month so can't offer any practical help, just moral support.

alabbasi

2,510 posts

87 months

Monday 18th May 2020
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Can covers tend to weep a little if the car is sat up a long time, usually on the manifolds. It doesn't take a lot of oil to make a lot of smoke.

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,242 posts

180 months

Monday 18th May 2020
quotequote all
CharlesdeGaulle said:
Captain_Morgan said:
Sorry I forgot to post the link
https://www.stuartcollins.com/
Thanks for that. I'd heard of them before but never tried them. I'll get a quote and see how it compares; insurance is expensive here anyway so it may well be a feasible option.
Bad news. They can't cover cars older than 25 years. Back to the drawing board.