dodi

Hi everyone am thinking of trading my 2005 350z Roadster for a 1991 Mercedes Sl 500. Thought I would get an opinion or two from this board. I have owned my roadster since 2008 and have loved every minute of it. It only has 55 000 miles and is running well. The roof has a slight tear in it on the right back panel seems to be common. Anyways am not driving the roadster as much as i spend most of the summer months riding a couple of motorcycles. My thinking was I have always wanted a Mercedes sl500 and an opportunity came up where a car lot owner who I have dealt with in the past will take my roadster and give me cash back on the sl500. The car seems to be in excellent shape and will also go through a srcondary inspection. I am fully aware that my roadster is worth more handles better and is a true sports car. But I am also aware that the sl500 is a flagship car which was over engineered for its time. It has a bullet proof engine and is approaching colkector plate status.it is a much more relaxed ride which as I approach 60 appeals to me. The boy racer in me is diminishing. I will only dtive car 4 months a year than next year get collector plates and insure for 250 dollars a year. The Mercedes new was probably close to a hundred grand . Anyways is this a crazy idea to give up ky roadster for the sl 500.....cant keep both and am expecting money back as well......the roadster being 10 years old will only continue to deoreciate and its probably at a stage where I will heed to start putting money into it. On the Mercedes sites its pretty obvious thst the recommendation is to pull the trigger....its mentioned to thoroughly get the car checked out first and to sksi ge aware up keeping up the maintenance.....any thoughts or opinions out there.....thsnjs 7n advance and my aplogies for the long post

turboed350z

If its gonna be an sl500 dont get the 91. Its old oudated but not a classic, weak and personally i think its ugly. If i were to get an sl500 itll have to be 2010+ sonce they look better, faster, more classy, and break more necks.

Basically youre downgrading....

NismoDude

Have you searched Benzworld and MBforum to see what common repairs might be needed on an SL500?

If you have not owned an MB before be warned that although they are very nice, safe, stylish cars, they are NOT cheap to own like just about any japanese car.

Mercedes is always trying to be at the forefront of technology for any given year, so their cars tend to be much more prone to electrical gremlins that can be a major headache to have diagnosed and repaired. And as you stated, this was once a 100k car, and as such, the parts for any repair are MUCH more expensive than any parts on your Z.

Does this car have a complete service history? (many benz owners are fanatics about logging every oil change, etc, so this would not be unusual)

With that said, if you have an honest, competent independent MB mechanic in your area, and are willing to "pay to play", an older MB classic like the SL500 can be a great car! Let us know how it turns out.

onerpm

I can tell you want to do it. Do it!

If you drive <1000 miles/year, get the Mercedes. It's time for a change!

jhc

My best advice, sell the ZR during the summer. The demand will dry up after it gets cooler.

Zacny77

Boy, I've been thinking about the same thing. I love my 2008 ZR but now that I'm in my 60s, I've been leaning more toward smooth power grand touring style. My daily driver is a 2014 A6 and that combination of quiet luxury and responsiveness with power is very satisfying. Still, since I have that car for travelling, I keep the 350z for fun motoring and enjoy planning and installing mods which I would never try with the Audi. In your case, I would say go for it. The SL is the best of both worlds and I think you'll enjoy it. Cost of ownership isn't bad if you can avoid the dealership with the older cars. If you decide later you miss the Z, that SL will get you your money back as it's past the steep part of the depreciation curve. Let us know if you do it and how you like the SL.

jhc

well stated.

mr. sparco

iTrader: (13)

I would get it as a side project and keep the z. You can ditch it if everything falls apart. Being a car made in 1991, chances are very likely. I've had many side projects and the last one was a 99 Miata and all sorts of parts needed replacing. I can't imagine what the mb sl5 would need.

NismoDude

Did you ever get that Benz?

dodi

Did end up picking up the 500sl, but after a week had to reverse deal and get my 350z roadster back.....The benz leaked after the first rainfall, the hardtop wouldn't close electronically had to do a complicated manual override. ( the battery was changed prior to purchase and electrical gremlins crept in....front hood wouldn't align properly on closing......ASR light came on, stability control something which put benz in limp home mode....and finally alarm would go off in middle of night for no apparent reason...These are great cars but must be in perfect running order before purchasing.....i was not aware of any of these problems and after the battery was changed new problems crept in. When my 350 was returned to me i was ecstatic to say the least. The 350z is a reliable , powerful , enjoyable car to ride with lots of power to spare.....what was i thinking....lol