READY FOR SPRING?

 

Up for sale is my 87,000 mile 1986 Mercedes Benz 560SL.

Last year, after I sold my very-restored 1960 Porsche 356 Cabriolet overseas (it really was too nice to drive) I was looking for an open car I could enjoy- and a retired mechanic friend became aware of this SL; an older lady in the nearby town had it for many years in the Dallas area (I think there was one prior owner- it sold new in Orlando) and now having moved to Nashville she was no longer driving it. I had always liked the W107 and never had owned one. They are arguably the last of the "built like a tank" MB cars. It was in decent shape; ran well, but needed tires (dry rot), alignment, new muffler, a/c recharge, fluid change, filters, battery, odds and ends etc… Paint was OK; no body damage or any rust, but had tree sap stain issues that really wouldn’t buff out. After seeing that everything worked on the car and determining it was worth investing in, I had it repainted in PPG base/clear by a shop just started by the ex-manager of the largest high-end import body shop in town. It looks stunning, truly showroom new. It’s a deep “Cabernet Red” (don’t know the MB name) with a tan (Palomino?) leather interior and dark brown (seemingly unused OE) soft-top and of course factory hardtop. Alpine stereo (original Becker included). Original MB tool roll and owners manuals and a car cover are included.

Why am I selling?

A close 356 friend has offered me his nice 90 C2 911 Targa at a price I can’t refuse -otherwise I wouldn’t; this 560 is a blast.

 

Highlights:

Arrow straight, rust free body, new flawless paint, runs like a top, no oil use or leaks, shifts perfectly etc. New OEM muffler and tailpipes. Brakes are good, lots of pad left- no pulling etc. No mechanical issues noted.

Brand new (600miles?) Michelin Primacy MXVs and alignment

AC system and “brain” work as they should, all windows, electrics, radio and power antenna etc. work correctly. All glass, trim etc. looks great. Dash pad almost perfect, (a couple of very small cracks forward of defroster vent slot.) Hardtop and headliner are perfect.

 

Detractions:

Occasional ABS “nuisance” light- brakes and anti skid operate normally but this light comes on and goes away on its own. Cruise control usually works but occasionally doesn’t want to. Soft top has no real defects, but has some wrinkles that show (from staying folded so long?) although as I have left the soft top up now for a couple of months they are becoming less noticeable. There is also a “stain” in the rear vinyl window (it gives every indication it will clean up)… I find these to be pretty minor, but they are there. The interior is overall very clean and presentable, but there is a worn “quarter size” hole though on the drivers side bolster from getting in and out of the car, I think that one bolster panel could be replaced, but again not really that noticeable. She’s a nice presentable car, fun, fast and you can have a blast driving her with worrying yourself to death. It's a ready to enjoy, looks like new, comfortable and classic convertible. I feel sure these are destined to appreciate. The "Buy it Now" is at lower Haggerty valuation. Thanks for looking. BTW I will be out of the country until March 20th... but I should be able to answer emails.