I BOUGHT A CHEAP MERCEDES SL500 FOR £4,500!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Before buying any used car, it's important to check it's history. Use the link below for a 20% discount or Discount Code HIGHPEAK : www.carvertica...
Today, I've bought a cheap Mercedes SL500 for just £4,500! Let's see what it's like...
If you're interested in getting into the used car industry, check out the website below for more information on my online course. It's only £27 per month with biweekly livestreams! There are nearly 100 videos covering a whole range of topics. Plus you can cancel at any time. Click below.
Visit www.highpeakautosacademy.com or click this link bit.ly/3rNtNhG
I'd be grateful if you could give the video a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe if you're new to the channel.
Check out my website: www.highpeakau...
Check out the HIGH PEAK store: www.highpeakst...
Follow Me:
Instagram - / highpeakautos
Facebook - / highpeakautos
Twitter - / highpeakautos
High Peak Property: / @highpeakproperty
Thanks for watching.
#highpeakautos #Mercedes #iMercedesSL500 #SL500 #MercedesSL #IBoughtACheap
I’m glad you changed your mind,changing the steering wheel & wheels would have been a crime
this era of mercedes is just something else, everything about it is solid and smooth
When they were still over engineered. That's why it's still going!
One of these crashed into my BMW 2007 3 series at 40mph. My BMW wasn't too bad, but the Merc was unrecognisable.
@@ChrisPatrick-q6k I know. I'm just replying to the original comment claiming the old mercs were solid.
@@ChrisPatrick-q6k No, the best Mercedes Benzs were built before 1996! if you know you know.
@@ChrisPatrick-q6kJust look up how many Mercs pre '96 compared to BMWs and Audi's of the same years and are still going strong. Even though Mercs were much much more expensive cars and sold in less quantities. The built quality is on another level. It's like comparing Bentley and Rover.
The Wonder Grip van was only a baby at the start of the video 😂
Its already a year old! Registered 1 June 2023
stealth delete wonder grip
Glued to the asphalt, good stuff Wondergrip 😂
A friend in Germany had one - 520,000 km ( 304,000 mls ) and it still went like a bullet, the brakes could put your nose on the screen.
We need to see a video with Jimmy The Magician in.
Please no!!
Now then!
@@Joemamma-c1f We may learn something
We may learn something from him.
When Mercedes genuinely were a cut above other manufacturers. Different era, cannot see that latest SL lasting this long
Well at least they're 85% aluminium so shouldn't rust too much
Mattt, corrosion also evident on Aluminium…..look at Jaguar….bi metal corrosion in fact.
Isn’t the wiring loom in these shrouded in something made from vegetable fibre and starts to decompose with time ?
Just look up legit street cars and see how much time & money the guy has spent on repairing his ‘03 SL 55 !
@@pobinrI’ve got a 2012 Audi A6 which is aluminium, it’s a clean car that’s been looked after and it’s corroding around the doors and arches…
At the age of 22 everyone would say it’s a Grandads car but in my opinion I would have this instead of something new great engine great interior it’s definitely a classic!
The epitome of Mercedes when owning a Mercedes meant you had money and taste.
A classy, elegant, timeless design, Bruno Sacco at his best!!
I worked in a Merc garage and think they are the ugliest cars ever built. = Tanks :o)
@@AlanReynoldsBucklandJunction have you seen a Fiat Multipla?
@@AlanReynoldsBucklandJunctionoh Alan..
We've owned ours for 12 years, absolutely love it, silver with black leather, just turned 125K, horrendously expensive to maintain and run, but puts a smile on our face every time we use it. Of to France and Spain in it next week. Incidentally the air-conditioning doesn't work on ours, but as it's a sunny weather car doesn't bother us. Fantastic cars if you have deep pockets, but long term like other older Mercs, will appreciate in value.
Sure you can fix the air ,lifes to short to drive boring cars ,if you get pleasure from it who cares if it costs a bit more to run .
When you say horrendously expensive to maintain, would you mind sharing some examples of the jobs you’ve had to do? I always thought the r129 had moderate service costs given how expensive the car initially was.
@@yourcreditmanager recently replaced cat, discs and pads all around, most of the suspension bushes, and a service and two tyres, almost £1900. Fuel consumption is 12-15 around town driving lightly, 20-25 on a run,we only use premium unleaded. Had the gearbox failure unexpectedly at 88k cost over 3k , had some electrical issues in our ownership, and hydraulic problems with roof to fix twice. But the V8 engine has been faultless. So far from cheap to run and maintain. Insurance is surprisingly cheap though because it's a third vehicle and now classed as a classic.
@@richyclubsport5155Interesting. I guess it’s luck. I had an SL320 of the same era and a CLK500 (2004 model) after that.Neither was expensive to maintain or run. I used a very good MB specialist in Hampshire (the guys are all Merc owner/fans themselves) and had no big bills of any kind, just routine services, consumables and a slightly scary gearbox service on the CLK at 10 years (in lieu of 60k miles, which it hadn’t reached). But it’s a V8 Merc - if you’re interested in fuel economy you really bought the wrong car. My CLK managed mid 20s most of the time but you had to have the lightest of toes to get it to break 30, even on a long run at low ish speed. And of course if you stuck it in “sport” and put your foot down it made a wonderful noise and pinned you to the seat, but well south of 15 mpg.
If you like cars, owning a Merc V8 is one of life’s pleasures that isn’t really that expensive if you buy well and have it as a second car.
I’ve a really clean 1998 SL500 with 55k miles on it. What’s the thoughts on its value in the uk?
These would be sky high if they were sold in less numbers as the quality is peak Merc , It's amazing they sold so many as they were the price of house in 80s/90s. The sl pre merger cars will be the ones that do well- also think the early models look a lot better as they have aged.
It's...
@@seedybee7201pointless pedantry.
@@ChrisPatrick-q6k I like the even older ones like the 190E. Looks good even now.
@@ChrisPatrick-q6kGive your head a wobble
That era SL is getting popular. Worn out and badly kept SL's are already in the scrapyards. This car still has the charm that late 80's Mercs had.
Back in 1990 when the SL500 was introduced my next door neighbour, a former Mercedes dealer, brought one of the first to enter the country for his 75th birthday at a cost of £75,000.
At the time these attracted a substantial premium, because of the long waiting list and I recall ads in the Sunday Times for £120/£130k.
how's your next door neighbour getting on these days?
500SL back then.
Hitler is dead but as he wanted never forgotten
Remember these when new, the son of the local main Mercedes dealer was dating a girl who lived opposite me, he was the Sales Director and ran one as a company car. Looked so cool on sunny days with the top down.
OOOh - don't change the alloys. Keep it as original as possible for future value retention. There are beautiful cars and I have owned several. They normally had a Becker stereo. The 500 is the best engine.
When I was 21 years old I bought a Porsche 944s. My uncle who was quite a wealthy mom took me to pick it up in this Mercedes 500 SL. 25 years later I still get incredibly nostalgic every time I see a 500 SL. Your doing god's work Matt! ❤
Your uncle was a wealthy mom? Now thats an uncle id like to follow.
Sell it before the hydraulic suspension starts leaking!
I loved the monowiper on my e320. I never had it chatter on the windscreen no matter how old the blade was.
Only the 600sl had hydraulic suspension. The roof is hydraulic on all of them and can start spraying fluid when it goes wrong
@@alexanderstefanov6474 that is incorrect, my 500Sl has ADS.
Rear view mirror touch is amazing. So much to like on these. I can smell it from here. Lovely. Not for me but what a nice thing.
That interior is just insanely cool! Totally different from the soul less cheap screens we have today. This here just screams quality.
Now that's more like it,a proper classic collector's car..... something to be enjoyed 🌟🎊🤩🥳
You didn't put new number plates on 😭😭😭..... what's going on Matt😵💫😵💫😵💫
It's probably on its last legs 😂
I remember my boss buying TWO mercedes from this era (his and hers), both with custom plates and the envy of everyone. The single front wiper was weird to see how a single blade had an eccentric motion which managed to clean 90% of the glass. He did not pass it down to me 3 years later - as was his wont.
I’ve been looking at these all summer. To be fair… I’ve been looking at them since 1991. 😂
Lol no need need to fix air con u can take roof off. Definitely a keeper i love this car💟
Always worth joining a specialist forum / social media group if you get one of these.
If the air suspension starts playing up thats a potential money pit.
Only visit forums if you want to be talked out of a purchase. They’re full of idiots
I'm shocked Matt - SHOCKED... YOU putting in a non-original head unit? I thought you hated such atrocities in older vehicles...
The Blaupunkt units blend really well and are well priced (£110 for DAB and Bluetooth), recently put one in my 944, the matt colour and styling blend in really well. Some models have a built in mic for the bluetooth so even less intrusive. My only regret was not fitting a higher spec one which has more adjustability on sound and display.
I own three Mercs, and would love one of these as my fourth.
As a Benz enthusiast, I had a warm and fuzzy feeling for this entire video. Such a beauty.
At some pivotal point in car design history, designers collectively decided that headlight wipers were a crappy idea really 😊
I suspect it's down to pedestrian safety regulations
I’ve always liked the Mercedes in the original Roadhouse film 😊
Sec I think
The Alpine system is very high quality, changing them for cheaper lossy aydio would be unwise❤
Great video Matt 👏. More like this with semi-classic bargains, and You are so modest and ridiculously fair with your pricing, that I'm sure it was a rush to buy this beauty.
When I lived in Cairo and then Beirut old Mercs were the di-rigore. I drove from Beirut to, Alex, Cairo, Alex, El-Alamein, Bengharzi, Tripoli, Leptis Magna, Tunis, Algiers, Rabat and Casablanca then all the way back to Baghdad, Tehran and Damascus in slime green MB W123 series. It had 230km's on the clock then. It was battered, dented, had several bullet holes in it, one front light that worked and the indicators were who's ever arms dangled out of the windows at a junction. It carried sheep, goats, chickens, a baby camel, kids, soldiers, bandits, Yasser Arafat (the real one), my Egyptian brother-in-law and entire family, sister and few AK47's. The last I heard of it was about ten years ago and it 350km's on the clock. I remember it was a poverty spec one with the only option of air conditioning which is a must in Upper Egypt. (Oh it went to Khartoum and Addis Ababa). These things will keep going providing you change the oil every 5000 km's (you had special oil for hot countries if I recall), keep the water topped up and had the a/c serviced. That ere a Mercs just keep going. Even now you see really old battered but working ones.
If you want a road trip, do the North African coast. Forget the rumours of bad people. Algerian people were just pleased that someone bothered to visit their country. Libya is a spectacular country.
Fantastic
erm, may we ask when u did the trips? Today apparently there are very serious risks.
@@18_rabbit Around the mid 1980's. The Middle East and most Arabian & Ex French countries are a bit like Northern Ireland during "The Troubles". If you looked for trouble, you found it. I find if you respect the country you are in at the time and observe local laws and traditions, you'll get on fine. I went back to Beirut recently and I had no trouble despite the problems with their neighbours. All you have to remember is that one man's terrorist is another man's saviour. It all depends on what side of the fence you are sitting on. After all, us English people are not all saints when it comes to conflicts abroad... I also went back to Tehran a few years back and met one security official who threatened to kill me at the airport in 1987 (Think post Argo Incident), yet when we met up I stayed in his house as a personal guest and was shown the country. Don't believe the crap you read in the news here in the UK. Most people abroad are just normal people.
Be nice if some of the jobs being done were shown. Sorting rust, painting, wheel refurb.
Lithuania gets mentioned.. For supplying a faulty part :D :D
Agreed they are pretty cars and also pretty damned expensive to fix when they go wrong too.😅
Fantastic example at a very reasonable price. Can’t believe how cheap it is in comparison with other cars of today. Sadly I can easily afford it, but I have nowhere to store it ! Love Sam at SBR , brilliant dry sense of humour 😂
Could buy a used condenser from Dronsfields. It’s luck of the draw if it fails quickly or goes on for years but worth a punt in summer.
I’ve had a poor experience with Dronsfield so I refuse to use them now
@@HighPeakAutos They nearly killed me when they serviced a S class. Didn’t replace broken fuel line clip. Popped off when driving up a country road, sprayed engine bay in fuel, instant loss of power, cabin full of smoke. Good job it was diesel or it’d have gone up in flames. Led me to SPR which I’ve used for 12 yr.
Don't like mercs especially the modern ones, but this looks like a right classic. Great video.
Hi Matt as a car dealer I'm surprised you keep any car for long, everything should be sold for the right price! Property is a better vehicle for spare cash.
Do both, twice the fun.
I do both
When you mentioned Whaley Bridge it brought back some memories of the last Hotel I owned....then sold....the Jodrell Arms Hotel (next to the train station). Probably been made into flats now but good memories. I like the Merc & was thinking of buying one. The suspension put me off as there are many reports of faults. Whoever buys this should have an appreciating classic that has been well looked after..........all the best Matt....keep going...the man-flu will go away...
I don't think it's this R129 model with the suspension issues. It's an issue for the subsequent R230 which I have. The ABC suspension system is notoriously fragile and expensive to repair. You have to stay on top of it, always. And its a fundamental characteristic of the car, it works brilliantly when functioning, so swapping it out for coilover springs is equivalent to desecration.
Owned an ex-Japan 1994 SL500 and it proved to be reliable and fun. Hardtop more trouble than it is worth; softt top is all you need. Not an appreciating asset IMHO.
See if you can find the big daddy of them all.. an SL600 or better yet, an AMG version of that!
4500 is a steal
That electrically adjustable rear view mirror is not a gimmick. It's used by memory seating which adjusts all 3 mirrors. Every day after my wife uses my E220 I wish my memory system would do that. Mine only does door mirrors
The most disturbing thing about this video is the stonewash jeans and white socks! I know the Mercedes is from the 90’s but that’s dedication to wear the fashion from the same era! 😂
Evergreen tyres are quite a very good tyre. Part of the Happygallop group
Upgrade the oil feeding pipes under the cam cover from plastic to aluminium bits, you should know this liking the 90's V8;mercs so much 😊
Lovely looking motor matt but the right decision to move it on you can't keep everything good luck with the sale 👍
Beautiful car. Love this period of Mercedes, remember my grandad having this gen SL500 in dark blue. The grandchildren were only allowed in it once or twice 😂
The engine tick is super easy to fix! Most replace the cheap plastic cam like tubes. They sit right on top. A five year old kid could fix them.
If you need a condenser, I bought a Mahle-made unit from Autodoc. Fitted it myself, no leaks.
A shame you couldn't have kept the SL500 Matt, It's dead tidy and has been so well cared for by it's previous owners, With it's service history, Stack of receipt's, Original sales brochures etc and all the stuff that came with it new like the first aid kit and the roof tool etc it would be a surefire investment IMO. You would be hard pushed to find another one so complete 👍
I think these mercs were built by Daimler/Benz,Before Chrysler/jeep Petronas got hold of them,Quality went right down after original manufacturer had them,Great video Matt.
"A few months ago, I bought an SL320" straight away you can tell this is old footage
Also "The last MOT was in July this year".
Different cars.
@@robcookson7559 Irrelevant. July this year hasn't happened yet. So for the last MOT to have been in July this year means the footage was shot in 2023.
Explains the Wonder Grip van
Not sure what the big deal is? Make it sounds like it's a bad thing
Very accurate and precise it shows that yhe ultimate success in the Normandy campaign was driven by British and Commonwealth forces.
This is the era of engine wiring looms that disintegrate. Also so many parts are unobtainable so ive got 3 w140s which provide spares.
Even though it's a 93, it's still a gorgeous modern looking car, my fave Merc the r129
I agree, lose the pioneer stereo and replace it with a Blaupunkt retro system.
Beautiful car and Mercedes at its best
The amount of "toys" still current to this date (heated seats, adaptable suspension).... It really must have been something special back in 1994 when it came out!
Replace the radio with a blaupunkt Bremen. Classic period styling, all the modern conveniences.
Love the R129 as much as you do. On my street last month was parked a 320 in nearly mint condition - just over 30,000 miles on it! It was there for a few days, so it was the first time I'd ever got up close with one. Every bit as beautiful as I'd have hoped, light blue with a beige interior.
Clear indicators are standard and look far classier than orange.
The wheels would have been originally diamond cut. My R129 SL320 are diamond cut.
@@Yorkshiremadmick Early cars were all painted, diamond cut came in for facelift cars
Hello Matt, I hope you got over your cold / flu. Do you still have your SL320? You've really done a nice job on it! (Mercedes-Benz started the electric rear view mirror in the W140 line; it was indeed something the 1990s; they did stop it in the 1996 facelift of the W140; people were breaking them by moving them manually 😅)
I am still turning after these SL cars, but not brave enough to own one, based on the age. The price of the welding is brutal in the UK, and the waiting list is terribly long.
I once new a girl called Mercedes in my younger days ! And she was definitely running on 9 cylinders !! and also a very nice model ! 😁 hence to say this vehicle is very stylish and has a lot more life in it 👍…The End 😃
If her father's name was Karl Benz, you're older than you think. 😉
Brilliant car but if the biodegradable wiring loom starts doing its stuff they're a nightmare
Why not Park the two side by side, swap the better parts onto the 500 and move on the other,zero cost, just a thought 🤔
Don’t try to move that mirror manually. It will break and your eyes will water at the cost to replace it.
Buenos dias I'm here in Benidorm just caught this video looks like a great car I can't believe it took a year to get it ready and the fact you forgot you had a Mercedes that's brilliant good luck with the sale on both of them cheers Phil from Benidorm
This is a beautiful looking car, not sure if it’s the shape, the colour, or both.
I really do like it, great video as always Matt❤.
Fantastic car ❤
Wooden steering wheel smacks of golf club Captain
My brother owned a SL500, the money pit. So difficult to drive these on a budget, even if it's high.
Ha an alpine stereo I remember when they used to last about a month or two before it got nicked and all that was left was a hole with wires 😂 you don’t hear of car radios being stolen anymore. ps : I hired a 500sl back then it was a month old and I had to be 30 or over which I was I used it to take a girl friend to the Henley regatta for the weekend it was brilliant the hotel reserved the best parking space for me….those were the days…..
The drama is diminished knowing Sam offered the vehicle to you. I do not think Sam would snap one off in anyone.
There are some things to watch out for on the SLK and could well be applicable to the SL and indeed other mercs.
If you buy a Merc of this era or are considering buying one , make sure the roof works , check for any signs of wheel arch paint bubbling all around . If it’s all clear then at the earliest opportunity and preferably on a hot day , pump the internal panels and joint areas of these areas full of waxoyl or similar .
In the SLK (and probably others ) in the boot on the right hand side under the mat lives the air pump for the central locking .
It lives in a two part foam rubber case .
This can collect wetness and wreck the pump over time .
Ease the foam case out , split it , gently take the pump out and check for wetness .
I always reassemble it and tuck a small wad of tissue under the foam case on the outside to wick away any moisture!
By the way , as soon as you lift the boot mat , take a photo of the right hand side where the jack and the air pump live as it can be a pig to reassemble if you’ve forgotten how it came out !
Take the spare wheel out of its storage .
Check the space for dampness and anywhere where paint has rubbed off due to the wheel moving around
Ease the drain plug rubber out , make sure it’s clear . Waxoyl the area .
Put drain rubber back in and get a sheet of fabric , maybe an old towel . Cut a hole in middle to slip over the central wheel securing pin .
Lay it in the wheel well and fit wheel over it .
This will dampen any noise , absorb moisture and prevent the spare wheel rubbing on the bodywork
Never did see the blue soft top; I wonder if the hydraulics were working. It is interesting to see the hood release remains on the left side of a right wheel drive car.
Not that I pretend to be an expert, but my experience of owning German cars of that age was that they suffered from all manner of electical issues - just about all these were caused be damp getting to the CPU / corroding wiring in the BUS system that meant bad earthing and intermittant connections. My old VW Passat TDI had 275,000 recorded miles, looked and drove like it was fresh out of the showroom, but failed the MoT because the central locking had died. CPU / wiring harness issues - no after-marked spares - not even cheap Chinese knock-off's to be had. Same thing with my Merc ML320 - Weird electrical problens - sometimes something worked - other times not. Your SL 500 might have been built before they began playing around with early electronics, but if not, I wouldn't even look at it
On one of the roads near me there's a SL500 in blue it's been sat for years and I've never seen it move. Its well nice though i like seeing it on my way to work. The guy who owns it also has a CL500 that one has moved a bit but only for MOT😂Had a clean MOT every year but it sits for the entire year otherwise. Fact both cars aren't ULEZ compliant doesnt exactly help either
The electronically adjustable rear view mirror is cool, but the moment I saw it, I thought, Why ISN'T that something you just have on every car? I mean its not some cutting edge technology, its just the guts of a wing mirror, we've been able to make things move because of electricity for a while now.
Having becoming more retro with age and now own a 99 E320 diesel 108k so I can relate to everything. Yes, it's getting tired looking now but has never broke down. Sure it will see me out
Ohhh 1:01 i half expected you hand brake turning the range chasing after the Merc and offering to buy it, you do have quite a thing for a SL
Check the cam oilers, thats the typical cause of ticking
Fabulous car, hope you turn a profit on this one as very lovely car, and an appreciating classic and LOOKS fantastic!
Personally I don't think the R129 is the best looking SL made it had a hard act to follow aftet the previous R107. Can't deny they were very well built and ahead of their time.Seems they can be picked up quite cheaply but need plenty of cash for maintainance and repairs. Nice original example this one hope you find it a new home!
I lived in Whaley Bridge until 1987 and School Garage was Suzuki dealer back then.
Please do a walk through of your personal car collection.
I got a stunning blue jaguar xf x260 3lt s with added options if you fancy doing a should you buy on it matt. 👍 been following you for some time now 😊
These are the kind of car you would keep! It looks like a 10k car ❤
Great car and a real classic. I would keep the rims instead of switching to AMG ones. They are a bit too flashy for my taste
You forgot the wooden steering wheel
Enjoyed this vid. Cheers
If Sam at SPR has been looking after the car, it’s been in good hands. Quality team who know their stuff - 👍
Nice car, pity we didn’t see it with the roof down 😊
This model is self driving @ 17:18
8:01 it’s unusual to find one with the rear view mirror working. They break if moved by hand. Then again, SPR would fix stuff like that.
I love my 00 CLK 320 Cabrio…can only imagine how this must feel. Well done.
I had one to replace a 2000 CLK cabriolet. My wife hated the SL but loved the CLK.
I can’t see why she hated it but as it was for fun days out it was pointless having a car she wouldn’t get in!!
The CLK will soon be a rarer car as they’re all rusting away so easily and their values don’t make people commit to expensive repairs
3:53 Last MOT in July this year?! 😮😂 do you travel in time? Or what are you ok? Something wrong?
It was filmed last year 😂
That Mercedes is amazing 😍❤ Great video and content. I wonder if the wonder grip will still be a baby when we get the next video 🤣
Another great video Matt, but please, for the love of god, keep your eyes on the road. Just in case I’m in front of you. Thanks 😂
I love the idea of chain restoring Mercedes SLs :D
Great work Matt - you're much more pragmatic in 2024 now 😂. Love the videos. What about a shot of Jimmy, your mechanic, or your valeters sometime ? May be interesting to get their view on your car picks😂 😅😅