I Postedthis on the SL forum but jic any SL saavy peeeps here;

I have been on this forum for over a year now mostly on the Diesel side;
but always had a thing for SL's.
There is now an '85 380-Class 380SL Convertible, for sale near me that I am planning on checking out. It is being sold at a non M-B "stealership", body looks nice from several pics' no visible rust, or dings; Interior is fair to midland. Crappy looking aftermarket sony CD, seats are typical for an '85. Small tears and worn looking.....

It says 108K on the OD, but can't be confirmed as actual....
The '93 carfax lists it at like 23,000mi.

If it checks out to be in good condition electrically & mechanically; what is a fair range to offer for this SL?

Any common problems on these models to look out for?

Thanks!

AA

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'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

the value is so condition related it would be impossible to come close with only a verbal description from someone who hasnt actually driven it or even sat in it.

if it looks really nice but the mechanicals are toast or weak that means one thing.

if the ac is disfuncitonal that is another.

i looked at one once that looked pretty nice but when i got my head inside smelled mildewy. nix for me and my allergic family.

value could be anywhere from $3k up to 20k for a pretty nice one.

and if the motor is bad maybe even less than 3k.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I have a 1977 450slc and believe me you can put a LOT of money into these cars. Just new MB Tex(not leather) seat covers was $1,000. Add carpets, maybe door panels, a seal kit (door, windshield, trunk, etc., etc. seals-at that age the car will need it), a/c repairs (often the dash must come out), at 100ks you will need to replace the single row timing chain (not necessarily with a double row which is REALLY big bucks), and you could be looking at $4-5k.

These cars are neat to drive around town for short trips but I found that on any trip over about 250 miles your butt and legs start to cramp. The problem is that the seats are too close to the floor and your legs are at an unfamiliar angle. Fortunately at 250 miles you need to stop for gas so you can get out and walk around.

If you are interested in the sl/slc models look at the slc. It is a much better car in that it is stronger in structure and safer. Also you don't have the bother of a rag top and all the associated lifting mechanisms. Plus slcs are much betterlooking than sls. Sls are also nearly double the price. You can get a good 1980 slc with less than 100k miles on it for about $4-5k.