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

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

Author
Discussion

Crook

6,714 posts

223 months

Saturday 19th August 2017
quotequote all
Thought I'd post a quick service update:
Two new fuel pumps unsurprisingly cured the single noisy one and a new grommet in the level sensor/reservoir for the suspension sorted the leak which was a financial relief!

The continual rattle was possibly identified as the rear shocks that did in all fairness look a little tired but it could also be the handbrake shoes/ something.

At £400 per shock without fitting I'm going for new rear disks, pads and handbrake rebuild kits as it will need doing at some point anyway and will still be cheaper than the shocks!

And Terry @ Wayne Gates is a very decent guy. Thanks for the recommendation.
thumbup

Crook

6,714 posts

223 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Rattles are gone!

New rear disks, pads and handbrake shoes and all is silent. It's quite incredible how much noise can be generated from knackered handbrake internals.

However I have been advised that I should replace the rear shocks at some point in the not immediate future though. frown

But all good for the drive to Spa 6hrs next weekend thumbup

Oh, does anyone know if you can get a rebuild kit for the steering pump please?

TIA.

Zonergem

1,368 posts

91 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
quotequote all
Don't know about the rebuild kit, sorry.

I think that your ADS-equipped 129.066 car would take Sachs 102 520 rear axle shock absorbers. In the catalogue they are listed as "for vehicles with levelling control" as opposed to the 200 048 which is "for standard chassis".

They are £137 each from here

http://autopartstechnik.co.uk/102-520-sachs-shock-...

Perhaps worth a punt if the returns policy is ok?

There's such a variation in parts prices. I was seeing prices of 300-400 for the Beru fan clutch LK042 but a bit of searching with the part number found in on Amazon for £106 delivered, albeit with a two week wait. It isn't a first-rate replacement but I didn't even want to ask MB what their price would be.

And I hope we can bring the Pearl Blue club together one day...



Crook

6,714 posts

223 months

Friday 8th September 2017
quotequote all
Zonergem said:
Don't know about the rebuild kit, sorry.

I think that your ADS-equipped 129.066 car would take Sachs 102 520 rear axle shock absorbers. In the catalogue they are listed as "for vehicles with levelling control" as opposed to the 200 048 which is "for standard chassis".

They are £137 each from here

http://autopartstechnik.co.uk/102-520-sachs-shock-...

Perhaps worth a punt if the returns policy is ok?

There's such a variation in parts prices. I was seeing prices of 300-400 for the Beru fan clutch LK042 but a bit of searching with the part number found in on Amazon for £106 delivered, albeit with a two week wait. It isn't a first-rate replacement but I didn't even want to ask MB what their price would be.

And I hope we can bring the Pearl Blue club together one day...
Thanks, that is great news on the shocks. As a friend commented when I told him the cost of two shocks, he replied that it was actually three smile

Latest thing to be concerned about if the internet is to be believed is timing chain guides! I think I should stop reading things...

And yes that would be good. thumbup

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Friday 8th September 2017
quotequote all
ADS-equipped cars do not have traditional shock absorbers: they have struts. This is not a matter of pedantic nomenclature. The shock-absorption function is provided by spheres. The struts, which look like shock absorbers and are found where you'd expect to find shock absorbers, merely set the level. They are under much less stress than a standard shock absorber, they very rarely fail, and they do not wear out like a shock absorber does. Unless they are leaking, they do not need to be replaced. The struts on the back of my 124 have over 360,000miles on them.

If you must replace them, I would buy the Sachs part advised above. It is the same as the Mercedes part. Sachs (now part of the ZF group) make them for Merc.

Crook

6,714 posts

223 months

Friday 8th September 2017
quotequote all
r129sl said:
ADS-equipped cars do not have traditional shock absorbers: they have struts. This is not a matter of pedantic nomenclature. The shock-absorption function is provided by spheres. The struts, which look like shock absorbers and are found where you'd expect to find shock absorbers, merely set the level. They are under much less stress than a standard shock absorber, they very rarely fail, and they do not wear out like a shock absorber does. Unless they are leaking, they do not need to be replaced. The struts on the back of my 124 have over 360,000miles on them.

If you must replace them, I would buy the Sachs part advised above. It is the same as the Mercedes part. Sachs (now part of the ZF group) make them for Merc.
Thanks.

And I take your comment re the incorrect use of shocks, it's just easier albeit wrong.
I was advised that they would be beneficial to be replaced but they are not leaking and appear to work without issue although the gators have failed making them look a little worse for wear.

Thanks for the confirmation on the Sachs part. At that cost it's a lot less of a worry should they actually fail in the future.

Zonergem

1,368 posts

91 months

Sunday 17th September 2017
quotequote all
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...
Someone on another thread tested this, wasn't running too well but basically straight at 4.5k. He didn't get The Twitch so left it and looks like it got snapped up by a trader for restoration and flipping...

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-500-SL-R129-1-OW...

dickyf

807 posts

224 months

Wednesday 27th September 2017
quotequote all
can anyone offer an explanation why my 1999 R129 should lock itself when the engine is running.....not overly practical if im outside the car with the door closed

harrykul

2,770 posts

225 months

Thursday 28th September 2017
quotequote all
Strange, shouldn't that only happen once moving?

dickyf

807 posts

224 months

Thursday 28th September 2017
quotequote all
nope, stationary when running. im baffled
harrykul said:
Strange, shouldn't that only happen once moving?

Parisien

622 posts

161 months

Monday 2nd October 2017
quotequote all
dickyf said:
can anyone offer an explanation why my 1999 R129 should lock itself when the engine is running.....not overly practical if im outside the car with the door closed
Have had this on a W124, random locking, then difficult to unlock itself, never got to bottom of it then the vacuum unit failed the day after I'd sold it!


P

Venisonpie

3,231 posts

81 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
For those interested I noticed a selection of R129's at Anglia Car Auctions tomorrow, no idea if any are worth considering mind.

Are they becoming sought after?

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

167 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
Yes, they are at last starting to get salted away by people who don't intend to run them for nothing for a year and them dump them. but there's more price action in V8s than the more common sixes, whih I think all the Anglia cars are this time around.

Quick summary if you're considering one: All the various sixes are tuneful and pleasant, and most of them can keep up with the universal standard 2.0 diesel repmobile, so if you're happy to tootle around in the sunshine they are more than adequate. A 500 still counts as pleasantly brisk, V12s are significantly quicker than a good V8 at illegal speeds, but not really at legal UK speeds. Some of us prefer original-look cars, some prefer facelift cars: both have their strengths. Make sure the roof works before you buy and expect to spend significant money on upkeep unless you are an ace DIYer. Trim is expensive and getting hard to find. Out of town they all seem to do between 20-24 mpg depending on engine. The later 5-speeders cruise more economically than 4-speeders, that (and in-town / out-of-town use) are probably a bigger factors for variations in economy than the engine.

Venisonpie

3,231 posts

81 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
Interesting. I think one of the cars offered is a facelift 500.

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

167 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
Ah yes, so there is, a 1997, lurking amidst all the R230s. Pano roof is quite an expensive thing to buy and sought-after by some on late cars. It's also heavy so suits a buyer who either has a hoist set up in his motor-house (those are getting REALLY expensive now), or who wants an airy car to run with a glassy hard-top on for most of the time.

Problem with buying a 129 at auction is that there is really no chance of seeing if the folding roof is working properly, an it really is the Number One 129-specific no-go item.

harrykul

2,770 posts

225 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
I'd love to get a panoramic roof for mine, I've never driven it with the top down in the 5.5 years (4k miles) I've had it!

Zonergem

1,368 posts

91 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
I actually detoured (massively) from my N Yorks to London drive (in SL2) today to visit Anglia.

It's LoserFest. Loserbury. Loserstock. You get the idea.



The silver facelift 500 snuck in late to the catalogue and is no reserve. The wings are scabby, the front bumper is shagged and there's a big crack in the windscreen. Also the boot doesn't lock closed and the bonnet catch doesn't realease.



Other R129s were lying around with dead batteries, presumably to be jump started (and potentially fry the roof module) for the auction itself. They all had various problems and none were presented very well for sale. Lots of dirty carpets and other junk (a muffin casing, FFS)

All in all I climbed back into my 116k mile 1992 500SL with a feeling of relief and a sense that I had the best of it. Although I did leave a lowball bid on one of them so watch this space.

Skyedriver

17,667 posts

281 months

Friday 13th April 2018
quotequote all
Hi, dropped you a line as the entry looked really interesting with Stags a plenty, a couple of Italian gems and a very pretty looking Imp (non original colour?)
Sorry I have a history with Imp based vehicles.
Maybe best I didn't get involved

PositronicRay

26,957 posts

182 months

Saturday 14th April 2018
quotequote all
Zonergem said:
I actually detoured (massively) from my N Yorks to London drive (in SL2) today to visit Anglia.

It's LoserFest. Loserbury. Loserstock. You get the idea.



The silver facelift 500 snuck in late to the catalogue and is no reserve. The wings are scabby, the front bumper is shagged and there's a big crack in the windscreen. Also the boot doesn't lock closed and the bonnet catch doesn't realease.



Other R129s were lying around with dead batteries, presumably to be jump started (and potentially fry the roof module) for the auction itself. They all had various problems and none were presented very well for sale. Lots of dirty carpets and other junk (a muffin casing, FFS)

All in all I climbed back into my 116k mile 1992 500SL with a feeling of relief and a sense that I had the best of it. Although I did leave a lowball bid on one of them so watch this space.
Mine started off in pretty good order, @ £5k 4 yrs 25,000 miles ago.

I've since spent at least the same again on maintenance, doing most of the work myself. It's now a great car.

Zonergem

1,368 posts

91 months

Saturday 14th April 2018
quotequote all
Zonergem said:
Although I did leave a lowball bid on one of them so watch this space.
That'll be three then...