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I have always loved that car and have been casually looking for one. Maybe this will be the summer that I finally buy one. Super value when you look at the initial sticker price!
Bought a R230 (2003 SL 500) and rides real nice, lots of low end torque and reminds me of the GT. Wife loves it! Great for long rides similar to the GT.
The 91 500Sl I owned for about 2 years was a fun car and compared to 928 prices right now they are a bargain.
If I was going to buy another one I would look for a late 90's with the AMG suspension option. The stock suspension is a little soft corning at high speed.
I have not owned a 129 chassis MB, but owned the preceding SL -107 model. It was a '73 that I restored in 1988 with about 100K on the odo. Kept it as a special weekend/nice summer evenings car until 2013. Great car in it's era, but I donated it to a charity to raise much needed money for those in need who are willing to work for an improved life (Habitat for Humanity).
About a year later, Bigs on this Forum had the successor to the 129 - an R230 with full AMG treatment, an SL55 for sale in a very rare color. That car has been in our garage for a year and a half. What a phenomenal machine. Like the 928 and it's computer/electronics, the R230 has gotten a bad wrap for it's high technology hydraulic suspension - which works fabulously, but needs care that MB never informed owners about. Thus, some expensive repairs have been reported.
I've put the SL65 wheels on the car and increased the HP/Torque by 10% via smaller SC pulley and a ECU flash. Now about 535 HP and 575 ft lbs. The loud pedal brings lots of grins!!
You may have seen pix before, but here's a couple Bigs took before I bought it:
Got a couple of them. The white one is a '91 with the 6 cyl, 100k miles. It's my wifes summer car for the past 6 years. She loves it. Blue one is a '96 500SL. 150k miles. My daughters DD for the past year and a half. Daughter would rather have a truck. Kids! IIRC, these cars were more expensive than the 928 at the time. I think they're very nice to drive. The 500 probably pulls as hard as the GTS at normal speeds. As with the 928's, they're heavy, well planted cars - not a sports car in the classic sense.
p.s. Thanks to 928sg for asking a question I can actually respond to. Normally I just have to lurk and learn here.
Had an R107 380SL before I got the 928. Now in addition to the 928 GT I have a C63 AMG Coupe with the Develpment Package. The last of the naturally aspirated, fire-breathing hand-assembled German V8s.
What are the maint/parts costs like on the 500sl? Is it DIY friendly? I have a friend who is a Mercedes tech and he is always telling me NOT to buy one...then again he said the same thing about the 928 and DeLorean...and he is the first one to volunteer to ride shotgun whenever there is a car show!
02-16-2015 | 12:12 PM
