Terry_
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The 55k engine is straight forward 
Help! Should my next SL be a 600 Bi Turbo?
That's a nice 2004/04 plate example.
OP
OP
Pitts Pilot
Active Member
Thanks for that.
I spotted it a few days ago, and had a good laugh at the dealer's description that includes:
"...LOVED BY ONLY 5 FORMER KEEPERS FROM NEW..."
Only 5?
If one assumes that an outgoing owner might be a bit slack about maintenance just before its time to sell, then that's 5 owners who may have skimped a bit.
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Thanks for that.
I spotted it a few days ago, and had a good laugh at the dealer's description that includes:
"...LOVED BY ONLY 5 FORMER KEEPERS FROM NEW..."
Only 5?
If one assumes that an outgoing owner might be a bit slack about maintenance just before its time to sell, then that's 5 owners who may have skimped a bit.
I saw that too, but also saw "Full Mercedes main dealer and specialist service history" so would assume it's been cared for. A good peruse of the service book could be revealing
Are 5 owners in 10 years too many?
Charles Morgan
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Says something to me about the wisdom of ownership more than skimping.
stumpy1
MB Enthusiast
I wouldn't be put off by the number of owners as this type of car attracts a different buyer profile. I'd be more interested in how long each owner had it for. The R230 has a few common big ticket failures to come and as is always the case, a 100 grand car still has 100 grand car running costs even though it cost the same to buy as a B Class.
DSB SL AMG
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hard to beat surely...
OP
OP
Pitts Pilot
Active Member
Game, Set, and Match :bannana:
Good grief, it's a cruise missile!
DMS Automotive have this thing remapped to 676 bhp, and 804 ftlbs. If I put wings on it it would fly!
I am however in a newly acquired 'cautious mood' because of what WG M-B posted: "So much work on the V12 requires engine removal."
I believe the very first Porsche 911's had to have their engines removed to change the spark plugs! Obviously not the SL65, but you get the point?
I must say the car looks terrific. The wheels are perfect, the colour, even the price is not daft.
Ahhh, I may have to pass on this v12 and wait for a 'sensible' SL55!
Well spotted. I'll sleep on it.
Cheers,
Robert
OP
OP
Pitts Pilot
Active Member
I am coming to that same conclusion.
You say you are biased? Presumably because you drive a SL55, but have you driven any other SL, for comparison purposes?
I would be interested to know your views if you have
Cheers,
Robert
V12
MB Enthusiast
No car empties your bank account as quickly as a bi turbo V12.
Yes the 600 is faster in a straight line than the 55k, but only by a whisker. The 55k has built up a reputation of solid reliability and reasonable maintenance costs when they do have the minor hiccup.
The 600 can easily empty you of thousands of pounds for a misfire due to coil packs etc. That's just the tip of the ice berg. Due to heat soak, coil pack failure is very common.
Yes the 600 is faster in a straight line than the 55k, but only by a whisker. The 55k has built up a reputation of solid reliability and reasonable maintenance costs when they do have the minor hiccup.
The 600 can easily empty you of thousands of pounds for a misfire due to coil packs etc. That's just the tip of the ice berg. Due to heat soak, coil pack failure is very common.
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Go and drive both 55 and 600 to get the first hand experience. Unmodified, they produce the same BHP but the 600 has 100Nm more torque standard. Worth noting that 600 was downtuned from factory to let the 65AMG sell. With just a remap, 600 is a 600+ BHP engine. I absolutely love the V12TT and after owning both 600 and 55 (in a CL form), I'd go for a 65. They are just very easy to get that full potential out of. Also, the fastest Merc that consistently gets to the top of VMax200 is a SL600, owned by a forum member.
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Contrary to popular belief, V12TT are actually okay to own and run daily. A bit more involving to maintain (cooling circuit needs a machine to bleed) but not much to go wrong with them and M275 has only recently been "discontinued". In fact, the design was so successful, the new M279 is only a slightly modified version of the M275.
Coil packs lifespan or heat soak won't be any different to a V8K but (to Pitts Pilot) they cost more as there's 2 pairs of six of them in a V12 and you can't buy less, hence the higher outlay. That said, they don't need changing as often and could easily last 80k+ (my CL600 had an original set when I sold it and it had 87K on the clock). Besides, they can also be repaired.
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It's also worth mentioning that people on the internet get scared to death when they hear "ABC" or "V12" (especially in one sentence) as if it's a sorcery of some sort, when in fact both are just parts of the system that needs on-time maintenance and common sense approach. The rewards the ABC and V12 offer are very enjoyable and well worth "the risk" in my eyes.
I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed with any of the suggestions... Horses for courses as they say!
Really comes down to sourcing a good one. Get a bad 55 and you'll be thinking ... should have gone for the 600... Get a bad 600 you'll be thinking should have gone for the 55...
The joys of motoring
BUT when they do run sweet it's an absolute joy:bannana:
Really comes down to sourcing a good one. Get a bad 55 and you'll be thinking ... should have gone for the 600... Get a bad 600 you'll be thinking should have gone for the 55...
The joys of motoring
BUT when they do run sweet it's an absolute joy:bannana:
V12
MB Enthusiast
You're mistaken I'm afraid, you must be the lucky 1. We've known 600s with coil problems at under 40,000. Please point me to someone that repairs them. BBA reman used to apparently. As far as I can find, there is one place in the states that does them now but they are very expensive.
The central voltage transformer regularly needs replacing if the car is driven with coils breaking down.
Coils are somewhere north of £1000 each and the voltage transformer isn't far off of that.
Our own V12 bi-turbo is currently in the garage with this problem. It's now a toss up as to whether the car is broken for spares or repaired. The car is fully loaded with every option and designio interior but it's still worth only so much.
