R129 & R230 SL500 experience

[flowrider]

Two things were missing from the R230 when I bought it. The wind deflector and the Bluetooth adapter. Just bought e Bluetooth adapter on eBay for a good price. Had bought an fm transmitter for peanuts but although not bad the placement of it in the car was a problem for me as it stuck out a bit too far for me. Gona skip the wind deflector this year as rarely use it on the R129. Hopefully my bargain suspension sleeves will arrive soon.

The wind deflector in the R230 makes a huge difference to cabin turbulence. I won't drive my SL without the deflector in place.

 

[Y15HAL]

Damn right! But if you drive fast enough you can't hear them

Not that i've really driven mine with the top down (Only bought tail end of last year), but just revving it - the car sounds too refined.....So no chance of drowning out the sound of the kids

I think i'll have to carry out an exhaust modification to make it sound like it should - Don't want anything too boomy though!

 

[BTB 500]

I think i'll have to carry out an exhaust modification to make it sound like it should - Don't want anything too boomy though!

Yes the standard system is almost silent (you mostly get induction & mechanical noise from the front of the car). Removing the centre muffler is a pretty simple/cheap/safe option ... makes only a slight difference. MB dropped the centre muffler in the 1999 facelift anyway.

You are welcome to listen to mine when life is back to normal (no centre muffler, sports cats, AMG back box - still pretty refined).

 

[flowrider]

SL's are cruisers not sports cars so if you want a loud throaty sports car experience you bought the wrong car.

 

[BTB 500]

SL's are cruisers not sports cars so if you want a loud throaty sports car experience you bought the wrong car.

As mentioned though MB themselves changed the exhaust system over the years - I bet an R230 500 has a lot more exhaust note than an early R129 500 (which basically has none).

 

[Y15HAL]

Yes the standard system is almost silent (you mostly get induction & mechanical noise from the front of the car). Removing the centre muffler is a pretty simple/cheap/safe option ... makes only a slight difference. MB dropped the centre muffler in the 1999 facelift anyway.

You are welcome to listen to mine when life is back to normal (no centre muffler, sports cats, AMG back box - still pretty refined).

May take you up on that

SL's are cruisers not sports cars so if you want a loud throaty sports car experience you bought the wrong car.

I don't want it to be too loud/throaty - just a little more

 

[starlight]

I had the boot and rear window seals on my 2003 R230 replaced three times, on two occasions by M-B on a goodwill basis and the third time with a contribution from M-B. The work isn't cheap!

 

[alabbasi]

SL's are cruisers not sports cars so if you want a loud throaty sports car experience you bought the wrong car.

You might want to drive an AMG 55 or 65 car.

 

[Merc220cls]

I’m more than happy with my V6 350 if only I could get back out in it.
Hopefully the current restrictions will be relaxed soon, even it just allowed us to go for a drive and stop with a picnic lunch.

Mine is a 2004 and had only done 7800 last May when I picked her up, done a tad over 10,000 now.
As for the seals I have made up a wooden spacer block to hold the roof in the optimum semi open position to allow access for cleaning out the seals and more important the drain tubes.

It’s amazing just what can be missed by doing this with the roof fully open.

 

[V6GBJ]

I've had two SL350s (R230) in the last two years and loved them both with no costs other than routine servicing. I have not driven an SL500 so cannot comment. However I was tempted by an SL400 and ended up buying it just days before lockdown - hugely different from the SL350 according to fist impressions gained from driving it home - SORNed ever since!
An interesting feature of this thread are the numerous references to price and particularly during the current circumstances. Just an hour ago I put my current SL350 up for sale in the Classified forum. It will be advertised later when lockdown is loosened so a little concerned as to how much interest it might attract. ! Hey Ho.

 

[alabbasi]

An interesting feature of this thread are the numerous references to price and particularly during the current circumstances.

Consumer confidence will be shot for many months, if not years to come. Especially here in the US where there is no social safety net to speak of. I expect that it will become very hard to sell luxury cars for top dollar these days. As with all recessions, there will be winners and losers so provided that you price accordingly, your car will get snapped up by a bargain hunter with cash in his pocket.

 

[219]

Many thanks for the link. Are you sure fitting is included as that sounds like a road trip to see friends

They certainly always used to say the price included either shipping or fitting
.

now they say “ On demand a montage in our own factory is possible.”

At the bottom of the intro on this page - so the service is definitely still available , but may or may not still be included in the price ?

Cabrioverdecke und Innenausstattung

KHM ist Hersteller von Cabrioverdecken und Innenausstattungen für Cabrios, Sportwagen und Geländewagen sowie weiteren technischen Textilien.

cabrio.de

 

[219]

SL's are cruisers not sports cars so if you want a loud throaty sports car experience you bought the wrong car.

The 300SL-24 was made to have the nuts revved off it ; the engine is an absolute screamer , and highly rewarding if you exploit the intermediate ratios . It can be a sports car if driven in a sporting manner ; I always loved screaming up and down the A82 using all the revs I could find .

My gearbox was never quite right since I got the car , perhaps why it blew up recently , but I have an offer of another box to put in ( from a W124 320CE my pal is breaking ) which should fit even if I have to swap the selectors/electrical parts etc , since they are basically the same engine - I’m getting it FOC , so nothing to lose . I got the car with 100K and added the same mileage so have no complaints. Did an ATF change halfway .

other option would be manual conversion but don’t really fancy that .

 

[alabbasi]

I have a 300SL-24 with a dog leg 5 speed. The bodywork is rough but the engine is strong and yes, will red line at 7000RPM. You can have a lot of fun with it past 4000rpm. It's a completely different animal to my SL500. If only it was a nicer car.

 

[219]

I have a 300SL-24 with a dog leg 5 speed. The bodywork is rough but the engine is strong and yes, will red line at 7000RPM. You can have a lot of fun with it past 4000rpm. It's a completely different animal to my SL500. If only it was a nicer car.

Yep , mine was a cashless swap for another car and is cosmetically rough inside and out , but the roof works , and would be lowered at every opportunity.

I’ve had five years fun out of it and won’t part with it .

 

[swithin]

As mentioned though MB themselves changed the exhaust system over the years - I bet an R230 500 has a lot more exhaust note than an early R129 500 (which basically has none).

When I fitted the stainless steel exhaust to the R129 it was the same price as the MB replacement but has a lifetime guarantee so was a no brainer and sounds so much better. I'd read that in the 90's European regulations on exhaust noise had become draconian hence the lack of a V8 rumble in the R129. The noise out the back of the R230 is very very nice, especially in sport.

 

[swithin]

They certainly always used to say the price included either shipping or fitting
.

now they say “ On demand a montage in our own factory is possible.”

At the bottom of the intro on this page - so the service is definitely still available , but may or may not still be included in the price ?

Cabrioverdecke und Innenausstattung

KHM ist Hersteller von Cabrioverdecken und Innenausstattungen für Cabrios, Sportwagen und Geländewagen sowie weiteren technischen Textilien.

cabrio.de

Might show my specialist the fitting video from Mercedes and say i'll help him as he keeps moaning how quiet it is at the mo

 

[swithin]

3 Germans muscling in on the Brit. Hopefully the picture has posted the right way up, took advice and used photoshop. Lots of police patrolling round my way but didn't give my plate a second look, thank god! Was a butt clenching moment when they came into the road i was in then pulled up beside me at the lights. BTW the one thing I dislike about the R230 is that only Even numbers show up on the speedo and our speed limits are mostly in Odd numbers.

 

[flowrider]

You might want to drive an AMG 55 or 65 car.

I've driven a 55 and it is loud and

When I fitted the stainless steel exhaust to the R129 it was the same price as the MB replacement but has a lifetime guarantee so was a no brainer and sounds so much better. I'd read that in the 90's European regulations on exhaust noise had become draconian hence the lack of a V8 rumble in the R129. The noise out the back of the R230 is very very nice, especially in sport.

Sport mode doesn't change the exhaust note only the gear change (C/S) or ABC if you press the ABC sport button.

 

[swithin]

I've driven a 55 and it is loud and

Sport mode doesn't change the exhaust note only the gear change (C/S) or ABC if you press the ABC sport button.

I have M/C/S and there is a definite difference in noise out the back with same driving, I’m sure of it. In fact when my wife gets back I will test that again.