I’m glad you changed your mind,changing the steering wheel & wheels would have been a crime

The Wonder Grip van was only a baby at the start of the video 😂

@AK.2425

9 күн бұрын

Its already a year old! Registered 1 June 2023

@unexpectedfollowthrough5028

8 күн бұрын

stealth delete wonder grip

@GAZZA.B

8 күн бұрын

Glued to the asphalt, good stuff Wondergrip 😂

this era of mercedes is just something else, everything about it is solid and smooth

@allosaurusfragilis7782

9 күн бұрын

When they were still over engineered. That's why it's still going!

@user-sf7kl9uh7k

9 күн бұрын

​@@allosaurusfragilis7782They're only still going because people spend huge amounts maintaining them. The best Mercedes were built between 2004-14

@Superzesh101

8 күн бұрын

One of these crashed into my BMW 2007 3 series at 40mph. My BMW wasn't too bad, but the Merc was unrecognisable.

@user-sf7kl9uh7k

8 күн бұрын

@@Superzesh101 It's an old design, your BMW was much stiffer.

@Superzesh101

8 күн бұрын

@@user-sf7kl9uh7k I know. I'm just replying to the original comment claiming the old mercs were solid.

When Mercedes genuinely were a cut above other manufacturers. Different era, cannot see that latest SL lasting this long

@pobinr

9 күн бұрын

Well at least they're 85% aluminium so shouldn't rust too much

@user-ui5tq6mc9p

9 күн бұрын

Mattt, corrosion also evident on Aluminium…..look at Jaguar….bi metal corrosion in fact.

@stephengibbs4372

7 күн бұрын

Isn’t the wiring loom in these shrouded in something made from vegetable fibre and starts to decompose with time ?

@paulsz6194

7 күн бұрын

Just look up legit street cars and see how much time & money the guy has spent on repairing his ‘03 SL 55 !

@JohnSmith-cs7jg

7 күн бұрын

@@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…

We need to see a video with Jimmy The Magician in.

@user-js8eg2fp3x

9 күн бұрын

Please no!!

@DlZZEE

8 күн бұрын

Now then!

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.

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.

@seedybee7201

9 күн бұрын

It's...

@robcookson7559

9 күн бұрын

@@seedybee7201pointless pedantry.

@user-sf7kl9uh7k

9 күн бұрын

Not really, they're just a bit Meh

@yutehube4468

8 күн бұрын

@@user-sf7kl9uh7k I like the even older ones like the 190E. Looks good even now.

@PKWeaver74

8 күн бұрын

​@@user-sf7kl9uh7kGive your head a wobble

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!

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.

@bigfist255

9 күн бұрын

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 .

@yourcreditmanager

9 күн бұрын

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.

@richyclubsport5155

9 күн бұрын

@@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.

@davidpaterson2309

9 күн бұрын

⁠@@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.

@user-sf7kl9uh7k

9 күн бұрын

​@@yourcreditmanagerYou're dreaming. ABS suspension, roof issues, expensive to re-bush, electrical issues and not all parts are still available. You're dreaming

The epitome of Mercedes when owning a Mercedes meant you had money and taste. A classy, elegant, timeless design, Bruno Sacco at his best!!

@AlanReynoldsBucklandJunction

7 күн бұрын

I worked in a Merc garage and think they are the ugliest cars ever built. = Tanks :o)

@JohnnyPaton

5 күн бұрын

@@AlanReynoldsBucklandJunction have you seen a Fiat Multipla?

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! ❤

@Rose.Of.Hizaki

7 күн бұрын

Your uncle was a wealthy mom? Now thats an uncle id like to follow.

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.

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.

@Chief_Brody

9 күн бұрын

how's your next door neighbour getting on these days?

@johnmcdonnell81

8 күн бұрын

500SL back then.

@TheFlooring111

8 күн бұрын

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.

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.

@alexanderstefanov6474

5 күн бұрын

Only the 600sl had hydraulic suspension. The roof is hydraulic on all of them and can start spraying fluid when it goes wrong

Great video as usual lovely car 🎉🎉

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 🤣

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.

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

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😂 😅😅

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.

Big pimpin! It's all a bit 90s hip hop, love it.

That interior is just insanely cool! Totally different from the soul less cheap screens we have today. This here just screams quality.

Now you have definitely caught my eye Matt! Thats a great Merc! Thoughts for the next ride??? Maybe a, hmmmm, M3?!? 😮

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❤.

Very cool Merc. Quality was ace.

I'm shocked Matt - SHOCKED... YOU putting in a non-original head unit? I thought you hated such atrocities in older vehicles...

@tremorbradley9214

9 күн бұрын

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.

Fabulous car, hope you turn a profit on this one as very lovely car, and an appreciating classic and LOOKS fantastic!

I love these videos Matt

Such a classy car, great example 👌

At some pivotal point in car design history, designers collectively decided that headlight wipers were a crappy idea really 😊

@DavidEverson77

9 күн бұрын

I suspect it's down to pedestrian safety regulations

Be nice if some of the jobs being done were shown. Sorting rust, painting, wheel refurb.

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 😂

Don't like mercs especially the modern ones, but this looks like a right classic. Great video.

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.

That is such a classy and nice motor.

I love the idea of chain restoring Mercedes SLs :D

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...

@HampshireHooker

7 күн бұрын

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.

Brilliant! 35 seconds later!! 🤣 Well done Matt, Classic MB 👍🏼

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.

@modelcitizen72

6 күн бұрын

Fantastic

@18_rabbit

6 күн бұрын

erm, may we ask when u did the trips? Today apparently there are very serious risks.

@alantheskinhead

5 күн бұрын

@@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.

You sounded like you may have had a mild cold. You should try lager and gin & tonic and Baileys Irish cream chaser

@HighPeakAutos

8 күн бұрын

Ya big girls bras

Agreed they are pretty cars and also pretty damned expensive to fix when they go wrong too.😅

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 😅)

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

If you need a condenser, I bought a Mahle-made unit from Autodoc. Fitted it myself, no leaks.

mint looking merc.

I love my 00 CLK 320 Cabrio…can only imagine how this must feel. Well done.

@ChrisTaylor-bc3dr

2 күн бұрын

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

Evergreen tyres are quite a very good tyre. Part of the Happygallop group

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.

@HighPeakAutos

9 күн бұрын

Only visit forums if you want to be talked out of a purchase. They’re full of idiots

Even though it's a 93, it's still a gorgeous modern looking car, my fave Merc the r129

Lovely looking motor matt but the right decision to move it on you can't keep everything good luck with the sale 👍

Hello Lucy, can i suggest Autoglym products. Enjoy your new Rangie !.

Fantastic car ❤

I lived in Whaley Bridge until 1987 and School Garage was Suzuki dealer back then.

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 😊

Very accurate and precise it shows that yhe ultimate success in the Normandy campaign was driven by British and Commonwealth forces.

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 😂

It's a keeper!

That’s a nice barge . What a lovely thing .

Thank you, that’s a great video on a truly great car👍👍

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 😂

Please do a walk through of your personal car collection.

Wooden steering wheel smacks of golf club Captain

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.

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!

Beautiful car and Mercedes at its best

Replace the radio with a blaupunkt Bremen. Classic period styling, all the modern conveniences.

Beautiful car

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😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

@rDanny

8 күн бұрын

It's probably on its last legs 😂

I’ve been looking at these all summer. To be fair… I’ve been looking at them since 1991. 😂

Hey matt one of your favorite classic car or am wrong 😂😂😂😂 love the content matt keep up the cheap car contents don't give up.

Where's that dark blue roof then?

Mercedes’ most reliable engine with a noisy tappet and had head gaskets 🤔😞

That's a proper car. A proper Merc. I'd love to have one for that cheap. It's crazy cheap. BTW What do you think about the new SL? The R232?

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

Lovely car, solid you might well make a couple of quid on this one... Unless you overspend.

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.

Such a great car! A friend had one and when he first gave me a ride I realised why people like them. A really solid feel and beautiful to drive. Hope it finds a happy home.

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.

I know I’m getting old but are my eyes that bad , I couldn’t see the dark blue roof ?

@foxstrangler

9 күн бұрын

That would be the soft top, folded away. The tin top is removable.

@Halkie

9 күн бұрын

I think the hard top can be replaced with a dark blue soft top that came with the car . But we didn't see that one in the video .

@paulkopp3634

9 күн бұрын

@@Halkie Ha ha yeah I did get that but it was just the description of the silver car with the dark blue roof .

You should try and sell the plate, local kitchen manufacturer in Bacup called ‘J J Ormerod” who seem to like JJO plates on bosses Range Rover/s 😉

😍...nothing else!!!

These mercs of that era look amazing, if my lottery numbers came in then that merc would be the car I would definitely buy, but I'd like to set you a challenge, if you had £28.500, to spend on a family car, and it has to be new, or no older than 2 years, please keep away.from small BMW, they look awful, but what do you think , could you find something to fit the bill ?, Loving all the videos, ,

Nice Merc. Is that ruched leather in the door cards? They like a ruche in Solihull.

See if you can find the big daddy of them all.. an SL600 or better yet, an AMG version of that!

This is the era of engine wiring looms that disintegrate. Also so many parts are unobtainable so ive got 3 w140s which provide spares.

Happy Gilmore, “just taaaaap it in””” 😂

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

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 👍

My dad had an r129 SL600 on a K plate brand new. Monster of a car and so smooth. Felt like royalty at 7 years old in the passenger seat.

Btw, this generation did not have the hydraulic (ABC) suspension but did have adaptive dampers....very cool car though.

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.

Autodoc have stock of either a Nissens or Delphi condensor

Don’t try to move that mirror manually. It will break and your eyes will water at the cost to replace it.

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

Id like to see underneath and how they rust protected these. It seems to have worked.

What about the ticking engine? I believe this is probably the oil tubes in the head. Mine is just in getting the same job done, I ordered the metal pipes made by URO in California.

These cars get their highest market value in good condition and without any aftermarket modifications. Original steering wheel, original wheels, a nice and clean exterior/interior are key criteria - that's why I would focus on the technical condition and leave the original parts as they are. By wthe way - the wooden middle console was an exclusive SL600 part that originally does not belong into the V8. The air suspension can be quite costly if it has any issues, I would check this carefully and put some money aside to be prepared for the worst case. The electrically adjustable rear view mirror was part of the seat memory package which was standard for the SL500 back then. They all have it. The distributor caps of these engines tend to get wet if the rubber seals on the engine block side get hard and leaky. This causes oxidation of the distributor contacts and ignition malfunctions. An easy job if you know what to do. Getting it sold might depend on the condition of the soft top. These are very expensive if it needs replacement.

"A few months ago, I bought an SL320" straight away you can tell this is old footage

@McGubbins42

9 күн бұрын

Also "The last MOT was in July this year".

@robcookson7559

9 күн бұрын

Different cars.

@McGubbins42

9 күн бұрын

@@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.

@molluscturtle

9 күн бұрын

Explains the Wonder Grip van

@jazzyjazbtw

8 күн бұрын

Not sure what the big deal is? Make it sounds like it's a bad thing

Oh yes ❤