Thinking of buying

[Alexis]

Hi,
I am thinking about buying a 560 sl. I already have a E 500, but I have always loved this sl, espcially in the US shape with the bumpers and lights.
What is the deal ? How much to pay ? What failure to await for ? what to look for before buying ? How much gas does it drink ?
Thanks in advance for your answers,
Alexis

[mattcara]

i have an 88 560sl with 80k miles.

its a fun awsome machine. i always wanted it and have no regrets.

its fun to drive, but it shows its age. some of the simpe luxurys your used to are aliilte harder to use in the 560. the a/c - heater acts up alot. they were never that good when new.

handling isnt as good as a true sports car. the car is aswome at laser strait highway speeds. but turning at high speeds can make you sweat..

as far as the engine. it will cost you money for up keep. at 100 k miles you have alot of $$$ issues to address
timing chain
motor mounts
bearings
chain guides
other varoius stuff

its a great car. just keep in mind this little monster isnt cheap when you bring it to the doctor!

Matt

[Walrus]

107,000 miles I'm still pleased. A/C was converted to 134 a few years ago (wished it hadn't been). It is adequate, but nothing to brag about.

18+mpg everytime I check it (almost every tank I've run)... approximately 65% highway miles (going to shows, etc).

Expect 12-14K$ for a good one, any less and expect higher maintenance up front to get it in the shape you want. Even real low miles is not a great benefit to some maint items as age of rubber parts, hoses, timing chain guides, etc will have taken its toll. Rust is not as much of a concern with the 560 as earlier vintage 107s but be aware... It can be a killer if bad (rocker panels, wheel wells, floors and top well are areas to look closely at).

The most important feature will be SERVICE RECORDS/MAINT RECORDS!
For most 15 to 20 year old cars, the 107 fares better, I think, in longevity. Just be aware, nickle and dime items are 10 and 20$ relatively...
The most reported "problems" I have seen on any newsgroup has been worry over the condition of the timing equipment (chain and guides), followed by fuel injection concerns (idle and mixture)... Electrical items seem related to poor connections at the fuses and or grounding points. The odometer has seen its fair share of premature failure, due in part to a small gear that breaks loose from a shaft (do not reset while moving!). Easily fixed for the DIY, and well documented on many a newsgroup. Climate control system follows in the list, with minor problems relating to the controls have been mentioned (minor, but not cheap). The vacuum elements in the dash fail, which can contribute to idle/mixture problems as well, due to loss of vacuum (vacuum leaks).

When all is right, I do not believe there is any car more solidly built and enjoyable to own... especially for a drop-head! Most poor handling conditions are related to rubber parts and steering parts... The sub-frames holding your running gear are mounted on rubber and metal "biscuits" which fail over time, inducing less than rock-solid road feel. Replacements are not too expensive, but woe to the fellow who cannot or does not want to DIY... You will feel like you need to claim your mechainc on your taxes as a dependant if you rely on the service dept...
Budget for a service manual is a must, if you want to work on the beast yourself... In fact, buy one first, before the car. You can ALWAYS sell a good manual if you change your mind.

Of course, all posted above is just my opinion, related to the research I have done, coupled with my personal experiences and do not necessarily jive with the opinions of others...

Good luck and post back with pics when you find "the one"...

[G-Benz]

Actually, the aformentioned issues don't sound to far from ANY 15-20 year old MB model you might take a gander at.

Keep an eye out for critical engine components.

Climate control issues.

Subframe bushings and other assorted "soft" items.

Rust...if the car hails from such locations where it is prevalent.

Personally, I would pay a premium for a fine example if all of the above issues were recently addressed by the PO. Otherwise, if I'm going to have to crawl around and deal with some items anyway, I don't think it's worth the extra $$$ to pay for the pretty paintwork...

[Roncallo]

I had to replace my head gasket, tires, wires, rear muffler, timing chain and rails, engine mounts, center bearing and mono valve. I also had to repair (cold solderd joint) my AC push button assy. I still need to replace my center vent actuators and fix my intermitent blower problem. The limited slip feature is also not working, the clutches need to be replaced.

Since I did all this work myself all repaires done to date cost me $2000.00. I also spent an additional $300 to detail the car for a recent car show. The limited slip will cost an additional 400.00 and the AC problem will cost $50.00+

I understand head gaskets are also fairly common on these cars.

I was quoted $3800.00 from my local MB dealer to replace the head gaskets and do a valve job. It cost be about $300. to do it myself and I skiped the valve job.

One area of concern in doing a head gasket is that the head bolts threads do not come with inserts from the factory. There is a likelyhood that they will strip on retorque. The tool to drill for new inserts is $1600 and a set of inserts is about $300. I had no problem with mine but I am debating wether I will retorque or not in the near futer. The manual says no retorque is necassary but I replace only the left head gasket and retorqued the right. During retorquing of the right head, I was able to get about 1/8 to 1/4 turn more on the bolts. It was a scary operation but it survived. I think that since I retorqued the right head the potential for a problem has been completely eliminated. However the left head still may be suseptable to the head gasket oil leak I originally had.

My 1988 560SL currently has 114,000 miles on it and it runs great. Gets 16.5 MPG all highway with the top down, generally 70+ mph.

Since I can work on these cars myself, I generally look for a good solid body and can almost disregaurd mechanical problems.

The prices apear to be going down at this time with the high cost of gas, but the cars generally retain there value very well.

John Roncallo

[ctaylor738]

I bought a fixer '87. They are a blast to drive with all the torque of the 5.6.

My advice:

Make sure that all aspects of climate control work ( heat, AC, DEF, footwell air). If the carpets are wet, beware rust in the cowl area, which can be hard to fix. The engine should idle hot with no noise from the valve train.

If you are not a do-it-your-selfer, it is better to pay more for a good one.

[Strife]

There is definitely a time--->skill--->money relationship. If you don't have a reasonable amount of two of the above, it can be tough. I am lucky enough to have some of all three.

Once I replaced all subframe and motor mounts and put good shocks(Bilstein) and tires (Kumho) on mine, I think the handling and comfort balance is pretty good. It's not a race car, but drives a lot better than most flimsy convertibles do.