What's your age, SL owner?

[spinedoc]

Chiming in here....
I am 32 and always wanted a MB. At 28 I picked up a 300E that treated me good for a couple of years. Then finally last year I got my dream car, a 91 500SL. Just 3-4 months ago I was able to upgrade that to a 96 500SL with 50k, I've been driving that dream since then.

[Tom McMenamin]

this November and I am not to happy about it!

One thing I have learned in life is "Zaino"!

Pathetic, Huh!

[SteveStromberg]

46 going on 15. Steve

[rwnewton]

bought my '87 560SL when I was 46, now 47 and enjoying every day of it!

[kip Foss]

I bought my first MB in Dubai in 1983. It was a 1976 280slc with about 15K miles. I brought it back to Texas, along with a '73 BMW 3.0csi, had them converted and sold both before returning overseas.

In Nov. last year I got a 1977 450slc in near mint condition. I use it as a semi-daily driver. I turned 60 last March and an now officially a menber of the Kellogg generation. Its call that because every time you stand up you go Snap, Crackle, and Pop.

[LeaUK]

Best I'd join in here too....

Bought my 190E 2.6 at 23 and started saving for a 300/320CE coupe, ultimately intending on buying an SL (more dreaming really).

But decided to miss out the coupe and went straight for the SL this year - now I'm 29 :-) - early 30th present I thought ;-)

Guess that makes me one of the 'younger' guys ??

61 I wanted to buy an older car to restore, and my wife wanted a MB. so we've got a 1982 380SL . That was 14 months ago. The car had a solid body and a good rag top and tires.I've been working on it for 9.The car ran rough and rich. After adjusting the C O it ran smooth, but 2000 RPM. After 4 hours of trackiung down wires and working upside down under the dash, I found a blown fuse on a relay. idles at 1200 RPM. Another 3 or 4 hours, I find clogged vacume lines going to the throttle control. Idles at 1000RPM. Wishing I had that 65 mustang I was looking at,hating all MB enginers with a passion you can't beleive. The timing chain had been changed ,and they pinched awire from the throttle contol when they put it together. I had to cut it and rewire it. Idles at 700RPM. CV boots were split so I had to re pace both joints. I don.t care want my repair CD says, you can't get those damn joints out with out unhooking the differential. Wouldn't have that problem on the mustang. Had to have the garage do that job. Cost $650 parts and labor,not bad. Huh, would have been $45 for the Ford. Front seal on transmission leaked. OK, so I'll pull the tranny and repace the $2 part. What do you mean the engine &tranny have to be pulled as a unit? OK so I do it and repace a few of the other parts that would be a bear to get at otherwise like the water pump and front seal and a motor mount. Car is now nikenamed "the money pit" and I have a feeling it is'nt the only MB in the world that is named that. only nice part is, the wife doesn,t say a word about the money because it was her idea to buy this dumb car. Had it paint and interior redone and it looks great, but it burns out ignition rotors every 60 miles.Replaced plugs, wires[oringinals]WOW they don't give those away,cap and a few other parts. It was the switching unit. [mustang doesn't have one] I'm sure that I've forgotton 20 other things that I've done to this car, and I'm sure that you'r sick of my whinning.
Now for the good part. We've driven the car since the snow melted[I found a hard top ] with out a bit of trouble. On nice days I can't wait to drive the 30 miles to work and I take the long way home. I look for back roads,the more curves the better. The 380 does't have the power,but it's all I need, and it sounds great. Drove from NY to Me for my wife's 40th class reunion and got 22 MPG. I stopped at a coffee shop today and the girl behind the counter had me take her picture withe her in the car. She said "get back so you can get the whole car in " After I got a thank you and a big hug. I might be 61, but i'm a kid again in my SL . Sun is out, we're going for a ride.
PS Keep your mustang

[dmorrison]

Now, Now Fredddd,
Do you really think the 65 Mustang is perfect?
My sons turned into a 2.5 year complete restoration.
Lets see, leaking cowl vents, R+R front frame rails, R+R front frame rail crossmember bolts IN the frame.
Glass (rear) you cant find because its not manufactured
Put in a T-5 5 speed, Opps the crossmember doesn't quite fit.
recovering seats, painting the dash after having to weld the ignition key opening to the correct size. Replacing the entire wiring harnesses. All of them, new heads, rebuild the carb, overheating problems, pertronics ignition burns out after 9 months etc,etc. $45 for CV joint to be replaced??? What CV joints? It a hard axel, Might even be an open end. And lets not forget the "exploding " gas tank, $700 for a racing fuel cell. Convert to front disk brakes with, This is an interesting idea, A dual bowl master cylinder. The safety differences between the two cars are night and day. One additional finding, I have NEVER had a bolt or nut on a Mercedes that I could not get off. In 23 years of owning them. The Mustang, The amount of rusted Items was unbelievable. The 2 most important tools in a Mustang restoration are a sawsall and a welder. We were extremely lucky. I didn't know about the cowl vent rust when we bought the Mustang. Ours were solid, but 40-50% of them require replacing the cowl vent sheet metal. 167 spot welds have to be drilled out, old sheet metal cut out and new cowl vents welded in, then the 167 spot welds button welded back. Additionally new floor pans are the #1 welding job on the car.
Go here if you want to learn about Vintage Mustangs, they are lots of work, 602,000 posts and this doesn't include the 900,000 on the old forum.

http://www.vintage-mustang.com/

Do a search on the word "rust"

I think you will see that the SL wil be more reliable in the long run. You had to buy a hard top?? All 107 SL's came with hardtops.

I know that you have been through a lot, but I own a 88 560SL and a 65 Mustang Fastback. We completely rebuilt the Mustang and we still have things go wrong with it, more than I have with the SL. Over time you will find the SL is quite reliable.

Dave

PS Keep them both, their both great cars. A luxury touring convertible and a classic Mustang, Two different worlds

[flixbiz]

I've admired the Benz SL since age 8. Only took 39 more years to buy my first. (do the math)

Bought my 1986 560SL 3 months ago on EBAY. Still love it! 44 when I bought my first MB - 1991 420SEL.

[BMarsh07]

Me? 26. My 450SL? A month younger
(I gotta do my part to lower the average a little...)

[MD2B]

I'm 27. I was a tender 13 when my 1989 560SL was manufactured.

[Damian]

I'm 31 and I brought my 82 500SL last year at 30, some younger friends ere supprised when I got it, but I tell them all I'm going through a mid mid life crisis and yes it is red..

I think they are a classic shape and suit people of any age..

Damian

[79450sl]

I must be the young buck here!! Only 24, and have had my 450SL for almost 9 months. (7 of the nine the car was stuck in the garage being torn apart and put back together)

I was less than a year old when she rolled off the assembly line.

What a sweet ride!!!!!



Rich

'79 450 SL Silver 185,000 mi.

[a2aa]

bought my: 78 280ce @ age 35
86 560sl @ age36
94 SL500@ age37
97 E300d@ age38

I enjoy all of them to the fullest!!

[slsmag]

45 & car silly

I'd been driving an '88 Porsche 928S4 for the last five years as my 'fun' car but really wanted a convertible for the nice summer days here in Cleveland (both of them) - bought my second Triumph Spitfire (an '80) and while it's still fun, at my age it is more of a pain then I remembered from my first one back in '81.

Decided to get the SL because it had the same size engine and identical horsepower of the 928 - and because it's gorgeous - and because at this age I wear it much better than I do the Spitfire, which now sits pretty much unused in the garage.

- michael

'98 500 SL BLK/BEIGE
'98 Durango 4X4
'94 Infiniti Q45a
'83 F250 w/plow
'80 Spitfire