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

[vpr]

Any word on a pattern hard top rear screen?

MB is £500

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Hereward said:

I have had success with these people in promptly sourcing new parts that my local Merc main dealer told me were NLA:
https://www.online-teile.com/mercedes-ersatzteile/...

Useful site. Thanks.

[PositronicRay]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Hereward said:

I have had success with these people in promptly sourcing new parts that my local Merc main dealer told me were NLA:
https://www.online-teile.com/mercedes-ersatzteile/...

Useful site. Thanks.

+1

[Lowtimer]

vpr said:

Any word on a pattern hard top rear screen?

MB is £500

Given that you can regularly buy complete hardtops for around £300 I would say that's probably the path to go down, and then it provides other spares as well.

[vpr]

Lowtimer said:

vpr said:

Any word on a pattern hard top rear screen?

MB is £500

Given that you can regularly buy complete hardtops for around £300 I would say that's probably the path to go down, and then it provides other spares as well.

Not so easy finding the right colour....been looking

[PositronicRay]

vpr said:

Lowtimer said:

vpr said:

Any word on a pattern hard top rear screen?

MB is £500

Given that you can regularly buy complete hardtops for around £300 I would say that's probably the path to go down, and then it provides other spares as well.

Not so easy finding the right colour....been looking

If you do find one make sure the HRS works (common failure) and it has the correct window seals, facelift cars are different to early cars.

[Crook]

I now have my car back from the garage after having a full service (all fluids and filters plus plugs) which is a positive and the garage identified the need for front anti-roll bar bushes which were fitted.

Unfortunately he was unable to locate the variety of assorted light rattles under the car or the groan/creak from the rear. What is more annoying is that the car has returned from the garage with a noisy fuel pump and a weep from the ADS pump.

When questioned about the fuel pump noise he suggested that it was probably because the fuel was low (it was) and would most likely go away with more fuel. It didn't. Which is annoying and having no experience of what is and isn't a foretell of imminent doom I am of a mind to get both pumps replaced.

The ADS pump (located behind / below offside headlight) weeping is more of a concern and either I have just been unlucky in the timing of this or I don't know if it being left on the lift for a protracted period whist the gearbox filter was changed: GSF supplied the incorrect gearbox gasket as they didn't know their OEM ones are only for the later cars so it had to wait for one from MB, has somehow had a hand in this.

He was unconcerned saying it was a very slight weep and advised keeping an eye on the level. Not ideal in my opinion.

So, next steps are get a quote for fitting new fuel pumps and find a specialist that knows the ADS system well. To that end has anyone got any experience of Edward Hall as they look like specialists in this era of 'Benz?

Thanks in advance.

[Zonergem]

If the journey isn't too far I would go to SS Motors in Weybridge, Surrey for ADS. They're just about
the best with the system, AFAIK.

I've only seen the sales side of Edward Hall and can't comment about their in-house or outsourced mechanical side.

[Crook]

Thanks for the suggestion.

It's probably no more than 45 mins so will give them a call and see what they have to say.

[Zonergem]

Easier perhaps for you is Terry @ Wayne Gates in North London. I went there for a health check on my first SL not long after I bought it, and although I then moved north and found a different mechanic. But talk to both on the phone about ADS and go with your gut.

[0a]

Zonergem said:

Gingers are hard to source. NLA from Mercedes. I bought some from a breakers, promised them to Oa for cost, but the clips were a bit shagged. When I test fitted them to my car one flew out.

Gingers do look much better. I will start a Reader's Car(s) thread.

Edited by Zonergem on Friday 9th June 18:58

We still need to work out how I pay for these - the next barge meet. I've just purchased some gingers from eBay as my 91 500SL badly needs them!

[jke11y]

Zonergem said:

Easier perhaps for you is Terry @ Wayne Gates in North London. I went there for a health check on my first SL not long after I bought it, and although I then moved north and found a different mechanic. But talk to both on the phone about ADS and go with your gut.

Terry is a good guy and really knows these cars- he looked after my 129 (and e55k and G500) for the 5years I lived in London.

[Zonergem]

You don't owe me anything. I am sorry I didn't write but I was secretly hoping to hoover up some cheap gingers and send them on. A pair came up in the states for $59 each side which seemed pretty good, but one side sold before I could enquire about combined postage rates.

To make matters worse I then suffered a clip failure on the N/S with the clear light that I was refitting.

[mickyveloce]

My gingercator story was a real tale of fluke.

I rang my local parts department at Mercedes Harrogate to order some bits, and got chatting about 129s to the man on the line.
I told him of my fruitless search for good quality gingers and he handed the 'phone onto a colleague who owned a smoke silver 300. This chap must have been unique in the Mercedes world, as he found his gingercators unsightly and longed for the clear type.

Twenty minutes later, and the exchange was complete, to the satisfaction of all involved, and no financial outlay.

Anyhow, I've been riding my luck and I've written to all the SL73 owners I can find, suggesting an engine swap along similar lines. Nothing doing as yet.,..

[Crook]

jke11y said:

Zonergem said:

Easier perhaps for you is Terry @ Wayne Gates in North London. I went there for a health check on my first SL not long after I bought it, and although I then moved north and found a different mechanic. But talk to both on the phone about ADS and go with your gut.

Terry is a good guy and really knows these cars- he looked after my 129 (and e55k and G500) for the 5years I lived in London.

thanks.

[PHAB]

Crook said:

jke11y said:

Zonergem said:

Easier perhaps for you is Terry @ Wayne Gates in North London. I went there for a health check on my first SL not long after I bought it, and although I then moved north and found a different mechanic. But talk to both on the phone about ADS and go with your gut.

Terry is a good guy and really knows these cars- he looked after my 129 (and e55k and G500) for the 5years I lived in London.

thanks.

Hi there,

Where is the weep on the pump? Ive replaced the ADS pump in mine myself and although its an involved job, its not rocket science. That said, it is vital that you get someone who really knows what they are doing to do the geometry on an ADS R129. Unfortunately even the likes of WheelsinMotion were not much use for this. If the geometry / ride heights arent spot on right I find they creak and groan like old ships and yes, having them up in the air without the lockout button pressed beforehand can cause a few gremlins. Not sure it would create a leak at the tandem pump though. Non ADS cars are not as badly affected either by jacking or having the geometry slightly out.

If you want any pointers etc would be happy to help - pm me. Have rebuilt my fair share of R129s from 1994s to 2001s.

Incidentally....some people getting very punchy on prices.

http://www.cloud9classics.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes...

Wishful, I fancy.

[Zonergem]

I'm fairly sure those Cloud9 cars were openly advertised within the last year. The red SL500 was on with the Ripley Carriage Company for donkeys at 23k. The SL600 I think is the one sold out of Herefordshire/Shropshire way by the chap with the nice house (see threads passim), for between 16 and 20k. But I guess the dealer only needs one mug punter discerning collector to show a tidy profit.

What I would not do is assume that ordinary cars, even those with careful owners and good histories, will benefit from this uplift. My sense is that there are an awful lot of R129s out there and not very many buyers, especially as the economy softens (and I speak as someone with two of them).

[Crook]

PHAB said:

Hi there,

Where is the weep on the pump? Ive replaced the ADS pump in mine myself and although its an involved job, its not rocket science. That said, it is vital that you get someone who really knows what they are doing to do the geometry on an ADS R129. Unfortunately even the likes of WheelsinMotion were not much use for this. If the geometry / ride heights arent spot on right I find they creak and groan like old ships and yes, having them up in the air without the lockout button pressed beforehand can cause a few gremlins. Not sure it would create a leak at the tandem pump though. Non ADS cars are not as badly affected either by jacking or having the geometry slightly out.

If you want any pointers etc would be happy to help - pm me. Have rebuilt my fair share of R129s from 1994s to 2001s.

Incidentally....some people getting very punchy on prices.

http://www.cloud9classics.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes...

Wishful, I fancy.

Hi, thanks.

I spoke with Terry and he corrected me in that it's not the pump but a junction box I think (I can't recall the exact name but not the main pump or maybe it is the tandem pump) He said they can weep as the seals dry but they also can be rebuilt and he has done a few which is reassuring.
I’m planning on taking it down to him to have a look and then make a decision.

Incidentally whilst trying to find the fuse box in the boot as my driver’s door window gave up going down and I hope it’s just the fuse, I did find an unopened first aid kit. Every cloud and all that…

[0a]

New old stock gingers ready to go.

[Zonergem]

Can you post a pic of the other side? Do they have the two little plastic nubbins that go into the grooves? Shown just above and below left in this picture.



I'm sure you know this but take good care that all the guides are slotted into the correct alignment, that the rubber seal is well aligned into the moulding and that the light goes in with a good positive clunk. In my experience anything less than a good clunk can potentially eject at speed, giving the wing a thump on the way out.

Edited by Zonergem on Saturday 8th July 14:26