Pressie for the old man?

AliK

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
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My dad had a serious crash in a TR4 about 50 years ago and smashed his hip to bits. It's only taken 49 years of limping and popping aspirin like smarties to get the stoic, stiff upper lipped git to be convinced of going back to hospital to have it properly fixed!! We await an op date any day soon.

He's gonna have a long recovery period with lots of physio so I thought of getting him an incentive present to look at outside the window and make him try harder. He only does 1500 miles a year at the most so fuel economy is not a concern for him.

Amazing what I found for £3k - so VERY tempted to just go put the credit card down tomorrow!!! ;) Thank God work will get in the way and I have time to think sensibly.

Anyone have opinions on these!? Anything to watch except the wiring loom issue?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201408286931657?atmobcid=soc4

y2u4etad.jpg




Ali K
 
It's amazing what you can get for your money these days.

Don't know these cars, my sister has a Merc Conv. but a smaller car - she has had brake calipers issues (seized solid) and auto box gearbox (not changing I think).

At this money though if something serious goes wrong break it for salvage. :confused:

Secondhand cars prices are usually inversely related to risk. Are you a risk taker?
 
I've always wanted one - don't know much about them, but I doubt they're any worse than any other 20 year old luxury car full of early luxury electronics :-0
 
They're a great car if you get it right.

Not sure which one that is but the 300 needs to be a 24v ideally and obviously the 500 is the kiddie.

A good one of these is rising in value right now so it would be best to spend as much as you can and get the lowest mileage history car you can.

Lovely when they're right but not so much fun when they're wonky
 
All good advice gents, thank you!

If my research is anything to go by: the later model 5.0s came with a better "electronic" gearbox - which while it kicks down faster can succumb to electronic gremlins.

The 1992-1995 cars are apparently the best built before the Daimler-Chrysler days where quality took a nose dive.

You're right on that front Rob - I also think the big engined cars also depreciate massively due to lack of people willing to invest in oil and insurance companies + people wanting the latest models - case in point, the early S2000 or 350z prices.

Just spoke to the dealer and he said no history at all which puts me right off but mileage is 100% verified!! Quite how that is possible, he was finding difficult to explain given the pre-big DVLA electronic mileage tracking database era the car has lived through!!

I think I'll let this one go but still amazed what you can pick up for the money!!! Here's another

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201405114117537?atmobcid=soc4





Ali K
 
I've also wanted one of these but being a classic lover I'd go for an earlysl with standup headlights and pegoda roof.
 
Amazing car for the money. Could this be the next classic? I know prices on the earlier ones has allready shot up.
 
Wow!!! Someone clearly had a very bad day! :(

Imagine shoe horning that into an S30 engine bay!!!!! ;)



Ali K
 
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There was a Pagoda for sale not far from me at a place called William Loughran - was a 280SL and came with no. plate 280 SL, he wanted £150k for it....... It was mint and super low mileage but wow that's a lot of money....

EDIT: £175k - now sold! :O
 
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Looking on ebay, autotrader etc 1995-2004 Jags and Mercs seem very cheap to me and a lot of car for the money but I am always worried about the £'s needed to put right any sort of fault on these lovely machines.
 
zNathan said:
There was a Pagoda for sale not far from me at a place called William Loughran - was a 280SL and came with no. plate 280 SL, he wanted £150k for it....... It was mint and super low mileage but wow that's a lot of money....

EDIT: £175k - now sold! :O
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If that was a white car then I was offered that at 70k a couple of years ago when the owner died...with plate.

Love an old SL...had a couple of pagodas too and struggled to sell the last 280 I had for 20k....was 5 yrs ago though.

This is my latest 500.....It's a keeper

 
That looks stunning! :thumbs:

What I've always loved about the SLs is that no matter the age all of them just look so stylish!

At £3k I'm still tempted! What's the worst that could happen? I just write off a couple of grand and sell it for breaking, right ? I'm reading that the M119 engines were bomb proof except for the wiring loom on the r129 model using biodegradable insulation!! Doh!!





Ali K
 
smileyinside said:
That looks stunning! :thumbs:

What I've always loved about the SLs is that no matter the age all of them just look so stylish!

At £3k I'm still tempted! What's the worst that could happen? I just write off a couple of grand and sell it for breaking, right ? I'm reading that the M119 engines were bomb proof except for the wiring loom on the r129 model using biodegradable insulation!! Doh!!





Ali K
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Whilst 3k is easy to write off not having a working car could be omar.

Imagine the roof mechanism doesnt work of as you say the wiring goes charlie.....It becomes a lump of uselessness.

Always buy the best you can afford.......And then make sure he gives it to you when he's finished with it that way you carry on enjoying it
 
vipergts said:
.....It becomes a lump of uselessness.......
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:rofl: Love that phrase!

There is a guy about 15 miles from me who has a Jenson Interceptor in front of his house - it's been there for 20+ years and it's absolutely rotten - and I mean rotten, some of the rear end has dropped onto the ground! It has recently been joined by a modern MGTF which is going the same way. In his mind he has two sports cars, one a true classic:rolleyes:
 
Rob Gaskin said:
:rofl: Love that phrase!

There is a guy about 15 miles from me who has a Jenson Interceptor in front of his house - it's been there for 20+ years and it's absolutely rotten - and I mean rotten, some of the rear end has dropped onto the ground! It has recently been joined by a modern MGTF which is going the same way. In his mind he has two sports cars, one a true classic:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yes and I bet he's one of those guys that for the last 20yrs has refused sensible bids because he says "I'm going to restore it"
 
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