New 1995 R129 sl320 owner...

[The Dude]

As the title suggests I have taken ownership of a 55k 1995 sl320 and my first Merc'...
Despite the well documented issues of this early model I simply prefer the original Bruno Sacco design over the later versions,I also wanted the light interior...my requirements impacted the choice available!
Findings thus far:
#car is running without issue but it will need a new engine loom as inspection reveals cracked cable insulation,I was aware of this and pre-purchase had spoken with Si-Lec...Hope to keep running without issue until the end of our Summer at which point I will send it off.
#Hood works faultlessly and in fine condition with clear windows
#Air con not cold (knew about this also) thus car going for regas tomorrow,however I will be bloody surprised and pleased if this is the only work required to get it working!
#All switches ,electrics working properly including headlight washers and Ariel!
#wheels need a refurb
#weeping timing cover...naturally!
#clock area in instrument panel is dimly lit
#colour worn on drivers seat bolster

I was interested in finding out about the fabled build quality...some aspects such as the carpets, titanium exterior trim,paint are exceptional other bits like the air vents,supervisors are plasticity and cheap...I love the simple effectiveness of the cruise control...

Going on garage ramp today so that I can inspect the underside! Hoping to find a clean,unrusty sight?!

Will post a few more pics and findings after the weekend...best wishes to all.

 

[Wheelsnuts]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. Nice looking car, though.

 

[BTB 500]

Hi & welcome - always good to see another R129 on here

 

[944S2cab]

It looks in nice condition. Hopefully there is still plenty of good weather to come so you can enjoy driving with the roof down.
It is an all-year-round car. During winter with the hardtop on you will have a snug coupe.
Enjoy !

 

[merc85]

I love a r129, whats the wind noise like with the hard top fitted? is it like a normal fixed head vehicle? Looks stunning.

 

[BTB 500]

Yes it's like a normal coupe with the hard top on. The hard top is a bit lower than the fabric hood, aerodynamic drag is less, and visibility is better. And of course you have a HRW (although it's not actually that effective!).

Having said that I haven't had mine on for a good few years now - it's not a daily driver, and I mostly drive it in good weather with the roof down.

 

[The Dude]

Well...took the SL to the garage and they put it on the ramp with me poking around with the mechanic and...
#surprisingly for a 21 year old car there was little evidence of rust anywhere,the components were all good,brake lines perfect and all suspension tight according to the mechanics long bar however I am sure I can feel a slight knocking from somewhere? Steering damper??
#evidence of an engine oil leak reported at the previous handful of mot reports...doesn't drip on the drive but plenty of oil visible,he couldn't identify the source ?
#coolant checked and okay
#brake fluid checked and okay
#needs new pads as down to 4mm so will change
#slight exhaust tingle when revved at around 2-3000 revs

So all good...air con reggae tomorrow, have a feeling this might not prove so straight forward but fingers are crossed!

Further updates coming...best wishes.

 

[BTB 500]

Sounds good, 55k miles is pretty low so you wouldn't expect too much wrong. My '97 is on 54,936 miles

 

[RichardF]

Well...took the SL to the garage and they put it on the ramp with me poking around with the mechanic and...
#surprisingly for a 21 year old car there was little evidence of rust anywhere,the components were all good,brake lines perfect and all suspension tight according to the mechanics long bar however I am sure I can feel a slight knocking from somewhere? Steering damper??
#evidence of an engine oil leak reported at the previous handful of mot reports...doesn't drip on the drive but plenty of oil visible,he couldn't identify the source ?
#coolant checked and okay
#brake fluid checked and okay
#needs new pads as down to 4mm so will change
#slight exhaust tingle when revved at around 2-3000 revs

So all good...air con reggae tomorrow, have a feeling this might not prove so straight forward but fingers are crossed!

Further updates coming...best wishes.

Couple of things

Ball joints on these are very hard to check, Mine passed inspections and MOT's. I didn't discover knackered ball joints until I changed the dampers. Bushes felt fine, but had gone hard. Unless you have evidence of a suspension refresh budget for this.

 

[The Dude]

...that's helpful advice,thank you.

Hoping tomorrow's air con regas is uncomplicated?! Have removed hardtop so will clean the original canvas top tomorrow...also the rear plexiglass windows are the original Merc ones and clear if a little creased i.e.: not taut but not cracked...

Will post some more pictures tomorrow with roof off...best wishes.

 

[RichardF]

If the pelxiglass is water tight keep as is, replacing can introduce problems.

 

[The Dude]

...cleaned the hood this morning which is in remarkable original condition for a 21 year old vehicle...some minor places of wear around some of the edging but actual main body of the hood is in excellent order and should see me out...however I noticed some weeping on the two original polygon screens so shall see if water proofing the hood will resolve this or if not shall apply a propriety sealer...windows are clear and crease free which is good...

Where does the water go if it enters the car from beneath what appear to be a weak seal where the bottom of the hood sits on the body or leaking screens ?

..latest update: Local ATS (very good actually) regassed the system which was empty (no surprise for a car that lived in a garage and covered 6k miles in 13 years!) however it held the legal requirement of 10 bar of nitrogen for 30 mins so they filled it with 900 grams of refrigerant and it is working well! Whether it holds onto the gas for any length of time is anyone's guess,but it is working today...

This car continues to surprise me...best wishes.

 

[Hawkwind]

These youtube vids are very good. Done by a member on here (Olly).

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcXcxiwdmwO0NlOYtoSDfw

 

[The Dude]

...appreciate the link however tbh I didn't find the videos terribly helpful, not enough specific detail and they appeared to have purchased a vehicle with quite a few issues! Perhaps they all have issues?

What I really need now is a sunny day so I can drive the bloody thing with the roof down...

Best wishes.

 

[E55BOF]

Nice with the roof down, but draughty, even with the rollover bar up and the draught deflector in place. My 1994 has nearly three times the mileage of yours, but it drives well - surprisingly good cornering even on budget tyres.

There's very little rust on mine too, though the inside front corner of the l/h boot side recess has rusted out where the drain was for any water getting in down the aerial mast, not helped by some thick-fingered numpty drilling it to fit a CD changer, but obviously not bothering with any sort of rustproofing.
I'm impressed with the attention to detail, though; the carpet liner of that recess is waterproofed, so if a little water does leak down the aerial the carpet will stay dry.

Very small Top Tip - the main beam warning light is perfectly placed so you cannot see it with your hands at ten to three on the wheel!

If your Polyglas hood windows do develop small fold cracks at the edges, clear polythene repair tape works well; mine are repaired/bodged this way, and do not leak.

 

[The Dude]

...I actually followed your thread Richard thus familiar with your journey! I am hoping for a less uneventful new SL experience...so far so good,but early days?

Vis a vis rust; I checked the jacking points (still covered in factory Waxoyl) and wings which are all good with the boot floor clean and dry.However I didn't check the areas you indicated so will do so today without incident I hope!
At this point it is the harness that is potentially most likely to give me a problem. I spoke with the Mercedes Specialist that knew the car and previous owner and his report on the car was positive,he also suggested that the loom shouldn't give me problems? However,when I collected the car from the owner I carefully peeled back some cloth tape from one of the thermostat wires and whilst the wires were in tact the insulation was cracked every 10mm or so suggesting it will be bad / worse every where else? I was aware of this issue and had spoken with Si-Lec so as car is running without issue or warning lights I hope to reach the end of the summer(if we get one?) and then strip it out and send it off...
As the car is new to me I don't have any confidence in it thus waiting for issues...are they fragile / fickle or if they work are they likely to continue so?

 

[RichardF]

I'm pleased your getting to grips with things, I was delighted when my A/C regassed ok.
When it's really hot or you have a long journey, hood up A/C in a convertible is a must.

I was in the Dordogne, hood down, A/C blasting cool air onto my feet, bliss!

Si Lec's great. He made a much better job of the loom than I could have ever done, he'll do the TB as well. My car was running ok, but as it's a keeper, I chose to do the job before any trouble. I understand that you can risk frying the TB/ECU if things get too bad.

A couple of simple overlooked things (on my car anyway)
Lube all roof and door seals with Gummi Pflege keeps things quiet and dry.
Lube throttle linkage @ the TB, often missed when serviced but stops the jerky throttle control @ low speeds.
I also had 4 blind grommets in the floor pan, perished and disintegrated. They were letting water in from underneath in heavy rain soaking the carpets (one in each footwell)
Pennies to buy and seconds to fit.
Fettling and tackling all the little jobs, tracking down and resolving any squeaks and rattles makes the car a much nicer place to be.

 

[RichardF]

 

[The Dude]

...Thanks for the helpful advice and given we have 1995 SL320s if you have any other advice for me or issues to look for I would be very grateful...and yours looks fabulous in silver and reminds me of why I prefer the angular original shape.
Enjoy your day.

 

[BTB 500]

If your Polyglas hood windows do develop small fold cracks at the edges, clear polythene repair tape works well; mine are repaired/bodged this way, and do not leak.

Yes I had tape on mine for some time - the cracks were only approx. 1cm each side (on the fold line), reinforced with UV stable waterproof tape which you can just see in the picture. But the rear window is under significant tension when the hood is up so it will fail eventually - this is what happened while it was parked in the garage one night ...