Advice & Opinions - Soon to sell my 1999 R129 SL500

[rockits]

Lovely . Does it have panoramic hardtop ?

Thanks. No just standard hard top. I had a standard hard top on my old SL60 which I used hardly ever. Spent a fortune buying a Pano Roof after then proceeded to never use that either! Ended up giving it to Jay with the SL60 with standard hard top as well!!

Decided I wouldn't buy a Pano for this SL either and glad I didn't either as have used the standard hard top about once. Just sits in the old stable block in a nice cover.

When I was looking for R129's years ago I spent ages doing research ...mainly on here. Decided I must have a Pano Roof. Many years and a few SL's on I can take them or leave them to be honest.

I expect if.you used it through the winter and poor weather it may be useful for some. My SL never sees bad weather though so less need or point I guess.

 

[219]

You won't go far at all with a nasty, neglected R129. Don't ask me how I know...

Mine is an old dog , with 13 previous owners , got in a cashless swap for a money pit troublesome S203 , but over my 5yrs ownership have had close on 90K fun mikes in it , doing lots of diy along the way - this week changing out the fuel tank , which was leaking , and horrified to find the well under the battery tray rotted out ( the only place on the car - suspect a previous battery had leaked acid ) so once the tank changed all the fuel vapours gone the MIG will come out ( or might do a temp repair with pop rivets and leave welding for a few weeks ) . Apart from an aftermarket ignition coil failing a week into ownership, she has never missed a beat .

 

[rockits]

I’d maybe leave it to the new owner to decide how to proceed? Some may want OEM only, others might live with aftermarket, and the other option is guess is to take it to an exhaust fabrication place to have it either gutted out or new cats welded into the OE system if in otherwise sound condition?

Agreed. Spoke to the chap who is coming to see it on Sunday and he would want it left stock so won't look to fix it until he has seen it on Sunday.

That was my thinking as if the buyer wanted to decat the secondaries or do some other mods I don't mind paying into that pot what it would cost me to fix with OEM. Makes no difference to me but would save them a fair few quid. I'm thoughtful and nice like that [emoji16]

 

[219]

Thanks. No just standard hard top. I had a standard hard top on my old SL60 which I used hardly ever. Spent a fortune buying a Pano Roof after then proceeded to never use that either! Ended up giving it to Jay with the SL60 with standard hard top as well!!

Decided I wouldn't buy a Pano for this SL either and glad I didn't either as have used the standard hard top about once. Just sits in the old stable block in a nice cover.

When I was looking for R129's years ago I spent ages doing research ...mainly on here. Decided I must have a Pano Roof. Many years and a few SL's on I can take them or leave them to be honest.

I expect if.you used it through the winter and poor weather it may be useful for some. My SL never sees bad weather though so less need or point I guess.

Was just curious .
Likewise , my hardtop has been on less than 6 months out of my 5 yrs ownership - put it on one autumn and immediately regretted it - so many nice days I wanted to drop the roof , then winter just past as I lost my storage in my mum’s garage after she passed away last year . Have now managed to cram the thing into my garden shed .

Despite looking really tatty , and needing the windows sewn back in periodically, my soft top opens and shuts fine , and keeps the rain out . Spends most journeys down though .

 

[rockits]

Thanks Gav. Trying to keep OEM but waiting for MB Stevenage to give me price and availability. I'm expecting either not available, long leadtime or ridiculous price. Although could be two of the three!

Well as I expected....these are currently NLA!

 

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Got the driver's side speaker cover panel all fixed. The grey one was NLA but managed to get a black one and re-use the existing light grey cloth.

Took my time to be careful and it has worked out quite nicely. The old panel was hanging off as some numpty (not me btw!) had snapped 5 of the 6 plastic lugs.

Bit of an expensive fix at nearly 70 quid for the new panel but a proper job rather than a cheap/quick fix or bodge.

 

[rockits]

As the OEM CAT section is currently NLA with MB has anyone got any recommendations for non-OEM CAT manufacturers or parts?

The section I need is Item 5:


The original part number was A2204900714 but apparently the most current/latest part number is A1294900420.

These seems decent enough and I am sure I have used them before on another car:
Catalogue Details | BM Catalysts

Any thoughts anyone?

 

[Will]

As it’s a 220 part number, have you tried some of the MB-specialist breakers out there (eg Dronsfields) - you could get lucky with a decent used part? Not many late R129s in breakers but I imagine plenty of 220 S-classes and possibly 215 CLs if they share the same part.

 

[219]

Also try Carl Burgess at R129.co.uk who is a specialist R129 and W140 breaker

 

[rockits]

After a fair bit of searching and calling around I have managed to find a brand new OEM part with the same identical part number that I have on the car already. It wasn't cheap and much more than I could have spent on a non-OEM part but I think it will be better for it and keeps the car fully stock OEM.

Coming from Germany so hopefully it all fits and work OK. Fingers crossed.

 

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I've also ordered a BM Catalysts section as well as a bit of a hedge. Would rather have more options than less. There was a 15% discount code on eBay so made it just under £100 so not so much pain on that one. Gives me an option to fit that one until the OEM one from Germany arrives as well.

 

[219]

I got my fuel tank changed out last week : big job , took me most of the week , doing it in steps . After I got it fitted and put a gallon of fuel in , I was pumping fuel out under the car ; I had disturbed a rusty steel pipe underneath . Temporarily cut out the rotten bit and bridged with 8mm copper pipe ; will price up the three long pipes from MB , but one way or the other will do the job properly . The other hitch was that , after I removed the old tank I found that the fuel gauge sender unit didn't fit the new ( later ) tank I had bought , so had to order a new one to suit - came and fitted next day so all good . Anyone want a used , but fully functional , early R129 fuel sender ?

Meantime , I filled the tank this morning and went off to Aberdeen and back : 365 miles on the trip counter and still 1/4 tank remaining - I'm happy at that . The fill was £75 odds . I always got circa 400 miles out of a tank and reckoned on circa 30 mpg , guess that is still true .

 

[rockits]

Gees, that sounds like a painful job. Glad you got it done OK in the end.

Got my BM cats section delivered yesterday......snapped at the weld due to heavy handed courier!

Ordered a replacement that came today and looks OK. Will fit it in the morning to see what it is like while waiting for the new OEM part to arrive from Germany.

 

[219]

The trials and tribulations of running classic cars .

Yours sounds like a genuinely nice one . Mine is a none too precious old dog of a car which I patch up from one job to the next , but get loads of fun just driving it every day . Just about to turn 190,000 miles .

 

[rockits]

Wow...190k....seen some roads. There is nothing like a well built car with plenty of miles on. My SL is coming on nicely now and they best I've had it. Shame it's got to go but needs must.

My XC90 will going soon as well as have replaced it as my workhorse with an Outlander PHEV Commercial. The XC90 is the rare V8 has been brilliant and never gone wrong, never not started, only costs are consumables and servicing. I bought on about 185k miles 3 odd years ago and now on 205k with me as 2nd owner I bought from 1st owner from new. Full Volvo main dealer service history serviced every year from new. Will only be circa £5k so a real bargain for someone [emoji6]

 

[219]

Wow...190k....seen some roads. There is nothing like a well built car with plenty of miles on. My SL is coming on nicely now and they best I've had it. Shame it's got to go but needs must.

My XC90 will going soon as well as have replaced it as my workhorse with an Outlander PHEV Commercial. The XC90 is the rare V8 has been brilliant and never gone wrong, never not started, only costs are consumables and servicing. I bought on about 185k miles 3 odd years ago and now on 205k with me as 2nd owner I bought from 1st owner from new. Full Volvo main dealer service history serviced every year from new. Will only be circa £5k so a real bargain for someone [emoji6]

Yep - that’s a nice car too . I’ve been toying with getting another estate , won’t be a C Class : the S203 I had proved to have so much less space than the W123 and 124 estates I had before . I’d like another 124 estate but the ones I see are either rubbish or too expensive now for decent ones .

I was never keen on the S210 but there’s a chap down the hill has an E240 sitting in his back yard - chatted to him last week while I was off , car has been lying 2 years , front wings rusty but otherwise clean & tidy looking , and it has a towbar will need tyres . As far as I can see front suspension ( which is prone to collapsing on these ) seems OK , so probably worth a punt at the £200 he wants for it . We agreed I’ll go down with a battery and some petrol , and if I can get it started and moving about his yard the deal will be done . I have a few days off at the end of this month . He also has a W123 lying , but it’s too far gone .

 

[rockits]

Not sure I'd be brave enough to take on a 210 or 123. The 211's can be had for not much money these days and must be a better car. I've had a couple of 211 estates, 2 x E55K but also a 240 V6 petrol was a nice car as well.

 

[219]

Not sure I'd be brave enough to take on a 210 or 123. The 211's can be had for not much money these days and must be a better car. I've had a couple of 211 estates, 2 x E55K but also a 240 V6 petrol was a nice car as well.

Yep , I've had similar thoughts ; I'm just wary of going too modern as electronics are the bugbear of newer cars and not so DIY fixable . I'm still not sure of this 210 , but apart from the front wings which are easily swapped , the rest of it looks remarkably rust free , the mushroom leather interior is quite clean , and for what he's asking I'd easily get my money back out either just scrapping it or by breaking it . I want to see it running and moving before anything though .

It would just be for doing my mum's house clearance , lugging stuff around for work and so on , so don't want to spend too much , nor do I want a big engined one as it will just be a dogsbody .

I've no interest in his 123 ; had them back in the day , great cars , but this one he has is just a basket case with weeds growing up through the floor - it does have a set of 5 Fuchs 'mexican hat' alloys though , probably worth more than the rest of the car , which is a 230E .

 

[rockits]

Sounds like the 210 could be an option then so certainly worth investigating further. Good luck [emoji6]

 

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Not sure the bodywork needs any more cleaning or polishing [emoji6]