My garage is becoming increasingly exotic.

[Schumi]

And probably not in the way you're thinking...

My girlfriend needed a car after the lease on her Audi ended last month. We've looked at everything from 944 Turbos, to BMW M3's, to Porsche Cayennes, to more M3's and 330i's. Nothing really hit the spot, a lot of bad BMW's out there to sort through and couldn't find a Turbo that was local in good condition.

This weekend she found something on Craigslist that she really liked.

A nice, sensible, practical daily driver.

She bought a 1993 V12 Mercedes 600SL R129 with 170,000 miles for less than the cost of a nice living room sofa set and a plasma TV.

My life has no lack of interesting vehicular activity.

[aigel]

How much?

That's a lot of car for the money, I am sure. And you'll need the savings to buy gas. Glad you went with the biggest motor you could get!

Remind me - does the metal top fold on that or is it a hard top that needs to come off.

G

[Schumi]

$4600.

Sticker price when new was around $130,000

The hard top is a big a$$ piece that comes off, and the soft top folds up from under the covers in the rear.

The hard top isn't that heavy, just and akward 2-person job. It is completely automatic when it comes to latching & unlatching- hold a button and it unlatches, top put back on you simply set it down with the pins in the holes and it sinches it down. The convertible top coming up is like a circus of hydraulic actuators.

It all works perfectly.

In fact, every single thing on the car works. AC blows cold. The ridiculous 12-way (or whatever they are) power seats with memory work in all directions. The Little wipers for the headlamps work.

Interior is spotless other than a rip in the drivers seat bottom that is covered by a seat cover.

Exterior has scrapes in the bumper cover plastics (woman before seemed to use the 'park-by-feel' method a few times). A door-ding here and there, and some touch-up spots where there were some rock chips. Everything is straight and it has some of the best body gaps and sealing I have ever seen.

It's surely a ticking-time-bomb, but for the money, who cares.

I told her she has two options:

1. Dump a few thousand into getting everything on it serviced and fix any problems found. Have a really nice car afterwards.

2. Do only the basics- change the oil. Don't give a f&%# about it, drive it as-is, see how far she goes. When it finally breaks, fix it if it is cheap and if not, part it out for what it is worth (which, in parts, is more than she paid for it)

[GG Allin]

Post pics of the first repair bill. Nice car none the less.

[GG Allin]

BTW, not sure most people notice but the hood and fenders are longer on that car than on the 6 & 8 cylinder versions.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by Schumi

$4600.

Wow.

[LSA]

That is awesome! I love those 90's sl's. I'd love a sl600 but I dunno if I could get over the auto only, I guess for the traffic you can get up there it makes sense though. Congrats and leave the hard top on! I think they look way better with the hard top left up.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by Schumi

2. Do only the basics- change the oil. Don't give a f&%# about it, drive it as-is, see how far she goes. When it finally breaks, fix it if it is cheap and if not, part it out for what it is worth (which, in parts, is more than she paid for it)

Unless you guys really really like the car - take this option. The two mercedes from that era my parents and brother have done this with went a LONG freakin' time. I'm not sure I'd trust newer ones to do the same.

[gshase]

The ones I see online are $50K

[GG Allin]

Originally Posted by gshase

The ones I see online are $50K

Here's one with no reserve.

Mercedes-Benz : SL-Class SL600 LOW MILES! 600SL 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 in Mercedes-Benz | eBay Motors

[aigel]

Nice score.

Option #2 for sure. That doesn't keep you from washing and waxing it and even have the dent guy go at it for $300 and clean it up a little.

That V12 has some good power.

G

[biosurfer1]

Wow, that is a deal and half. You'll make out on the + side if you have to part it out, especially if everything works.

I've always heard those things break and when they do, its a fortune...however when they run correctly, it makes those down times worth it!

[Schumi]

I just had another thought.

Option 3: drive it into the ground and then make a really nice coffee table out of the engine block.

[Flieger]

To really complete the exotic garage you would need a 928, of course.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Schumi

$4600............................................. ..............

2. Do only the basics- change the oil. Don't give a f&%# about it, drive it as-is, see how far she goes. When it finally breaks, fix it if it is cheap and if not, part it out for what it is worth (which, in parts, is more than she paid for it)

Exactly how I feel about Jags. Hoping to buy another soon just to park as a replacement for when I get all I can out of the present one.

[porsche4life]

I just had another thought.



Option 3: drive it into the ground and then make a really nice coffee table out of the engine block.

I like this option!

So..... I guess you both take the train to work? Since neither of you have reliable DDs?

[foxpaws]

The problem always is you get used to all the little Mercedes 'perks' (Like those 12-way power seats), and then, you have to enter reality when the little beastie finally breaks so much it doesn't make sense to fix it, and your next car is an 2004 Ford Taurus....

[Flieger]

I don't think I would ever be able to figure out the optimal configuration of a 12-way adjustable seat. 911 RSR shell seats and sliders for me.

[Schumi]

Originally Posted by Flieger

To really complete the exotic garage you would need a 928, of course.

This shouldn't be in green.

[DUK]

Originally Posted by schumi

i just had another thought.

Option 3: Drive it into the ground and then make a really nice coffee table out of the engine block.

+1