Peter Vieira
Wow, you're reading this? Thanks! If you're into RC cars and I seem vaguely familiar, it's because I spent over 25 years writing and editing RC car news, reviews, and tech articles in print and online. What else, what else ... I have a degree in Film Studies (useless), most of a degree in Graphic Design (useful), and I'm married to a wonderful woman with horrible taste in men. Thanks to her, we have a terrific daughter who just earned her Journalism degree and is way, waaay more together that I was at her age. Or right now.
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So I gather nobody uses that model for a taxicab.
It’s too bad that American laws make it very difficult, but someone that had an operation like Singer that instead of modernizing old cars and making them all high tech, just made kits to replace all the proprietary engine and transmission controls, weird cooling systems, vacuum lines to every door and the trunk, and replace the wiring harness with something that made sense, commodity 13.5 volt batteries, and so on.
A mechanic in Rhinebeck NY was doing that for years replacing the electrical systems on foreign cars with American stuff. Ford solenoids, Mopar alternators etc.
Then he disappeared with a sophomore girl from Bard and there were about 120 cars that might as well bee imported from Mars.some mechanic figured them out and had a captive customer base for a few years.
Anyway a “rationalize your SL” kit would be great.
Mercedes used to be great about supporting old cars, with the exploded diagram of the car with every part number , just in case you needed a suspension bushing by mail wherever you might be. Is it that dismal everywhere or just the USA?
Sadly, when the R230 came out on 2003 – it had the worst reliability of any Mercedes-Benz prior.
But owners still rated the car highly in JD Power surveys – our guess is they were blinded by the reflection of the star….
Of course by 2009, R230’s had a lot of that stuff ironed out
(or “features” deleted)
Which yet again proves the old adage about a cheap Mercedes-Benz…
…and helps us understand why MB can’t give away SLs anymore.
Personally the only current new MB I’d ever consider buying is the E350 RWD E Class – without hyper screens, fancy suspensions, AMG BS, etc.
(Or an E300 Hybrid E Class wagon, if I moved to Europe)
All the rest is garbage.
Sorry SWG! Here’s hoping maybe you find a first gen Sebring or similar soon to rinse the bad taste out of your mouth.
As a Gen Xer, it’s funny how in my lifetime Mercedes went from building these absolute tanks that inspired confidence for years, to these flashy but crappy things.
It’s always intrigued me how in the car world, a reputation can be built over years, or with one one giant accomplishment, but it takes seemingly forever to completely destroy it, no matter how much effort you put into it. Meanwhile, in a lot of other areas, all it takes is a single bad decision, and you’ll never fully recover.
Place a brick on the accelerator pedal,let’s see if the rev limiter will fail like most of the rest of the stuff in that lemon.
Who says Mercedes got nothing out of the “merger of equals?”
Along with pillaging the cash reserves, they also got infected with quality woes. Call it Chrysler’s Revenge.
Sorry, SWG. Hope you can laugh about this someday.
that mirror looks shockingly like the dodge 1st gen dashboard issues. My guess is they used ABS or PVC for that mirror enclosure.
My one and only Benz was a 2022 GLC. It was a good color, and the 2-tone seats were nice. Full stop.
Squeaky, tractor-sounding engine, boring. The software was okay, I guess. Traded it in 18 months later on a GTI.
I know, software… but it was way more fun.
Nothing more expensive than a cheap…used….older than5 years…German luxury car.
Except Sacco Benzes….well and 70s Benzes…okay any Benz after 1995 is not cheap. Even if its cheap.
I agree, but feel anything post 1991 is scary because of the biodegradable wiring
Oddly enough, the R230 is a Sacco design.
The very last one.
It is here that Mechjaz carefully neglects to mention he may have ever been vaguely interested in the SL, and quietly reopens tabs for nice Mazda3’s for the driving-age kiddo.
Go ahead and get an SL
Just make sure it’s a mid-series (’96-’98) R129 SL500 in great condition with most, if not all maintenance records.
Or an R107 560SL (same conditions as above) if you can stomach the fuel consumption.
And avoid the ones with cheap aftermarket grilles and non-AMG or BBS aftermarket wheels – They are indicators of bad things inside.
when he said “the mirror disintegrated in my hand”, I wasn’t prepared for how accurate that statement was actually going to be!
A Spaniard commenting from Oslo listening to Natalie Lafourcade. It will get better, Stephen! Probably.