1980 Mercedes 450Sl

[tombo5609]

I have more or less committed myself to buying a 1980 450SL low mileage with good service history. Should pick it up tomorrow if as described.
Just wondering if any member had owned one and would appreciate their opinions on maintenance etc. I understand that they are thirsty beasts but information is contradictory so would like an owners experience.
Thanks in advance for taking your time.

 

[219]

The 450 was a good car - I've never owned one but drove a few back in the day .

The main things to check for with early R107 SL's are rust , rust & rust .

Check underneath , sills , inner wings , boot floor and , in particular , the plenium chambers underneath those lovely chrome grilles below the windscreen ! If drain holes get blocked , water tends to pool inside there and then the rot literally sets in - this is the Achilles heel of the 107 - not all cars will suffer from it , but it is a difficult and expensive thing to sort out . It is difficult to check for , short of removing trim above the footwells , but wet front carpets can be an indicator of it .

Mechanically , they are very robust , but this is a very old engine design and you can expect circa 15 mpg - similar to the W116 S Class which shared the same engines .

If you are fortunate enough to find a good one they are lovely cars , but do check for the known faults above and go in with your eyes open .