Mercedes 450 SL, info?

[Airborne Ranger]

My Dad is considering buying himself a "toy" He's always liked and is very fond of the Mercedes 450 SL roadster. He doesn't know much about the car overall, history, reliability, maintence isssues and so forth. I would appreciate if any any advice you all may have about the car or perhaps maybe visit with some sites he can look at to find out more information and research the model. MY dad is neither a collector nor wealthy so he needs to make a good choice on a 450 SL. He is most interested in the convertible. Thanks everyone ,,,,,,,,,,,91

[Accumulator]

Here ya go:LINK

Neat little cars. My mother had one that I ended up driving a lot, and it was quite reliable. They ARE, however, getting to be pretty old, so expect a sorting-out period. Find a mechanic who KNOWS these cars. DON'T buy one that has any obvious problems. There are plenty of trouble-free/no worries examples for sale all the time.

The first 1.5-2 production year ones ('72-73, often badged "350SL") look SO good with their Euro bumpers! And they're a bit quicker than the later cars. Avoid the (uhm, I THINK) '75's or maybe '75-76 with the first style catalytic convertors. Big trouble.

DON'T buy one that has been repainted with a clearcoat! These are all single-stage paint cars and it's VERY good paint. Repaints should be SO good that you CAN'T tell (and again, they should still be in single-stage, NO clear).

With good snowtires you CAN drive them year-round if you have the hardtop. Get the Euro headlights, HUGE difference in visibility!! The factory radios suck like you can't imagine, but they do have shortwave capability (gee... )

Oh, and make sure your dad understands the headlight switch, it's easy to leave half the parking lights on and drain the battery (you'll see what I mean when you get one).

[Lynn]

Ah .... be still, my beating heart. This is the next car of my dreams. Fell in love with them in the 70s. Now I think this may be my next acquisition. Thanks for the good link, Accumulator! <slaps head> Why didn't I guess that of course you would have the definitive info!

[PrinzII]

Also, make sure you find a reliable source for parts. I think AdSit is one of the best places for Benz parts. www.adsitco.com (i think)

BTW, my mother also has one of those cars and I got to drive it on occasion. But this car is down now due to a sticking accelerator linkage.

[Wash_Me]

Does the 450 SL use leaded petrol?

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by Accumulator
DON'T buy one that has been repainted with a clearcoat! These are all single-stage paint cars and it's VERY good paint.

I have to disagree, especially with the red ones. Every single red SL I've ever detailed has had problems with the paint fading, one of them would begin fading again on the hood and trunk in about 6-8 weeks (the rest of the paint didn't fade as quickly, leading me to believe possibly the dealer repainted the hood and trunk before the car was sold). Most of the others would begin to fade in about 3-4 months if you didn't rewax them.

True, the appearance of the paint once it is polished out is terrific and there is very little orange peel. Obviously, if collector status is important, sticking with a single stage paint job is a must, but for a daily driver, a quality repaint with a base coat/clear coat paint job makes more sense.


Other than that, they are solid and mostly trouble free...and the styling is great!

[MBZ 500E]

For any type of technical question regarding Mercedes and enough threads to keep you busy for a long time regarding this and other MB's you need to check out www.mercedesshop.com. You can also purchase OEM parts at a great discount from this site. Only cheaper place to buy parts is to have a connection at your local dealer.

Also if you have a chance, join Mercedes Benz Club of America, there is a very large following for this car and I'm sure your local chapter can assist your father. This is also a good source to purchase an SL! Last but not least, the current issue of Star Magazine has an SL checklist which explains how to buy an SL of that era.

Briefly here are three very important precedures you should absolutely follow to insure you get a good car.

1. Run a carfax and pull a VMI (Vehicle Master Inquiry) on the vehicle. The seller will need to get this from the dealer (no charge) and fax it to you. A VMI will tell you if the engine is original and if the car has had any major warranty issues. One of the biggest reasons why older MB's can have problems is lack of maintenance. A well maintained car has much less headaches.

2. Have the car inspected by a trusted Mercedes Mechanic or the dealership, they should not have any affiliationto the owner of the car. Have a PPI done ($275.00) to determine what needs to be addressed.

3. Buy the best which can be afforded, it will make the ownership experience a joy.

[edschwab1]

F-150_91
Try to find a the Spet/Oct 03 issue of the Star, the MBCA magazine. Their is article on purchase a 450sl. Besides this article, there is a lot AMG action.

Eric