14 year old R230 to SW France

[swithin]

Interesting post for use on similar, but dog-free trips. I'm still looking for a 5.5 SL500, but keep getting distracted.

A 2007 380bhp SL500 seems loopy value at half the price of a 911 or a couple of grand less than a Boxster 3.2S.

I got mine in April for £13k with 36450 miles, full merc service history. No signs of leaks in the boot, unlike others I had seen and blemish free. Wash it every weekend with a jet wash and still no leaks in the boot. 5 owners which surprised me. Needed front suspension boots which I bought on eBay for £69 each and which are being fitted on Thursday with the B Service, and soft close isn't working either so will have that fixed soon. Rear wheel arches are going in for a bit of rust proofing soon as there are very slight marks, so might as well get them done now before they get worse. Apart from that the car smells new and drives as tightly as the cars less than a year old I have owned. I am astonished at the mpg i'm getting at all speeds, much better then my R129 SL500 and my 4.2 super charged Rangie. I'm lucky enough to have one of the best merc specialists around who has looked after all my mercs for years so i'm not continually sweating over the cost of repairs and am not expecting this SL to be anymore of a service/repair cash guzzler than my R129. I look after them and service them when advised to. I'd read all the horror stories about this model and even saw the glee on my specialists face when neglected one's came in for repairs or service, i'm very very glad I took the chance on mine and now my daughters will have one each in my will when I head into the ground, in hopefully many decades to come.

 

[MD5]

If you're coming all this way, let me know and we can meet up for a beer and I'll show you around this lovely "bastide" area.

I'm longing to go anywhere at the moment, but happy for the canaries to ride out the covid thing! I'll let you know if I make it, but don't get me on the Pelforth!

 

[MD5]

Wash it every weekend with a jet wash and still no leaks in the boot

I bought mine three years ago, 08 with 28k miles, and took it to France, where we had torrential rain for about a week. Luckily, I checked the boot, which was leaking from the seal below the rear windscreen, so I had to keep lining the boot with towels and wringing them out until it stopped raining and I got it fixed back here. I'd go carefully with the jet wash!

 

[Swotty]

Hi Swotty, we were based in Bayac, between Beaumont and Couze St Front. A mate of mine has a place out there.

Bayac is quite close ..... we are in Villeréal, 15 mins south of Beaumont, so 20 mins in total.

Have you discovered the restaurants Au Fil de l'Eau (upmarket) in Couze and Les Marronniers (everyday) at Lanquais? Both under new owners in the past 18 months and much improved. We're going to Les Marronniers next month for our Classic Car Club meeting. There's also a Classic Car meeting on the 3rd Sunday of the month in Beaumont run by a friend of mine who lives in Naussannes, though he's not restarting yet, after covid.

Perhaps see you down here next year.

I'm longing to go anywhere at the moment, but happy for the canaries to ride out the covid thing! I'll let you know if I make it, but don't get me on the Pelforth!

Pelforth .... that's only for the tourists! Strong stuff.

 

[swithin]

I bought mine three years ago, 08 with 28k miles, and took it to France, where we had torrential rain for about a week. Luckily, I checked the boot, which was leaking from the seal below the rear windscreen, so I had to keep lining the boot with towels and wringing them out until it stopped raining and I got it fixed back here. I'd go carefully with the jet wash!

I'm very careful with the jet wash and my drive has a hell of a slop so i have it pointed downward so all water falls through the drip holes either side of the boot. I did however have a nightmare with a jet wash near Bergerac last week. Car was caked in dead insects so took it to a car wash, didn't understand the French instructions (my fault). There was the usual trigger gun on the right and another on the left which i thought was meant to shift dirt. WRONG! i believe it was for alloy wheels. I sprayed it everywhere and now i have horrific marks on all my window trim. Tried toothpaste, white vinegar, proper car shampoo everything to no avail. Nightmare. I also thought i was buying one wash and ended up having my card billed for £35 worth of washes, 2 days before i was leaving. Ignorance of language is not bliss, lesson learnt.

 

[swithin]

Bayac is quite close ..... we are in Villeréal, 15 mins south of Beaumont, so 20 mins in total.

Have you discovered the restaurants Au Fil de l'Eau (upmarket) in Couze and Les Marronniers (everyday) at Lanquais? Both under new owners in the past 18 months and much improved. We're going to Les Marronniers next month for our Classic Car Club meeting. There's also a Classic Car meeting on the 3rd Sunday of the month in Beaumont run by a friend of mine who lives in Naussannes, though he's not restarting yet, after covid.

Perhaps see you down here next year.



Pelforth .... that's only for the tourists! Strong stuff.

I know Au fil de l'Eau but as was on holiday we stuck to walking to the Edwin's pizza restaurant on Route Nationale 660 between Bayac and Beaumont and 5 mins walk from my mates place. They do superb food at a gr8 price like 4 courses with wine for lunch for EU14 and a Eu14,20 & 25 fixed menu as well as a la carte. Definately worth a visit. We have been going every year for the last 4 as our dogs get on and he has a pool.

 

[BTB 500]

Ignorance of language is not bliss, lesson learnt.

There's a treetop climbing place near my in-laws in southern Germany (think 'Go Ape' on steroids). The various routes are graded, and in a fit of enthusiasm I did the toughest 'black route' (which had various associated restrictions and warnings). Anyway it ended on a tiny platform right up at the top of a big tree, called 'Base Jump'. The instructions up there were solely in (fairly technical) German - from what I could understand you had to un-clip your safety line, connect it to a friction brake mechanism above the platform, and jump off. That was the only way down, and I was the only person doing that route so there was nobody to watch or ask ...

 

[Swotty]

I know Au fil de l'Eau but as was on holiday we stuck to walking to the Edwin's pizza restaurant on Route Nationale 660 between Bayac and Beaumont and 5 mins walk from my mates place. They do superb food at a gr8 price like 4 courses with wine for lunch for EU14 and a Eu14,20 & 25 fixed menu as well as a la carte. Definately worth a visit. We have been going every year for the last 4 as our dogs get on and he has a pool.

Thanks - have often driven past the pizza place but never seen it open - will now try it.