PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - just bought a 1983 500sl-- lots of questions

Steve Gutman · #2 07-14-2004, 04:51 PM

They are fun. HP is about 240, torque about 293 ft/lbs.
Call the Mercedes Classic Center for parts info. Your dealer could get you an original manual but it will be in German (mine is). Just get the 107 Manual on CD ROM (here on this site). The manual lists everything for all countries but you have to look carefully. There is an owner’s manual on the CD. Getting the right parts can be a bite.
Your car has very low miles. The last book value I saw for them was in the mid teens but yours is surely worth more. The Euro cars are not worth as much as the US models because parts are hard to find and the mechanics don’t want to work on them. My local MB dealer said he would “take a pass” on finding an intermittent electrical problem. They were all rewired to get into the US. If you go behind the dash or look at the taillight wiring you will see it wrapped in tape, not in heat shrink tubing. The engine is not exactly like the 380 and 560. It has higher compression and is designed to run on 93 octane fuel. I have found many differences in systems between my car and the US versions in the motor, suspension, brakes, body, electrical and climate control. The bumpers and doors have extra steel braces in them, to pass DOT. It goes on and on.
Tell your insurance what you want to insure it for. Get an appraisal and use that value. If go way over and have a claim without documentation of value you may have a problem. After 5 years and 35,000 miles, including a claim, they still do not have the model correct on my policy. Your "Gray Market" car will not cross reference because Mercedes never brought a 107 body 500SL to the US. Mine had no problem and I insured it for a lot more than I paid, which wasn't very much. The sad part is that I have put as much into it as I bought it for!
It takes 8.5 quarts of motor oil, with a filter change. The manual says to change the brake fluid every year. I would also change the differential fluid but you could wait until 90,000 miles. Change the power steering fluid and filter. The big tires tend to wear out the steering box so if you have more than 3/4" of play, adjust it or have it adjusted or it will forever be light in the center.
I have replaced the complete primary ignition system, idle control system, ICU, tie rods, drag link, steering shock, ball joints, A arm bushings, and a few sensors and relays, window switches, rebuilt a window motor, hazard switch, complete stainless exhaust, shocks (my AMG's were shot), sway bar bushings and there is still more to do. It runs pretty good now.
You should also have the DOT and EPA waivers for your car. This will give it a pass on emission testing. They can be very, very hard to get to pass emissions. Do they test in your area? Do you have Catalytic converters? The waivers are irreplaceable.