What is it with R129 Radios?

[DickiePhitt]

I'm looking to buy a decent late model R129 SL320 and every one I'm seeing has a pug ugly modern head unit replacing the factory original. Invariably the owners don't have the original any longer.
So what is so terribly wrong with the original radio/Cassette/CD? I assume its more than a lack of BT.
And how easy is it to get hold of an original OEM radio to put back in?

[stuttgartmetal]

A Becker looks nice in the dash
Cdr22.
Or similar.

[Hereward]

I bought a replacement on eBay but unfortunately it was preset for Klingon language. Does the job.

[Clifford Chambers]

Mine came with a kenwood face off and a CD changer in the boot. It was probably the thing to do around the turn of the century.

I've chucked it out and popped in a unit that plays usbs. Frees up valuable boot space. originality is all well and good, but functionality wins for me

[Dog Star]

In my original R170 SLK I fitted a Blaupunkt unit that looked really quite retro, but it also had a rudimentary satnav and also (a real sign of the times) a little thing in the glove box called a "compact drive" which played MP3s off a CF card (or you could use a cd changer).

The head unit itself would look great in an older Merc,