1990 Mercedes Benz R129 300SL Not Running

1990 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class BASE Description

1990 Mercedes Benz 300SL R129 not running

This is a 1990 6 cylinder Mercedes 300SL R129.

29 years old.

3.2 liter inline double-overhead cam 32 valve M104 engine. 5-speed automatic.

I do not consider it to be economically rebuildable,

great for parts though.

Unless you already have a 1990 to 1993 R129 that you need parts for, (or you own a salvage yard, or you are building a 24H LeMons race car) This Car Is Not For You.

Move along.

I am the third owner. I’ve had this car since late 2009, and had driven it daily on a long commute for 8 years.

NOTE: I'm not sure why AutoCheck is showing 5 owners. There were three. The original owner was in Rhode Island, the second was his brother-in-law in Wappingers Falls NY, and I was the third. Perhaps they are conflating re-titling the car with ownership transfer?

Three owners. Not five.

Title clear, no liens, transferrable

It does not start. Starter motor spins but doesn’t engage.

Has not run in over a year.

The car has 218,490 miles on it.

The transmission was slipping when parked and would need to be rebuilt or replaced.

Timing chain cover leaks oil (think “Spindletop” quantities)

It would need struts and rear axles pretty soon.

The soft top fabric is OK, rear window was not cloudy when put away.

The hydraulic system needs some top lift cylinders rebuilt.

Has original aluminum factory hardtop. Back window has 2 small corner cracks and the rear defogger has a dead zone.

The car is mostly complete, maybe some small trim pieces broken or missing.

Four New Pirelli P7 tires 225 55 16 95V, with just over 3 hundred miles on them, on original stock rims. (worth the starting bid by themselves)

It has all of the engine/chassis electronic modules along with a 10 CD changer in the trunk.

Modules include top control, EZL, top hydraulic pump, fuel pump and other relays, all still installed.

The radiator and water pump were replaced 25K miles ago.

It has a big battery, 3 years old.

It has recently installed, rebuilt, 100amp alternator.

It has functioning climate control, and original stock radio/cassette player.

It has the jack, and original spare wheel and tire (used once)

2 keys and the radio security code card.

Interior is very ugly and rough, but dashboard has no cracks.

Paint is original and is also is remarkably dreadful, with clear coat pulling up all over.

Free pine needles and grass clippings included wherever you find them.

Brand new rear brake discs on car.

No trunk tools, no owners manual.

I personally put 159K miles on it over 8 years of continuous use. Regular oil changes, all the standard service, brakes, ignition parts, air & fuel filter new tires. Some repairs, such as radiator, water pump.

Terms:

Non-refundable deposit through PayPal.

Balance in Cash

No checks. No Trades.

Winning bidder wins car, not option to come look at car, “think about it”, “ask the wife”, consult the I-Ching, examine goats entrails, or “just get the money that my brother-in-law owes me” before finishing the transaction

You must run your own CarFax, VIN number is included in the listing.

You will need to bring a flatbed or car trailer.

I will not ship it.

Car is located in New York State, about 7 miles from the #19 Kingston NYS Thruway exit.

Some easy FAQ Questions pre-answered:

“Can I give you a check for $X,000 over the price and you just send me a Certied Check for the balance to this address?”

No. PayPal deposit, cash on the fender. You get the car, the title signed over, and a receipt.

“Is this a good first car for my teenager?”

Only if your teenager currently owns a salvage yard, or you hate your teenager, and want them to spend their car money on a multi-year money-pit project in order to keep them riding buses and Uber.

“Can I drive to —— /Do you think it would make it to ——-.”

No. It does not start or run right now. It won’t even make it up the driveway without towing. It does roll & stop pretty well.

“Aren’t these really collector items, set to skyrocket in value?”

No. A really, REALLY nice one from the original owner, never driven in Winter, with a stack of service receipts from day one, always garaged and pampered, with ultra-low miles is valuable. Value-wise, this particular example might have been dug from King Kongs’ footprint. You can’t get much lower price than this one.

“I’m just looking for a (random module or part) Can you just sell me that one teensy part?”

No. Package deal. The whole car, the whole way. All at once. Out of the yard. Maybe you can strip off what you want and vend the remainder.

If you have read along this far, you might seriously want this car and you can message serious questions and I’ll try to answer them.