A colleague is a true petrolhead and met him in the car park today, driving a 1998 S reg Mercedes SL 320 in absolute mint condition.
Car is in stunning condition, one lady owner from new who also owned a Merc estate for when she took her dogs out.
It has the soft top on it just now but he also has the hard top to go with it.
Surprised at the high level of equipment in the car considering it is 13 years old.
He was saying that he has all the documentation right back to the original invoice which showed the price to be £72k!
I have never really been one for looking back at older cars through misty eyes, but this one is a real cracker.
Am I right in saying this was pre rusty Merc days?
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What did he pay? £750? Any more and it's a money pit (any less and it's still a money pit but at least he can dump it...)
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>> What did he pay? £750? Any more and it's a money pit (any less and
>> it's still a money pit but at least he can dump it...)
A good one, well maintained, will go for at least 5-6 grand.
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Really rusty Mercedes started mid 1990s (actually with the C class..)
SLs just rust quietly inside the sills and front bulhead and round the rear wheel arches.. MBOC has some piccies of rebuilds...
Money pits? More like money mines...
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I think that's the thing that puts me off merc. Undeniably great cars (mostly) and some cool other kit too - theres a unimog in my lotto garage.
The tight arr-hem, in me just can't accept the parts costs. Autoboxes that can't be repaired, at least all the BMW ones can be serviced by local transmission specialist backed up by ZF in Warwick. That coil pack on top gear, Jeezo, £1200. I can buy 6 and have change out of £450 for the BMW.
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>> The tight arr-hem, in me just can't accept the parts costs. Autoboxes that can't be
>> repaired, at least all the BMW ones can be serviced by local transmission specialist backed up by ZF in Warwick. That coil pack on top gear, Jeezo, £1200. I can
>> buy 6 and have change out of £450 for the BMW.
Merc autoboxes can, and are repaired.
Most problems with them turn out to be the electroplate - easy fix.
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>> Merc autoboxes can, and are repaired.
>> Most problems with them turn out to be the electroplate - easy fix.
Yes. Obviously the main dealer's bland service and parts quotes are calculated to loosen the bowels of an unsubsidized motorist. But they are very good cars and a well-maintained example can continue for ages using a proper decent independent mechanic and secondary sources for some parts.
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>> >> Merc autoboxes can, and are repaired.
>> >> Most problems with them turn out to be the electroplate - easy fix.
>>
>> Yes. Obviously the main dealer's bland service and parts quotes are calculated to loosen the bowels of an unsubsidized motorist. But they are very good cars and a well-maintained example can continue for ages using a proper decent independent mechanic and secondary sources for some parts.
>>
The thing is, on the whole Merc parts prices are in fact not as expensive as people think.
Compared to Jap or Chrysler, many parts are in fact very reasonable.
Some Merc parts I will agree, are OTT though...
BTW, since Fiat took over Chrysler, parts prices have rocketed!
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>> The tight arr-hem, in me just can't accept the parts costs. Autoboxes that can't be
>> repaired, at least all the BMW ones can be serviced by local transmission specialist backed
>> up by ZF in Warwick. That coil pack on top gear, Jeezo, £1200. I can
>> buy 6 and have change out of £450 for the BMW.
Mercedes repair costs bear little relation to reality, and they're not very reliable either, at least the ones I've known.
A good friend of mine bought a C270 CDi new in 2002, which he quickly christened "the grand car". Essentially because every time it went in for a service, or to have something fixed, that is what the bill came to. Autobox was on its way out (kept going to limp mode) at 120,000 miles when he got rid. The whole car was a catalogue of constant niggling faults, and a couple of quite major ones. I also know owners of other late 90's / early noughties Mercedes who have had savings depleted just keeping the things running.
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Why is it that Mercedes are seen as such a status symbol in the UK? They aren't in Germany where the expensive ones are used by captains of industry to do long autobahn distances, and the cheaper ones are used as taxis.
A secondhand estate to be used as a family holdall is probably the most sensible Merc to buy.
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Mercedes dealers.
1. They have glass palaces. These cost a fortune.
2. When they maintain your car, it is to perfection.. evrything even vaguely wrong will be sorted..
3. Dealer rates per hour.. reflect 1. above.
Take short cuts? Nope.
My BIL has 3 Mercs: a 300TD, a C220CDI, a C180 estate. He mainatins thm at independents and cos he uses all three, the annual wear and tear is not too bad..
He's owned the 300TD for 18 years and it has done over 150k miles. It's white and looks like a beached whale.. he does not wash cars...
Last edited by: madf on Fri 22 Jul 11 at 08:22
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>> 2. When they maintain your car, it is to perfection.. evrything even vaguely wrong will
>> be sorted..
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Sometimes to an excessive extent.
One dealer (with a good rep in Merc. circles) once told me I needed two new alloys because they were buckled. Were they, heck! Funnily enough I haven't been back since, but I have no doubt that some of their customers would just authorise whatever was suggested.
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>> A colleague is a true petrolhead and met him in the car park today, driving
>> a 1998 S reg Mercedes SL 320 in absolute mint condition.
................ original invoice which showed the price to be £72k!
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I remember taking a 600SL (same model) for a drive in around '92/'93, superb car, 408bhp, the facelifted versions had the naming reversed, i.e. 600SL became SL600 (though on the 600 the power droppped at the same time in the name of emissions).
There was a limited edition SL500 (and perhaps 320) in around '96 in silver with a chequered flag mofif on the flanks, I always fancied one of those.
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Merc SL 1998 - Mapmaker
