Owning a 1992 Mercedes-Benz SL

Every so often at CarGurus, we like to make videos about the cars we own and run ourselves. Today, it's the turn of Vicky Parrott to update you about how she's getting on with her 1992 Mercedes-Benz SL.
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Vicky's car is a 300-SL 24V, which has a 3.0-litre, naturally aspirated in-line six-cylinder petrol engine. And it's the engine that's one of Vicky's very favourite aspects of the car.
Perhaps the biggest news with the car is that it's had a few things fixed since it was first introduced to you, most notably, the electric roof-folding mechanism, which means for the first time in several years, this particular SL is now a true convertible, rather than just an open-top. There's plenty more on the to-do list, though, and in this CarGurus UK video, Vicky takes you through it all, and explains which bits need prioritising.
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▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 - Introducing my Mercedes SL 300
01:37 - What repairs have I done?
06:38 - Wheels - what do you think?
08:27 - Driving impressions
12:45 - Let us know what you think
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#cargurusUK #300sl #mercedessl

[@pigeonpoo1823]

It really is fascinating seeing the cars you guys actually bought with your own cash. Paint first, then wheel upgrade. Keep us up to date, thanks

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

R129s get under one’s skin . I have owned mine for 17 years and will never sell it . The way you describe how it feels to drive it is spot on. Mine makes me smile every time I get in it . I drive a Tesla as my daily, it’s a great tool but it’s not a car . My SL and my 1999 S class are my true loves !

[@Boterberg]

What a spot on description of a Tesla. I describe mine the same way. It is perfect for daily commuting and the most efficient electric vehicle out there, but it has no soul. No character. That’s why you need a R129 😉

[@whitemoor66]

Fabulous car. Absolutely timeless inside and out. I would say fit the original wheels too.

[@callelindstrom4789]

Probably the best car in the world. You can buy a flagg pole with, next moment go with style down the roads on the Monaco roads or Beverly Hills..amazing car. Owned 2 of them. First a 300 SL now a 500 SL 1993 . I use the 500 SL daily in the summer. Good review!😃

[@danmccarthy4700]

OMG! I had an R170 SLK for YEARS and the finish on my paint was doing the EXACT same thing. And the funny thing is, even with the finish flaking off and the passenger side front quarter panel starting to get eaten by rust, I was STILL getting compliments. But yeah, your car is absolutely gorgeous and I'd love to see it with those original rims.

[@1995RangeRover]

I'd keep the AMG style and have them refurbished...16 inch rubber is getting harder to find because no one really uses them anymore. Your SL looks great!!!

[@chriswebb7404]

Such a lovely car…. Never sell it and keep the current wheels. Also your reviews are researched and excellent

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

I’ve got a 1999 SL320 Bought in 2010 and she stood for 8 years (2014-22) spent £4500 recommissioning her at Staithes Garage Newcastle upon Tyne. Got a mot with no advisories. She’s on 8 hole alloys. The 55 profile on the 16” give a superb ride. Running Michelin Cross Climates and love it. Paid £9000 in 2010. Love it and still only 58,000 on her. Great to see this update. Yours is the more sought after pre face lift model. 80litre tank. The modern Blaupunkt Radio with USB, Bluetooth etc is going to be my next purchase. Thanks for the update been waiting for it.

[@siegfriedbarfuss9379]

Very nice presentation. Super savvy precise and concise explanation. Very refreshing to watch. Thank you!

[@TheHutchRuns]

Got to get the 8 holes Vicky, it would kill me knowing that they're not official Mercedes wheels!

[@shaywhelan1]

Are they not Mag Wheels?

[@TheHutchRuns]

@@shaywhelan1 Vicky said they’re not official 🤷‍♂️

[@shaywhelan1]

@@TheHutchRuns ah. Got it. You do see those wheels on Mercedes of that era though. I had a 124 Cabriolet with them

[@cicerotwo]

Great vid, lovely to see your enthusiasm for the car.

[@YK-fj5bj]

3:46 ‘ex-friend’* 😅 Love the SL, so much class, more videos please in the future.

[@rhysmainwaring396]

Get the 8 hole wheels. I think the 16" wheels will look great and almost certainly improve the ride

[@anthonystevens8683]

A cracking car Vicky and a great update. It's good that you're still enjoying the car even though there a few things on the 'to do' list. As for the wheels if I was fortunate enough to have the car I, like you would try and make it as original as possible so I'd change out the current ones. I would probably still keep the current wheels and have them shod with winter or all season tyres for when or if you decide to take it for a Winter drive during the cold months. These cars for me anyway were the best made and arguably best looking of the coupe drop tops albeit with a little less presence or fame of it's predecessor , I remember wanting one when they were released back in the day. Many thanks for sharing.

[@shaywhelan1]

Wonderful machine and such an informative video. I have the same colour combination. Mine is a 1994 280 SL and every journey is a special event.

[@BHBeckenbauer]

I want one of these so badly but just haven’t been brave enough yet! I’m just worried I’m not mechanically minded so won’t understand how/what to maintain. Great videos! Would be good to see more of these every few months. I have to say I like the current alloys you have on there - yes it’d be nice if they were the proper AMG ones but they look great

[@lordmellis7135]

Might be wrong, but I thought the original radios were Becker & not Blaupunkt🤷🏼‍♀️

[@hectorhobbes]

Varies. Blaupunkt, Becker, Alpine

[@felawes]

Blaupunkt in UK.

[@mrmawson2438]

Yes put the original wheels on 😉

[@benspriggs5430]

I’m not usually a fan of older cars, but I can definitely see the appeal with that Merc, very nice! I actually like the wheels you have on it but given that they’re not official I would say swap them for genuine ones

[@hectorhobbes]

Great video. I have a 99 SL280 in Azurite with a Pano roof. Other than a replacement electronic plate in the 'box been faultless over 7 years. Now wafting in France😅

[@jvcex]

beautiful color, thanx for review

[@andrewfitzmaurice7843]

Great to see an update. Now looking at one of these as the R107 is out of reach.

[@martino9143]

I would definitely revert to the original wheels, and so keep the appearance and ride as Mercedes intended.

[@bryanjackson2398]

I also have a 300 SL and it is really great in the Australian climate ,with the hood down my two Old English Sheepdogs love it !!

[@Silver-st2zq]

Change the wheels to the 8 holes, love the no nonsense reviews and updates 👍

[@CarGurusUK]

Glad you like them!

[@YK-fj5bj]

Yes, 8 holes get my vote.

[@print-master]

Glad you’re enjoying your car as much as I enjoy mine. I’ve had mine since 2009 and put nearly 70,000 miles on France Scotland Cornwall. I sorted all the suspension brakes et cetera just like you’ve done and she drives like new. Personally I would change the wheels originals especially as those mono blocks are not Mercedes.

[@itscrewston6684]

That car is a beauty

[@IwillBwaiting]

These wheels fit the car and provide extra grip. The side look is awesome with these wheels but if you were to keep these I would opt for some added spacers for wider stance front and rear. I do believe however you have already made up your mind, wanting the original look and the 16 inch will provide extra comfort and perhaps with the right tire, save you some fuel on your trips. I am about to swap my 17's for 16 because of my driving area. Many roundabouts and curvy roads that I feel, the 16's would cover more smoothly. Back then Mercedes knew what they were doing and 16 sounds good. I am from an era where 15's were huge!

[@FleetAdmiral215]

Vicky you've got taste !!!! Beautiful motors Definitely prefer the originality of the 8 hole wheels, Love this era of Mercedes "Proper Mercs" One of my favourite Mercedes along with the Mercedes W140 S-class & CL600

[@Birmingham_racing]

What a beautiful car

[@alexlee2474]

It looks so good compared to the appearance of the last video! AWESOME R129.

[@JBOsurf]

can 't get over how quiet it is with the roof down.

[@owenmcdonald5922]

I would have said your wheels are Brabus design. The 8 hole you are talking about looks so much better. Go for it.

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

I think the key to R129 ownership is to get it in good shape (ideally if you can do the work yourself) and just drive it, maintain it and keep it as it is only going to go up in value, albeit slowly and will give you a lot of pleasure as you glide along in a car that cost as much as some houses when it was new.

[@steve6121]

Aftermarket wheels will likely be more heavy than factory. Change to genuine 16s. But I would wait until the tyres are done.

[@pauldorset2124]

Just looking back through some old videos, saw your hubbies beemer, then came here. Yep, change those wheels! The rest as they say will get done all in good time.

[@Bayeso]

The prefacelift is the most attracrive one…but I like the 5-Speed automatic. Please keep this beauty original!

[@johnhyoutube]

Hi Vicky, glad to see you are still enjoying your R129. Sadly mine (a 1993 300SL) was not such a success as after a year of one major failure after another, I never really gelled with it, so I sold it before it bankrupted me! Wondering what to do next I took a 2016 SL400 for a test drive, and within 100 yards was totally smitten, so in a burst of extravagance I bought it, and I am loving it!

[@johnhyoutube]

By the way, I'd think twice about changing the wheels. Mine had the original 8 hole ones, and they were incredibly heavy, mighty tough wheels. I loath the trend for fitting massively oversized wheels, and normally prefer the OEM wheels, but the original 16" can look a bit old fashioned on the R129 cos it's such a big car, and of course 17" ones were an an OEM option on later cars, and to my eye look better. If yours are not genuine AMG ones, they at least look the part, and make your car look just that bit more sporting. Are they actually split rim wheels or are those rim bolts just cosmetic? Either way I would look into getting them re-furbed professionally as another option. Probably work out cheaper too. As for my R231 SL400, I reckon it is a much overlooked car. Mine has the twin turbo V6 which is a fab engine, which makes it a fast car when you need it, but also an elegant cruiser too. Best of both worlds.

[@jameslove888]

Did you pick the number plate? If it’s the original, it looks like it went from Ireland into Northern Ireland before coming to GB as an IW plate is a county Derry/Londonderry plate.

[@user-vc9tx7ju9u]

I would leave it on those wheels. Red SL requires matching wheels and they look like 18's. And the difference in comfort 16-17 will be negligible. I had a SL500 on standard rims. At the same time, I managed to ride an e50 AMG on 18 wheels, the SL felt firmer. From my point of view, a 5-spoke wheel or amg-style is very suitable for SL. Having bought an E500 (w124), the first thing I installed on it was 18 inch AMG wheels. Now I'm considering SL r129 once again and it will definitely have AMG wheels.

[@Mo-cs4qr]

Great video thank you for sharing Original wheels would be good Great car keep enjoying it! Good investment potential

[@FenderUsa]

8 holes for sure! classy wheels to go with a classy car

[@bryanjackson2398]

My SL is exactly the same as the one the lady is driving in the comments!! My Sheepdogs love riding with the hood down,what else could I wish for,a lovely Merc and Two happy Sheepdogs!!

[@douglasthompson9482]

I love my 300sl….1991. Just beautiful, dark blue also.

[@jessebaldwin2661]

I bought a 95 500SL with 47,000 miles on it. It was in excellent condition and only needed a new canvas top which I purchased. I kept it for 5 years and loved driving it. The only reason I sold it was that someone made me a high offer purchasing price, and I reluctantly sold it. It was the most beautiful, best-handling car I ever owned and I miss it.

[@griffins750]

Get another one, before they go up in value too much. It’s not hard to find them in good condition for 10-15k USD (some even lower than that), but they’re starting to rise in value, soon it’ll be 20-25k… My suggestion would be to get another car between 93-95 (those cars had the best interior with the right fuel injection setup for the M119 V8 so it’s not ridiculously bad on gas like the 91 and 92 model years).

[@slimdavey100]

Just brought a beryl blue 1993 R129 500sl with genuine staggered mono bloc wheels looks fantastic petrol tanker follows me wherever I go but love this car R129 have style character build quality and something modern cars don’t have it puts a smile on your face every time you drive it and also people stop me to talk about the car don’t get that with a modern car Do the paint and I think you will like the wheels more

[@Tony-jf5tx]

What a lovely car I would definitely put the original wheels back on they would be fantastic

[@Boterberg]

Fabulous. Wanting one too, one for sale with 117.000km’s from 1992 for €29500 atm.

[@ggkik]

Yes! Put the 8 holes wheels! Car looks so much better with them!

[@flyme195]

Absolutely 100% go for the proper 8 hole alloys!

[@mrbenz2392]

I love your r129 and the rims are perfect for the car! Mercedes Benz the best or nothing!!😎

[@nezamvazifeh]

I have the 8 holes and they give a comfy ride :)

[@briancremin3272]

I think your wheels look great and they relay set the car off. I would say they are one of the reasons why you are getting away with the lacquer peal. The eye is drawn away from the paint work to the wheels. Not to mention the rarity of the 3 piece wheels these days. I took ownership of a set of original MB monoblock 2 wheels just today which are the same as yours without the studs and one solid block and they relay do look amazing when they have been refurbished with the polished lip. I personally think the 8 hole rims are the dullest of the different wheels that came on the car but each to their own. You should make more money on your wheels than it will cost to get a set of 8 holes if that's what you decide to do. Great reviews!

[@daineseboy78]

Yeah i have 8 holes on my W140 and I’m happy with ride and looks. You won’t regret it

[@rogermoore1134]

I personally prefer the amg replica alloys they look better than the 8 hole because they fill the arches. I own a 1992 300 r129 in grey with tan leather, l've owned mine 11 years and love her! I have put 18 × 8,5 on the front and 18 × 9.5 on on the rear it's not changed the ride at all. I kept the 8 whole in the garage. I enjoy and agree with your honesty on r129 I await your next review. (Refurbished the wheels )

[@benjaminulbricht4670]

I have a signal red 93 R129 500sl. It I'd also my project car I have been going over a Long list of refurbishments that come with age. At just under 100,000 she has a long life ahead!

[@callelindstrom4789]

SL R129, best car in the world, it can do allmost anything😊 Yes put original wheels on!🙏🏻

[@phillippowis7398]

I'm with you, change the wheels back to the 8 hole.

[@reesnordrhein7486]

A man's dream; Vicky

[@s13180sxSR20DET]

Definitely put it back to stock wheels.... are you sure it didnt come with the 15 hole wheels though? My 500SL is very similar to yours, pre digital climate control and it is my understanding these cars came with the 15 hole 'man hole cover' wheel until 1993.

[@alexp893]

I was going to mention the period-correct 15 hole wheels. They would be my choice.

[@c.chavis6314]

Keep the wheels. They look great.

[@athollmcnicoll1028]

Now Vicki as you have admitted on camera the paintwork needs doing, so prioritise by all means but the longer you go without creating a solid surface for the car then the worse it will get and you could finish up having to buy replacement parts, like that boot lid which always seems to go first for some unknown reason.

[@martinrussell5618]

Yes, please put back the 8 hole wheels , it will look so much better

[@Sanpedranoazul]

The original '92 wheels are the real deal, other than that it looks terrific, congrats 🥳🥳🥳

[@PaulGoss]

Has there been an update since this one?

[@zzhughesd]

Agree on looks. Aging well

[@hamsterclamper]

« Alright, you lot »? What a charming way to begin a video🙄

[@ciseaux]

Congrats, also, dying here of envie !

[@ericB3444]

Leave the wheels they are nice. It’s so obsessed with it being official and it doesn’t need to be so official. I want to suggest you use the CD player slot for my phone on a cradle. The more important to know where you’re going.

[@mattimuhonen299]

About the radio, I have the Blaupunkt SQR 46 dab, and at least the FM radio part was a disappointment. For the same money you'll get a refurbished Becker and throw in a cassette bluetooth adapter.

[@jhfoever]

Which is the best mid-life crisis car? C124? R129? R107? Or C5 corvette? I am looking for one especially cheap and have a reasonable amount of trouble like my mid-life.

[@squod1]

Is it possible to fit a Modern 8sp ZF gearbox ?

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

Don't be silly, it doesn't have the electronics that are required to do that anyway.

[@squod1]

@@malcolmlane-ley2044 speed sensors are in the gearbox. Presume Mechatronik and the like have a that worked out

[@rioraton]

Love hate $ pit! My assessment of my 92 500sl....Wait till you have to rebuild ALL 13 hydraulic cylinders for your top. From the factory the cylinder seals only last 10 years then they degrade and your cylinders will leak....at some point if you keep the car you will HAVE to rebuild them. Replacing one at a time is not an option as the pressure changes and blows out the seals that have not leaked. You are correct it is not a diy friendly kinda car. Good luck with yours

[@kvicku]

I think the wheels are 18 inch

[@markdean3217]

I lovely petrol head lady, real respect 👍🏻😊

[@jamesreckling6697]

Get Coco mats instead of fabric or rubber. They are fantastic and look great.

[@frankchambie1928]

8 holes defo and colour match or chrome door handles

[@garishanth]

"Picture me rollin' in my 500 Benz..." - 2Pac

[@simonread732]

Really want one of these myself. I would probably get the eight holes on it.

[@shaunkoger8096]

I just bought a 95 SL500 and someone put the same Kenwood cd head unit in my car as well 😂

[@xanaduse]

I’ve actually been considering trading my 2016 Lexus rc 350 f sport for a ‘96+ SL 500. It’s so tempting

[@quinnzabukovic6778]

Given that the wheels are fake, I would definitely get the 8 hole wheels. Will improve the ride too

[@edjackson4389]

Those wheels are great! Don't change them

[@mohawk5010]

The fake AMG wheels do like very nice. I’d say have summer tires on the AMG wheels, get original factory spec wheels with winter/all season tires for the wintertime.

[@TheDawsonhousehold]

That isn't even a question! 8 holes definitely.

[@joshuabourgeois9734]

Put the 16 inch original ones !

[@davidhuysmans67]

R129 looks so much better than the R107.

[@alansgarage8545]

Keep the wheels!

[@nedcoburn6421]

I'd definitely change the wheels for the 8 hole originals if it were me, if you then get them refurbished I believe they should be diamond cut as opposed to just powder coated, not 100% certain though as mine has the really old fashioned 15 hole ones. Wonderful cars, thank you for the video.

[@deffo23]

Chrome the wheels and keep them. Very 90's 😂😎

[@jf8315]

It’s looking better and better ! The R129 SL are a modern classic for sure ! Yes yes yes ditch those chavvy non genuine ‘amg monoblocs’ for the period correct 8 slot alloys. It will look much much better and indeed be more comfortable. You could order AMG mono locks at the time and they were ludicrously expensive and IMO did nothing at all for the over look of the SL zither than make it look like a pimped out Miami drug dealers car. So if you want the forum’s opinion then it’s a resounding YES swap out those wheels and put the period correct 8 slot alloys back in it.

[@hasrinmacintoshjawie]

She’s beautiful😮

[@Pipsicle330]

That’s a Northern Irish plate on it so it’s always been UK car. I think the smaller original wheels would look better.

[@GarryMcGovern]

You beat me to it!

[@geofftaylor5989]

Have the eight hole on mine and would do a straight swap if you are interested....

[@joaquimtourinho6017]

I think those are staggered wheels. my SL500 that I ordered from Japan to USA came with the same staggered wheels

[@libran58]

8 holes, yes.

[@chrisyates2591]

Yes - pit original wheels on it if you can afford them.

[@manekdubash5022]

Yes: low profile doesn't suit the car.

[@Sportscarbible]

These AMG wheels were fine back then, but looks somewhat a little cheesy today, 8 Holes are more classic Mercedes

[@huntermusk7613]

Keep the wheels for now. Just try and get a spare wheels for cheap in the time being, they aren’t that desirable. It won’t look as good but it will look more stock.

[@j3xk72r9]

Thought right at the start, the wheels spoil that car.