Another Interesting Mercedes. 380SL This Time.

"AdverseMartyr" (ewilliamson)
06/03/2015 at 21:54 • Filed to: None

So I’m going to (hopefully) test drive the brown 450SL tomorrow and if it goes and stops I’ll be buying it. I’m thinking about what to do with the silver one though since it is fairly rusty. Maybe fix it enough to be roadworthy and drive it, but then I wondered about finding parts to fix the rusty bits and came across this:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I’m not sure what it is about Hawaii, but it seems like we have some good examples of these bodies that people just don’t want to put the time/money in.

How expense is a valve job on one of these?

The words “little rust” make me think it could be horrible in the hidden areas., but at $695 it might be worth the door and deck lid and other bits for the silver 450sl.

I am a CL addict.

DISCUSSION (5)

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > AdverseMartyr
06/03/2015 at 22:44

Is it an R107?

AdverseMartyr > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
06/03/2015 at 22:57

It’s a 1984, and from the little I have been learning so far it seems that it is the same body for the 350sl, 380sl, 450sl, 500sl, etc... from 1972 until 1989. Which sounds crazy to me. the numbers are basically the engine that is in the car.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > AdverseMartyr
06/03/2015 at 23:20

Oh yes, then it’s definitely an R107. They made nearly a quarter of a million convertibles. That was one of the best cars Mercedes ever made and they’re really very solid. In fact, in the factory, it was known as 1.5 tons of “Der Panzerwagen” and we know how good the Germans are at building tanks. Spare parts are a plenty, but because Mercedes, they’re likely to be a little costly.

ozkar0rtiz > AdverseMartyr
06/04/2015 at 01:08

W123 owner here: love the r107, if you you are going to work on it, it will be of great advantage having a parts car. Try to talk down the price as much for the parts car, you’ll want the extra money for usual maintenance you do when you buy a car.

AdverseMartyr > ozkar0rtiz
06/04/2015 at 03:26

Well...you see...I’m already buying two 1980 450SL(s). This assumes I do indeed get to purchase them tomorrow. One is supposed to be a parts car, but the current owner is certain it runs, and there aren’t that many parts needed for the good one, so... If the first one goes well then maybe a second/third would as well. At $600 it seems almost too good to pass up even if it is just for doors and trunk.