bigben
Active Member
£16,999
85,000 miles
Full and detailed history
Sadly the time has come to sell my 2002 SL 55 AMG. I have wholly enjoyed the car for the 12 months I have owned it but an expensive R107 restoration project beckons. If you are looking for an SL55 you will know that at launch this was the fastest car Mercedes had ever made and was was Evo magazine’s recommended convertible car which they described as “as fast as a Murcielago”.
The car has circa 85,000 miles verified by past MOTs and a full service history. The car benefits from a very high specification which includes some standard items and some options, highlights include:
- 5.4 Litre 490 BHP Supercharged V8 engine (this is why you should buy the AMG version over the 500 or 6 cyl models)
- ABC Active Body Control suspension,
- Keyless go (two cards present),
- Distronic cruise control (radar cruise control),
- 19” AMG Alloy wheels,
- Xenon lights,
- Panoramic roof,
- Full leather interior including dash and roof lining,
- In seat massage function,
- Memory seats and steering column,
- Heated seats,
- Wind deflector attached to roll-over bar,
- Bose sound system,
- Command with Sat Nav and 6 cd changer,
- Analogue television,
- Linguatronic voice activation,
- Bluetooth.
I have probably missed a few items from the list but I think the above list is a good set of highlights. The car is currently on a private plate but will be sold on its original 52 plate.
The car passed its last MOT test in March with no advisories and was given a B service (the expensive one) at the end of May. It will be supplied fitted with brand new front disks and pads and has been fitted with new rear tyres within the last 3000 miles. I recently replaced the drive and supercharger belts as I like doing that sort of thing. As such the car’s new owner can hopefully expect not to spend a significant amount of money in the near future.
If you are serious about buying an SL 55 your research will have told you about the car’s noted weak spots, specifically the ABC suspension system, the intercooler pump and the tandem ABC / PAC pump. I was aware of these issues when I was looking at available cars and bought this one based on the following information:
i) During 2011 the tandem pump was replaced at a cost of £854.00
ii) Also during 2011 the intercooler pump was replaced at a cost of £192.60
iii) After several failed replacements the previous owner replaced all four ABC struts with units from Arnott Inc in the USA at a cost of £4000. For US customers these are covered by a lifetime guarantee (not valid outside the US) which shows a confidence in the longevity of the product that Mercedes don’t seem to have!
The other thing to look out for on R230 SLs is evidence of water / dampness in the boot, unlike the majority of cars I viewed when looking for one to buy this car has a dry / non-leaking boot. Water in the boot can lead to expensive problems so be careful!
The car has a full service history from a combination of Mercedes main dealers during its early life and more latterly marque specialists. Details of the history is as follows:
- 29/07/2003 10,008 miles A service at Mercedes London Ltd.
- 18/10/2004 20,400 miles B service at P&S Motors Ltd.
- 27/04/2006 31,498 miles A service at Pentagon Mercedes Benz.
- 13/04/2007 43,149 miles B service at Mercedes Benz of Cheltenham and Gloucester.
- 18/01/2010 55,556 miles A service at Star Tech Mercedes Benz Specialist Poole.
- 07/01/2011 61,862 miles A service at Star Tech Mercedes Benz Specialist Poole.
- 09/11/2011 72,279 miles A service at Star Tech Mercedes Benz Specialist Poole.
- 21/05/2013 83,132 miles B service at Start Auto Services Specialist Huntingdon.
I have a stamped service book covering all of the above work and receipts for all but the first three services. At the most recent service the garage commented on the general good condition of the car and in particular noted that there is minimal play in the suspension ball joints (an expensive fix if a problem is found)
In addition to the service history I also have receipts for a range of other work that has been carried out over the car’s life. A lot of these are for suspension work prior to the Arnott shocks being fitted but covers other items such as the tandem pump and intercooler pump. Other items are the expected day to day consumables such as brake disks, pads, fluid as well as a couple of strange items such as a new door handle and a replacement of some costly hydraulic components associated with the automatic roll-over protection system. For any V-Max attendees the car’s speed limiter has been upped to 180mph.
At this point I will highlight the bad points of the car, the main thing the new owner may wish to do is have the alloy wheels refurbished, they are not in the same condition as the rest of the car. The gearknob has some wear around the keyless go button. The driver’s door mirror glass has some discolouration.
I don’t want to finish the advert on the negatives so will finish up by inviting anyone who wants further details to give me a call or drop me a PM through my profile (BigBen), I am happy to answer any questions about the car and can arrange viewings either at my home near Cambridge or office near Royston.
Test drives will be permitted only with a full cash deposit or verifiable proof of fully comprehensive insurance.
Hopefully the above text gives a good overview of the car and look forward to speaking to you soon.
Ben - 07973 700135
Link to advert on Pistonheads with more pictures.
Used SL 55 AMG Full History and Excellent Specification for sale - PistonHeads (Ref 1545169)
