daily driver sl's

[cbdo]

Mine's a 560, which is a pretty-much-daily-in-season driver. For that kind of duty, I'd say with regret that I wouldn't go older than a 107. The Pagoda is a gorgeous car and a sweet drive, but the safety technology is circa 1960, as is all the rest of the technology in the car. Supporting the 6-piston pump for the FI needs a level of understanding that's increasingly rare, and there's the every-3000-mile chassis lube that goes with the older suspension. Dad had a 1969 Benz that he bought new, and even as a new car needing routine care only it took comparatively a lot of shop time; it's just the way Benz built in those days. It's work a competent DIY can do, for the most part, but there's going to be a good deal of it.

My 1989 is already old enough that there's an ongoing stream of Stuff That Happens, albeit quite manageable, as will be the case with any car pushing two decades and older. On the flip side, a lot of the Stuff a 107 encounters is pretty manageable without needing professionals, and the electronic presence in the car is pretty minor, unlike the 129. And I'd second the mention earlier of the Euro 500SL version of the 107; my own dream 107 would be exactly that, with the non-automatic AC that was the usual system fitted Over There.

As far as what specific car to buy for your purpose, I'd point toward something under 100K on general principle but not ultra-low; a car that's been driven and has been well maintained will probably hand you fewer surprises than a garage queen with the problems that disuse allows to develop. Pay for a minimum-mileage museum piece if your intent is to own one and keep it that way, but why pay the premium for something that will then gain 12K miles a year and lose that value?