1989 MERCEDES- BENZ SL-CLASS 560SL MANY EXTRA'S, LOW MILES

YOU SEE THESE CARS POP UP FOR SALE, APPEARING ON ASSORTED EXOTIC CAR USED CAR LOTS AND INTERNET SITES, ALMOST LIKE MAGIC. ITS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO ASK, "WHY IS THIS CAR FOR SALE"?

THIS IS MY PERSONAL CAR AND I AM GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT NOW: OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS I HAVE HAD MAJOR SURGERY FOR TWO FULL HIP REPLACEMENTS AND TWO FULL KNEE REPLACEMENTS. I DO NOT HAVE NEAR THE RANGE OF MOTION I USED TO HAVE. SIMPLY PUT NOWADAYS IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO GET IN AND OUT OF THIS WONDERFUL AUTOMOBILE, SO SHE HAS SPENT MOST OF THE TIME SITTING OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. I ALSO CANNOT WORK ON CARS LIKE I USED TO, THIS IS ALSO A MAJOR FACTOR, FOR ME ANYWAY.

SO ITS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I AM PUTTING THE OLD GIRL UP FOR SALE. THERE IS A VARIETY OF REASONS FOLKS ACQUIRE ONE OF THESE GREAT CARS, BUT ITS ONLY BEEN RECENTLY THAT RISING PRICES HAS BEEN ONE GOOD ONE. AS ANYONE WHO IS LOOKING AT THESE KNOWS THE PRICES ARE RISING. AS ALWAYS, FIRST ITS FOR THE PRISTINE, MINT ULTRA LOW MILEAGE EXAMPLES, THEN THE "RISING TIDE FLOATS ALL BOATS" RULE KICKS IN FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. THERE IS NO REASON AT ALL TO THINK THAT THIS TREND WILL NOT CONTINUE INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

THIS IS A FAIRLY LOW MILEAGE EXAMPLE WITH A VERY SOLID FOUNDATION. SHE BASICALLY HAS BEEN SITTING FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS. SHE HAS BOTH GOOD AND BAD POINTS, FIRST THE GOOD:

AS FAR AS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL THIS CAR HAS BEEN GARAGED AND BABIED FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ROUGH USE OR ABUSE. I INSTALLED WHAT WAS PURPORTED TO BE THE VERY LAST FULL SET OF BILISTEIN RACING SHOCK MADE FOR THIS MODEL. NOT JUST STIFFER SHOCKS, BILISTEIN RACING SHOCKS. AND SHE HANDLES FLAT! AWESOMELY, FAR BETTER THAN ANY STOCK 560. YET THE RIDE IS NOT HARSH AT ALL. MANY OEM PARTS, MOST OF WHICH ARE VIRTUALLY BRAND NEW, BRAKE PADS, IGNITION PARTS, ETC. BRAND NEW OEM FACTORY RADIATOR (MORE ON THAT LATER).

AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE PICS, BOTH THE SOFT TOP AS WELL AS THE HARD TOP ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE SAME CAN ALSO BE SAID FOR THE MICHELIN TIRES ARE IN PRETTY DECENT SHAPE. THERE IS NO ACCIDENT DAMAGE THAT WAS EVER REPORTED TO CARFAX. THERE IS ZERO EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE ON THE BODY OR UNDERBODY ITSELF. THERE ARE MANY NEW PARTS, NEW FILTERS, NEW HOSES, ALL FACTORY MERCEDES.

THIS CAR HAS HAD SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS DONE. THE MOST OBVIOUS IS THE $1,700 ALPINE RADIO AND DOOR MOUNTED SPEAKERS. THE SYSTEM SOUNDS GREAT. UNDER THE HOOD THERE IS A MODIFICATION THAT IS READILY APPARENT, THAT OF A THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED ELECTRIC FAN. THE STOCK FAN IS A HORSEPOWER EATER, THIS ONE MODIFICATION IS ONE THAT YOU CAN FEEL. IT WORKS PERFECTLY, THE FAN COMES ON RIGHT AT 200 DEGREES. AFTER MOVING THE EXPANSION TANK IT WAS THEN POSSIBLE TO FABRICATE A DUAL INLET AIR CLEANER. ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT THIS IS THAT THERE IS NOT ONE THING THAT WAS DONE THAT CANNOT BE UNDONE, THE CAR CAN BE PUT BACK TO 100% STOCK IF DESIRED. ALL IN ALL THIS IS A VEHICLE THAT CAN BE A DAILYDRIVER AS WELL AS APPRECIATE IN VALUE AT THE SAME TIME. THERE IS A FREE AND CLEAR FLORIDA TITLE.

NOW FOR THE BAD: RUNNING RICH UNTIL FULLY WARMED UP. THE STAINLESS FRONT EXHAUST SECTION ALONG WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE PERFECT, THE BACK MUFFLER SECTION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE AC IS NOT WORKING RIGHT. WHILE MOST EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL WORKS THERE ARE SOME ELECTRICAL GLITCHES. BOTH FRONT SEATS HAVE SOME TEARS. THERE ARE SOME NICKS/CHIPS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR PAINT WHICH HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS SHIPPED FROM WASHINGTON STATE TO FLORIDA.

ACCORDING TO CARFAX THE MILEAGE DOES NOT APPEAR RIGHT, HERE IS WHY: WHEN I BOUGHT THE RADIATOR FROM MERCEDES THEY INSISTED ON ME GIVING THEM THE MILEAGE, TELLING ME THAT THEY COULD NOT SELL ME THE RADIATOR IF THEY DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE MILEAGE RECORDED. AS I WAS DOING THE WORK MYSELF, OF COURSE THE CAR WAS NOT THERE AND I WAS A FAIR DISTANCE FROM HOME. THE PARTS GUY GOES, "JUST MAKE UP SOMETHING". SO I DID JUST THAT. I DID NOT KNOW, AND AT THE TIME I WOULD NOT HAVE CARED THAT MERCEDES DUTIFULLY REPORTED IT TO CARFAX, AND THEN ADDED THAT THE CAR WAS IN THEIR SHOP, WHICH IT NEVER WAS. MERCEDES HAS NO RECORD THAT THIS CAR WAS IN A DEALERSHIP AT THAT TIME, FEEL FREE TO CHECK WITH MERCEDES ON THAT. THANKS TO THEIR NONSENSE ALL OF THIS IS ON CARFAX .

SO THERE IS ALL OF THE GOOD AND ALL OF THE BAD. THIS OLD GIRL NEEDS A HOME WHERE SHE CAN BE PROPERLY WORKED ON, WHICH I CAN'T DO RIGHT NOW. MOST EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG IS LABOR INTENSIVE AT WORSE, THERE IS NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF HI DOLLAR REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED. YOU TAKE THE COST OF THE CAR AND ADD IN THE COST OF FIXING ALL OF THE ABOVE AND YOU WILL NOT COME NEAR THE 20-24 THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT THIS CAR WILL THEN BE WORTH. THERE IS NOTHING THAT KEEPS THIS CLASSIC FROM BEING DRIVEN REGULARLY WHILE FIXING THINGS AT A LEISURELY PACE. PARTS CARS GO FOR 5-6 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THIS 560SL IS VERY FAR FROM BEING THAT.

AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME THESE CARS ARE FAIRLY PLENTIFUL. ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU LOOK AROUND AND THEY ARE GONE. THAT IS THE WAY IT ALWAYS WORKS, AND IT WILL NOT BE ANY DIFFERENT WITH THESE VERY COOL OLDER ROADSTERS. HERE IS A CHANCE TO BUY A KEEPER AT A PRICE THAT I KNOW I WILL LOOK BACK ON AND REGRET SELLING HER AT, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

IF MORE PICS OR INFO IS NEEDED JUST ASK AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO GET WHATEVER YOU NEED TO YOU.

I HAVE THE OLD GIRL LISTED AT A VERY FAIR BUY IT NOW AND I WILL LISTEN TO SANE OFFERS.

I AM OFFERING THIS CAR LOCALLY AND RESERVE THE RIGHT TO END THIS LISTING AT ANY TIME AND FOR ANY REASON. THIS CAR IS SOLD AS IS, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF ANY SORT WRITTEN OR IMPLIED. IMMEDIATE $500 DEPOSIT VIA PAYPAL REQUIRED, BALANCE TO BE PAID IN FULL WITH US DOLLARS, EITHER IN CASH, BANK DRAFT, CASHIERS CHECK OR OTHER MUTUALLY AGREED UPON METHOD. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SELECT PAYMENT METHOD I DEEM APPROPRIATE. CAR WILL BE RELEASED ONLY AFTER ALL BANK FUNDS ARE FULLY CLEARED TO MY SATISFACTION AND CAR HAS BEEN PAID FOR IN FULL.

PAYPAL ACCEPTED FOR $500 DEPOSIT ONLY

ALL PICK-UP AND DELIVERY IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF BUYER. I WILL WORK WITH BUYERS SHIPPING COMPANY TO FACILITATE VEHICLE PICK-UP.