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

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

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Discussion

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

168 months

Saturday 8th July 2017
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Funnily enough I put mine in about three hours ago.

dickyf

807 posts

225 months

Tuesday 25th July 2017
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hi
does anybody know if the petrol filler cover stickers are available ? the one withe the tyre pressure info and unleaded warning sticker below it.
thanks


f1ten

2,161 posts

153 months

Tuesday 25th July 2017
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Agreed an awful lot are being bought from secondary sources then the appear much more like a lovey red with tan 500 from Sydney ! The car lived near me in london and was first sold at 8k I think and was cheap as it was something like 40 or 50k miles
Then I was at excel classic cars show and there it was on sale for double ! I should have bought it but we have 3 in the family now and my Mrs isn't laughing any more !

The market at 20k or more is very thin indeed and we all know the bull run is fading so paying strong money now for a minter makes no sense to me and I am still buying for collecting purposes.


Zonergem said:
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).

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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In other 3/4k R129 news, yesterday I dug out the blower motor on SL2 and replaced the voltage regulator. This is about a thousand times more complicated than any work I have ever done to a car before.



After seven hours of patient effort (and impatient cursing) I now have a working blower motor. Unfortunately I've cinched or pinched or displaced something else and now the car won't start... but that's a score draw, right?

f1ten

2,161 posts

153 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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That's brave sir
Where are you so I know here to come if any of mine pack up ?!


Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Nasty scar on the rear quarter between arch and driver's door? But still, at £4500 asking, if 1 owner, FSH and genuine miles, then it's worth repairing?



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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f1ten said:
That's brave sir
Where are you so I know here to come if any of mine pack up ?!
Ha! Deepest, darkest North Yorkshire, surrounded by a growing collection of R129 spares. There's hardtop trim in the laundry room, spare headliner shell in the shed.

If they pack up, open the windows and think no more of it. The eBay part will in all likelihood fail, leaving me seven hours and 50 quid out of pocket.

0a

23,900 posts

194 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Zonergem said:
In other 3/4k R129 news, yesterday I dug out the blower motor on SL2 and replaced the voltage regulator. This is about a thousand times more complicated than any work I have ever done to a car before.



After seven hours of patient effort (and impatient cursing) I now have a working blower motor. Unfortunately I've cinched or pinched or displaced something else and now the car won't start... but that's a score draw, right?
Oh now this is impressive!

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
quotequote all
There's nothing like a determined idiot with a can-do attitude and a couple of YouTube tutorial videos, at least not if you want to do more harm than good.

All the write-ups are American and on LHD cars. RHD is harder because Merc just added more wiring and ran it right where you need to go.

At least this is my practice car.

Edited by Zonergem on Wednesday 26th July 12:31

f1ten

2,161 posts

153 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Smoke silver is not everyone's cup of tea but if the miles are right it's cheap. I assume it needs plenty doing like some electrics and seat bolster etc

Zonergem said:
Nasty scar on the rear quarter between arch and driver's door? But still, at £4500 asking, if 1 owner, FSH and genuine miles, then it's worth repairing?



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Wednesday 26th July 2017
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Just for the record it's no bother to unbolt the cushions on an R129 and send them to a trimmer. The seat base would be a fairly complicated piece of upholstery as there are some deep seams held down with wire, but the upright part with side bolsters (which wear quite heavily and unavoidably) isn't a terribly tough fix. I have been quoted 75-80 quid to repair by two different trimmers.




Seat base cushions would probably be more to repair but since they can be swapped from side to side (unlike the upright parts which are keyed) you have the option of buying half-decent used, for 90 quid or so. Be aware there are two or three different base fixings over the production run, as well as the major re-design at the 1996 facelift.







Type B should really be split into B1 and B2. B1 takes an M6 bolt, B2 has a different female thread coupler and takes a hex-headed coach screw (larger, wider thread). But any B base cushion will fit a B rail so it doesn't matter too much.



So, err, now you know.

Edited by Zonergem on Wednesday 26th July 20:39

f1ten

2,161 posts

153 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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Good knowledge on seat base differences I might do this for one of my cars to tidy it up a bit
I assume upto 95 they were all the same ?

r129sl

9,518 posts

203 months

Thursday 27th July 2017
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The back rest cushion is equally easy to remove; as are the leatherette shell covers. I had my cushion covers refurb'd a while back; and before that an upholsterer stuck a new base in my driver's seat cushion for peanuts.

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

168 months

Friday 28th July 2017
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Ooh, can you recommend a useful local person for that? I want my E39 driver's seat base refoamed fairly soon

QuantumTokoloshi

4,162 posts

217 months

Friday 28th July 2017
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Something to remember with the seat base and seat back, they contain the heated seat mat. This is glued into the foam base, can be difficult to remove without damage, at least on mine which is a '98 (facelift car).

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Saturday 29th July 2017
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dickyf said:
hi
does anybody know if the petrol filler cover stickers are available ? the one withe the tyre pressure info and unleaded warning sticker below it.
thanks
Make an offer on this?



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-SL-R129-FUEL-CA...

r129sl

9,518 posts

203 months

Saturday 29th July 2017
quotequote all
Lowtimer said:
Ooh, can you recommend a useful local person for that? I want my E39 driver's seat base refoamed fairly soon
I used North East Auto Trimmers in Newcastle for putting a new foam in. I think he charged me something like £20. I used the Furniture Clinic at Burnopfield to re-colour all four cushions, I think it was £230.

Crook

6,741 posts

224 months

Monday 31st July 2017
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Zonergem said:
There's nothing like a determined idiot with a can-do attitude and a couple of YouTube tutorial videos, at least not if you want to do more harm than good.

All the write-ups are American and on LHD cars. RHD is harder because Merc just added more wiring and ran it right where you need to go.

At least this is my practice car.

Edited by Zonergem on Wednesday 26th July 12:31
biggrin

0a

23,900 posts

194 months

Monday 31st July 2017
quotequote all
Great knowledge on the seats. Thanks!

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

168 months

Monday 31st July 2017
quotequote all
r129sl said:
I used North East Auto Trimmers in Newcastle for putting a new foam in. I think he charged me something like £20. I used the Furniture Clinic at Burnopfield to re-colour all four cushions, I think it was £230.
Ta, guv