Looking into buying 1986 560SL- Is it worth $6,500???

[Roncallo]

I have found that 107's with more than 150K miles are basically sold on condition. If it's in real good condition It can still sell for $10,000. About a year ago I purchased an 86 with 200K miles, burns oil but runs good, needed completely new interior. The car had no rust on it at all which was the only reason I bought it. I paid $5300 + $1000 to ship it from California. Prices have come down since then so I would expect a silmilar car to go for ~ 4500 today.

But no one should ever buy a car like this unless they can service it themselves. And when I say service it themself, I mean change an engine

John Roncallo

[KCM]

First maintenance item would be the timing chain, and especially the guides. If the timing chain has never been replaced, it is way past due and should be done immediately. If it has, it probably has another 25,000 miles to go (they say change them every 100,000). The guides are plastic, and if they break and get into the chain, you're talking mucho dollars for repairs. Since the lowers are impossible to get off without removing the front cover and evidently are less prone to breakage, the uppers are the only ones usually replaced.

Second are the plastic oiler fittings on the camshaft towers. These supply oil the camshaft bearings and lobes and have a tendency to break with age. If they break, it will cause premature camshaft wear A cheap and easy repair.

With that many miles, you probably have worn valve guides. As they are brass, they wear faster than steel used in most car engines. This is not a life or death problem, but it will cause a lose of vacuum and some oil burning. You might get by with replacing just the valve stem seals if the guides are loose.

As for the lower end, including the cylinders, it appears to be pretty robust. I had a 560SL with around 150,000 miles apart (to do the above work) and the cylinders still looked like new with no wear. Probably a result of a well taken care of engine.

As for the rest of the car, I have heard that the front suspension may need new bushings, ball joints, and such with that many miles, but that also depends on how well it was taken car of. The subframe mounts also tend to wear and need replacement. Also check the steering wheel for excessive play, which sometimes can be adjusted out. Other things to look for are a working cruise control, working climate control, working A/C, the condition of the soft top, whether it has the hard top, and the condition of rubber components such as seals.

I don't think $6500 is too bad a price, especially if the car has no rust. As POS said, expect to sink another $1000 or two, or even three, into it. And be aware, parts are more expensive for an SL than your garden variety Mercedes because it is considered an executive or prestige car. But because of that, parts are readily available.

[dugald]

If it's in nice shape, $6500 sounds like a fair price to me.
I recently paid $7000 for an '86 with 150,000 miles, rust-free, good shape except A/C inop.