Guy is offering it over at benzworld.org. 50,000 miles, 36 grand. El Paso, TX car never seen salt and I doubt if it has seen much rain either. Interesting deal on the ultimate SL:

http://www.barnettautosales.com/MercedesBenz%20SL600/

Check out this under hood shot on the 500hp DOHC V12:

and coming to your nearest dealer on a frequent basis, I was going to buy one a few years ago and the fine people on this forum steered em the other way.

Is the car modded? If not, the hp numbers are optimistic. Stock they were 389hp with 420 lb-ft torque. They sounds great on full throttle!

KV, are you looking for a newer SL?

Always love the look of a MB V-12 in a R129. Guess repair bill on this car is nothing to sneeze at when something breaks.

Read a post on the other forum that a faulty axle sheared at the wheel, and the owner thought it was his transmission. He was quoted a $10K repair work.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Love the "ribcage".

I would not buy that car unless I had an extra 10-20K to blow every year to keep the thing running. They are amazing vehicles. The sound of one starting is unlike anything you've ever heard. They pull effortlessly at any speed and are turbine smooth. Stay away. Don't even drive it. You will want to purchase it. I know the mentality. This is a clean one. It won't financially ruin me. It's in goog shape. The PPI went smooth. Don't be fooled. It is a love affair that will inevitabley hurt you.

Beautiful car though.

The old body SL600 is the bargain buy of the decade, so says my car dealer/wholesale internet friends, and I agree. The cars with the 5spd auto (96 and up) run the quarter in the mid 13's and have great top end acceleration to the governed 155mph limiter. The drivetrain is a very long-lived one (around 200k) and dependable. However, the big hitch is electrical/sensor/little stupid motor problems. Good news is the car is easy to work on, and if you do the work yourself then buy one. If you plan to farm the work out to some rip off mercedes repair shop then forget buying one and go buy a new Honda Accord instead.
36k for a '96 with 50k miles is actaully a little high on the price. That is a $28k to $32k car depending on condition, title, repaint, sunburn (El Paso), sport package, sport seats, and panorama. Check E Bay prices if you are interested. The SL600 deserves better resale but it is a novice mechanic's dream as the 928 S4 was in the last decade. The '93 to '95 are good too, but slower due to the 4 spd auto. They also have the old ground effects and the '93 has a blaupunkt radio that is the equivalent to a junk yard Hyundai radio working only one speaker that was purchased from Pep Boys in 1988. '94 and above have a Bose system that is adequate by today's standards.

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The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!

If crash9 is right about the market I will be. I got that hp# of a page I googled. It is supposed to be slightly faster than a 55 AMG, with same hp output but lighter weight.

Yeah, here's the page:

http://www.carsdirect.com/research/mercedesbenz/sl600/1996/base

I have a '97 up on sale at Ebay with 31k miles on it... 36k is VERY strong, 28-32 is what I'm expecting on mine and I'm even throwing in free shipping and an electric hard top hoist. It may go higher, who knows, we'll see.

The big deal with these cars is service history. Even if they don't come with paperwork if you have a contact at a Benz dealer they can pull the VMI and see if it was maintained properly (if done at a Benz dealership). If the previous owner has taken care of the car they aren't THAT troublesome. That said, the sheer complexity inside ensures a higher percentage of problems than the older SL would have.

Here's a link to my Ebay auction just to give you an idea :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4511703763&category=6338&sspagename=WDVW

Its like heroin. Just look at the engine. Doesn't it just make you want the thing ? It looks like a heroin habit.

He's showing the service history on file at Mercedes in his blurb.

KV,
Don't know about the heroin bit, but sure feels like a woman. One look and you are hooked, one test drive and you are (fill in the blank). I would love to trade up to a V-12 R129, especailly if I can find a local Starmark car. Silver on that car looks stunning, guess the only color I don't care is red except on a Ferrari.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Don't hold your breath....

The R129 SL600 weights almost 1000 lbs more than my 55. MB quotes the SL good for 5.9 seconds in a sprint to 60.....I'm good for 4.9.

Same (electronically governed) too speed though

The SL55 will obliterate the old body SL600. mid 13's in quarter (old 600) vs. high 12's and 7mph more trap velocity at et for new 55. Still mid 13's is not too shabby.

__________________
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!

Race! Race! Race!