We've owned ours for 12 years, absolutely love it, silver with black leather, just turned 125K, horrendously expensive to maintain and run, but puts a smile on our face every time we use it. Of to France and Spain in it next week. Incidentally the air-conditioning doesn't work on ours, but as it's a sunny weather car doesn't bother us. Fantastic cars if you have deep pockets, but long term like other older Mercs, will appreciate in value.
When you say horrendously expensive to maintain, would you mind sharing some examples of the jobs you’ve had to do? I always thought the r129 had moderate service costs given how expensive the car initially was.
@@yourcreditmanager recently replaced cat, discs and pads all around, most of the suspension bushes, and a service and two tyres, almost £1900. Fuel consumption is 12-15 around town driving lightly, 20-25 on a run,we only use premium unleaded. Had the gearbox failure unexpectedly at 88k cost over 3k , had some electrical issues in our ownership, and hydraulic problems with roof to fix twice. But the V8 engine has been faultless. So far from cheap to run and maintain. Insurance is surprisingly cheap though because it's a third vehicle and now classed as a classic.
@@richyclubsport5155Interesting. I guess it’s luck. I had an SL320 of the same era and a CLK500 (2004 model) after that.Neither was expensive to maintain or run. I used a very good MB specialist in Hampshire (the guys are all Merc owner/fans themselves) and had no big bills of any kind, just routine services, consumables and a slightly scary gearbox service on the CLK at 10 years (in lieu of 60k miles, which it hadn’t reached). But it’s a V8 Merc - if you’re interested in fuel economy you really bought the wrong car. My CLK managed mid 20s most of the time but you had to have the lightest of toes to get it to break 30, even on a long run at low ish speed. And of course if you stuck it in “sport” and put your foot down it made a wonderful noise and pinned you to the seat, but well south of 15 mpg. If you like cars, owning a Merc V8 is one of life’s pleasures that isn’t really that expensive if you buy well and have it as a second car.
@@yourcreditmanagerYou're dreaming. ABS suspension, roof issues, expensive to re-bush, electrical issues and not all parts are still available. You're dreaming
Remember these when new, the son of the local main Mercedes dealer was dating a girl who lived opposite me, he was the Sales Director and ran one as a company car. Looked so cool on sunny days with the top down.
Sell it before the hydraulic suspension starts leaking! I loved the monowiper on my e320. I never had it chatter on the windscreen no matter how old the blade was.
Great video Matt 👏. More like this with semi-classic bargains, and You are so modest and ridiculously fair with your pricing, that I'm sure it was a rush to buy this beauty.
I remember my boss buying TWO mercedes from this era (his and hers), both with custom plates and the envy of everyone. The single front wiper was weird to see how a single blade had an eccentric motion which managed to clean 90% of the glass. He did not pass it down to me 3 years later - as was his wont.
There are some things to watch out for on the SLK and could well be applicable to the SL and indeed other mercs. If you buy a Merc of this era or are considering buying one , make sure the roof works , check for any signs of wheel arch paint bubbling all around . If it’s all clear then at the earliest opportunity and preferably on a hot day , pump the internal panels and joint areas of these areas full of waxoyl or similar . In the SLK (and probably others ) in the boot on the right hand side under the mat lives the air pump for the central locking . It lives in a two part foam rubber case . This can collect wetness and wreck the pump over time . Ease the foam case out , split it , gently take the pump out and check for wetness . I always reassemble it and tuck a small wad of tissue under the foam case on the outside to wick away any moisture! By the way , as soon as you lift the boot mat , take a photo of the right hand side where the jack and the air pump live as it can be a pig to reassemble if you’ve forgotten how it came out ! Take the spare wheel out of its storage . Check the space for dampness and anywhere where paint has rubbed off due to the wheel moving around Ease the drain plug rubber out , make sure it’s clear . Waxoyl the area . Put drain rubber back in and get a sheet of fabric , maybe an old towel . Cut a hole in middle to slip over the central wheel securing pin . Lay it in the wheel well and fit wheel over it . This will dampen any noise , absorb moisture and prevent the spare wheel rubbing on the bodywork
The Blaupunkt units blend really well and are well priced (£110 for DAB and Bluetooth), recently put one in my 944, the matt colour and styling blend in really well. Some models have a built in mic for the bluetooth so even less intrusive. My only regret was not fitting a higher spec one which has more adjustability on sound and display.
Such a great car! A friend had one and when he first gave me a ride I realised why people like them. A really solid feel and beautiful to drive. Hope it finds a happy home.
I am still turning after these SL cars, but not brave enough to own one, based on the age. The price of the welding is brutal in the UK, and the waiting list is terribly long.
That electrically adjustable rear view mirror is not a gimmick. It's used by memory seating which adjusts all 3 mirrors. Every day after my wife uses my E220 I wish my memory system would do that. Mine only does door mirrors
The amount of "toys" still current to this date (heated seats, adaptable suspension).... It really must have been something special back in 1994 when it came out!
Now that's more like it,a proper classic collector's car..... something to be enjoyed 🌟🎊🤩🥳 You didn't put new number plates on 😭😭😭..... what's going on Matt😵💫😵💫😵💫
The most disturbing thing about this video is the stonewash jeans and white socks! I know the Mercedes is from the 90’s but that’s dedication to wear the fashion from the same era! 😂
Hello Matt, I hope you got over your cold / flu. Do you still have your SL320? You've really done a nice job on it! (Mercedes-Benz started the electric rear view mirror in the W140 line; it was indeed something the 1990s; they did stop it in the 1996 facelift of the W140; people were breaking them by moving them manually 😅)
When you mentioned Whaley Bridge it brought back some memories of the last Hotel I owned....then sold....the Jodrell Arms Hotel (next to the train station). Probably been made into flats now but good memories. I like the Merc & was thinking of buying one. The suspension put me off as there are many reports of faults. Whoever buys this should have an appreciating classic that has been well looked after..........all the best Matt....keep going...the man-flu will go away...
I don't think it's this R129 model with the suspension issues. It's an issue for the subsequent R230 which I have. The ABC suspension system is notoriously fragile and expensive to repair. You have to stay on top of it, always. And its a fundamental characteristic of the car, it works brilliantly when functioning, so swapping it out for coilover springs is equivalent to desecration.
Nice one Matt, owned a ‘95 500 and a ‘93 280. Sold both, bought the 280 back after 6 years with 225k on the clock. Quality wise it was better than the mopf 500 which had a lot of (electrical) issues. Plus, liked the old school two-tone body. Kept the original Becker GP2000 with a BT module. Runs like a charm and still puts a smile on my face.
On one of the roads near me there's a SL500 in blue it's been sat for years and I've never seen it move. Its well nice though i like seeing it on my way to work. The guy who owns it also has a CL500 that one has moved a bit but only for MOT😂Had a clean MOT every year but it sits for the entire year otherwise. Fact both cars aren't ULEZ compliant doesnt exactly help either
What was the ticking noise from the engine? That’s what worried me! Really needs the paint sorting on the rear screen and front of NSF arch. Those little nooks and crannies have a habit of growing arms and legs through a British Winter!
Having becoming more retro with age and now own a 99 E320 diesel 108k so I can relate to everything. Yes, it's getting tired looking now but has never broke down. Sure it will see me out
Never did see the blue soft top; I wonder if the hydraulics were working. It is interesting to see the hood release remains on the left side of a right wheel drive car.
I just sold my Z3M roadster & replaced it with a low mileage R231 SL500 in hyacinth red with cream leather. Not the AMG SL63 admittedly. But not much less power or performance. It's more than enough. In fact I'm in awe of it. The fact it takes an extra 200 or 300 milliseconds to reach the legal speed limit compared to the AMG is immaterial. 0 - 60 in 4.5 is fine with me.I'm loving it to bits. I considered an SLK55. But they're almost as expensive. A great little V8 roadster, but less car for the money. SLK55 £55k new. SL500 £85k new but only £3 or £4k more second hand for the SL. And it's an almost all aluminium engineering masterpiece When I test drive an Slk55 I felt the engine was special. When I drive my SL500 the whole car feels special
Owned an ex-Japan 1994 SL500 and it proved to be reliable and fun. Hardtop more trouble than it is worth; softt top is all you need. Not an appreciating asset IMHO.
Not that I pretend to be an expert, but my experience of owning German cars of that age was that they suffered from all manner of electical issues - just about all these were caused be damp getting to the CPU / corroding wiring in the BUS system that meant bad earthing and intermittant connections. My old VW Passat TDI had 275,000 recorded miles, looked and drove like it was fresh out of the showroom, but failed the MoT because the central locking had died. CPU / wiring harness issues - no after-marked spares - not even cheap Chinese knock-off's to be had. Same thing with my Merc ML320 - Weird electrical problens - sometimes something worked - other times not. Your SL 500 might have been built before they began playing around with early electronics, but if not, I wouldn't even look at it
Hi Matt as a car dealer I'm surprised you keep any car for long, everything should be sold for the right price! Property is a better vehicle for spare cash.
Why not swap the wheels and tyres with the 320 and sell the 320 fitted with them. Maybe even the same with the radio? Oh, you're getting sensible. Good luck with the sale. The right thing to do!
"Air conditioning is a must, isn't it?" says a bloke who's just bought a soft-top Merc in northern England. Jesus wept 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ Oh well, maybe the window lifters had failed on it 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️ And who wants to remove a classic Alpine car radio so he can have Bluetooth .... in a 30yr old Merc. Jesus wept again 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
I once new a girl called Mercedes in my younger days ! And she was definitely running on 9 cylinders !! and also a very nice model ! 😁 hence to say this vehicle is very stylish and has a lot more life in it 👍…The End 😃
These mercs of that era look amazing, if my lottery numbers came in then that merc would be the car I would definitely buy, but I'd like to set you a challenge, if you had £28.500, to spend on a family car, and it has to be new, or no older than 2 years, please keep away.from small BMW, they look awful, but what do you think , could you find something to fit the bill ?, Loving all the videos, ,
That SL is lovely, but having the R230 55 means you have essentially the same car twice. I do get the wanting to keep all the nice cars but it's also sad when a car never gets used, so I think selling it on is the right choice. The refurbing wheels is like a new set of plates, or a professional clean; it sounds such a small thing but genuinely does make a car look so much fresher.
Great cars we have one in a what is best described as baby blue with AMG monoblock alloys. The engines are also extremely good with loads of power however be warned ours just had a timing chain failure where the end of the camshaft on the right hand bank sheared off causing fairly catastrophic damage the engine can be saved but there are cases of timing chains failing at that millage it’s usually the guides that fail obviously not in our case. I also think that maybe one of the last mechanical fuel injected V8’s as it was replaced with electronic fuel injection in late 94 going into 95 which also means you don’t have the dreaded biodegradable wiring harnesses like the later generation cars did so if I’m right you should have 326bhp the later fuel injection V8 had a little less at 320bhp and then in the final run of the R129 it was 306bhp (I think) I think this was down to emissions and that the V12 was now the flagship.
I love these models, after owning one from 2009 - 2014 each time I see one, I feel closer to swapping my A209 CLK 280 for another R129, a later 2000 edition. Like my current A209, I use occasionally, I would do the same. What are you thoughts?
Wow! Man,you have a long path to go before you get to know your way around cars... I wouldn't go in details,but your comment about that Alpine that you intend to replace with some Bluetooth stereo literally stunned me. Now,I would've forgiven the ignorance of not doing a basic research of that specific model to some random farmer Joe,but for a fella who is in the car business and couldn't recognise one of the best and rarest flagship Alpine models...that's just unforgivable. Man,what you got there is an Alpine TDA-7592R,which in good condition can be sold at around 250£. No Bluetooth receiver can match the quality of that unit and what you are about to do is ruin the audio experience for the next owner.
This car was made before the accountants took over and all the models suffered. If you can find a good sample with no major issues, buy one before the better ones have gone. But keep some spare funds back, when they do go wrong spares are not cheap and as Matt has found out, used parts are not worth the hassle.
