Hi all, I am Frank R. (Trini) As I have already posted, I just picked up a 1978 350SL with a 4-speed. I live in Queens, New York and this is my third MB. I guess I took a hiatus from MBs for a few years. I have about 30 years in the automotive field. I am presently a training specialist for AOL/TIMEWARNER and prior to this I was an instructional designer for various car manufacturers. I changed jobs because I was away from home too much, as a result I had no time to play with my toys. Now, I am back in high gear. My daily driver is a Jag and I have a 76 MGB and a 65 F85 Olds fully restored. I am working on a Mk II Jag and the MB at this time. The MB however, get the priority. The site is awesome. Kee up the good work.
Trini.

Hello all,

I bought a 1980 450sl (dark blue metallic/palamino) a couple of months ago, and am enjoying it greatly. It is sort of a "beater", in that previous owners seem to have accepted whatever broke as part of the aging process. It runs very well, and passed the strict California emissions test after a tune up and new aftermarket catalytic converter. There will be many items to repair as time and funds permit; the leather seats are falling apart, the odometer was disconnected at 151K by a previous owner, and the steering has some serious play. I'm not complaining though, as the car cost only $1,500 and has already provided that much fun! The body is in very good shape, though the clear coat from an earlier repaint job is flaking off.

Many thanks to the knowledgeable contributors here. This is as fine a discussion forum as I have seen on the web, on any subject, and I have already learned a lot.

I purchased a 1974 450 SL about two years ago. It's in good shape and with regrets to my wallet, it keeps getting better. I have put on new bilsteins, new leather, new brakes and plan to replace the old sun visors. My daily driver is a 1997 Volvo 960 and my wife drives a 1999 Isuzu Trooper. (Sounds like the perfect county setting, but I live smack in the middle of St Louis City)

I am having the car detailed right now, and am impatiently waiting for the coming of spring. I'll post some pictures after it gets cleaned up.

I am glad to see this much interest and help available for the 107, and I keep learning more about the car. The 450 SL is the car that was so cool when I was growing up, and to have one is even cooler.

No matter where you go, there you are...

I am Llewyn, a Dallas native, and I own a 1988 560SL with 55K miles. It is a weekend driver for me and in beautiful condition. The color is black pearl with burgandy interior and a black soft top (I have the hard top too). Oh, it has the chrome lip mouldings as well and I like them. It ads some flash. Stock wheels still on my 560 and no plans to change them out.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Llewyn,

Hi Frank (Trini), I also recently bought a 1977 350 SL 4 speed. I have not had much chance to mess with it with the weather. A leaking brake/clutch master cylinder has made it undriveable and I am not having any luck finding info on it to repair.

Hi,ho happy campers
I live in beautiful Banner Elk, NC up where the ski resorts are. I am real new to this site . Many years ago I use to restore 190 SL's .Recently we were able to purchase a '72 350 SL & a '75 450 SL. Both need WORK. My main work is furniture restoration and conservation.Past owners have really done a job on these , so , I am having trouble getting started. Would love to hear from anyone with a 350 SL ,this is where I am going to start.
Luck to all...Frank

Hi there. I'm Chris from Christchurch New Zealand. I bought a 1972 350sl blue/palamino interior for my wife - a 2003 Christmas present. She has always wanted this model. Done 121,000 miles (just a teenager) and we are setting about restoring her (the auto) to original condition. Engine is perfect - compression is as she left the factory - amazing. However it'll be a while before we actually see any visual difference. First up was every rubber bush in the suspension replaced, along with various small arms, and then all the hoses. Then some amateur underbody repairs put right. Now we are getting the *&#@#% heater going - the most complex thing in the vehicle I reckon. I have never seen an auto so massively constructed, especially the front end. We are lucky to have found an old-fashioned MB mechanic who did his apprenticeship in England on these vehicles - I think he loves the auto more than we do! Next up (after a breather to restore the cash batteries) is a full panel strip to metal and repaint. Loved this quote from an early review "The 350sl is built like a german tank and goes like a scalded cat". I don't get to drive but I'm waiting for my dream car to come along - a 1950s Mark VI Bentley convertible - anyone here got one for sale?
Chris Rennie

Greetings from Disneyland (home of Anaheim, California).

I'm the proud new owner of a somewhat-less-proud 1974 450SL which I got for a steal from the second owner last year. Silver with black interior, and everything appears to be original on this 172K-mile car. That's really great when everything works, and a real pain when it doesn't. I certainly have my work cut out for me!

In the first month I replaced the smog pump, alternator and a faulty fuel pump relay; this got the car running reliably. The body is solid, chrome in perfect condition, but new paint is definitely on the list. Many of the current "to-dos" focus on worn-out rubber: hoses, belts, window seals, etc. The interior is in fantastic shape except for a sloppily-installed dash cap and a pair of very bedraggled sun visors. One thing you have to say for vinyl is it will outlast any hide or wood. My electrics are all there, no shorts, but like everything else on the car they all need a good tightening, cleaning and seeing to, lots of dirty contacts and loose wires, need a new rheostat, new antenna. My biggest headaches are the vacuum systems. Everything from heating to central locking to fuel is losing pressure when the car sits, most likely because after 30 years the rubber seals are shot. Fortunately, I have a GREAT mechanic, and am not above spending weekends in the garage myself.

The good news is, despite all the quirks it is my preferred daily driver, often with the top down, and even with 30-year-old paint and rubber I think it looks and drives better than anything on the road today (ok well maybe the new SL-55s are some competition, but who has $132,000 just sitting around?). I'm delighted to find this forum -- part of the joy of owning this car is figuring out how to care for and restore it myself, and this resource is invaluable.

Hey group. My name is Adam from Rochester Michigan. We bought a 1980 silver 450SL 'bout 4 years ago with around 103K miles. Needs a little TLC all around but its all there and does look great on the road. It has the 2 year run Sienna Red interior. Right now its all stock (even the Becker Mexico). I'm thinking about putting in a later model 380SL trans. in with more then 3 speeds, (does anyone know anything about the difficulty of this). I'm planning on driving it daily this summer as I get my license this May and done all the work myself. Great Site, I look forward to many more posts.

Greetings! I'm Dave, from rainy Beaumont, TX, about 80 miles east of Houston.

I bought my 450SL as a birthday present to myself in January 2004. Like me, its a 1972 model, gold exterior with a two-tone brown interior. One of my customers nicknamed it the "Goldmember", and that seems to have stuck.

The interior looks absolutely great. The exterior is good, but has some nicks and scratches (especially around the back of where the hard top comes off) and just a bit of surface rust. Mileage at purchase was about 97k. The engine runs soooo smoothly, and I really love the growl.

This is my first Mercedes, as well as my first convertible; however, I have always LOVED roadsters and alyways wanted one. Thanks to a good sales year, now I've got one! I've already gotten so many comments on it, and the valet guy at this club the other night even parked it in the VIP spot.

My other car is a standard company car -- Dodge Decrepit, I mean Intrepid. So the "Goldmember" will be for nights & weekends.

1972 450SL

Hi!

I'm Tim from Portland, OR. I just bought an '86 560SL with 50,000 miles on it. I have been obsessing about a convertible for a year and finally decided on this classic. I'm 42 and experiencing an early mid-life crisis! My other car is a 2000 320E 4matic wagon, which I love, but is simply not sexy. As a single dad of a 4 1/2 year-old, (who, by the way, loves riding in his new booster seat in front where he "can see everything"[no passenger airbag]) I was looking for a sexy car.

I own my own retail business and have three stores in Oregon and one in Seattle; sell European bedding, towels, etc.

Since I mostly drive around town during the week, I'm going to partially retire the wagon and use the roadster. Weekends are spent at the beach, so I'm really looking forward to taking the roadster out in warm weather.

I'm happy to be through with my obsessions with brand new MB's; used and classics seems to be the best use of money.

I'm now interested in a 560SEC and when I open my 10th store, I'm going to find a 280SE Cabriolet!

This is a great site!

> I'm now interested in a 560SEC

Check out MBCoupes.com. They have a mailing list for the SEC cars. I own a black '89 560sec and love it. Wish I had a 280SE cab too!

> This is a great site!

Thanks, Tim!

Hello to all,I am Dennis Satterfield i have a 1979 450 SL and a 1982 300td. I am a 107 kind of a guy, the car is great,i am restoring it and doing the mechical first, there is not much to the cosmetics part to do on this 107.

Hello again, I am from the great state of FLORIDA [great SL weather]. Dennis

My Name is Guy like in the car guy. I bought my first and last Mercedes brand new back in 1969 for $5,000. It was a 230 4dr. sedan that my wife drove to work for 5 years.

Now 35 years later I still have the same wife but not the car. She has always wanted a Mercedes SL and with her 60th birthday coming up I decided to start looking for her dream car.
I am good with cars having restored a 1970 MGB to perfection so what I need is some help with what to look for and what to avoid. I look forward to finding out a lot of that here

I'm a lawyer (don't groan, everone needs one sooner or later)from Northern Calif. I own a black 87'560sl, which is my daily driver. She's got close to 110k miles, and is in remarkably good shape.

As a 1st time Benz owner, I scour the boards for info on repairs, replacement parts, etc. Like most people, I use a local mechanic who owns a small Benz specialty shop, but I learned rather quickly that common repairs cost uncommon amounts of money.

Love the site. Keep up the good work!

Hi all I am Dave from England. I have recently purchased ( Sept 2003) a 500sl and have been learning ever since. Not always the best order to do things but it was love at first sight and sound.
The car had effectively been laid up for many years only covering 23k in the last 13years. It had been housed in a barn of a manor house set in the Somerset hills.
Without any real idea what I was looking at I did not know what was original and what had been added
The wheels were 5 spoke alloys which apparently were optional at time of purchase, it has a wooden steering wheel and gear selector, cream leather with red piping to match the exterior.
The car ran rough but it still sounded great and nothing like what I imagined a Mercedes to sound like, It became apparent that it had a single box, no cat, stainless exhaust system on it that might make it a bit louder than standard. With a little work, new plugs, leads, cap, injectors cleaned, timed, new belts, water pump, tires, brake pads/disks and some specialist electrical help the car is back on the road again and is very quick for an old girl. I am looking to continue with a gradual restoration but the intention is to keep it on the road and enjoy turning heads with it’s good looks and great sound..

Other dream cars
Ferrari Daytona Spider,
Jaguar Mk2 4.2 E.Type,
Aston Martin DB6 Convertible.
New SLR

Hi I am new to the 107 site. My name is Jack from King George, Virginia I bought my first 560sl two weeks ago. Its white with gray int. 47K. And its in great shap.My wife and I did not have time to go look at this car, so we bought it on bline faith. I guess we were lucky,It was as the man told us. We were so excited to get it, It was so preaty sitting on the back of that truck. It has been my dream for a lot of years. Can't wait until the weather gets better so we can take the top down. We took it out last week with the top down and like to froze. Good days are coming
Jack

Hi again I forgot to say that my 560 is a 1989.Jack

I have a 1981 380sl, beautiful, sexy and fun.
Bought it 4 years ago with 81k now has 83k. It is not the fastest car i have had, but it is not the speed but how you look when you get there. A 107 is it... period...