Spring has finally sprung where I am. I got to drive around a bit this weekend with the windows down and the sunroof open, and it got me thinking about convertibles again. And as luck would have it, Stephen Walter Gossin and I were talking about convertibles via Slack as well. He’s selling one of today’s cars, and suggested the other one.
On Friday, I showed you a couple of ’70s coupes that have been sitting around far too long. I expected the Datsun 200SX to do better, but its condition, lackluster handling, and face only a mother could love were no match for the tiny Italian doorstop. The Fiat X1/9 won this round handily, despite being more expensive.
I can’t say I disagree. The X1/9 is another one of those cars I’ve loved since I was a kid, and this is the best example I’ve seen for a reasonable price in a long time. Yes, it’s irritating that $8,500 is a “reasonable price” for an X1/9 these days, but that’s where we are. I should have bought that $600 one back in college. Ah well.
In this age when increasing complexity and encroaching rules make it ever harder to take care of your own stuff, us DIYers have to stick together. So when my partner-in-grime Stephen suggested that I feature another one of his cars in order to boost its signal a little bit and maybe help it find a buyer, I was happy to oblige. And lest you think this is another case of me picking a fall guy to put up against one of Stephen’s cars, he picked the competitor this time, not me. Though I must say, if I had a little more time and money to play with, it’s something I’d consider as a toy for myself. Let’s take a look at them.
1986 Chevrolet Cavalier RS convertible – $800
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter OHV inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Youngsville, NC
Odometer reading: 222,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives, but needs a battery
I have a checkered history with the first-generation General Motors J platform. I’ve had some good experiences with them, and some not so good. But overall, I’m fond of the little buggers, and I always enjoy seeing one, especially since they’re getting really thin on the ground these days. This Cavalier convertible never was all that common of a sight, certainly more rare than its steel-roofed bretheren. But it’s practically a unicorn now, especially in functional condition for a price this low.
Since this Cavalier is an RS instead of a Z24, it has the “little” engine: a 2.0-liter inline 4. It’s not powerful, or refined, but it gets reasonable gas mileage and it’s tough as nails. I spun a rod bearing in one of these engines, and dropped a valve in another, and they both still ran – poorly, obviously. This one has a lot of miles on it, and it has been sitting for a bit, but the seller says it fires right up and runs fine. It does need a new battery, though; right now you have to jump-start it. On the plus side, it has the good transmission: a five-speed manual, a rarity in the convertible.
Also, since it’s an RS, it has a bit of ’80s coolness: a digital dash. It also has power windows and locks, and a power top, and it all works – except for the HVAC blower fan. That shouldn’t be too hard to fix. It has covers on the seats, dash, and steering wheel, so there’s no telling what kind of condition they’re in. But it looks livable inside, at least.
The seller chose to take photos at night, so it’s a little hard to tell what condition it’s in outside. But it’s an eight hundred dollar car that runs and drives; how much does it really matter? The seller says there’s a small hole in the top, but that’s what duct tape is for. As long as it isn’t rusty underneath – and it shouldn’t be, where it is – you’re in business.
2003 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 – $5,995
Engine/drivetrain: 5.0-liter OHC V8, five-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Wilmington, NC
Odometer reading: 67,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Just in case you’re new here, allow me to introduce you to one of my co-contributors: Stephen Walter Gossin. Stephen buys, fixes, and sells a lot of cars. Many of them are suffering from some minor but labor-intensive malady that would otherwise have sent them to the junkyard. He fixes them up, sells them on, and repeats the process. There’s an environmental and altruistic aspect to this, keeping materials out of landfills and providing someone with a good cheap set of wheels, but I think mostly he just enjoys the process. He must – almost every day in Slack there’s a new crop of junkyard photos featuring a smiling Stephen pulling parts off some derelict car. This Mercedes SL500 is one of his more recent finished projects.
The Mercedes SL is a tremendously complicated car. It has a five-liter V8 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission, and a fiendish and failure-prone self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension system that Mercedes calls “Active Body Control.” That system was the thing that grounded (no pun intended) this car, so Stephen yanked it out and replaced it with traditional coil-over shock absorbers. Sometimes old ways are the best ways. It now runs and drives fine, though it occasionally throws a code for a lean condition, which may just be due to old gas. If so, it should take care of itself; a lot of cars that have been sidelined for a while could benefit from a good “Italian tuneup.” Even the German ones.
It looks pretty good inside, and the air conditioning is nice and cold. It also has an aftermarket stereo with CarPlay and all that good stuff. The power locks do not work; they’re vacuum-operated as on a lot of German luxury cars, and known to fail after a while. But it’s a two-door. Just lean over and unlock the passenger’s side manually.
It wears nice AMG wheels with new tires. The paint isn’t great; it has some chips and faded spots. It’s one of the problems with a black car: every little blemish shows. You can have someone touch it up, or wrap it, or just live with it. One other thing to consider, and it’s a big one: the power folding top is not currently power-operated. You can raise and lower it manually, but there’s a leak in the hydraulics. Stephen is working on it, and should have it sorted out soon.
I know this is kind of a strange comparison, but it’s also an interesting thought experiment. On one hand, you have a cheap and simple car that’s never going to be very nice, but won’t take much to keep it going. On the other, you have a very nice car that has the potential to need quite a lot of care and feeding. Is one really worth seven and a half times as much money as the other? That’s what you have to decide.
Convertibles are trash. Walking.
I was going to rail on the Cavalier seller for not replacing the battery before posting the car, but at that price, this can be forgiven.
That said, the Merc will be glorious while it lasts. I’ll leave the top up. The stereo sounds better that way. This has also been my favorite Mercedes convertibles, styling-wise. I love those conjoined quad headlamps!
…I was here ready to reluctantly say I’d take the Cavalier for my risk of scalpburn and blinding anyone following me with my head, but after hearing the last person who had it was a contributor who fixes these things? I’ll pretend I’m rich, sure.
For the entry price of the M-B, you could buy and keep the Cavalier running for a decade or more. Of course, you’d be driving a rattle-trap, afterthought, econo-box, ragtop for 10 yrs.
I’ll spend the $$$ on the one designed and built specifically as a drop-top and that makes glorious V8 noises. Plus, having two European cars, I already have an account at FCP Euro, a must-have for 3rd+ owners of German cars.
Side note for the SWiG: I’ve mentioned this in the past with your Jag ad, if you’re selling a convertible, you gotta show it convertin’! Add some top-down pics when the weather cooperates.
“The power locks do not work; they’re vacuum-operated as on a lot of German luxury cars, and known to fail after a while. But it’s a two-door. Just lean over and unlock the passenger’s side manually.”
My mother taught me that a gentleman always opens and holds the door.
As to which car – I’ll take the one that costs less than a set of tires and be happy if it lasts all summer.
$800 manual and if it lasts a few months, you’re fine. Done.
No offense SWG, but I read your article on the Benz, and I’m taking the Cav!!
Honesty is always the best policy. No offense taken – DaimlerChrysler made some very strange engineering/design choices (mistakes) when creating this car in the late 90s.
The roof and door locks not operating in that SL are often a related issue:
“R230 SL roof and door lock issues often stem from a failed PSE pump (pneumatic system equipment) due to water ingress in the trunk, a blown fuse #58, or broken trunk partition switches. Check the trunk area for water, ensure the partition is secure, and scan for OCP (N70) faults.”
As an owner of a 2009 CLK, the roof microswitches need to all be operational – the wiring easily can get pinched and go wrong due to a missing cable guide or misaligned trunk partition sensor switch (these were the case of my roof issue a few months back) – and one needs to run the roof fairly frequently so that the seals on the hydraulic rams don’t dry out and leak…
..but since the door locks don’t work either – it’s likely the PSE Pump.
Despite the low mileage – the after-market grille and general filthiness of the interior and the original issue of the collapsed suspension tell me this was not a cared for example. I’m guessing more than one annual maintenance was missed, or it was hauled into a Jiffy Lube rather than a proper service, which these cars need. This will all cost more than SWG is asking to be put right.
Better to find a well-cared for example – There are plenty out there.
I don’t want the Cavalier either.
I believe the grille is OEM/stock. The interior is not pristine, but I wouldn’t call it “filthy” – that’s a bit of hyperbole, my friend. There are some truly disgusting interiors that I’ve come across in my dealings and this is not one of them.
I do believe the PSE pump impeller has broken and have the replacement impeller sitting in my garage at The Evil Wrenching Lair. Hoping got get it installed in the next 2-3 weeks. The top issue is a leaking header latch cylinder. Parts are also in hand. Time is what I need to find.
Thanks for sharing your solid, quite commendable knowledge on Mercedes of this vintage and for playing along today, Urban Runabout!
I’d normally take the $800 running piece of GM garbage over the six-times-as-expensive Mercedes, but since that’s a Stephen Walter Gossin adoption, I’ll take the Merc.
It will be an immeasurably nicer car to drive and might have some time before something expensive happens.
Are soft top convertibles allowed to be 24hr lemons race? If so I am going with the chevy and sending it in the lemons race.
The fact that the SL500 only has 67K on it over 23 years is what drew me to this car. That and the fact that it’s an aluminum-intensive 300hp RWD missile (especially compared to what I daily drive (’03 Stratus Coupe).
I found that the hydraulic cylinder at the top of the windshield (the one that closes the header) latch is leaking and have the replacement part sitting at The Evil Wrenching Lair, ready to install before it sells.
I still can’t believe those cars MSRP’d for $175K in today’s dollars.
That Cavalier is wicked cool though. Tough call today!
Big thanks to Mark for the kind, generous write-up, for making The Showdown an awesome column every day (year after year) and for being such an awesome dude.
The Benz is excellent. But you of all people understand the allure of a car with a 3-digit price tag. I’m so sorry for voting against your German cruiser.
I know I would rather the Benz long-term, but I can’t resist the allure of an $800 drop top stick shift shitbox!
Yup. It’s a trashy POS, but the ‘smiles to miles’ ratio is off the charts, and you can probably keep it going with a pair of vice grips.
I voted for the Benz because it’s much nicer to drive and be inside of. But if I needed a car I’d go for the Cavalier. The price is low enough that any shortcomings can be easily forgiven.
Tough choice with the 5 speed Cavalier at that price but that SL looks SOOOO good I can’t resist! SWG is the only person in the world I’d buy such a car from.
Agreed. So I voted that way.
My man! Thanks for the kind words, Frank.
The Cavalier is cheaper to buy than the Mercedes is to fix.Those things are cockroaches,especially with a stick.
The Cavalier is a rickety death trap that will likely leak from all ends and feel like it’s going to fly apart at speed. Of course I’m voting Cavalier.
This is a toy, so I’m spending toy money. That Cav only costs 200 Hot Wheels.
Hot Wheels cost $4 now? Damn. I remember when they were 99 cents.
While the SL is an actual SWG car, the Cavalier has the true SWG ethos – cheap, solid but in need of attention from someone who appreciates the quirky cool of it.
And totally true how astoundingly rare a manual is in these…you usually saw them only in the coupes, or maybe the sedans if owned by true penny pinchers.
Tough one today, even with the price difference. Went with the Benz. Before trying to track down a hydraulic leak, check the pump. The top hydraulics should be a closed system. I don’t know about MB, but VW used a pump with two solenoids. If one goes bad, you’re done. On a VW I had, it was a surprisingly quick, cheap and easy remedy.
I spent my Autopian bucks on the SL. I wouldn’t spend real bucks on either. Sorry, SWG, I have been bitten by the “cheap Mercedes” before.
SL. In SWG we trust.
Amen
I will walk with my people.
Normally, I would absolutely line up for the car that actually passed through The SWG’s hands.
But in this case that Cavalier is less than 1/7th the price of the Merc, and that price disparity is just too big to ignore. I have to go with the Cavalier this time.
$800 or $6000 for a month of driving before something catastrophic breaks…
That Mercedes is a money pit.
The engine/transmission/rear end are all rock solid on those cars. It’s just everything else to have to worry about.
The open version of the GM one (it had an Opel badge here) was VERY rare in Europe (so seems exotic to me…) but SLs are everywhere, so the cheap one, thankyouveddymuch 🙂
Go with the Cavalier and only spend $800 to realize that convertibles are not for everyone.
No they’re not. I’m only on my third, but the day is young…