1983 280 SL Advice for a Newbie

[Druk]

Decided not to proceed.

Correct decision imho. At £14.500 is overpriced for engine type and condition.
280's might be (allegedly) strong but they're also greedy and difficult to work on. And did I mention underpowered? Probably the main reason my car is now diesel

My recommendation would be to seek out a 300 which is the much better engine/box/running gear combination although the rust issues should still be your prime concern.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Very sensible. There are far too many cars being put up for sale in only so so condition for a lot of money. However well built a 33 year old car is always going to be in need of a lot of work and I think you should be praised for your caution.

 

[thesmithsUK]

Thanks Druk and Charles - your advice was very helpful.

I must say. though, that even this average-condition, relatively under-powered example rather whetted my SL appetite. It's a very different drive to my other cars (a mad TVR 450 SEAC and a 'purposeful' Porsche 911 C4S) and I can see the appeal.

Harry conveys the charms very well in his recent 350SL video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIeTa-9oLtQ

Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for a better example...

 

[alabbasi]

107's are great cars. They look fantastic, are very simple to work on and easy to drive daily. Like any other vintage Mercedes when compared to the old car I own, I don't have to worry about stopping distance, over heating , watching all the gauges and checking the oil every 10 minutes. They just work and work pretty well on today's roads.