SL. R 230. Anyone running one, comments please.

[Merc220cls]

I always fancied a Triumph Stag and I suppose it had similarities with the SL i.e. hard top / drop top.

Before I pop my clogs to another place I’m thinking about an SL as a second car and would like to hear comments from owners on here. I currently have six cars, four on SORN and as my boys are not into classics, I don’t want burden them at some time in the future so am considering “lowering” my fleet and purchase an SL. My youngest is running a CLK Coupe and I’m impressed with it but the SL has the best of both worlds being a convertible yet still has a hard top.

Now at my age I’m not into excessive speed and power plus I grudge paying the exorbitant VED and insurance for a few thousand miles so I’ve been looking at the 350 engine size but even this seems to be a minefield with varying VED rates. I know they can be expensive cars to maintain but I’m an ex mechanic so most tasks (at present) don’t phase me.
If I do decide it won’t be a bargain basement car but a nice low mileage well kept example would fit the bill.

Your comments are welcome.

 

[Monkeylegend]

I have a 2004 350, so have the benefit of being in the lower VED bracket, and also the 3.7 litre engine which is not prone to the balancer shaft issues of the earlier 3.5 litre engines.

Apart from this the other issues to be aware of are the SBC pump on earlier cars, and the ABC suspension, both of which can give rise to some biggish bills. I purposely bought the earlier 350 on standard suspension to avoid the ABC issues, all 500's will have ABC.

They are very voltage sensitive so an intelligent charger is a good investment, they can also suffer from loose baffles in the fuel tank, although this can now be sorted in situ.

The earlier cars also suffered from leaking roof/boot seals so you need to check for water ingress into the boot conveniently where the PSE pump sits for the roof mechanism and boot soft closing.

The crankshaft position sensor can cause hot starting issues but is an easy replacement.

Having said all that the only issues I have had in the 3 years I have had mine is both batteries replaced and the crankshaft sensor. They are a lovely car to drive, there is very little difference in real world performance between the early 350 and 500, and are tremendous value at the moment.

Get a well looked after lowish mileage car with verifiable history and you won't go far wrong.

 

[Merc220cls]

Thanks for the info, I know the more extras any car has the more that can go wrong.
I see the power braking system comes up a few times, I take it this the SBC you mention.

I already have a Ctek charger which works well, I have leads connected to three of my cars so I simply plug it in. Question here is if you connect the Ctek to one battery, does this also charge the other or would you have to charge them independently ?

I’m a long way off on my decision at this time but as you will read in my OP I simply have too many cars, two in particular which have been with me for a number of years so parting with them will not be easy.

In the meantime thank you again for your input.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

This is too broad a question for most to bother answering. It would help to understand why you want it, what you'll be using it for, how many miles you'll do a year, and your hopes for purchase price and annual running costs.

At face value, if you're worried about a hundred quid's worth of VED one way or another, it's the wrong car to be buying: parts, servicing, cost of purchase, and fuel consumption are all bigger issues than VED.

They're big, well-made cars that are good for 300,000 miles if you can be bothered to maintain them. but if economy is you're primary concern a CLK or SLK is a far better choice.

 

[Benzmanc]

@ToeKnee is selling his 500, a well looked after example

 

[Monkeylegend]

Thanks for the info, I know the more extras any car has the more that can go wrong.
I see the power braking system comes up a few times, I take it this the SBC you mention.

I already have a Ctek charger which works well, I have leads connected to three of my cars so I simply plug it in. Question here is if you connect the Ctek to one battery, does this also charge the other or would you have to charge them independently ?

I’m a long way off on my decision at this time but as you will read in my OP I simply have too many cars, two in particular which have been with me for a number of years so parting with them will not be easy.

In the meantime thank you again for your input.

Yes, SBC pump pressurises the braking system, you can sometimes hear it when you start the car. It is programmed to operate so many pedal movements, and has a "finite" life, but can sometimes be reset. Bosch do a replacement pump for a £4/500 or so, so not that bad in the grand scheme of things.

The suspension struts and control units are more expensive, but the cost is not as high as it was a few years ago, but you can expect to spend maybe £3/4k to have the full system replaced if not a bit more. As with most things, replacing the fluids and general preventative maintenance will help.

With the battery charger, I attach it to the consumables battery in the boot, and this also keeps the starter battery topped up.

They are fairly complex cars even by today's standards but as always you only hear the bad news. In terms of value for money though they are hard to beat and I feel (hope ) longer term will maybe start to creep up a bit from where they are now.

 

[flowrider]

Personally i would go for a 500. Despite the potential suspension issues the ABC is superb and the exhaust note of a V8 is addictive (the SL needs a liitle help though by removing the secondary CAT's). I recommend you try to find an SL with the optional AMG bodykit, this makes the car look like an SL55 without the badges.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Personally i would go for a 500. Despite the potential suspension issues the ABC is superb and the exhaust note of a V8 is addictive (the SL needs a liitle help though by removing the secondary CAT's). I recommend you try to find an SL with the optional AMG bodykit, this makes the car look like an SL55 without the badges.

I'll second this. I replaced an SL500 with an SL350, found the 10% difference in fuel consumption insignificant, and begrudged the loss of luxury features, like the famous ABC, which I thought gave a fabulous ride quality.

350's are bought by people who care about the cost of buying and maintaining, and who drive about a bit. SL500's are bought by people who don't worry about cost, don't scrimp on maintenance, and often barely drive them anywhere. (From new, R230's are usually a second, third or fourth car in a household)

But, going back to my original point, until we know whether you're trying to spend £5k or £20k on an R230, we can't tailor our comments to your needs.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

As you're an Ayrshire man, don't forget that you'll struggle to get your golf clubs AND a trolley in the boot of an SL, unless the trolley is ultra foldable.

Most will put their trolley in the passenger seat.

Which is why so many golfers drive CL500's.

 

[ToeKnee]

@ToeKnee is selling his 500, a well looked after example

Yes my SL500 is up for sale. Pm me if you'd like details.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Isn't the SLK is closer in size to the STAG? Might fit your needs better. Just throwing it out there.

I loved my SLK but it was just too small for touring which is what we do in the SL.

 

[gramey]

I'm one of those tight ****d b'stards referred to by the condescending V8 owners on such forums who bought a 350, as yes I was on a budget that didn't include throwing money at a suspension system that has a propensity to fail. That doesn't mean I skimp on maintenance, far from it, my car wants for nothing and anything that does need doing is addressed in a prompt manner at my excellent local indy.
I can't answer your question regarding the battery charging and whether connecting to one will charge both but the consumer battery in the boot is generally the one that causes the most problems if it loses it's charge.
In real world driving given the volume of traffic on our roads progress can be as much down to the driver as the car, there are many people on the roads with newer and faster cars than mine but I rarely miss an opportunity to make progress where I can because of the want of a few extra bhp. So unless you need to massage your ego at the pub or the golf club the 350 is in this paupers opinion a fine choice. As said though, neither will provide sufficient space for golf clubs and trolley, in fact I have to take the longer clubs out of my carry bag (too lazy to walk the extra distance needed with a trolley ) and lay them slightly diagonally across the boot.
Whichever variant you choose I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

 

[E53AMG]

Consider an R232, it will take your golf clubs, trolley and all the issues in the R230 are sorted, trouble free motoring and superior performance, just not quite as pretty but that is made up for by performance. Prices are becoming reachable for a second car..

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[flowrider]

Consider an R232, it will take your golf clubs, trolley and all the issues in the R230 are sorted, trouble free motoring and superior performance, just not quite as pretty but that is made up for by performance. Prices are becoming reachable for a second car..

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Don't you mean an R231?

 

[E53AMG]

Don't you mean an R231?

Yes [emoji6]

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[MikeInWimbledon]

Consider an R232, it will take your golf clubs, trolley and all the issues in the R230 are sorted, trouble free motoring and superior performance, just not quite as pretty but that is made up for by performance. Prices are becoming reachable for a second car..

A Scot on a budget with four cars on SORN. Very unlikely to be a £20,000+ R231....

.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I'm one of those tight ****d b'stards referred to by the condescending V8 owners on such forums who bought a 350, as yes I was on a budget that didn't include throwing money at a suspension system that has a propensity to fail. That doesn't mean I skimp on maintenance, far from it, my car wants for nothing and anything that does need doing is addressed in a prompt manner at my excellent local indy.
I can't answer your question regarding the battery charging and whether connecting to one will charge both but the consumer battery in the boot is generally the one that causes the most problems if it loses it's charge.
In real world driving given the volume of traffic on our roads progress can be as much down to the driver as the car, there are many people on the roads with newer and faster cars than mine but I rarely miss an opportunity to make progress where I can because of the want of a few extra bhp. So unless you need to massage your ego at the pub or the golf club the 350 is in this paupers opinion a fine choice. As said though, neither will provide sufficient space for golf clubs and trolley, in fact I have to take the longer clubs out of my carry bag (too lazy to walk the extra distance needed with a trolley ) and lay them slightly diagonally across the boot.
Whichever variant you choose I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

100% agreed. You won't drive any faster in an SL500 than an SL350. If anything there's more fun in making the V6 work a bit, while the V8 gently rumbles.

My earlier point was more that, at 12 years old, 10% more spent on a V8 gets you a car with lots of extras that's been cosseted and would have cost 50% extra 12 years ago.

.

 

[E53AMG]

A Scot on a budget with four cars on SORN. Very unlikely to be a £20,000+ R231....

.

Lol are you insinuating that all Scots are poor, not all the wealth is in Wimbledon you know! He has 4x classic vehicles, even if they have been sorned he hasn't stated what they are, maybe an E-type or XK120 is amongst them for all we know.

I am far from wealthy and could not afford to keep 4 cars, but I do drive an R231, was looking for an R230 but decided long term it would be cheaper to outlay a little more on a R231 than meet the ongoing running costs of an R230, a decision so far I have not regretted.

I will soon be a pensioner, a Scotsman who was made Chancellor stole a big chunk of my pension so there is no way I can afford to run an R230 long term [emoji6]

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[Merc220cls]

I only asked for comments from owners, but I didn’t expect a public hanging on the forum. My choosing to have 4 cars on SORN has no bearing to my original question.
I’m retired and have already had my fun with fast cars and noisy V8 exhausts’. Nowadays I prefer to enjoy my driving in a more sedate fashion.
All my cars are maintained to a very high standard and are certainly not scrappers, also I am a great believer in preventative maintenance and if any of the cars require anything they get it, but I do object to the exorbitant and unfair VED charges which the government have applied, so enough said on that topic.

As I said in my OP I am only exploring the possibility of purchasing an SL which would be run alongside our CLS Shooting Brake and envisage this use would involve weekends away and with an estimated annual mileage of between 5 & 10k, but not being a golfer I don’t have to face the storage problem. There’s enough space for two nice matching cases to be strapped in behind the seats which will suffice.

So with the big V8’s put into touch my choice would remain with the V6 models and as for budget I don’t think I would want to go over 15k. I could purchase a newer model but I prefer to keep something as a nest egg for that “rainy day”.

 

[gramey]

Lol are you insinuating that all Scots are poor, not all the wealth is in Wimbledon you know! He has 4x classic vehicles, even if they have been sorned he hasn't stated what they are, maybe an E-type or XK120 is amongst them for all we know.

I am far from wealthy and could not afford to keep 4 cars, but I do drive an R231, was looking for an R230 but decided long term it would be cheaper to outlay a little more on a R231 than meet the ongoing running costs of an R230, a decision so far I have not regretted.

I will soon be a pensioner, a Scotsman who was made Chancellor stole a big chunk of my pension so there is no way I can afford to run an R230 long term [emoji6]

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The R231 is undoubtedly a lovely car but I guess I'm just a little backwards as I preferred the more swept back look of R230, there's just something about the grille being ahead of the headlights on the R231. From the front to the back the R230 in my eyes has a smoother look to it flowing from the slanted grille to the rear haunches whereas the 231 has the look of a sledgehammer at the front.
But I know damn all about cars, I disliked the R107 for the similar reasons and look where the prices of good ones of those are, I'll get my coat. )