PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - 380SL

sublettd · #9 08-22-2002, 11:20 PM

Lots of good thoughts in the previous posts here.

Shortly after buying my SL I came across this website and while surfing through it I read a post by a guy who was clearly clairvoyant. He listed repairs that one should expect to make and I'm proud to report that I've probably made everyone of them and maybe a couple more. ha! Wish I'd bookmarked that post, but I didn't.

I marvel at those who get by on "minimal" expenses with their SL each year. Though I may be getting to the point where most of the major expenses on the refurbishing of my 500SL have been made. It seems--at least from my experience, and others also--that the 90,000-100,000 mile point is where many major expenses on an SL will occur. My most recent was the replacement of the timing chain and tensioner today, which was slightly over $500.00. ($3,500.00 for the double-chain conversion seems awfully high to me though. My guess would be less than $1,000.00.)

Previous to that: fuel pump, fuel accumulator, idle control valve, idle control unit, front calipers and pads, master cylinder, thermostat, tie rods and drag link, overload protection relay, climate control unit, steering box, and a few other things. All-in-all, about $5,000.00 worth of repairs. Many, but not all, were expected.

But this thing runs like the proverbial "top"! I've never driven anything that ran as smoothly and as effortlessly. Maybe one day I'll get up the courage to "let 'er out to run". So, far about 95 MPH is as fast as I've driven it. There's little doubt in my mind that it will do far more than that.

In fact, my mechanic told me that he took a 500SL out on a back road of one of the Air Force bases here shortly after it was brought into the US. Said he had it up to 155 and "...the two lane road was getting awfully narrow..." and he let up on it.

Bottom line: the SL is a terrific car but, as was mentioned, expect to spend some money on them along the way.