Quote:
Originally Posted by hollyg
Am looking to buy a 1980's SL. I welcome advice on pros and cons of the SL in terms of reliability, level/cost of maintenance, suitability for driving around town, and things to look for when checking out cars for sale. Have been focusing on the 1986 560SL but am open to suggestions. Will use it to drive around town so can give teenage son my suv. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give. - Holly
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All 107's are very reliable but they are all 20+ years old, so generally there is restoration involved of some type. Maintenance is about the same as a VW bug, but finding someone who knows the cars is difficult since most of these guys retired. But they are very simple cars and well suited for the DIY owners. My recommendation to anyone is to purchase a low mileage 560SL in as good a condition as you can afford. It will cost more to try to restore a car than to pay up front for a pristine one. The 380SL will give you a slight gas mileage advantage at the cost of a significant reduction in performance. 450SL are very reliable when restored but there age makes restoration more of a standard requirement. I dive mine daily in the summer and winter if there is no snow.
Whatever you get make sure it has no rust.