buying a horrible-looking SL...

[davestlouis]

I work at a M-B dealer, and one of my co-workers is retiring...he has the ugliest 1988? 560SL I've ever seen...seats look like a dog chewed them, 280k miles, bad black paint, but functionally sound. My question is this...I'm buying it for $1000, is there any purpose in chasing the cosmetics and tidying it up, or should I just let my kids drive it as a summer beater and when it dies, it dies?

[Walrus]

I wanna be your kid! Seriously, if it is as bad as you imply, I'd let the kids enjoy it for as long as it lasts, as long as it is safe to operate. Sounds like it would cost more than it is worth to bring back to good condition.

[davestlouis]

It's a shame...it has very little rust, and both tops. The seller takes care of mechanical stuff as needed, but for instance, hangs el-cheapo tires on it, at least he buys them in pairs. The front sheetmetal has been painted at some point, and somebody did poor surface preparation, so it's not sticking as well as I would like. What I don't want to do is dump $10k in improvements into something that I could buy for $5K in good condition.
Not to be cynical, but I have a 17 year old who has wrecked everything she has touched, and the next kid wil be driving in March, so chances are one of them will destroy it anyway.

[nobby]

It is nice to drive ANY car without having to worry about where to park, is it raining out, why are you leaning on it buddy?...etc etc... For a grand.....Kool car for the offspring.
Keep the shiny side up...

[davestlouis]

if I recall from my youth, I had trouble keeping the shiny side shiny and undented, but at least I kept the shiny side up...given the experience I've had with these kids, all bets are off!

[MTUpower]

Seat covers are cheap. Beware of giving your kids a 560 convertible if they have a hard time keeping the rubber side down. Give'm a w123 diesel first and they'll live in the slow lane.

[davestlouis]

I'm really looking for a W123 diesel wagon to use as a wheelbarrow to haul parts...I suspect they'd rather ride a bike than drive a diesel wagon, Mercedes or not. All kidding aside, I know zilch about diesels and only want to buy cars that I can do at least basic repairs on myself. It seems like there are 240D's in the paper nearly every week for very little money, but some/most of them are rough enough that I think of them as $500 parts cars...the last one I called about was a 1982, 420k miles, manual trans, bad left front wheelbearing, driver's floor rusted through, asking $1500, firm. That's the same amount I paid for my 1986 420SEL with 170K miles, with no glaring mechanical problems. I assume I'm going to inherit problems with any used car I buy...they're selling it for a reason, but I'd rather have subtle problems sneak up on me than have multiple obvious problems staring me in the face, unless I'm paying next to nothing for the car.

[MTUpower]

Give'm the 420 and drive the SL yourself! They sure are fun in the warm weather.

[davestlouis]

I need a roof over my head...I do face-to-face debt collection evenings and weekends and the more steel I have between me and an irate debtor the happier I am, although I feel kind of conspicuous driving in the 'hood driving a bid-body Benz, don't want to get carjacked.

[ericdee]

Summer beater! Prettttty cool beater.

[davestlouis]

my darling daughter keeps talking about pulling up at the marina in "her" Benz convertible with her little friends...now all I need is a boat!

[RickM]

If he took such poor care of the obvious I'd wouldn't be surprised if there's lots of gremlins lurking under the covers. Either way though if the car fails mechanically you'll make a killing parting it out.


PS: I really need a Driver's side fender

[Mike Miller]

Put some seat covers on it, shine up the wheels and let your daughter loose in it. At her age, I had a 1959 190 sedan. Great car, but not much of a head turner. For a grand, you have a safe and cool vehicle.

P.S. Small point. Who's going to buy the gas, Dad???!!!

[davestlouis]

Well, I seem to be the human ATM anyway, and she and the other 6 kids bleed me dry now, so how much worse can it get?

[kip Foss]

Remember that that 560 will still do 140 mph. That in the hands of a teenage driver who with luck has the brain of a chicken when it comes to driving skills is like giving a 5 year old a 9mm. Haven't you seen the 20/20 program about putting cameras in teenager's cars. Even when they know that the camera is there they still speed, run stop lights and stop signs, drive recklessly, etc. A dollar to a donut she will try to cram as many girlfriends into that car as will fit. Now all she needs to do is crash and you are in for a very big law suit.

My oldest boy started out with a 1967 Volare and the youngest got a 1975 300D. Both were told that they were f#$^ing lucky to get what they got. Both took reasonable care of their cars. They got tickets but neither had a wreck. Their insurance was high as was to be expected but not nearly as high as would have been had they had a 150 mph convertable.

My suggestion would be to get her something like a used Saturn. They are inexpensive, the newer ones have all the airbags needed, and they can be repaired by the local indy garage.