Is it safe to knock on strangers' doors right now?

"Mike Farber" (mikefarber)
05/18/2020 at 15:52 • Filed to: Mercedes R129, Jaguar XJS, Cincinnati, Mt. Adams, Carspotting, Life in the time of Covid-19

Throughout the coronavirus quarantine, I’ve spent my time coming up with ways to break the cabin fever. Ultimately, my dog and I now enjoy a nice little walking route in a cute neighborhood called Mt. Adams, a hilly enclave nestled right next to Downtown Cincinnati. The hills are a great way to beef up your calves and the architecture is almost too picturesque, but my favorite part of this neighborhood is the cars parked on the street.

Two cars, in particular, have tickled my fancy. Both of them V12s, by the way. One is an R129 Mercedes SL600, black on black with AMG monoblock wheels. I love R129s. I keep thinking of episodes of Law and Order, filmed while Jerry Orbach was still alive, where the victim was rich. Their car, taken in for evidence, was almost always an R129 SL. It’s the last true old-school Benz. I’ve seen it parked in different places, so it’s good to see it’s still being put to good use. I was able to get this from Street View.

The other is more of an enigma, and I couldn’t find it on Google Maps. It’s this diaper gravy colored Jaguar XJS, kind of like the one James May drove that always leaked oil in an old episode of Top Gear. This Jag’s seen better days. The tires are flat, and as ugly a shade as it is, the color looked relatively pretty while the paint still had its sparkle. Inside, the wood has lost its varnish and the leather seats are all torn up as if Joe Exotic had thrown one of his tigers in there. But you can’t ignore the styling of the XJS, even in this kind of state. It’s a beautiful thing, even if it’s been sitting in the same place since I started my walking route and even before then. I want to pay a compliment to the guy who owns the Benz, but from whoever owns the Jag, I just want to know its story. It’s almost like speaking with an old relative but in car form. I need to learn more.

Now, given how dangerous these times are and the risks that come with meeting strangers, I’m hesitant to knock on these people’s doors. I’ll wear a mask if I do. But would it be worth it just to get a minute of their time and know more about what they drive, enthusiast to enthusiast? And if you do live in the Cincinnati area, Mt. Adams more specifically, do you know these people? It might make a good story.

DISCUSSION (20)

Brickman > Mike Farber
05/18/2020 at 16:39

mail a letter to them :)

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Mike Farber
05/18/2020 at 16:43

Just a 1950s “neighborly curiosity”. Nothing more. Absolutely nothing more.

Kinja'd!!!

fintail > Mike Farber
05/18/2020 at 17:07

Either of these cars are likely much more dangerous than the new novel COVID-19 Coronavirus.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Mike Farber
05/18/2020 at 17:22

I lust after R129s as well, itching to get one someday soon. I browse regional CL ads for them quite regularly, came across this one in Vegas the otherday. Those door cards look a bit odd but I’m assuming they’re stock? The chrome wheels aren’t my thing either, but j ust love the color of this car -

https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/d/henderson-1999-mercedes-sl500-amg/7124159168.html

Too poor ot go V12, but a good old SL500 will do just fine.

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/18/2020 at 17:26

Pretty sure that gator skin isn’t stock, I’ve never seen anything like that before, anyway. AMG badge/plaque also appears to be more of a fun item than something original to the car.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Mike Farber
05/18/2020 at 17:47

The guys trying to sell me on a roof inspection for replacement sure seemed to think so.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/18/2020 at 18:37

Hmm don’t know enough about these supposed “special editions” to be able to tell if that is a real thing or not, super sketchy if it isn’t.

Still love the green and tan combo, too bad about the rest.

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/18/2020 at 18:45

The AMG badge on the trunk is a dealer or owner-installed thing, definitely not stock. This is not an AMG car, rather AMG trim, an appearance package . The plaque might have came along for the ride with the trunk badge (plaque does not appear to be an official AMG item) . The only real special edition of that era that comes to mind is the Silver Arrow.

Doesn’t look bad and the color is indeed nice, but price is also maybe a little optimistic. These can still be seriously cheap.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/18/2020 at 19:48

yeah the miles are low and the color is nice - if not for the door cards (changing that is probably going to cost more than you would expect) and the chrome rims (just personal preference I guess) this would be a good contender if listed at $10k. For $13k, no thanks.

This thread led me to this Hagerty article - https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/definitive-1990-2002-mercedes-benz-r129-sl-buyers-guide/

Sounds like there were a few more “special” editions - Black Diamond Edition, Slate Blue Edition, and Formula One Edition towards the latter years, but yeah the Silver Arrow is definitely the one that is most famous. The car deserves a nicer color in my mind, but understand the heritage behind that decision.

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/18/2020 at 20:33

Miles are low for a car of that age, but nothing too special for an SL - these things are often owned by oldsters who use them as Sunday cruisers. “The Star” MBCA magazine usually has several with under 50K on them, and prices no better than this. I’d want to be in at 10K or so at most. 129s have a lot of presence and are a lot of car for the money, but exist in such high numbers that I don’t see much appreciation potential save for the best or rarest (AMG or 5-speed) cars.

I recall the 20th A nniversary one, but I think that and the Silver Arrow were the only ones with actual special badging - the others might have been more like Designo-style packages. If one wants to go all out, seek an SL73, not too long before all 129 variants can be sold in the US.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Mike Farber
05/19/2020 at 05:32

it’ll be fine, if you want to be murdered.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/19/2020 at 18:58

129s have a lot of presence and are a lot of car for the money, but exist in such high numbers that I don’t see much appreciation potential save for the best or rarest (AMG or 5-speed) cars.

Agreed - which I see as a positive. Plenty to choose from and wait for the right car, without worrying about prices getting out of your reach in the blink of an eye (oh how I regret not having bought that E30 M3 for $10k or clown shoe Z3M for $15k a bit over a decade ago!). As long as it’s not going to be a depreciating asset (and at this $ value, not that big a concern) it’ll just be a fun leisure car that I won’t feel bad just having sitting there instead of in some form of traditional investment.

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/19/2020 at 20:41

Exactly - you can get a lot of car for a relatively low amount of money. These also won’t have the issues of the R230 while being a lot more modern than a 107. The 90s can be a good place to be. Probably at the bottom of their depreciation curve too, or at least close to it. If I had time and space I might even seek one, I am a sucker for the pano roof option which started for MY 96 or 97 I believe. A period AMG car with pano would be the one.

I have similar memories of once-cheap cars. 20 years ago you could get decent Pagoda 230SLs for 15K all day long, and 190SLs in the 30s easy. And don’t get me started on 911s then.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/20/2020 at 11:24

Ha right around the same time around 2010 I remember how cheap old 911s were compared to today as well and still thinking the prices were crazy - but hey, I also probably should’ve bought a shitty condo somewhere, anywhere, in the bay area where I was living back then for around $300k which also seemed like insanity then - I’d be a millionaire today!

Hindsight is 20-20, all we can do is make the decisions that seem most reasonable to us at the moment and not regret them. Begs the question - what are today’s equivalents of those cars mentioned that we’ll be looking at in 10-20 years in disbelief?

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/20/2020 at 12:40

I know a guy who bought a very nice ~72 911S in the early 00s. He paid stupid little money for it, I want to say under 20K. He timed that one right!

Yeah, no point dwelling on the past, but it is fun to look back. Real estate behaved similarly here in the Seattle metro. In 1999, my great-grandmother decided to go into assisted living, and as the family didn’t want to deal with a rental house (and the money would have been nice peace of mind), her house in a nice Seattle neighborhood was sold. It sold for a good market ptice then, I forget what, but it was under 300K. What it is worth now makes me cringe. And the insane lottery tickets had by luckyboomers who bought in the 80s are really amusing.

There’s been so much of a speculative bubble in so many 80s-90s cars over the past few years, it’s hard to predict. Some early AMG and M cars might still be undervalued. I’d like to see the 928 fare better, along with some MBs we mentioned, but I am not too optimistic. First gen MR2s also, perhaps.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/26/2020 at 17:01

Getting back on SL500s, just saw this pop up in the SF Bay Area. It’s at a dealership with a sketchy name (they seem to have a few SL500s) and mileage isn’t low (but not an amount I would mind) - sports package, monoblocks, HID lights, pano roof, and supposedly convertible top has been serviced...this one ticks a lot of boxes if it’s legit! And 97 sounds like the sweet spot as far as year goes.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/ctd/d/santa-clara-1997-mercedes-benz-sl500/7128808674.html

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/26/2020 at 18:28

Nice, that one is definitely equipped properly. Not my first choice of colors, but the options are perfect, and that is a good year. If it fared well in a PPI, it could be one to go after. If I am remembering CA plates right, it appears to be wearing older plates too, maybe original to the car , which bodes well.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/26/2020 at 19:22

Yup good eye, those plates do suggest that they are original to the car and that the car is probably a lifelong CA car too.

Now if only I were actually in the market. Found a pretty green one up your way in WA going for like $5k on FB Marketplace...not the nicest options (chrome wheels) but beautiful paint and seems to be in spectacular condition.

I’m resting easy just seeing how many of these things are out there. When I’m ready to get rid of the E46 (honestly not in love with it at all, and the stick doesn’t really mean enough to me anymore) will be nice to jump in to one of these.

fintail > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
05/26/2020 at 20:43

I’m kind of a plate geek, not as much as with WA plates, but I’ve learned a little. When things are in numeric sequence, it becomes easy.

I just took a look at marketplace - I saw the green car. Looked decent, and the price is good, but I know that’s a wiring harness year - I am pretty sure 129s are impacted too. There’s another green 98 on marketplace, basic model but even cheaper - not an enthusiast seller, but cheap :

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2444879398961515/

Yeah, there are plenty out there and that will continue. You can take your time finding the right one.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > fintail
05/27/2020 at 10:46

Ah yes, the R129s are definitely impacted by the self degrading wiring harnesses as well. That car you linked is crazy cheap (even after factoring in those poor wheels)!