OT: Any experience with the 1996 Mercedes SL 500?

[RFC]

Well, the transmission in my 2003 BMW Z4 went yesterday. My local mechanic, who takes care of my fleet of aging German cars, explained to me that it was not economically efficient to fix it and that I should get another car.

My local Mercedes certified mechanic (not dealer) from whom I have purchased 4 older Mercedes over the years, has a 1996 SL 500 for sale that he has rebuilt.

From the photos, it looks very clean. I'm going to check it out this afternoon.

Have any of you had experience with this vintage of SL's?

Thanks!

[Ken Robb]

I drove one on the track at Laguna Seca when they were new and was impressed with the performance for a fairly heavy car. I think fuel economy is not very good and as is typical for old German cars repairs will be expensive.

What's the price and what has been done and might be required soon? I gather your BMW is an auto trans because installing a good used manual would be pretty reasonable. One of my neighbors has been thinking about selling a VERY clean Z4 3.0 6 speed manual with less than 40,000 miles for about $10,000 I think. He loves the car but now spends most of his time in Baja and it wouldn't be suitable for most of the roads down there.

[Tickdoc]

Old boss had one and no one could touch it. Only his girlfriend and wife could ride in it. Great car, but man that guy was a dick.

[RFC]

I drove one on the track at Laguna Seca when they were new and was impressed with the performance for a fairly heavy car. I think fuel economy is not very good and as is typical for old German cars repairs will be expensive.

What's the price and what has been done and might be required soon? I gather your BMW is an auto trans because installing a good used manual would be pretty reasonable. One of my neighbors has been thinking about selling a VERY clean Z4 3.0 6 speed manual with less than 40,000 miles for about $10,000 I think. He loves the car but now spends most of his time in Baja and it wouldn't be suitable for most of the roads down there.

You are correct. It is the trans that allows you to shift between "manual" and auto. I understand it is a fairly complex system.

[RFC]

Old boss had one and no one could touch it. Only his girlfriend and wife could ride in it. Great car, but man that guy was a dick.

LOL! William Hurt drove a SL in "The Doctor" and he was a dick in that movie.

[ZeKGB]

I had a 97 SL500 and they are generally built very well but have a few weak spots that are $$$ to fix. Things to ask about:

- Top hydraulics - if not gone through by now, you will eventually have to do so. Here is a good thread on the location of each hydraulic cylinder (https://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129-sl-class/1612301-location-all-your-soft-top-hard.html#post4913003), you should check each for signs of leaks. If found expect $1-2k in repair costs.

- Electronic Throttle body - This comes with a 2500 price for a new unit from Mercedes, and if original you can pretty much count on it failing sometime soon. You can roll the dice on a good used unit but just borrowing time. If it's been replaced that's a huge bonus.

Power Steering Pump - These almost always are leaking at the reservoir, and it makes a huge mess and will eventually cause your serpentine belt to fail. Ask me how I know. Anyway for most 96 built SL's you should be able to buy a kit for just the reservoir and related O-rings, but sometime late 96 they went to a unit that had an integrated reservoir that required replacement of the entire pump to fix the leak. I guess they realized that was a mistake as sometime during the 98 production run they switched back. Not an impossible DIY repair if you are handy, but super messy and the pumps are close to $1k from Merc. Lucky 96/97 owners!

Overall it's a fun car to own and drive if you stay on top of the maintenance and a relative bargain at today's prices even when factoring in repair costs. Post some pics and any other info you get including asking price and I can comment further.

[saab2000]

I drove an SL500 once and an S-Class driving friend of mine kind of advised against it. He said every time you have to go get anything fixed it's hundreds more than you might imagine, maybe thousands in some cases. He could afford it. He advised me (not in a condescending way) that I probably could not. He was probably right.

The car itself was intoxicating. Smooth, powerful, good looking, etc. Just a really, really nice car to drive. But you have to be aware that owning it will likely be an expensive proposition.

[zmudshark]

Old boss had one and no one could touch it. Only his girlfriend and wife could ride in it. Great car, but man that guy was a dick.

LOL! William Hurt drove a SL in "The Doctor" and he was a dick in that movie.

Sounds perfect for you.

[BikeNY]

I sold a '97 SL500 for my mom last year. It was my fathers car, and she kept it for a number of years after he passed, but finally decided to sell last year. It was in excellent condition with only 44k miles, and I could only get around $10k for it.

I don't know all of the maintenance costs, but I do remember her having to spend a lot of money on it regularly, even though she barely drove it. The top seemed to come out of alignment all the time, preventing it from either fully opening or fully closing. Fun car to drive, but I wouldn't want to own one!

[azrider]

I sold a '97 SL500 for my mom last year. It was my fathers car, and she kept it for a number of years after he passed, but finally decided to sell last year. It was in excellent condition with only 44k miles, and I could only get around $10k for it.

I don't know all of the maintenance costs, but I do remember her having to spend a lot of money on it regularly, even though she barely drove it. The top seemed to come out of alignment all the time, preventing it from either fully opening or fully closing. Fun car to drive, but I wouldn't want to own one!

mmmmmmm...............staggered wheels.......

[cgolvin]

Old boss had one and no one could touch it. Only his girlfriend and wife could ride in it. Great car, but man that guy was a dick.

<thread_drift> At a former company we got a new CEO who organized a "get to know each other" dinner for the senior staff. The VP of marketing was bragging about his new SL and the CEO said "that's a woman's car".

Yes, he was a dick.</thread_drift>

[texbike]

The internal model number for the car is r129. There's a lot of information about them on the interwebs including several forums and Bring a Trailer. I've always liked the look of the r129s, but couldn't bring myself to own one due to their weight, complexity, and cost of ownership. There were other cars that I would prefer to have with my limited garage and life space.

Good luck with the research!

Texbike

[KarlC]

I sold a '97 SL500 for my mom last year. It was my fathers car, and she kept it for a number of years after he passed, but finally decided to sell last year. It was in excellent condition with only 44k miles, and I could only get around $10k for it.

I don't know all of the maintenance costs, but I do remember her having to spend a lot of money on it regularly, even though she barely drove it. The top seemed to come out of alignment all the time, preventing it from either fully opening or fully closing. Fun car to drive, but I wouldn't want to own one!

Nice one and those AMG wheels are REALLY rare !

.

[BikeNY]

Nice one and those AMG wheels are REALLY rare !

.

When I was trying to sell the car, I had way more people interested in buying the wheels than the car!

[glepore]

I have 2 96 MB's, a r129 v12 sl600 and a coupe cl600. In addition to what has been mentioned, the a/c evaps on these cars are suspect for corrosion. There are epoxy sealants that work well if the holes are tiny, or as a prophylactic measure. Replacing one is 2-3k as the dash comes out.

Top hydraulics are necessary at some point, its about 8 hrs or so diy and there is a really good rebuilder (oddly enough named Top Hydraulics). Around a grand if you diy.

If the car has ADS, pm me. Its rare on 500's.

The motor itself is excellent but will occasionally chew up timing chain guides. The cam oiler has plastic pieces that can pop off and cause a tapping noise but no real harm.

My concerns with these cars comes down to what has been let go. They are appreciating but have been cheap, thus folks got into them that could afford upkeep. They can be uber reliable, but can also be expensive unless you have a good mb indy or like to wrench.

The driving experience is, as a guy on the mb board put it to me when I was shopping, that its a Mercedes touring car. Its not nearly as sporty as your z4.
Lots of torque and plenty of go, but the driving experience rewards smoothness and finesse in spades. Its not a sports car, more of a gt leaning towards the t.

I love mine, but its not for everyone.

[charliedid]

Old boss had one and no one could touch it. Only his girlfriend and wife could ride in it. Great car, but man that guy was a dick.

I can't stop laughing

[RFC]

I went ahead and bought it. I would never have done this if I didn't have an independent Certified Mercedes mechanic I trust. But I do. As I mentioned above, I have bought four Mercedes from him -- 1989 SE300, 1992 SEL300, 1998 E320 and 1998 ML320. The first two are gone and the last two driven by my sons.

This was the shop owner's car. He has always treated me well and honestly and made things right. Like the other mechanics in his shop, he buys cars that he likes, works on them and drives them for a year or two and then flips for another car. Kind of like bikes. :rolleyes:

On this one, he assured me that he had fixed everything that needed to be fixed, including replacing the roof hydraulics from the originals.

Just should be fun. I can't believe I am buying a car with a 5.0 liter engine. Yes, as mentioned above, it will not be as quick as my Z4, which I sometimes analogized to a motorcycle with 4 wheels. This will be a different experience.

What I like about buying well maintained old German cars is that I get to spend a few years experiencing a great car at a very small price. Not so with the Z4. I bought it new in 2003 and drove it for 16 years. I think I got my money's worth.;)

BTW, Phoenix is a treasure trove of well maintained, rust free older luxury cars. All of those Snow Birds who keep a separate Phoenix car in their garage all year long and then eventually move on . . . to Sun City.

[warren128]

Enjoy our new SL :)

As others have said, they are more luxury GT cars than true sports cars. They are beautiful, stylish, and very luxurious and were a showcase for MBZ technology when they were first introduce.

I owned one from 2003 to 2016. It was a 1990 500SL, the first year that they were imported into the U.S. I had a very good independent mechanic who kept it running well, that is until age finally caught up with it. In the end, the timing chain snapped and it was not cost effective for us to get it fixed considering the overall age of the car (26 years old).

http://www.fototime.com/1229314994D7FFB/orig.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/CEFB0865F804A09/orig.jpg

[Tickdoc]

I went ahead and bought it. I would never have done this if I didn't have an independent Certified Mercedes mechanic I trust. But I do. As I mentioned above, I have bought four Mercedes from him -- 1989 SE300, 1992 SEL300, 1998 E320 and 1998 ML320. The first two are gone and the last two driven by my sons.

This was the shop owner's car. He has always treated me well and honestly and made things right. Like the other mechanics in his shop, he buys cars that he likes, works on them and drives them for a year or two and then flips for another car. Kind of like bikes. :rolleyes:

On this one, he assured me that he had fixed everything that needed to be fixed, including replacing the roof hydraulics from the originals.

Just should be fun. I can't believe I am buying a car with a 5.0 liter engine. Yes, as mentioned above, it will not be as quick as my Z4, which I sometimes analogized to a motorcycle with 4 wheels. This will be a different experience.

What I like about buying well maintained old German cars is that I get to spend a few years experiencing a great car at a very small price. Not so with the Z4. I bought it new in 2003 and drove it for 16 years. I think I got my money's worth.;)

BTW, Phoenix is a treasure trove of well maintained, rust free older luxury cars. All of those Snow Birds who keep a separate Phoenix car in their garage all year long and then eventually move on . . . to Sun City.


Congrats! I love this version, btw. They represent a nice clean design that is only going to get better with age.

[ZeKGB]

Congrats, but where are the pics??? :)

I went ahead and bought it. I would never have done this if I didn't have an independent Certified Mercedes mechanic I trust. But I do. As I mentioned above, I have bought four Mercedes from him -- 1989 SE300, 1992 SEL300, 1998 E320 and 1998 ML320. The first two are gone and the last two driven by my sons.

This was the shop owner's car. He has always treated me well and honestly and made things right. Like the other mechanics in his shop, he buys cars that he likes, works on them and drives them for a year or two and then flips for another car. Kind of like bikes. :rolleyes:

On this one, he assured me that he had fixed everything that needed to be fixed, including replacing the roof hydraulics from the originals.

Just should be fun. I can't believe I am buying a car with a 5.0 liter engine. Yes, as mentioned above, it will not be as quick as my Z4, which I sometimes analogized to a motorcycle with 4 wheels. This will be a different experience.

What I like about buying well maintained old German cars is that I get to spend a few years experiencing a great car at a very small price. Not so with the Z4. I bought it new in 2003 and drove it for 16 years. I think I got my money's worth.;)

BTW, Phoenix is a treasure trove of well maintained, rust free older luxury cars. All of those Snow Birds who keep a separate Phoenix car in their garage all year long and then eventually move on . . . to Sun City.

[redir]

I've had a '94 e420 for 15 years now. If you are even slightly mechanically inclined and not afriad to get your hands dirty you can still DIY a lot of work on these cars. Having a trusted MB mech local is a plus. I'd have jumped on that 96SL in a heart beat. Congrats! I think the 96 was the year they went to the better transmission. I think also it's the first year they got rid of the eco junk wiring harness but you might want to look into that.

[azrider]

This thread is useless without pics


https://media.giphy.com/media/ToMjGpz81S7usvTIM8w/giphy-downsized-large.gif

[Gummee]

Top Gear did a show on 'the old top of the line German cars for the price of a new something' and Jeremy got himself a V-12 version of that car.

Car needed injectors to the tune of a few thou pounds.

My point: Just because the car was relatively inexpensive to buy doesn't mean it isn't a $100k (ish) car to maintain.

or

As my Dad used to say 'anyone can afford a used Mercedes. Not everyone can afford to maintain that used Mercedes.'

Good luck!

M

[coreyaugustus]

I went ahead and bought it.

Seriously, pics dude.

I have a 2000 SL500 Sport. I've replaced the main lift cylinders on the convertible top, the AC control unit, brake pads and rotors, and I'm constantly on the lookout for various plastic pieces that get fragile as they age (air vent sliders, console opener, etc). But the drivetrain has been solid as a rock. The M113 engine runs just as smoothly and quietly as any new MB if not better. Your M119 plant is a little less fuel efficient, but has racing pedigree (fwiw).

It's not quick off a line by comparison to the Z4. However, it will pass anything on the highway with ease. And around town, I mostly just let it coast. I bought the thing because when I was younger, no car looked more F-you money than a R129 SL.

It's a wonderful car, also a wonderfully impractical car. Your only real option for strapping on the bikes is the Seasucker on the hardtop, and even then, you have to dismount bikes to get to the trunk. You can only put one other person in it. And you had better pack light because the trunk is similar in size to an overhead bin on a 737. But the seats are heavenly, even after a few hundred uninterrupted miles on the highway. The cabin is quiet even with the top down and the ride is smooth.

Definitely don't have it serviced by the dealer; get a good indy mechanic (sounds like you do).

[azrider]

BTW, Phoenix is a treasure trove of well maintained, rust free older luxury cars. All of those Snow Birds who keep a separate Phoenix car in their garage all year long and then eventually move on . . . to Sun City.

FACT !

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/gilbert-1974-mercedes-240d-diesel/6859022788.html




btw.........that Sun City comment is gold :D:D:D

[Ken Robb]

FACT !

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/gilbert-1974-mercedes-240d-diesel/6859022788.html




btw.........that Sun City comment is gold :D:D:D

GEEZ, no A/C in Phoenix and one of the slowest cars made in the last 50 years to make sure you suffer for a LOOOONG time getting to your destination. :)

[azrider]

GEEZ, no A/C in Phoenix and one of the slowest cars made in the last 50 years to make sure you suffer for a LOOOONG time getting to your destination. :)

No AC???......hmmmm...I didn't notice. Plus that's an easy fix

When I read that listing all I saw were three things: diesel, 240, manual

;)

[RFC]

This thread is useless without pics


https://media.giphy.com/media/ToMjGpz81S7usvTIM8w/giphy-downsized-large.gif


LOL! Just picked it up, put the top down and went driving. A lot of fun. I'll shoot some pics later today when the light is better.

[Ken Robb]

No AC???......hmmmm...I didn't notice. Plus that's an easy fix

When I read that listing all I saw were three things: diesel, 240, manual

;)

Adding A/C is an easy fix?

[RFC]

Adding A/C is an easy fix?

Sure. We had one of these on a Volkswagen when I was a kid.

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-swamp-cooler-534715

[Ken Robb]

Sure. We had one of these on a Volkswagen when I was a kid.

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-swamp-cooler-534715

You can't kid me. I was an Ordnance officer and I know a rocket launcher when I see one.

[RFC]

You can't kid me. I was an Ordnance officer and I know a rocket launcher when I see one.

LOL! The one we had looked like a green torpedo.

[RFC]

OK, you wanted photos. Here they are.

I am sorry to see the Z4 go. If if held together, I would have kept it forever. A great suburban rod. I got 15 years out of it before the major components started to fail.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763232558_2fe6d35785_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TrxoKh)IMG_6169 (https://flic.kr/p/TrxoKh) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

The SL500 is rapidly growing on me. It's a type of a high performance car I have not experienced before. We did a sunset drive this evening up to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school. Really a place of magic and genius.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763224208_54c653f129_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmgj)IMG_6129r (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmgj) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763224838_eae92f02bd_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmsb)IMG_6134r (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmsb) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46916505044_3076952721_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2etRmpo)IMG_6135r (https://flic.kr/p/2etRmpo) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47587899322_6ab42c7a64_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fvbqwN)IMG_6145r (https://flic.kr/p/2fvbqwN) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763227378_c06268b06f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TrxncY)IMG_6150r (https://flic.kr/p/TrxncY) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

Love the largely analog instruments.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46724991335_c3d9087c30_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVN3T)IMG_6153r (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVN3T) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

Then there are the kinder seats for those skinny legged German kids. Hope they are small enough so that their heads are below the roll bar. Would never pass present US standards. Now a place to stow gear.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763228318_8043aa2c3c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Trxnub)IMG_6158r (https://flic.kr/p/Trxnub) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

Keep in mind, 1996 was the tipping point when Americans gravitated in mass to cell phones. That's when Motorola recruited me to Phoenix. The phones of that era were analog with very limited battery life. Better the car powered phone. These do not work, but I will keep them for the historic, Get Smart value.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47640651921_844323ea59_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fzQN3n)IMG_6154 (https://flic.kr/p/2fzQN3n) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46724992285_47900f619f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVNkg)IMG_6161r (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVNkg) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

This car is a new experience.

Before, I have primarily driven 4wheeldrives, i.e. Land Crusier (when they were real expedition vehicles) and real low to the ground sports cars. This is a new experience. Sunday I'm going to run it down to Tucson, pick up my youngest son and head up Mount Lemon or go to Bio Sphere. It's all good fun.

[Ken Robb]

It's very handsome and you don't see many black cars in AZ. do you?

[RFC]

It's very handsome and you don't see many black cars in AZ. do you?

LOL, quite a few. Suffer for fashion.

[azrider]

Heyyy........you drove right by my house ;)

SL looks great!! Enjoy!

[Gummee]

OK, you wanted photos. Here they are.

I am sorry to see the Z4 go. If if held together, I would have kept it forever. A great suburban rod. I got 15 years out of it before the major components started to fail.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763232558_2fe6d35785_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TrxoKh)IMG_6169 (https://flic.kr/p/TrxoKh) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

The SL500 is rapidly growing on me. It's a type of a high performance car I have not experienced before. We did a sunset drive this evening up to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school. Really a place of magic and genius.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763224208_54c653f129_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmgj)IMG_6129r (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmgj) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763224838_eae92f02bd_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmsb)IMG_6134r (https://flic.kr/p/Trxmsb) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46916505044_3076952721_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2etRmpo)IMG_6135r (https://flic.kr/p/2etRmpo) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47587899322_6ab42c7a64_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fvbqwN)IMG_6145r (https://flic.kr/p/2fvbqwN) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763227378_c06268b06f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TrxncY)IMG_6150r (https://flic.kr/p/TrxncY) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

Love the largely analog instruments.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46724991335_c3d9087c30_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVN3T)IMG_6153r (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVN3T) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

Then there are the kinder seats for those skinny legged German kids. Hope they are small enough so that their heads are below the roll bar. Would never pass present US standards. Now a place to stow gear.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33763228318_8043aa2c3c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Trxnub)IMG_6158r (https://flic.kr/p/Trxnub) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

Keep in mind, 1996 was the tipping point when Americans gravitated in mass to cell phones. That's when Motorola recruited me to Phoenix. The phones of that era were analog with very limited battery life. Better the car powered phone. These do not work, but I will keep them for the historic, Get Smart value.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47640651921_844323ea59_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fzQN3n)IMG_6154 (https://flic.kr/p/2fzQN3n) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46724992285_47900f619f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVNkg)IMG_6161r (https://flic.kr/p/2ebVNkg) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

This car is a new experience.

Before, I have primarily driven 4wheeldrives, i.e. Land Crusier (when they were real expedition vehicles) and real low to the ground sports cars. This is a new experience. Sunday I'm going to run it down to Tucson, pick up my youngest son and head up Mount Lemon or go to Bio Sphere. It's all good fun.
Dad's 95 S320 had the corded phone in the center console too. His had the #s on the phone too.

Mercedes aren't really 'sports cars' as say BMWs are. They tend to be more 'autobahn barnstormers' that can go very fast in great luxury for as long as you want them to.

IMO those wheels are way too bright for that car. Otherwise it's a great looking machine

M

[zap]

Mercedes aren't really 'sports cars' as say BMWs are. They tend to be more 'autobahn barnstormers' that can go very fast in great luxury for as long as you want them to.

Those Mercedes days are largely gone. BMW forced Mercedes to the sport side of the spectrum. Mercedes handling today is much sharper and the resulting ride less plush.

Though a bit extreme, one day I was driving down I66 with an AMG E63 wagon next to me....that AMG looked to have a ride akin to a Ferrari 388 Pista.

[ZeKGB]

Great looking car, top looks to have been recently replaced and leather doesn't look dried out so it was obviously cared for prior to getting to your mechanic. Looks like you made a very good score on this one, enjoy her!

[RFC]

Heyyy........you drove right by my house ;)

SL looks great!! Enjoy!

Do you live in that subdivision just off of FLW road?

[RFC]

Thanks all!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40678360343_fef18cc1e1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24YBejp)IMG_6167 (https://flic.kr/p/24YBejp) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

[azrider]

Do you live in that subdivision just off of FLW road?

Yup....we're at Sweetwater/100th area......i ride the MTB up Cactus regularly and cut across Taliesin West all the time to get to McDowell trials :beer:

[RFC]

Yup....we're at Sweetwater/100th area......i ride the MTB up Cactus regularly and cut across Taliesin West all the time to get to McDowell trials :beer:

Know the area well. I'm between Sweetwater and Cactus just off of 93rd. Cross 100th and Sweetwater many times a week riding to the gym.

I sometimes do hill repeats from FLW to Taliesin West. Ten or until I puke. Whichever comes first.

[AngryScientist]

i have nothing to add other than that when i was a kid, i thought headlight wipers were literally the coolest feature ever.

i hope still to someday own a car with them.

congratulations, many happy miles to you!

[Ken Robb]

i have nothing to add other than that when i was a kid, i thought headlight wipers were literally the coolest feature ever.

i hope still to someday own a car with them.

congratulations, many happy miles to you!

I hope to never again live where those wipers would get used. :)

[likebikes]

nice car, horrible wheels

[glepore]

Those seats are very rare-the rear ones.

Found my 600 sitting fenders on tire tops today, ads check valve or strut failure, no leaks...off to the indy on a flatbed.

[redir]

I thought the roll bar only came up when the car was rolling over? Anyway... Fine looking SL congrats.

[RFC]

I thought the roll bar only came up when the car was rolling over? Anyway... Fine looking SL congrats.

There is a system to raise and lower the roll bar. I took off the screen because I couldn't see. I'm still playing with the various functions.

[RFC]

I've been driving the SL500 for about two weeks and want to report back.

The Z4 was a great little sports car and I may look for a used one sometime, but for now, I'm not missing it. Actually, it is lying dead in my driveway.

The SL500 is a highway monster. It is a rush to be purring along at 85 mph, then hit the accelerator and about a second later be going 20 mph faster.

Last Sunday I drove it down from Scottsdale to Tucson to pick up one of my sons. He is a PhD student. Both he and his brother are molecular biologists. It's my fault. When they were younger and living with me, I encouraged them to turn the kitchen counters into lab space. There would be 4-5 experiments going on at any given time.

It was a beautiful day and we drove the SL up Mount Lemon for lunch. 320 miles that day. I am really enjoying this machine. Thanks for all of the advice. I learned a lot.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47709253642_0d83772d79_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fFUoWE)IMG_2392 (https://flic.kr/p/2fFUoWE) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

[BikeNY]

Agree, it's a nice looking car, but I also don't like the wheels much...

Concerning the roll bar, if it's down, yes it will pop up instantly if the car senses an impending rollover. But you can also manually put it up if wanted, for instance to attach the windscreen that limits the buffeting when driving fast with the top down. And yes, best to make sure whomever is sitting in the back clears the rollbar!

I've actually never seen one with seats back there, I thought they all just had storage bins back there?

[coreyaugustus]

The SL500 is a highway monster. It is a rush to be purring along at 85 mph, then hit the accelerator and about a second later be going 20 mph faster.

It's absolutely the best part of the car. It might not beat a new Camry in a drag race, but it will definitely pull away easily at highway speed.

Now if only I could find a way to get ventilated seats in mine. Seems like every time I take it out, I come home with a sweaty back.

[redir]

Nice! And the wheels look fine to me ;)

[glepore]

The seats are a rare eu option


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