Tough decision pending on Pearl , my 72-450SL

[meltedpanda]

Many of you know Pearl , my 72 450 SL , she came into my life a few years ago, and since then has been the apple of my eye
She really is perfect , that is as far as a 35 year old Benz 147,000 mile car can be. She has perfect paint , interior and mechanicals. She is all original save for a few "upgrades" on my part. she is well ...perfect. Over the time I had her and her PO she has had ground up restoration - everthing has been done- from frame to body to top
0-60 within specs, starts ,stops perfect, rubber , and under hood - perfect
Vacuum system - perfect. Seats ( thanks Rowdie), leather - perfect.
There is nothing that needs to be done. I would take her cross country in a heartbeat.
She is as close to going back in time to a dealers showroom as I have seen. You can check out my links , my many threads on her restoration. http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg189/meltedpanda/1972%20450SL/
But... tumultuous times are looming, and as I look around , she stands as an asset.
I certainly would appreciate any comments on her value. Pros/Cons of keeping her . I would not look to put her on ebay ,or even craigslist, she stands too proud for those venues. Iwould like to think that I would only let her go to a MB person .
My hopes is that “this too shall pass” but trying to weigh my options,and need to be able to make a decsion should I need to

I know right now the market is soft but any advice on value or to best "show her off" would be appreciated.

[rowdie]

I wish I had never opened this thread.
I hate the thought. I also know there is a time for everything.
Don't know what is going on in your life but wish you well.
I will not offer an opinion on the value. To me she is priceless.

Sorry Ron, I just can't price her.

[450slcguy]

$10,000 firm was my first thought, so I'll go with that. I really don't have a good idea what it's worth in such nice restored condition. Probably more if you can find someone that really appreciates that year.

Me, I'd rather have a '89 560SL. You can buy a real nice one for about 15K.

[450slcguy]

Originally Posted by meltedpanda

I would not look to put her on ebay ,or even craigslist, she stands too proud for those venues. I would like to think that I would only let her go to a MB person .

Don't let your sentiments/emotions get in the way of doing business. Ebay will get you international exposure and perhaps the biggest payday. Many Europeans or other's are searching for a car just like yours. They are rare in that condition and the dollar is very weak. I'd list it for big bucks(20k+), do a complete inside/outside/mechanical pictorial and include a detailed essay about the restoration. Open it up to international buyers and require a large and immediate down payment for the winning bid.

Craigslist sucks, but it is free and you never know.

[meltedpanda]

thanks for the advice, I am contemplating this , and I have some time. I will keep you all posted

[meltedpanda]

I have been able to drive her this entire week, it has been lovely here. It looks like, at least for now, she will remain in my strong grip . I am in hopes that it will last, and the winds of misfortune have blown away
BTW - I was thinking 14 ( lol), bottom line:

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by meltedpanda

Many of you know Pearl , my 72 450 SL , she came into my life a few years ago, and since then has been the apple of my eye
She really is perfect , that is as far as a 35 year old Benz 147,000 mile car can be. She has perfect paint , interior and mechanicals. She is all original save for a few "upgrades" on my part. she is well ...perfect. Over the time I had her and her PO she has had ground up restoration - everthing has been done- from frame to body to top
0-60 within specs, starts ,stops perfect, rubber , and under hood - perfect
Vacuum system - perfect. Seats ( thanks Rowdie), leather - perfect.
There is nothing that needs to be done. I would take her cross country in a heartbeat.
She is as close to going back in time to a dealers showroom as I have seen. You can check out my links , my many threads on her restoration. http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg189/meltedpanda/1972%20450SL/
But... tumultuous times are looming, and as I look around , she stands as an asset.
I certainly would appreciate any comments on her value. Pros/Cons of keeping her . I would not look to put her on ebay ,or even craigslist, she stands too proud for those venues. Iwould like to think that I would only let her go to a MB person .
My hopes is that “this too shall pass” but trying to weigh my options,and need to be able to make a decsion should I need to

I know right now the market is soft but any advice on value or to best "show her off" would be appreciated.

DON'T YOU DARE SELL THAT CAR.
the 380SL i just bought I have known about and worked on 6 years tho it wasn't mine.

USE IT AS AN ASSET BUT KEEP IT.

[meltedpanda]

storm came in but passed me by, firmly in my grips for now....
One thing as a result , I am driving it more now !!

[Graham]

Originally Posted by meltedpanda

storm came in but passed me by, firmly in my grips for now....
One thing as a result , I am driving it more now !!

Glad to hear it!

I sometimes have thoughts about selling my '72 SL. Not restored as much as your car, but still quite good.

If you can sell one of these cars for a good price you might think of it as an asset, but if you keep it, it moves to a different part of the balance sheet . At least that's where mine is at present.

It is currently having new flex disks, tranny and diff mounts and a few other under-car things attended to ( I should have done them, but have bad back at present). The shop still has not even heard the noise I have asked them to locate and fix. I will probably just get a big bill and the noise will still be there.

[rowdie]

Whew...Good to hear.

[meltedpanda]

thanks all, yes onto more items!
She has developed a slight miss after warm up at idle, always the same
run...run...run -thump...run ...run ...run ...thump
I am thinking trigger points.

[rowdie]

Here is a rebuild DIY.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/1374600-distributor-removal-repair.html#post2858839

And here is one for sale. You already have his number.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/1484317-73-4-5l-distributor-value.html

[meltedpanda]

I thought my first bit would be to take them out clean em and just look for issues. everything else is spot on and refurbished, vacuum, pumps, injectors , the usual DJet headaches. What is left is points , tigger points.
It is definitely a "miss"

thanks for the links

[Graham]

Originally Posted by meltedpanda

I thought my first bit would be to take them out clean em and just look for issues. everything else is spot on and refurbished, vacuum, pumps, injectors , the usual DJet headaches. What is left is points , tigger points.
It is definitely a "miss"

thanks for the links

Try listening to the injectors through a stethoscope. If you suspect a misfire, pull all injectors while still on rails, disconnect HT lead from coil, direct injectors into trough and have someone turn motor over with starter. You should be able to see injectors working. Next step would be see how much each ejects by collecting in jars for say 15sec. This way you can rule out injection and trigger points as the problem.

Next would be to check the ignition system. Distributor cap , wires seated properly, plugs all look the same and not sooted up? Switch to Pertronix and forget about the points.

Sometimes if car mixture is off, you can get a miss. You can create this by adjusting the knob on the ECU.

Have fun!