SL Owners - Interesting Observation

[ezrider]

This past week while visiting my favorite service advisor at my local MB dealer he made the comment that owners of older SL's are an interesting group of people, "They don't seem to mind replacing everything in their cars even after I tell them that once they do that they will get do it all over again."

I have been struggling with this issue for quite a while and it was like all of a sudden seeing the light. We are puting our "really nice" 1985 380SL up for sale immediately, I've had enough. My other half all of a sudden really wants an Infinity G35 and I have to agree with her.

It's been a trip.

[KenSilver]

Yep, I agree - you sacrifice your wallet when you buy the older SLs.

But cars are cars.

It's no different than with any other quality model... they are bought new by the rich or leasee. Then after a few owners and years down the line they are bought by enthusiasts.

The first owners take a beating on depreciation, and the rest of us take a beating on maintenance.

If only life was kinder to us, the car owner!

But there is an answer. Buy the car new and put it into storage for x years until the depreciation bell curve is over. You'll have an appreciating asset after that.

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230, silver /black, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey / grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.

[95benzman]

Hi All
I am new here so please be gentel.
EZRider. Everything that is replaced will eventually need to be replaced again. Owners of older SL tend to be sentimental about there cars. I am the orginal owner of a 85-380SL and yes I replace and fix what ever needs to be fixed and replaced.Call me sentimental but I just like my car to run good and look great.
With proper maintenance and care not much will go bad on these cars.I have 88k on the odometor it is not my daily driver anymore but I really enjoy the car in the spring and summer.
Good luck selling your car and I hope you find the Infinity to your liking.Happy Driving.

Joe Moon
85-380Sl-88k
94-E320Sedan-62k
95-E320Cabriolet-62k

[cbdo]

Coming to this from the world of boating, I've had decades' worth of boats in the 25-35 foot range, most used but all needing constant attention. I can't think of a time when everything aboard was working perfectly and in the shape I wanted it to be in; there's never been a moment when there was nothing that needed doing. Compared to that, the 560SL is a piece of cake. And with respect to cashflow, I'll simply point out that "boat" is actually an acronym for Break Out Another Thousand. A quality total professional refinish for the exterior of my 32' Marinette will run about 12K, and yes, it's for sale.

The hooker is that older MB's, which are a fascinating hobby, can also be used for transportation, and occasionally in our enthusiasm we try to present them as a rational alternative option for Everyman, which is a bit misguided IMHO. For transportation pure and simple, they're not a good choice. For the hobbyist, they can work well either as a pure hobby/toy or as transportation supported by the ongoing work that's an inevitable part of the project. The hobbyist who enjoys this will be either a dedicated DIY wrench or a car nut who can afford to have at least the larger projects done professionally. The non-hobbyist finding himself in this situation will find it drives him batty, and appropriately make other choices.

Personally, I'm still in love with mine and more than willing to deal with its idiosyncracies, but as with boating, if you've simply "had it" a switch is in order. Also as with boating, we've got a good chance of getting you back eventually!

[ezrider]

I agree that these are good hobby cars, if you are into that. But as a daily driver (6,000 miles a year) for a non technical woman they are very bothersome as something is frequently out of whack or broken.

With 108K miles on ours it seems to me things get broken and wear out way more often than they should.

This car still gets a lot of positive attention on the street and it does have a classic look but it is consuming way too much of our time and money to be worth it anymore. We've had the car for eight years and there has never been a time when everything on it has been mechanically right or not feeling worn out. Time to move on.

[bowbyeal]

I agree that the older SL's are not for everyone.

Most of the people I know that have a 380 or 560 (like I do) have pretty much figured that out before making a purchase. I expect that on average $2,000 a year will be required to keep my 380 running well and looking good and I am prepared for that.

If I was not able to cope with the type of maintenance & repair cost surprises that one should associate with a 20-year old car I would have gone in another direction. It always startles me when I read posts from people who expect only regular scheduled maintenance costs with such a car.


For me though this car is a dream come true!

[KenSilver]

Originally posted by cbdo
..."boat" is actually an acronym for Break Out Another Thousand

Craig!

There sure are enough expensive pastimes like these, and I think the 'hobby' classification is accurate for the older SL.

Having one is even a better step forward than butterfly collecting, for example, because you get to have fun, travel in relative style and interact with the greater community.

What other hobby gives you that all wrapped up in one package?

Ken Silver
--------------
~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons: http://www.kensilver.com/SL
~1999 SLK 230, silver /black, immaculate (my wife's)
~1991 Daimler, shiny grey / grey leather, best in country!
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5 and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.

[ezrider]

Ken,

Think Harley's.....

[KenSilver]

Originally posted by ezrider
Ken, Think Harley's.....

Ah yes - the SL's of the motorcycling world!