In the market for an early 90's 300 sl

[gawlowski3]

I've never owned an SL and am ready to scratch that itch. I've been impressed with this forum for years and would appreciate any help or insight any members can offer.

I looked at my first, a white 1990 300 sl with blue interior. The car now has 118,000 miles and appears to be in good, not excellent condition. I scanned the service records over the last ten years and found the following. My questions are how much of what I'm reading is typical of this model, what kind of long term problems can they cause, and what should I look for now.

1993 - "Replace engine short block and sublet head for repair." Also "replace catalyst damaged due to excessive unburnt fuel."
"Oil consumption found to be excessive."

2000 - Power steering pump reservoir empty. Power steering gearbox leaking.

Resealed Power Steering gear box.

Other recommendations: "Lower ball joints groaning. Recommend replacement." (I need to check with current owner to make sure this has been done. I drove the car and didn't hear anything.)


2001 105,000 service:

"Car has slight R/H drift." Again, I didn't notice this when I drove it today.

"Engine has multiple moderate oil leaks." (H'mmmm.) Perhaps not surprisingly, when I saw it today the engine compartment was clean, but not too clean. I also noticed that the hood's insulation liner was worn in two spots, particularly toward the windshield on the driver's side.

During my test drive, I observed two things that may be typical of the model or perhaps not. When shifting from Park into Drive/4, there was a solid thunk, but not a clunky sound. More surprisingly, when I backed the car up and accelerated, there was a high whine and it seemed almost as if there was a governor on the gear.

Any thoughts or comments anyone may have would be greatly appreciated. Whether it's this one or another, I'm sure I'll buy eventually.

Thanks.

gawlowski3

[G-Benz]

From experience, I can tell you that these cars are very reliable, and remain so with proper routine maintenance.

What DOES present a problem, is that when something goes wrong, you will wind up spending your retirement fund getting it fixed!

From the service records, it seems as if the engine experienced a blown head gasket, usually manifested by an overheating condition. The subsequent service issues with regards to oil indicates either a poor initial repair, or an extreme lack of owner maintenance. I worry that the block had to be reconditioned or replaced, indicating that the engine was allowed to overheat to the extent that the head and block distorted beyond repair! Again, possibly the owner never bothered to check or replace coolant when necessary?

My SL has a service invoice for a power steering pump repair during factory warranty. I believe it was the seals. The fact that it was empty on your records indicates that the owner never bothered to open the hood periodically and check fluid levels...much less his/her garage floor!

MB suspension components are beefy, and while some of the smaller compliant bushings require attention at 100K miles, ball joints and such would have had to have seen some abusive driving habits. The drift issues may just be alignment, but if the ball joints are worn, you can't get a proper alignment done anyway.

There are plenty of fine well-cared for (and lower mileage) examples of the R129 available every day. Most are one-owner specimens with regularly scheduled upkeep and maintenance issues performed...after all these cars were pricey when new, so those that could afford them could also afford to keep them maintained.

I think the one you are looking at has been the victim of negligent maintenance. At that mileage, I'd be confident that another mortgage-draining repair would be waiting to happen soon!

[gawlowski3]

Thanks. You confirmed my suspicions about this car. I'd rather be wrong and pass on a good car than buy a headache. Besides, I've always believed that another great car is right around the corner.

Back to the drawing board.

[Ferdman]

gawloski3, get a PPI done by a knowledgeable MB tech who can provide a realistic appraisal of the 1990 300SL and what work it may need. That should be your approach for any used MB being sold privately.

[elau]

Another suggestion is to look for a newer model than '93. Newer model has better diagnostic capability in case something does go wrong.