You had the same model as me, i bought it as a 50th birthday present for me, i am now 72, the cars been laid up for a few years so i am now getting it ready for its Gov inspection, its cost an arm and a leg to replace parts so i shop around, even using fraubenz for second hand parts in UK , I carry a voltage regulator plus other bits as a spares package. This weekend i will put the new rad in, the AC condenser rad is shot to bits, but that will have to wait, I notice on several parts site the nissan may also use the same condenser. Best to remove the rad and condenser as a package its quicker than trying to fiddle around. I would recommend any 300SL owner should take a peep at two pipes behind the grill one is for gearbox cooling ( i replaced mine due a pin hole leak) and the other is for water , Access to rear brake pipes is a problem so at the gov insp the garage will replace no doubt another arm and a lag job. Regular oil changes are a must as is gearbox servicing and back axle. They are a great looking car and i wanted to take mine to Thailand where i had retired but my Thai wife said no, its too sexy, and she is right the car does look sexy. Thanks for a great video, Cheshire UK
That is so cool! I had mine for only about 8-9 years and drove it daily. They are a lot of car, with speed, power, grace and luxury. That said, yes, some of the parts can be expensive, but they still compare favorably with modern car parts prices. If yours has been off the road & unused for a while, many of the seals and gaskets, and some of the rubber suspension components, will need attention, but the actual hardware holds up very well, even in storage. You are really going to enjoy the results of waking up your sleeping beauty.
Yes, the R129 is truly an astonishing car: speed, power, grace, luxury, and in many ways the End of an Era. Your V8 will have slightly higher costs than my 300SL, 2 more spark plugs, a little heavier makes some things wear faster, like tires, and suspension & motor mounts, but that M119 engine is one of the best. Enjoy!
Yes, good to see another video! My all time fav was the dash flash repair where you show how to fix those bad capacitors in the instrument cluster and ME all thumbs and no skills what so ever me FIXED the dam thing...I was SHOCKED and every time I turn my turn signal on I thank you! Keep em coming...Thanks again!
Thank you! I did have fun making that DashFlash video, one of my first using many cuts. It was such a relief to me when I fixed the problem that I knew I should let other Mercedes owners see it too.
Interesting! I currently drive a 1999 R129 SL500 roadster, & a 1995 W140 S500 coupe as daily drivers, and the issues I have experienced have been of the generic variety; water pump replacement (after 122,000 miles!) replacement of aged tires, and a stubborn cabin fan that keeps blowing in the coupe, (due to moisture getting to the fan motor.) In addition to many Merc passenger vehicles, I have also owned a some unusual models as well. For example, a 1963 Unimog German Army radio truck, a trio of 309d Omnibuses, etc. Insurance? I pay $180.00 every six-months for three vehicles, and fuel costs are the only steep costs that I can complain about. (Knock on wood!) I have also owned a number of R107 roadsters ranging from a 450SL, 380SL, to 560SL, and did not experience such high running costs. Despite this, it bears to remember that cars are machines, and all machines eventually break! I offer the following: Purchase the best example you can afford, if you absolutely have to have a certain car. Well abused and neglected vehicles will be costly to own in the long term, and this has nothing to do with the said cars reliability. Such cases only come to show that cars that have been neglected too long simply make for poor investments, (unless they are very unique and in demand.) You will spend much more at the dealership for repairs that would cost you significantly less at a given local shop. If you want to buy a classic Merc (or any other make,) it is best to find one that has already had much of the restorative work performed. A common mistake folks make is to over-restore their cars, throwing into them much more in expenditures than the cars are worth to begin with. (Exception: A car that you are emotionally attached to, and plan to keep for the rest of your life.) It is up to you to find the competent mechanics you would trust. Much more could be said on the subject, but this is a good start. P.s., I think if I had a car that cost me nearly $50,000 that said car would no longer be under my ownership! I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago!
You've certainly had a lot of older Mercedes! And good advice about picking out the best condition over the cheapest when buying used.(and sadly, R107 cars are starting to get way out of my price range these days.)
Bravo! I learned to drive on a w111 220s in 1967... Mercedes was already a very particular and distinctive car. How much would have cost a 1990 Chevrolet to keep it on the road? Probably less. And probably a cheaper driving experience. Here is the point : the r29 is a beautiful and well engenired car that give us joyce in our lifes. Don't give up, very interesting video , thank you!
Thank you! I think that is exactly the point the R129 IS a different experience than maost other cars. Also,(and I am still working on the follow-up cost video) I am not so sure the 1990 Chevrolet would cost less per mile. a point I plan ti illustrate in th next cost video.
Great video. I’d say you shouldn’t include tools, since you amortize them over a lifetime and not just the ownership of one car. That’s why I prefer buying tools over paying mechanics.
Thanks! Absolutely correct about depreciating tools over their lifetime. But because I'm not a repair shop, (and unable to expense line items against income) an alternative would be to charge the car with a portion of the depreciation of the tool. Some kind of "per use/job" consideration. Far too complicated for me, I did want to indicate the cost were not "all-inclusive". Definitely agree with the tools vs mechanic rate equation. $120/hr pays for a LOT of nice tools over time.
I'm looking to scoop up a 2002 SL500 around 120,000 miles Apparently the Power locking doors doesn't work and the Hydraulic only opens half way Otherwise the car runs/drives fine... I'm interested in hearing what kind of experiences you have with the repairs on the car?
A lot of it depends on how much you plan to work on the car yourself. The top & locking mechanism can get expensive fast if you are paying $180+ an hour for labor. Or it may just be a few hours of your own time tracing out a vacuum leak or loose microswitch connector.I do have a playlist for R129 service that I have done, be sure to check it out to get an ida of some of the operations involved.
![How expensive was it to own a 1991 Mercedes 500 SL? Total Cost of Ownership [TCO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dquPUwS2Hb8/mqdefault.jpg)
You had the same model as me, i bought it as a 50th birthday present for me, i am now 72, the cars been laid up for a few years so i am now getting it ready for its Gov inspection, its cost an arm and a leg to replace parts so i shop around, even using fraubenz for second hand parts in UK , I carry a voltage regulator plus other bits as a spares package. This weekend i will put the new rad in, the AC condenser rad is shot to bits, but that will have to wait, I notice on several parts site the nissan may also use the same condenser. Best to remove the rad and condenser as a package its quicker than trying to fiddle around.
I would recommend any 300SL owner should take a peep at two pipes behind the grill one is for gearbox cooling ( i replaced mine due a pin hole leak) and the other is for water , Access to rear brake pipes is a problem so at the gov insp the garage will replace no doubt another arm and a lag job.
Regular oil changes are a must as is gearbox servicing and back axle. They are a great looking car and i wanted to take mine to Thailand where i had retired but my Thai wife said no, its too sexy, and she is right the car does look sexy.
Thanks for a great video, Cheshire UK
That is so cool! I had mine for only about 8-9 years and drove it daily. They are a lot of car, with speed, power, grace and luxury. That said, yes, some of the parts can be expensive, but they still compare favorably with modern car parts prices. If yours has been off the road & unused for a while, many of the seals and gaskets, and some of the rubber suspension components, will need attention, but the actual hardware holds up very well, even in storage. You are really going to enjoy the results of waking up your sleeping beauty.
I just bought a 1991 500SL. Spot on repairs cost! Going to restore it anyways, nothing beats the look and drive of a R129.
Yes, the R129 is truly an astonishing car: speed, power, grace, luxury, and in many ways the End of an Era. Your V8 will have slightly higher costs than my 300SL, 2 more spark plugs, a little heavier makes some things wear faster, like tires, and suspension & motor mounts, but that M119 engine is one of the best. Enjoy!
Yes, good to see another video! My all time fav was the dash flash repair where you show how to fix those bad capacitors in the instrument cluster and ME all thumbs and no skills what so ever me FIXED the dam thing...I was SHOCKED and every time I turn my turn signal on I thank you! Keep em coming...Thanks again!
Thank you! I did have fun making that DashFlash video, one of my first using many cuts. It was such a relief to me when I fixed the problem that I knew I should let other Mercedes owners see it too.
Another great video it’s almost scary how much detail you put into them
Thanks! I really had fun making this one.
Good to see you again....still have my 90 300SL
It's good to be seen! :-) Glad to hear you are still running your 300SL, I hope my videos have been useful for that.
Interesting! I currently drive a 1999 R129 SL500 roadster, & a 1995 W140 S500 coupe as daily drivers, and the issues I have experienced have been of the generic variety; water pump replacement (after 122,000 miles!) replacement of aged tires, and a stubborn cabin fan that keeps blowing in the coupe, (due to moisture getting to the fan motor.) In addition to many Merc passenger vehicles, I have also owned a some unusual models as well. For example, a 1963 Unimog German Army radio truck, a trio of 309d Omnibuses, etc. Insurance? I pay $180.00 every six-months for three vehicles, and fuel costs are the only steep costs that I can complain about. (Knock on wood!) I have also owned a number of R107 roadsters ranging from a 450SL, 380SL, to 560SL, and did not experience such high running costs. Despite this, it bears to remember that cars are machines, and all machines eventually break!
I offer the following: Purchase the best example you can afford, if you absolutely have to have a certain car. Well abused and neglected vehicles will be costly to own in the long term, and this has nothing to do with the said cars reliability. Such cases only come to show that cars that have been neglected too long simply make for poor investments, (unless they are very unique and in demand.) You will spend much more at the dealership for repairs that would cost you significantly less at a given local shop. If you want to buy a classic Merc (or any other make,) it is best to find one that has already had much of the restorative work performed. A common mistake folks make is to over-restore their cars, throwing into them much more in expenditures than the cars are worth to begin with. (Exception: A car that you are emotionally attached to, and plan to keep for the rest of your life.) It is up to you to find the competent mechanics you would trust. Much more could be said on the subject, but this is a good start.
P.s., I think if I had a car that cost me nearly $50,000 that said car would no longer be under my ownership! I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago!
You've certainly had a lot of older Mercedes! And good advice about picking out the best condition over the cheapest when buying used.(and sadly, R107 cars are starting to get way out of my price range these days.)
Bravo! I learned to drive on a w111 220s in 1967... Mercedes was already a very particular and distinctive car. How much would have cost a 1990 Chevrolet to keep it on the road? Probably less. And probably a cheaper driving experience. Here is the point : the r29 is a beautiful and well engenired car that give us joyce in our lifes. Don't give up, very interesting video , thank you!
Thank you! I think that is exactly the point the R129 IS a different experience than maost other cars. Also,(and I am still working on the follow-up cost video) I am not so sure the 1990 Chevrolet would cost less per mile. a point I plan ti illustrate in th next cost video.
Many of these costs are for all cars....
Absolutely correct. Nothing unique to R129 SL here. All cars have unique *combinations* and *amounts* of these costs however.
Great video. I’d say you shouldn’t include tools, since you amortize them over a lifetime and not just the ownership of one car. That’s why I prefer buying tools over paying mechanics.
Thanks! Absolutely correct about depreciating tools over their lifetime. But because I'm not a repair shop, (and unable to expense line items against income) an alternative would be to charge the car with a portion of the depreciation of the tool. Some kind of "per use/job" consideration. Far too complicated for me, I did want to indicate the cost were not "all-inclusive". Definitely agree with the tools vs mechanic rate equation. $120/hr pays for a LOT of nice tools over time.
I'm looking to scoop up a 2002 SL500 around 120,000 miles
Apparently the Power locking doors doesn't work and the Hydraulic only opens half way
Otherwise the car runs/drives fine...
I'm interested in hearing what kind of experiences you have with the repairs on the car?
A lot of it depends on how much you plan to work on the car yourself. The top & locking mechanism can get expensive fast if you are paying $180+ an hour for labor. Or it may just be a few hours of your own time tracing out a vacuum leak or loose microswitch connector.I do have a playlist for R129 service that I have done, be sure to check it out to get an ida of some of the operations involved.
Um, R129's are cheap to own IF they are not at 150k when you buy it!!! even mine was fairly cheap though with all its NEGLECTED problems.
Couldn't agree more! Be sure to watch part 2 (conveniently titled "Mercedes 300SL R129 Actual Costs pt2") and get back to me.
Sounds just like a wife , it cost