Should I consider an MB R129
 

So you all know I loved that car in HS. Well, part of me still loves it and I get the feeling they are starting to hit bottom before appreciating.

I'm wondering if I should keep an eye out for a mint V12 model. I get the feeling it would be a good "investment."

Am I nuts?

An R129 ?? Who in the world knows each in house model designation for these cars ... can't we just use regular model designations like the rest of the world :worship


Anyway thanks to google I can say yes you should if that is the model you love ... the prices seem reasonable though I could never stand the seating position in those cars. They just aren't comfortable as they do that weird thing when you recline the seat too much it pushes the bottom cushion forward also they sit very low on the floor.

It's sports car seating in a non sports car :dunno:

No, because the idea of maintaining a German V12 sounds like nightmare fuel. But you should get one of these:

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/198...90e-2-3-16-12/

yes this for a older mercedes :cool:

Yes. What a cool car. I would definitely buy one of these before an R129, although those too are pretty neat. But NOT a V12, unless you like the way your car looks in the garage on jackstands.

lol

But I thought I had heard those were actually reasonably reliable, if expensive to service.

I just see older SL starting to go for silly money. I really want a Pagoda SL, but even as a project car that is crazy expensive now.

But yes, I do love the 2.3 16V. I almost got one back when I got the 2.6 but it was just outside my budget. I would have ended up beating up on it and putting a million miles, but I've wanted one of those for a while.

A 500E(E500) and that car are two classic MB's I'd love to own. The miles are a bit high.

If it ends up at under 10k I would be very tempted. The timing is not right for me to spend time working on an old car. In 2-3 years that may not be the case.

The thread title was a reference to my original bimmerfest handle: mbr129.;)

Anyhow, I've never even driven one. They could be terrible - I don't know. But I do know they were very well built and stupid expensive: $100K for the V8 when it first came out in 1989. That's nearly $200k in today's dollars. The V12 was even more in 1993 when it came out.

The best thing about those 2.3s is their price -- they haven't appreciated like the M3s (at least I don't think), and they're almost as cool. And rarer, actually.

No, don't get it. You are half nuts because you're considering, you'd be nuts to get it. Get a Merc sedan that the whole family can enjoy. Two seats & not sporty?

:lol::lol::lol:

I had to google it too. Guess I don't know much about MB's.

Fuck yes, you should.

My Mom had two of them. Late '90s is what you want. After they had figured out wiring, but before they softened up the suspension and put big wheels on.

I have a friend who still misses his RWD Mercedes wagon from the early to mid 90s. He and his spouse bought the next model with AWD, which they STILL have, but it doesn't scratch the same itch.

So he went and bought a 2003 325xiT years ago, which he still drives. Not quite the same, but good enough apparenlty.

EDIT: Researching the numbers. He loved his S124, the S210 (possibly S211) not as much.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who had to google.

Holy shit. 14 years later I learn what your user name meant. :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol::lol::lol:

LOL
I'm probably the only one here (aside from FC) that knew what R129 is/was immediately. Not a hesitation.
I am an automotive dork. LOL

I always thought your original name had to do with the Mercedes you used to have back in the day ... if I recall I think it was a 190E.

I'm guessing low mile/as new cars are cheap to buy? And you don't mind storing it in your garage and never driving it?

No, you were not.

I'm also not sure why you want a V12. I don't think that the cool factor outweighs the annoyance. Just get a '96-'98 500SL.

Edit: And get it in red.

Edit2: Although for me, I'd have to seriously consider a 300SL and get the manual swap parts.

Here you go:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...delCode1=SL500

Sell off those stupid AMG wheels that look terrible on it.

I actually prefer the 01's with the AMG appearance pkg. The beefy staggered 5 stars really set it off. What exactly did they do to the suspension in the later years to make it sloppy like you said?

I always assumed it was "member #129"

That's not cheap or low mile. Investment not found.

I don't know. All I know is that we had a '97 and an '01. The '97 drove better in every way (it also had a meaningfully better engine - MB severely value engineered them for '99, so they went from DOHC to SOHC). It may even have been a very similar suspension and that the AMG wheels were too much tire for it. Whatever it was, though, the '01 was sloppy and the '97 wasn't.

I also prefer the 16" wheels on it. It's a car that shouldn't have too much wheel or tire on it. It doesn't look right.

I think it's a terrible investment. :p I just think he should buy one.

That's just stupid. Why would you go ass backwards engine tech wise. I never knew that.

Because they cut the price by like 30%. So much so that they offered a big discount off the next car to recent SL buyers. (IIRC, it was something like $15k off your next Benz.)

Edit: OK, $10k price drop, and maybe $5k discount. It's been a long time.

Drool. And yeah, those wheels are awful. I like the original AMG wheels. I would prefer the panorama roof and Xenons, but otherwise, it's awesome - and kinda cheap.

:lol: I guess I always wanted to own a V12 because V12, and why not do so on a car I loved as a teenager?

The problem with the panorama roof is that it makes the hardtop massively heavier. The metal one was scary enough to remove/replace. The panorama was way worse.

Edit: and just plan on doing a xenon retrofit. The OE xenons sucked ass.

Ah, good to know on the panorama roof.

It *is* awesome, though. I don't want to completely put you off.

I always think of him as "member"

Ugh. That's weird.

still inexpensive (don't want to say cheap)

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/199...es-benz-500sl/

No. It has the 4spd auto.

OK, but isn't a manual in this model the rarest of unicorns?

My guess is that nick meant you should get the 5 speed auto that came around in 96.


http://www.autotrader.com/car-news/b...to-know-209362

Yes.

Plus manual was sadly only ever offered with the 6 cylinder, which is pretty under powered for a car like that.

Yep. The 4spd auto (which I've never driven) is reportedly extremely dull and doesn't like to downshift.

The manual (I actually have seen one in the wild in Europe) would be pretty neat. Even with the lesser engine. The sensible thing to do would probably be to get an adapter plate made for the V8, though.