HELP! Need mercedes education.

[Guest wpoll]

I know this is probably a post no one will want to reply to, but here goes; I am contemplating purchasing a 1990-1995 Mercedes SL Convertible with the 3.0, or 3.2 L engine. I have owned several vintage / semi-vintage vehicles in the past, some of which I restored, drove, then sold, but never a Mercedes SL, which in my opinion, is one of the sleekest looking cars that has ever been built. That being said, the only thing holding me back from pulling the trigger on a purchase is the reputation Mercedes' have for high cost parts, and repairs. I would like to reach out to any Mercedes (especially SL) owners/aficionados to share their thoughts, opinions, comments, and all else involved about purchasing, owning, and driving these cars. I would be purchasing a car with approximately 100k-125k miles, so I would like to know what expected costs I would be incurring with a car with this mileage.

P.S. The reason why I want the 6 cylinder over the 8, is that I'm told the 6 is more reliable, lighter, easier to work on, and less costly to repair.... Again, your thoughts are very much appreciated.

Thank you,

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[trimacar]

Well, sit back and I'll tell you a story.

Went to an estate auction to buy a Mustang, ended up buying a 230SL Mercedes for short money.

Nice car, loved driving it. While up in Pennsylvania, the left rear wheel brake started locking up. Found a mechanic who gave us a temporary fix so could get it home, and brought it to the local Mercedes mechanic (not dealership, but a fellow who specialized in Mercedes).

He calls me up, and says he has news, bad news, and real bad news.

OK, so?

Well, you need a pair of brake hoses, $18 each. Oh, OK, that's not bad. Well, you need wheel cylinders, they're $125 each. Hmmm, not cheap, but what else? Well, you need four brake shoes, they're $250. Well, $250 is high, but not outrageous. Well, he says, that's apiece, so it's $1000 for brake shoes. HUH? Now, for the bad news (HUH?), you need a brake drum, that's $1800 new. WHAT?????

Well, I said, I see why you have so many Mercedes just sitting idle in your lot for so long.

We worked together, I found relined pads for $40 each and a good used drum for $125, but still ended up with over $1000 in a rear only brake job.

Great driving cars, though, and if you can afford the maintenance, worth it....

[MarrsCars]

Did you end up buying one of these cars? That's an R129 chassis, a truly great car. Don't want to write a novel if you're no longer interested but let me know.