I've never owned an SL and am ready to scratch that itch. I've been impressed with this forum for years and would appreciate any help or insight any members can offer.

I looked at my first, a white 1990 300 sl with blue interior. The car now has 118,000 miles and appears to be in good, not excellent condition. I scanned the service records over the last ten years and found the following. My questions are how much of what I'm reading is typical of this model, what kind of long term problems can they cause, and what should I look for now.

1993 - "Replace engine short block and sublet head for repair." Also "replace catalyst damaged due to excessive unburnt fuel."
"Oil consumption found to be excessive."

2000 - Power steering pump reservoir empty. Power steering gearbox leaking.

Resealed Power Steering gear box.

Other recommendations: "Lower ball joints groaning. Recommend replacement." (I need to check with current owner to make sure this has been done. I drove the car and didn't hear anything.)


2001 105,000 service:

"Car has slight R/H drift." Again, I didn't notice this when I drove it today.

"Engine has multiple moderate oil leaks." (H'mmmm.) Perhaps not surprisingly, when I saw it today the engine compartment was clean, but not too clean. I also noticed that the hood's insulation liner was worn in two spots, particularly toward the windshield on the driver's side.

During my test drive, I observed two things that may be typical of the model or perhaps not. When shifting from Park into Drive/4, there was a solid thunk, but not a clunky sound. More surprisingly, when I backed the car up and accelerated, there was a high whine and it seemed almost as if there was a governor on the gear.

Any thoughts or comments anyone may have would be greatly appreciated. Whether it's this one or another, I'm sure I'll buy eventually.

Thanks.

gawlowski3