Was the Mercedes Benz 560 sl the ultimate two seat. convertible?

[@thomasconnolly7452]

I bought my first MB last year, a 88 560SL w/63k miles and love it. I liked it so much I bought a 87 560SEC this year.

[@turn1210]

I bought an 87 500 SEC a few months back. Beautiful cars

[@MrRjnr]

😃

[@thomasconnolly7452]

@@turn1210 Are your front seats bouncy or firm?

[@RootBeerGMT]

Would love to hear more about the experience. Looking at 560s ourselves

[@LuxyHedo68]

I got my 560 5 years ago back ftom California to northern Europe. Since then every summer around 1500 miles to Italy or south of France. Extremely comfortable ride; no pains after hours of driving. Also very reliable indeed. Always starts right away after spending the winter in the garage. Car makes me happy: that's what counts.

[@buckboy5674]

Loved sharing this video with my recent ‘88 560SL purchasing friend. It’s beautiful in every way! Your expertise is so valuable,unable and impressive Pierre, thanks for sharing and educating!

[@CarsIn4K]

I love my 87 560SL !!

[@rickperrotta]

Hi Pierre, I've owned a lot of SL's in my life. I bought my first one, a 1962 190SL when I was sixteen, and have had one ever since. I have had my current car, a 1988 560SL for over thirty years and consider it a perfect touring car for me. Aside from regular maintenance I have had no trouble with the car. My wife and I have two newer Mercedes, but the 560SL cannot be beat in terms of the best overall driving experience and reliability. You are correct, Mercedes got it right in every respect with this car. I hope that as they continue to age that parts don't become too hard to find.

[@seanfoster1980]

The comments seem to agree with you. I do too. Been a 560SL owner for just over a year. I got it over the 450 mostly for the 4 speed auto. The calmer revs at freeway speed compliment the cruiser vibe. I also appreciate the simplicity - no power seats, or as you mention power top. My biggest fear is needing a cat converter. As a California resident CARB compliant replacements are not readily available. So far I’m totally loving being a custodian

[@TheCardio7]

Couldn’t agree with you more Pierre. A most enjoyable car .. every time I drive it brings a smile to my face, get lots of compliments. One thing I must mention is the acoustics. Even at 70-80 mile/ hr with the top down you can carry on a conversation and enjoy music without much wind interference. Mercedes definitely did something right with this car. No doubt.

[@relaxitsme_alex9104]

I unfortunately wrecked mine in January because of a pothole. Sideswiped a telephone pole. In the process of fixing it. A lot of the 560s went up in value for me sooooo I’m gonna to be doing the repairs myself. I’m actually very surprised how I managed to drive it home after the accident. When I got the car inspected, the body shop told me the cars body is still straight as an arrow, but ofc the insurance company wants to total it but its still running and driving albeit crippled. I’m going to get the rear quarter panel repaired because I don’t have the skill for that, but I’m going to focus my attention on finding a replacement door and front fender. Thanks for all your advice, as a 27 year old I’m fully confident after this video to get my baby back on the road

[@petercollingwood522]

How does a pothole cause you to side swipe a telephone pole in a 107?

[@relaxitsme_alex9104]

@@petercollingwood522 lost control

[@relaxitsme_alex9104]

@@petercollingwood522 it was basically unavoidable.

[@OB928]

I bought my 560SL 7 years ago for cheap, but I found a very motivated seller. While he had no service history, a gamble I know, I’ve won the bet. I’ve done quite a bit of maintenance and it’s been extremely reliable AND fun.

[@tymwalt]

I kind of wish I never purchased my 450SL, mainly because of the rust issues & the three speed. But at the time I only paid a few grand for it. For the $ I put into it the past few years, I could have bought a decent 560SL. The 560SL is a better 'car' with its cockpit, AC & 4 speed. Now this doesn't mean the 450SL is a bad car. Far from it. The engine is tough as nails & it drives really nice. I just wish I had an extra gear (or manual), didn't have the rust issues & the blower motor blew stronger to circulate the AC. Otherwise it's a very strong car. 77-79 450SLs are good cars. 560SL feel much more modern and robust but again, the 450SL is fine.

[@shanechostetler9997]

I really think it depends on what you are expecting from a convertible, I drove my father in laws, and didn’t think it lived up to the hype. My ‘02 bmw Z3 3.0 puts a smile to my face every time I drive it. And it’s super sexy😂

[@Gr3eGo]

It is a great car. I own one, it does need maintenance a lot but I love the car.

[@rustyturner431]

The forgotten car in this discussion is the grey-market 500SL. I had one for several years in the late '80s through 1993, and didn't have a spec of trouble with it. Plus, it was MUCH handsomer with the chrome bumpers and notably faster than even a healthy 560. The car was a strange spec, with manual A/C and no cruise control...but that just meant less to go wrong! I got a TON of compliments on it and drove it regularly. Plus, I had several people who wanted it when I decided to sell, so I got a very good price for it.

[@jonwarshawsky5288]

Really enjoyed this. I’m a classic Porsche owner, but your perspective on what makes for a great usable classic car is spot on. R107 is simple but properly engineered. I love air-cooled 911s, but would take a classic Mercedes over anything modern.

[@deanlaumbachconsulting]

Great summary 👍

[@tonychavez2083]

I like the instantaneous torque from the M117 and CIS injection

[@jocrp6]

They made the 107 from 1970 to 1989, You know the deal, once they get it right, They quit making it.

[@johnkauppi7078]

In Australia all Mercedes SL's in registered condition are big money cars. There seem to be many 450 SL's. They top at $100,000 aud or $65,000 usd. Average is about $40,000 aud. Personally I'm not a convertable fan. The climate here is very harsh, alternating between boiling hot to freezing cold. You either cook or freeze in a topless car. I do own a '83 380 SEC. But if I had to go one better I'd pick a SLC. Good 450-380 SLC's are half the price of a SL. I'm not sure the 560's were ever sold new here. I know the 420 types were.

[@junzhang2087]

Where is your garage located? I just bought a 1989 MB 560SL with 110k miles. Need check time chain guide and chain 。 thanks

[@liljawn826]

My neighbor has one sitting under a tarp. He stopped by last week and asked me if I know anything about them. I told him I don't, but I can at least look it over and give him an opinion. Of course, my opinion will be "Fix it.", I just wont be the one doing it.

[@josephbachan8598]

I'm still waiting for an answer to "is it necessary to pull the engine to remove the timing cover on a 450SL r107? I am a patrean subscriber but dont' know what I am doing wrong to get a answers to s simple yes or no question. Thanks again for any help

[@nikvandeneede1228]

I prefer my Euro 1983 R107 500SL over the daft 560

[@atatexan]

Soooo the Euro-spec 500SL is the ultimate??

[@vintage76vipergreenBeetle]

It would have been cool, if the R107 was available with a turbo diesel engine.

[@yurakrasnoslobodcev5415]

129.066(500SL with KE) is the best.

[@petercollingwood522]

I absolutely love the design of the 107 but I've only been able to take a short drive in one once in my life. No matter what I did I couldn't find a comfortable driving position. If the backrest angle was right there was not enough leg room. And if I move the seat back so my legs were comfortable my back was pushed too close to vertical. I don't get how Mercedes could have designed a car like that with too cramped a cockpit. It's not as if Germans are dwarves! Does the Pagoda have better leg room? Because it looks even smaller to me.

[@cardiffchris]

The cabin is too narrow in the shoulders.....comfortable for 30 minutes, then I want out.....need SLC

[@davidcchi3373]

107 is like a tractor compared to 129 which is better in every way.

[@martinsvensson6884]

And far more complicated. That's the problem.

[@charityhedgefund]

Having owned every SL since the 1955 Gullwing, I can honestly say that the R107 is the one I like driving the least. Well, maybe the Gullwing is worse, because of the awful heat inside the cramped cockpit. The Roadster and Pagoda are nowhere near as refined as the R107 but are ten times the fun. The R129 beats the R107 in literally everything, by miles. The modern SLs cannot be compared, so won’t even mention them. If you don’t care about the mechanical aspects or the money, but want to have fun with your car, the R107 is the last SL you should get. It’s as boring an SL as it’s possible to get.

[@martinsvensson6884]

The modern SL:s feel very cheap and plasticy in comparison. And are extremely complex.

[@P.Galore]

For the expertise Pierre has, and the $225hr rates he charges - you would think the working environment would be more tidy and organized.

[@grantwest3951]

How tidy someone is has nothing to do with his/her expertise or what they charge per hour for his/her work. Do you want Pierre to fix your Mercedes or would you prefer he cleans your house? Plenty of brilliant college professors have a chaotic office with books and papers stacked everywhere, and that takes nothing away from their competency or ability to perform in the classroom.

[@CL500MBZ]

His shop is so much tidier than other Benz shops and most mechanics

[@migoblu1]

For Christ sake, sweetheart, stop complaining. Go back to doing the dishes and the laundry. Can’t a man work his shop without you bitching about something?

[@that_random_dad]

The very worst service I ever received was from a pristine shop. They stripped my exhaust threads and refused to fix the block. My go-to mechanic works in a shop that looks like a bomb hit it and fixes my R107 perfectly every time. Love all that Pierre has to offer.

[@markzanbroughtonsan8310]

For a moment, the vision of Jerry Garcia resonated. This man rocks! Digging the 1977 Spring Tour look. Never judge a book by its cover said Mr. King.

[@hagbard72]

Mazda Miata.

[@josephvaldora49]

One of the absolute best cars I ever owned. Paid $6500 and it was virtually problem free for the whole time I had it. It was my “going down the shore” car.

[@7spadefish7]

Where I think MB fell short on the 560sl and sec was the wheels..They look right on the sedan,but they needed sportier wheels on the sl.

[@sparky6086]

Had a 450SL & a 380SL with the upgraded timing chain 30 years ago. They were great. Would have loved to have had a 560SL but didn't get around to it. They have timeless styling.

[@philipmorgan1438]

Pierre, you nailed it this time. While I don't fit as well in a R107 as I'd like, everything in that car is first-rate and just keeps working. 560SL is definitely the best of the R107's and as reliable as any of the SL's get. Great car!

[@MrRjnr]

what about the 450 version? I'm considering either one in the future, just don't know what difference there will be other than HP

[@philipmorgan1438]

The best is just the best!

[@jessesando8582]

I just picked up a '77 450SL with the original hardtop (silver on red), 99k miles for $2k. Sat for probably 15 years, brakes locked up, bad gas in the tank- but with a jump it fired right up and was almost drivable except for the brakes. Only $500 in the brakes and fluid changes right now and it's running beautifully! Paint and interior are even in good shape!

[@ronalddean3630]

Great review...and love the music choice!

[@stevecameron6485]

Hey Thanks

[@alaingillot4718]

Euro 300sl CIS , and 380sl

[@trevorchilders479]

Pretty spot-on assessment - I don't find my comfortable at all, but am working to rehab the seats so we will see. The 560SL is effortless in acceleration up to 40 - 45 and decidedly not bad to 60. As you said, on the freeway they just want to go from 80 to 100 and do so solidly. If I had it to do over, I'd buy a bargain and budget to go through the top of the motor to reset the clock on everything rubber or plastic above the heads.

[@kevinhabener1279]

I love the 1986-9 560SL. And the smoke sliver is one of my all-time favorite exterior colors. And the desert taupe got to grow on me at some point, too. And there's obviously red. And with the speed & acceleration that earlier SLs of this generation couldn't even touch doing 0-60 in under 8 seconds and top speed nudging 140 mph in U.S. spec's, I wouldn't feel bad about it only getting 14-16 mpg. I wish I could round up some funds to get one and find a place to fit it into where I have all my vehicles parked. But to get one that won't have a ton of issues will requires at least $50K or more in funding.

[@yavorkasterliev4976]

You mentioned fuel pump leaking. It leaks when it is not driven at the start after some time it is fine. It is a brand new OEM from MB and still does it any idea? Did you say rusty tank?

[@natejgreene9871]

76 and 77 450sl gets my vote. Simpler car mechanically

[@geniusanthony]

Thumbs up for the he algorithm. And, just bought a 72 euro 107 and am happy to hear Pierre talk about them.

[@binray6457]

bought the 89 SL560 and 95 s500 c140.

[@SamamahBoy]

How does the R107 compare to the R129 in driving feel?

[@charityhedgefund]

Exactly as you would expect a car engineered in the ‘60s to handle compared to one 25 years later. The 107 is a wallowing boat compared to the 129. But in Florida there are no hills or mountains and no turns over 20 degrees, so they think it’s a good car. Plus everyone drives like they are 100 years old and 90mph is some speed. Let them go to Italy or Switzerland and they will discover how bad it really is.

[@MrRjnr]

@@charityhedgefund 😆