1984 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 380SL

1985 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 380SL. Condition is Used.
1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
VIN WDBBA45A1EA005075
149,883 Miles (Unreliable Odometer)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ready to Drive
- Garage Kept
- Well Maintained
- Arizona Car
- Removable Hard-top
- Deploy-able Soft-top
- 3.8L V8
- New Brakes
- Automatic Transmission
- Double-row Timing Chain
- Regular Service Intervals
- Original Accessories Included
- Smooth, Clean Ride
- Historical Vehicle Plate Eligible
- Classically Cool
If you're looking for a car that you can buy, get in, start, and drive that will provide immediate satisfaction, this is it. If you're looking for a spotless, never driven piece of garage furniture to gawk at under intense fluorescent showroom lighting but the idea of bugs on the windshield makes you deeply uncomfortable, this is probably not your car (or price bracket).
I've owned this car since 2013. Since then, I've put roughly 10,000 miles on it, mostly as a weekend cruiser with a little commuting sprinkled in when the mood struck and the weather called for it. During that time, it's been everything you could hope for from this classic Mercedes coupe. During the exceedingly pleasant Phoenix winter months, there were times I couldn't help but drive it despite the average 17-mpg city fuel economy of the heavy German V8. It's a supremely pleasing ride, draws a lot of keen eyes, and I'm pretty sure it helped me meet my wife though she won't directly admit to it. The original manual and latch-lever for the hard & soft tops comes with the car, and even the factory Mercedes-Benz roadside assistance sticker is present on the inside of the glovebox (disclaimer: I haven't tried the number). Alas, it's time for this car to find a new owner with less divided attention.
Paint seems to be original all over, interior appears to have been re-upholstered at some point prior to my ownership.
In the first year of ownership, I had a thorough inspection and service provided by the fantastic Benztek Automative in Tucson, AZ. They noted that the engine was in excellent condition, and suggested a service of the mechanical fuel injection system. At that time, they replaced all of the injectors, fuel rails, the needed seals and vacuum lines, idle controller, and performed a calibration & tune of the Bosch Jetronic injection system. This resulted in a dramatic improvement in the power, efficiency, and overall smoothness of the engine which has persisted. It starts immediately with no hesitation or stumbling. Acceleration is clean and linear at all RPM's. An inspection of the cams shows no signs of wear or impingement and the oilers all functioning flawlessly. The second year of ownership saw the ignition system (spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap) gone through and a refurbished transmission installed by another shop in Tucson which has performed flawlessly. Shifts are responsive and clean at the correct points and manual shifts are decisive and smooth. Year three brought a new water pump, radiator flush, belts, and the associated minor parts. Timing was precisely set to factory spec and cooling performance verified. Tires have lots of life on them, and are the correct size. Brakes and brake sensors were JUST done. Plenty of other small repairs and replacements scattered in over the years, which I've tried to list out fairly comprehensively below.
As expected for a car at this age and mileage, there are a few minor cosmetic and convenience issues. The exterior has the types of small chips and scratches you'd expect on original paint, but is free of dents. The car is rust free with one exception on the drivers side rear fender where a crack in the paint let a little moisture in. There are a couple of larger scratches, including one on the drivers side rear fender and another on the soft-top deck lid behind the rear "seat". The passenger side seat adjustments are frozen, it probably needs to be taken out and serviced. The drivers side fog-light bracket is cracked. The chromed-plastic interior trim pieces on the seat hinges are all present, but a couple of them fit loosely and will fall off occasionally. The automatic radio antenna does not extend. There are still a couple of vacuum leaks, resulting in an intermittent cruise control and the "power" door locks only automatically unlocking the passenger side door when the drivers side is unlocked for a few minutes after the vehicle has been off. The original carpet floor mats are included, but they show their age (especially the drivers side). The trunk latch and lock work but the "catch" piece is a little worn and sometimes doesn't latch perfectly, should be replaced. The trunk carpet liner also has a couple of bare spots. The air conditioning works, but it isn't really up to 120 degree Phoenix summers. All the components test ok, but performance is mediocre and seems to have a slow refrigerant leak. The weather seals on the doors make some noise at speed and leak a little in hard rain or the car wash. There is a little bit of back-and-forth play in the steering. The soft-top mechanics all work great and it deploys easily, the vinyl cover for the lid shows some wear. There are two small (~4-6 inch) tears in the rear of the cover on either side of the rear window, but the cover is otherwise in good shape and un-faded. Needs a patch or stitching. The chrome on the wheels could probably stand to be re-done.
The odometer was at it's current position when I purchased it, and has been that way since, indicating a broken or stuck cable. Everything else on the instrument panel works perfectly, including the "economy meter" and the dash clock. It does have a restored title. I'm not sure what the story is on that, and despite having crawled under, inside, and all around it over the last several years I've seen nothing that gives me any clues.
INCLUDED
1 x 1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
1 x Original Manual
1 x Original Vinyl Manual Case
1 x Original Mercedes Convertible Roof Latch Lever
1 x Original Mercedes Tool Kit
1 x Original Jack
1 x Spare Wheel & Tire
1 x Fabric Dash Cover
1 x Key1 x Spare Alternator1 x Bag of Spare & Take-off Misc. Parts1 x Partially Full Can of CHF11 Power Steering Fluid1 x Chilton Service Manual

SERVICED OR REPLACED DURING OWNERSHIP
- Water Pump & Radiator Flush
- Coolant Hoses
- Thermostat
- Distributor Cap
- Belts
- Fuel Injectors
- Fuel Rails
- Spark Plugs
- Rear Sway Bar Links
- Exhaust Hangers
- Tires
- Vacuum Lines (some)
- Plug Wires (Rubber is starting to get a bit dry again, Arizona...)
- Transmission (Refurbished)
- Alternator
- Battery
- Rear Speakers
- Front Brake Pads
- Rear Brake Pads
- Brake Pad Sensors
- Engine Shock Mount (Drivers Side)
- Stereo Head Unit
KNOWN ISSUES
- Paint Chips
- Cracked Fog-light Bracket
- Stuck Odometer
- Slow Power Steering Pump Leak
- Mediocre Air Conditioning (Possibly Slow Refrigerant Leak)
- Passenger Seat Adjustments Stuck
- Vacuum Leaks
- Worn Trunk latch
- Intermittent Cruise Control
- Low Current to Head Unit (Occasionally shuts off at high volume)
- Dry weather seals on doors
- Dipstick pull ring cracked
- Chrome wheels aren't perfect
- Cracked Dash
Feel free to contact me with any questions or to set up a time to come look.