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#1
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1987 560 Sl
I am new to forum and need some advice. First let me say I am not a Mercedes owner but may be one by the end of the week. My former boss owns a 1987 Red 560 SL with a black interior. This is just one of his many "toys" and he asked me if I would want to buy it from him. It has only 35,000 miles and has been maintained throughout the years. The only flaw is the drivers seat is somewhat worn and may need to be redone. I think I can get the car for $11,000 if I move on it by the end of the week. I have been into corvettes for the last 15 years. I'll have to sell my '81 for this. What should I expect maintenance wise? How are engines in theses cars? Are there any common problems in the 87 I should look out for? I know I'm going to pull the trigger on this car regardless even if just to keep it in the driveway and stare at it. (I looks that nice). Thanks in advance to all and I hope to join the flock real soon!
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#2
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Go for it! Sounds like a great car. I'm an ex-Corvette nut too; I say "ex" because after driving an SL for a while, I just don't want to go back (although a midyear roadster would make a nice toy as long as I could also keep my SL...)
Its not just the looks; go ahead and buy it and then tell us after a month if you have any regrets; I'm betting that you won't. Best, Travis |
#3
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That price is way below average, so looks like a great deal. A pre purchase inspection is always a good idea. I find an amount of $ equal to 20% of the average sale price for a given used car is usually needed for after purchase tweeking.
560 engines are solid. I have no problems at 110K mi. with any system on my SL. One problem area is the bump on the door side of the seats, a hole wears in it. Search " 560SL seats " on this site for info. See this site for some info in general on SLs: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/dquinn5735/index.html Preventative Maintenance is a must, repairs can be very expensive. Good luck!
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, A.D. 1759 Roger 1975 240D 1986 560SL |
#4
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My 87sl experience
I'm no mechanic but will share with you my experience with a recent 1987 560SL purchase. Mine had 91,000 miles on it and I have to say I paid a LOT more than $11K for it. Oh well, I'll try and contain my envy.
As you will see from checking this site, there are a number of mechanical issues that come up on these cars regardless of mileage; they are age related more than mileage related. I suggest you do a search on 560SL to find them and be sure to check the general technical forum not just this one. Get the service records and compare them with the list of replacement items listed elsewhere here. I'll mention only two things I wish I had known about before negotiating my high purchase price. Look for worn valve stem seals--they get brittle with age and leak oil, producing smoke. It is very easy to miss this on an inspection--I did. Drive down as steep a hill as possible and take your foot off the gas and look for smoke. This was an $800 repair in the SF Bay Area. Timing chain replacement. The chain guides can become brittle with age. If they break while you are driving you may need a multi-thousand dollar valvle job. If the replacement hasn't been done you may want to do it. This has been quoted to me as a $1,200 job. Incidentally, I had the interior completely redone, new leather for the seats etc. and new carpets as well as a new soft top. This ran about $4500 with labor. Since buying the car I've also seen a slight head gasket oil leak and steering pump seep, neither of which I've fixed. Also, replaced bushings on the shift lever (another inspection miss), new starter (bendix gear had teeth broken and it failed to catch to start, sometimes) and failed fuel pump relay. All repairs are very expensive unless you can do them yourself with parts from a place like the FastLane (on this site). Parts here are half what you would pay at retail or to a dealer. It is a great car, good luck. John Campbell 1987 560SL
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John C 1987 560SL 109,000 miles 2001 E320 103,000 miles 2007 E350 32,000 miles |
#5
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Purchase
Hey Steve87,
Did you buy that 560SL? Last edited by Kelly Pepper; 04-10-2002 at 10:02 AM. |
#6
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Yes, Did you?
Just baby it and it will go a long way with you. My 86' odometer broke at 191k(a few months ago) and is still going strong. I thought about fixing it but why would I? My baby is staying young.
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Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC Mountain Island Lake RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com 2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k 2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k 2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD 2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD 1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD 1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD 1985 300sd 340k-SOLD 1979 240d 170k-SOLD 2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough |
#7
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If I were you, I'd fix it, simply because it's not right!!! Don't we all want our babies to be as perfect as we can make them?
Do you have a picture of it? |
#8
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Its being fixed as we speak.
Will send a picture in a few days. I ordered a digi camera and will practice and send a few. Thanks!
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Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC Mountain Island Lake RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com 2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k 2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k 2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD 2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD 1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD 1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD 1985 300sd 340k-SOLD 1979 240d 170k-SOLD 2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough |
#9
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I just figured out how to post pictures, I could drive you guys crazy posting pictures. The 70/80's SL are such beautiful cars...especially when the tops are off or the hardtops are on.
Ummm!!! |
#10
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Not to be suspicious, but......
I own a 1988 560SL that was purchased new in 88 and now has 40K miles on it. The seats are in near perfect condition. You said one seat was so worn it may have to be redone.
Since that price is way below current market value for a car with 35K miles I would take many precautions to verify the mileage. Most MB owners are pretty savvy and know what the cars are worth. That price doesn't seem right unless he is just doing you a big favor. philmartin |
#11
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STEVE87...Post those pictures of your new(er) 560SL...make us all envious!!!
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#12
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pics of my 87 560 sl
Just got new digital camera. Will post pics as soon as I can figure out how. Thanks for your interest!
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