sl r129 anyone taken the risk on a 3/4k car

[Skyedriver]

A very big thank you to Zonergem for letting me try out his SL500 this afternoon.
Lovely car, really enthusiastic MB guy and just totally helpful.
I've been looking at the SL500 for about a year now as a more gentlemanly, family friendly, all year round usable replacement for the TVR Chimaera. Never actually got to try one until today. It certainly ticks every box in that respect, well except one. Whilst I reckon my son would, at a squeeze fit in the rear seat, he's just going to be too tall for the roll bar!
I've now got two options, go for one as a two seater but that negates the family friendly bit.
Or have him adopted......

Pleased to have tried one, and a gem at that, but disappointed that it may not be the answer to my criteria.
It's a head v heart time.

Now if they did a W124 E500 convertible.....

[Zonergem]

My pleasure Tony, thanks for putting up with my classified-browsing habit and excited midnight emails. Your TVR is a lovely car too.

Skyedriver said:

Now if they did a W124 E500 convertible.....

Sadly if they did we wouldn't be able to afford it... good 500E saloons are pricey enough already

[Skyedriver]

It came to me this morning, can you disable the roll bar?

I'm getting more photos of the car we discussed yesterday

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Skyedriver said:

It came to me this morning, can you disable the roll bar?

I'm getting more photos of the car we discussed yesterday

You can't disable it. The advice if the back seats are occupied is to raise the bar before setting off.

[Zonergem]

The rollbar explained (love presenter's laconic pose on one elbow).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXMF3jI1vyA

As the YouTube commentator points out, there is considerable deformation to the rollbar as a result of this test. However I am sure it is better than nothing, and really would advise not attempting to disable the bar.

[Justayellowbadge]

Just crossing the road in the middle of Wimbledon a minute ago, stopped at the lights were a grey over grey 129, a 16 plate 3 series drop top and a recent 6 series convertible.

The 129 was a different league, presence wise. I know they have increased but they are still stupidlly cheap for what they offer.

I miss mine, I really do. Time to go shopping.

[Skyedriver]

Justayellowbadge said:

Just crossing the road in the middle of Wimbledon a minute ago, stopped at the lights were a grey over grey 129, a 16 plate 3 series drop top and a recent 6 series convertible.

The 129 was a different league, presence wise. I know they have increased but they are still stupidlly cheap for what they offer.

I miss mine, I really do. Time to go shopping.

The R129 just oozes style and class in a very subtle way
The BMW is just another BMW no matter what model, engine etc I keep thinking the alternative to the R129 would be the E46 M3 convertible with rear seats etc. but just don't think it's in the same league as far as style. Now if it was an E30 M3 that's special, miss mine.

[Skyedriver]

Zonergem said:

The rollbar explained (love presenter's laconic pose on one elbow).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXMF3jI1vyA

As the YouTube commentator points out, there is considerable deformation to the rollbar as a result of this test. However I am sure it is better than nothing, and really would advise not attempting to disable the bar.

But in an accident, how many cars roll over. How many convertibles (like my TVR) have a roll bar? Took the Caterham out this afternoon, that has a roll bar but no doors.

On the subject of convertible E class, this with a 5 litre conversion.....

[chris333]

Skyedriver said:

But in an accident, how many cars roll over. How many convertibles (like my TVR) have a roll bar? Took the Caterham out this afternoon, that has a roll bar but no doors.

In how many cars would you walk away from this accident?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-2O7W44-Z4

The point of being able to manually raise the roll bar is to ensure your rear seat passengers a)fit under it and b)don't get decapitated if it were to pop up (which apparently they have occasionally been known to do going over a bump).

I happily put my daughter in the back of mine when she was younger, but I wouldn't dream of it now she is too tall.

No car, however special, is worth risking your children for.

[Crook]

Not quite a 3-4k car, but still inside the Barge 1-5 envelope.

'91 500, 2 owner, 108k miles. Very original if a bit scruffy on the plastics. Took it into Autoclass for a Good the Bad and the Ugly and it was deemed fit which is a massive relief. So now it's going to get all fluids, filters, plugs etc.

Looking for a bit of advice on the transmission fluid change. Some internets say only change the fluid in the pan to avoid 'Transmission shock'. Garage said never heard of that and would do whole lot and fluid in TC too.

Any words of wisdom from the experienced please?





But what a shape and what a thing.

Goes pretty well too.

[Zonergem]

Pearl Blue with grey, what excellent taste you have

Was it the car that was on sale with a dealer in Sandy, Bedfordshire for ages? Knew I should have gone to see it, looks like it was excellent value. Has the ADS been passed as fit and well too?

I imagine that the 722.3 is pretty solid and will be happy on new ATF. My car (same box) was done last week by my indie and drives very smoothly now - he commented that it needed doing as the old fluid was pretty black. But you could always ring a couple of other indies to ask - I gather Alex Crow is very helpful if your inquiry is polite and clear.

[Crook]

Thanks, that's helpful and yes it is. They were really good getting a few bits done.
To my knowledge they put a new ADS pump on, new roof motor, new windscreen, fixed a worn bolster, fixed the dashboard issue where it goes crazy when you indicate and a couple of other bits.

Autoclass gave the ADS a check over but there is no power to the Star terminal so no faults could be read. However it rides well, sports setting works and it's corrosion free underneath.

Ha, just looked at your profile

You weren't by any chance driving through Dunstable a couple of weekends ago were you?
One identical to that drove beside me when I was on the way to pick mine up.

Edited by Crook on Wednesday 26th April 16:39

[r129sl]

The torque converter should be drained as well as the pan.

[f1ten]

I am liking pearl blue ! Yours looks nice and clean and original.


Saw this today in London it's similar to my 60- blue with blue.

[Crook]

r129sl said:

The torque converter should be drained as well as the pan.

Thanks.

f1ten said:

I am liking pearl blue ! Yours looks nice and clean and original.


Saw this today in London it's similar to my 60- blue with blue.

And thanks, if yours is a 12 and has the ADS, are there any tells that I sholuld look out for or is it a case of everything is fine until it isn't?

[Zonergem]

Had to call my indie to arrange something else and asked him. He drains the lot, says the important thing is to fill with 4l, start the engine and go through the gears then add another 2l. This make sure the TC is filled.

It wasn't me going through Dunstable. Perhaps it was a glitch in the matrix, and the illusion of your future self materialised in front of your eyes?

Pearl blue with grey was the colour scheme of the 300-24 that was reviewed by Motorsport Magazine's December 1991 edition.

[Justayellowbadge]

Looks great Crook.

Makes me even more nostalgic for my old 280.

[Crook]

Zonergem said:

Had to call my indie to arrange something else and asked him. He drains the lot, says the important thing is to fill with 4l, start the engine and go through the gears then add another 2l. This make sure the TC is filled.

It wasn't me going through Dunstable. Perhaps it was a glitch in the matrix, and the illusion of your future self materialised in front of your eyes?

Pearl blue with grey was the colour scheme of the 300-24 that was reviewed by Motorsport Magazine's December 1991 edition.

Thanks for asking. Greatly appreciated.
Yes I did hope it was a good omen, which, touch wood, it seems to be.

[Crook]

thanks Jayb.

How's the Xj-s? Do you still have it?

[jke11y]

Market waking up to the 129 (or the increasing bubble, you decide!). None of them are cheap btw