May buy 1986 560 sl ..have ?'s

[burrburr]

I have an 86' sl 560 offered to me low miles 40,000 and in xcelent condition

Fai price to pay?


further I have been told hat 560'd 86 models had problems w air intake manifolds leaking anti freeze ultimately in to the oil and possibly wrecking the engine. any comments

and oher issues of concern


thank you for any advice in advance

[dugald]

Have a look at eBay for prices. I think a low mileage example like this in excellent condition might go for $15000.
Don't know about manifold leaks.
Weak spots are climate control/AC, power steering leaks. Also at this age beware of deteriorated rubber throughout car, and brittle vacuum lines causing leaks. Make sure engine runs smoothly; rough running may be caused by simple things like bad plugs and wires, or by complicated things like fuel injection problems.
It's worth your money to get the car inspected by a pro familiar with it.

[Roncallo]

Originally Posted by burrburr

I have an 86' sl 560 offered to me low miles 40,000 and in xcelent condition

Fai price to pay?


further I have been told hat 560'd 86 models had problems w air intake manifolds leaking anti freeze ultimately in to the oil and possibly wrecking the engine. any comments

and oher issues of concern

thank you for any advice in advance

Fair price to pay depending on how excellent is excellent would be about 15K to 20K.

As far a leaky intake manifolds and the scenario you explained I never heard of it.

There are issues that have to do with any 21 year old car that have to be delt with. They all have to be brought back up to mechanical excellence. Once that is done on a 560SL the cars are litterally bulletproof and will last along time and be resonably cost effective to own, with the exclusion of gas.

Things that you should do just because it is old are.

1) Change the timing chain guides and cam oiler tube fittings. Chain and tensioner should be just fine.

2) You may find the center vents dont open with the AC on. This is a big problem. All vacume actuators should be replaced and will require dashboard removal. You may even find a cracked heater box. Do a search on this forum on center vents and you will get a bunch of hits.

3) If the dashboard is not cracked it may end up cracked when you pull the dash.

4) Your brake system should be flushed real good because it has probably never been done even if you are shown reciept that says it has.

5) I gennerally do a complete fuel line replacement on these cars because they always appear dry rotted and I dont want a fire.

6) You will probably want to change the stereo just because it sucks.

7) You will find other things I'm sure. And it will also depend on if it did it's 20 years inside or outside.

The only chronic problem with this car is the AC push button assembly. That breaks reguarly. If you get 5 years out of it you lucked out.

John Roncallo

[Alkraut]

I agree with Dugald and John on the price of around $15000. I too have not heard or read about manifold leaks. That would be an oddball problem, so don't be concerned. Very important is maintenance history. Regular oil changes and other fluid changes through the years are an absolute bonus. If you get the maintenance records, the car value increases. John covered most of the key items. One thing to do is turn the key to the "on" position and make sure that all of the warning lights come on. Check the owner's manual, so you know you see all. They should go off when the car is started.
When you drive the car try all the features and accessories. Make sure all doors lock with a single key lock of the driver door when parked, including trunk and gas door. Look for any signs of rust. Check this out as well:
www.oursl.com/research/research_photo.htm
Drive the car and see if it has lots of power and shifts effortlessly. Take it over bumps or railroad track and listen for noises. The car may need front rubber subframe bushings. Lot's of things are readily repairable, but weigh all needs against a median price of $15K. Good luck