MurgyMB
New Member
Hi
This is my first time on this site, and I've found a lot of great content, passionate Mercedes enthusiasts and knowledgeable contributors.
Hopefully this post is in the correct area?
Why Im here?, well Ive always loved Mercedes from being a kid, and especially the R129 SL Mercedes , and now Im looking for a bit of information on buying and owning one!
I am looking for a bit of feedback and practical information on buying and owning a R129, from the knowledge of R129 owners past and present, and other enthusiasts on this site.
Any ownership tips and information will be gratefully received.
As it will be a 20+ year old car, and having never owned a car of this age, Im not going into this blind, and realise an older car, takes a bit more effort and cost to own and look after.
I appreciate mileage can be a factor with older cars, but realise age is also a big factor to consider, on trim, rubber or perishable items and their replacement.
Are their aftermarket suppliers available, or can this be a problem for certain items?
The car Im looking at is an R129 2000 SL320, well maintained service history with MB and a few independant specialists, and has only done 30,000 miles.
It looks to be in really good condition, paint and interior look great - only very light seat bolster wear, recent tyres, and has the panoramic hartop, unmarkerd 17" alloys (unfortunately not AMG style), electric, memory and heated seats and mirrors, Xenon headlights, wind deflector.
The only non original item is an aftermarket stereo with bluetooth for phone use.
It looks amazing and is everything I want, however its £25,000 (as of September 2021).
So a bit of help please:
From peoples knowledge of the R129 market, is this a good price for what seems a good car, as Ive seen other similar spec cars around the same age, with similar or a little higher miles for up to £5000 less?
Everyone Ive spoken to says "buy a good well maintained car", implying I'll spend a lot to put others right!, which to me seems common sense when buying any car.
Others have said "dont buy one as you cant get parts, and parts you can get are very expensive"! - Not sure if this is true about getting parts, as there seems a lot of R129's throughout Europe and the USA? - Any feedback on this?
From your real experiences, is an R129 still reliable enough to use weekly, or does a car of this age need a lot of weekly work?
Im all for restoring or running "as is" cars to match peoples passions and budgets, however I havent the time commitment anymore to spend my weekends or evenings, doing major or timely repairs to the car, hence why Im looking for a well looked after car to minimise any upkeep.
I always look after my cars, washing and cleaning, doing general maintenance and letting specialists do the rest, so it will be looked after.
That said it will be stored outside on my driveway, and mostly used on weekends.
As North Yorkshire isnt know for its warm tropical climate!!, from peoples experience will this be a problem for electrics etc?
Does anyone recommend any preventative maintenance tips to help keep the car and electrics in top condition?
As Ive read conflicting information, can anyone also advise on realistic service intervals, and typical current costs of services for the 320SL?.
Thanks for your time and any information you can share.
This is my first time on this site, and I've found a lot of great content, passionate Mercedes enthusiasts and knowledgeable contributors.
Hopefully this post is in the correct area?
Why Im here?, well Ive always loved Mercedes from being a kid, and especially the R129 SL Mercedes , and now Im looking for a bit of information on buying and owning one!
I am looking for a bit of feedback and practical information on buying and owning a R129, from the knowledge of R129 owners past and present, and other enthusiasts on this site.
Any ownership tips and information will be gratefully received.
As it will be a 20+ year old car, and having never owned a car of this age, Im not going into this blind, and realise an older car, takes a bit more effort and cost to own and look after.
I appreciate mileage can be a factor with older cars, but realise age is also a big factor to consider, on trim, rubber or perishable items and their replacement.
Are their aftermarket suppliers available, or can this be a problem for certain items?
The car Im looking at is an R129 2000 SL320, well maintained service history with MB and a few independant specialists, and has only done 30,000 miles.
It looks to be in really good condition, paint and interior look great - only very light seat bolster wear, recent tyres, and has the panoramic hartop, unmarkerd 17" alloys (unfortunately not AMG style), electric, memory and heated seats and mirrors, Xenon headlights, wind deflector.
The only non original item is an aftermarket stereo with bluetooth for phone use.
It looks amazing and is everything I want, however its £25,000 (as of September 2021).
So a bit of help please:
From peoples knowledge of the R129 market, is this a good price for what seems a good car, as Ive seen other similar spec cars around the same age, with similar or a little higher miles for up to £5000 less?
Everyone Ive spoken to says "buy a good well maintained car", implying I'll spend a lot to put others right!, which to me seems common sense when buying any car.
Others have said "dont buy one as you cant get parts, and parts you can get are very expensive"! - Not sure if this is true about getting parts, as there seems a lot of R129's throughout Europe and the USA? - Any feedback on this?
From your real experiences, is an R129 still reliable enough to use weekly, or does a car of this age need a lot of weekly work?
Im all for restoring or running "as is" cars to match peoples passions and budgets, however I havent the time commitment anymore to spend my weekends or evenings, doing major or timely repairs to the car, hence why Im looking for a well looked after car to minimise any upkeep.
I always look after my cars, washing and cleaning, doing general maintenance and letting specialists do the rest, so it will be looked after.
That said it will be stored outside on my driveway, and mostly used on weekends.
As North Yorkshire isnt know for its warm tropical climate!!, from peoples experience will this be a problem for electrics etc?
Does anyone recommend any preventative maintenance tips to help keep the car and electrics in top condition?
As Ive read conflicting information, can anyone also advise on realistic service intervals, and typical current costs of services for the 320SL?.
Thanks for your time and any information you can share.