a classic beast [nt]

Jul 01, 2019,07:51 AM
 

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Mercedes SL. A future classic?

 
 By: amanico : July 1st, 2019-04:48
Ok, let's put the stars of the category such as the SL 300 Gull Wings, the SL 190, and the SL Pagoda, to focus on what I think to become a future classic, the SL models from the late 80's to nowadays. The current SL is very nice looking, but too recent to...  

Nice topic...

 
 By: @lberti : July 1st, 2019-04:50
I think the SL70, yes. The others not so sure. Did u know there is also a sl73 amg?

I had the chance to drive one from a SWISSAIR pilot...

 
 By: @lberti : July 1st, 2019-04:56
I was told there were 25 cars made... A real monster...

A definitive future classic for me: the 500e

 
 By: @lberti : July 1st, 2019-04:55
... built in collaboration with Porsche ! Widebody, in Black! What a beast.

Gotcha

 
 By: @lberti : July 1st, 2019-06:49
I actually dont minf 4doors, when the package makes sense. Its a crazy car.

Yes,indeed.

 
 By: @lberti : July 1st, 2019-07:50
Its my favourite "Panzer"

:))) [nt]

 
 By: amanico : July 1st, 2019-07:51

Try a W210 E55 or a W211 E55K

 
 By: patrick_y : July 1st, 2019-09:08
Those will become your new favorite "Panzer" vehicles! The W210 E55 is truly amazing. Last vehicle to be built at the AMG plant! And has that special solidity. Find one from a moderate climate that was often garaged. The W210 chassis can rust.

I will definitelly do...

 
 By: @lberti : July 1st, 2019-10:02
😉

a classic beast [nt]

 
 By: Gelato Monster : July 1st, 2019-07:51

1989 was the year

 
 By: VinnieD : July 1st, 2019-05:18
For me, a very early 500SL from 1989-1990 in silver with the tartan interior. An alternative would be a very late 600SL with the full bells and whistles, including the glass roof, in all black. It looks like the value of the clean examples is raising slow... 

Jacky Ickx

 
 By: VinnieD : July 1st, 2019-05:33
Jacky had one of the very first ones in Belgium in 1989 (500sl black) and he drove it to drop his daughter at my school when I was 11 years old. It made quite an impression on me.

I got in to Mercedes in the early ‘90s and the SL line was always the line I liked .

 
 By: ZSHSZ : July 1st, 2019-05:28
Out of the models in question , .I’ll go for the 2000’s edition.

Mmm difficult is in current times to predict what will happen, so why not the same approach as with watches?

 
 By: dedestexhes : July 1st, 2019-05:59
choose what you like, enjoy and if it increases in value it is a bonus? Dirk

tough decision.....

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 1st, 2019-06:03
both are great but would go with the R230 early 2000s SL gets my vote for the electric hard roof. 2 cars in 1. As a Mercedes owner I do have to say maintenance isn't cheap on these cars and shocks and suspension (ABC and the problematic Airmatic) is a pai... 

Yes, here is the process......

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 1st, 2019-09:19
Many videos on it S

A Mercedes or Suspension Specialist

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 1st, 2019-10:50
Dealer won't do it

Removing ABC might change the personality of the car too much.

 
 By: COUNT DE MONET : July 15th, 2019-23:41
ABC gives a Merc the fine driving experience.

I find the ABC suspension quite good

 
 By: COUNT DE MONET : July 15th, 2019-23:39
I know it might create some big repair bills, but if mantained (regular changes of the Pentosin) it should last long. ABC adds a lot to the driving sensation: no nose diving when breaking hard, cornering "hard" in my CL feels very confident and at high sp... 

I think corrosion of the plastic pipes of the ABC is the issue

 
 By: COUNT DE MONET : July 16th, 2019-00:30
The oil for the ABC is delivered with 120 bar to the suspension. Combined with natural decay of plastic it puts a lot stress on the pipes. I had to change a pipe after eight years and it cost me 1.000 Eu, at Merc dealership. There are 3-4 pipes like that.... 

Volatile values

 
 By: Jurry : July 1st, 2019-07:18
The SL is most definitely a future classic but not all of them. The late no ties models (with the square vertical headlights like the SL 70 AMG in the pictures) have depreciated a lot in today’s market compared to other versions of the SL. The current ver...  

THAT is GORGEOUS! [nt]

 
 By: patrick_y : July 1st, 2019-09:09

Thanks [nt]

 
 By: Jurry : July 1st, 2019-09:12

No bad choices here

 
 By: kkochheiser : July 1st, 2019-07:20
Really, it depends upon what you are looking to achieve. As an investment, only the most limited production AMG items look like appreciating assets to me, the rest were produced in large enough quantities to make them more fun transportation than garage q... 

2006 2007 SL55 AMG...

 
 By: patrick_y : July 1st, 2019-09:06
The last years of the SL55 AMG will be future collectibles. 55 Engine is a darling engine among the Mercedes Cogniscenti. It's a highly reliable engine, built from the "M113" block with a supercharger added, it's an engine that will be reliable for many y... 

If you can get SL70 it is an epic handsome

 
 By: Gelato Monster : July 1st, 2019-07:50
SL65 AMG R203 it will be an amazing gorgeous. Tough to choose but for me SL65 R 203 will be my choice

R 203 or R 230? [nt]

 
 By: amanico : July 1st, 2019-07:54

The R230 models from 2003 to 2011 have a lot of expensive suspension issues...

 
 By: patrick_y : July 1st, 2019-08:48
The R230 chassis SL vehicles with ABC suspension are extremely expensive to maintain; as they are several years or older now. The ABC suspension is a full hydraulic set up. Not air. It has an instantaneous reacting, fully active, hydraulic oil based syste... 

ML63AMG [nt]

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 1st, 2019-10:49

That's actually a little different...

 
 By: patrick_y : July 2nd, 2019-09:26
Assuming you have a recent model of the ML63 AMG, that would mean you actually DON'T HAVE ABC. You do have hydraulics in your suspension, it's called ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM, but they aren't hydraulic struts, they're actually a simpler system (good thing) tha... 

Thanks Patrick....

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 2nd, 2019-12:58
I am a huge fan of the M156 which for me is one of the best naturally aspirated V8s ever made. My ML63 is a 2007 W164. S

The M156 engine is a very special engine...

 
 By: patrick_y : July 3rd, 2019-23:00
Great engine. How many kilometers on yours? In the US Market, we have a lot of problems with Head Bolts. Don't know if they use different headbolts within your market. Headbolts leak; causing coolant and oil to mix and then hydro-locking the engine. Ask y... 

I've just crossed 100k km on it....

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 4th, 2019-15:11
yes I have read about it and I discussed it with my specialist. His opinion was that unless I am using my car for track days and doing drag races with it I shouldn't be worried about the head bolt issue. Anyways I have my eye on a kit to solve the issue ... 

Fairly low kilometers; most users in the USA are experiencing the issue between 150,000 km to 200,000 km.

 
 By: patrick_y : July 5th, 2019-01:04
I've also heard about the Weistec kit. Heard good things. There's also an updated Mercedes-Benz part number as well that supposedly solves the problem.

Potentially; the R230 models are special that they have a lot of modern advancements.

 
 By: patrick_y : July 1st, 2019-09:30
Get the 2001 R129 model if you don't care about the technological advances of the R230. They are far simpler cars. But the electric soft-top on those may have problems too, so definitely do a thorough inspection. But the R129 AMG versions in 7.0 and 7.3 l... 

Quick Summary

 
 By: patrick_y : July 2nd, 2019-09:33
R129; special model like a SL70 or SL73 AMG; would be really special; but would be dated and possibly missing some modern conveniences. R230; get a simple model like an SL350 without ABC suspension. AIRMATIC isn't too bad. R230 AMG model; get a SL55 2006/... 

R129 SL500 is a good choice...

 
 By: patrick_y : July 3rd, 2019-23:04
Very good choice. May not have some modern amenities like Bluetooth for car phone. The soft top may need to be replaced. But overall the R129 SL500 from a later year (like 2000, 2001, 2002) would be a great choice. Reliable suspension (avoid the air suspe... 

If I remember correct so

 
 By: Jocke - Bad Santa : July 1st, 2019-11:43
1994-98 wars there a lot of problem with the electrical harness at the engine. The Adaptive Damping System never works properly. The V12 have some problems too. The driver seat use to be worn at the side when you get in and out but that you will notice ea... 

Since the SLK is out...

 
 By: eklektik : July 1st, 2019-11:53
... it is the car I would choose. SLK55 AMG please. The SL is indeed a good car, just bigger than the SLK without adding much. What do you think? Best, É.

DROOL... AMANICO, get one of those!

 
 By: patrick_y : July 2nd, 2019-09:35
I want one of those! SLS! SLS! Yours is even in the perfect color I like!

2000s

 
 By: cuibono : July 4th, 2019-07:38
To my mind these really hit their stride, aesthetically speaking in the period from roughly 2000-2010. Definitely an 8-cylinder. Chris

Merci, Chris. [nt]

 
 By: amanico : July 4th, 2019-10:10

Only one thing to remember

 
 By: cazalea : July 4th, 2019-21:32
A part for a $5000 M-B costs just as much as the part for a $150,000 M-B. Always more (3x) than you expected. Be forewarned and be prepared. A couple months ago I showed my friend’s 280SE 3.5. Her mother’s car, always cared for; low miles; she had it rest...  

Beautiful car.....

 
 By: SALMANPK : July 5th, 2019-07:24
Mercedes Benz cars are so seductive but it comes with a price as you rightly said. S

Still not too late...

 
 By: pplater : July 6th, 2019-05:18
Nico, you love ‘vintage’ and you love the style of the 60’s: go with the SL to match your Volvo. It’s not too late: there is still upside in a Pagoda - Cheers, pplater. ...  

Funds?...

 
 By: pplater : July 6th, 2019-21:05
Probably no more than a pre-loved JLC MMR Ti would command in Collectors' Market! ;-) Cheers, pplater.

Nicolas By all means go with the V8 not the 6

 
 By: 198042 : July 13th, 2019-12:41
Cheers from Switzerland Richard P.S. I am just an old timer and addicted to the ancient one... ...  

The nun made a point my friend :-)

 
 By: bimbeano : July 20th, 2019-01:23
She is 100% correct ;-) An SL55 AMG with 476 hp would be bonkers. It sounds just like a WWII Messerschmidt.

THAT would be a terrific choice. BUT...

 
 By: amanico : July 20th, 2019-01:30
There is a balance to find between mileage and price. And it is really tough. With a low mileage, the prices are very high. And what about the service costs? Insurance? Taxes?