I am considering purchasing a slc for a second car. </P>


Could anybody please give advise regarding what I should look for/known issues with these cars?</P>


I think that I want the newest450 slc model possible...</P>


Thank You,</P>


Michael</P>

 

I bleieve that the newest 450SLC is the 1980 model year. The only problems Ive had with mine so far has just been the alternator needed to be replaced and the vacuum lines for the door locks sometimes have a mind of their own, and the silver paint on the louvers on the sides of the carin thewindows cracks and peelsdue to sunlight/weak gasket. andthe last thing,my hood takes 2 people toopen, I think the cable has a little too much play in it.Other then that Im very happy with mine. Id reccomend a SLC that has been babied all its life to anyone whos interested in vintage mercedes. Ive only seen about 6 in person in my life, but never in a junkyard. Hope you find what you are looking for.

 

I don't know if you have made a move on getting an slc or not but here is my two cents worth. I have had 4 slcs. Two runners and 2 parts cars. The runners were a 1976 280 slc that I bought when I lived in Dubai and subsiquently brought back here and a 450 slc that I bought in Houston in Nov of 2002 and which I still have.

Both runners have given me great service. I didn't have the 280 for long as I sold it and then went back overseas, but the 450 has done about 30k miles and never missed a beat. I have put about $3K plus in it but none was because it broke down.

If you buy a MB get ready for parts and service sticker shock. What you pay $50 for on a Chevy, etc. you will pay $300 on a MB. There are a lot of non-MB parts houses where you can get parts at half the price if you do your own mechanic work. If you have to take your car to the dealer (stealer as most owners refer to them) then get ready for some heart stopping invoices. Things like replaceing the timing chain and slides can run $800 to $1,000 if done by the dealer. I got mine done by the head MB mechanic in Corpus Christi for $180 plus $125 of parts that I supplied. It was a job that I could have easily done but I can make that money in one day working and get it done professionally by a MB mechanic.

The trouble with owning a MB is there is so much additional stuff that can be added that if you are not careful you can sun the cost up where all of a sudden you are talking BIG bucks. Fortunately most MB owners take good care of their cars and have already added a lot of extras.

Check out www.collectorcartraderonline.com There are usually atleast 80 slcs and hundreds of sls. There are many good cars for $4-8k range. Stay away from the 380 engine unless the owner can prove that it has had the timing chain converted to a double row. Break a single row chain and you are looking at a $2K plus repair bill for bent valves.

The 280 is an excellent engine and will take you from zero to speeding ticket as fast as any car on the road. I had my 280 up to over 130 mph in Dubai and it seemed like it wanted to keep going.

Good luck in your search.