1995 Mercedes SL600 V12, 2 Tops 60K Miles, Original, $120K MSRP! Needs Minor TLC

1995 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Description

OK, first of all this is a great car but it will need some work so if you are looking for a time capsule museum quality SL600 stop reading and good luck in your search.
Now if you are still reading and have always wanted to have 12 cylinders in front of you, rear wheels propelling you and the choice of a hard top or a soft top depending on the time of year and are not afraid to do a little work in your garage this is the car for you!
First, I have had numerous Mercedes SL-class over the past many years. I know these cars and I know their strengths and I know their weaknesses. I just have too many of these things taking up my garage space so it is time to downsize a bit. So you are not dealing with someone that is looking to pawn off a car by listing its best traits while forgetting the bad ones.
If you have done any homework or have had one in the past then you already know the R129 Mercedes is an iconic car that still has wide appeal but also has its problems. This car is no different than any other used car out there of this vintage.
The first thing I tell a prospective Mercedes R129 buyer is to get a good car that has all the basics intact as these can nickel and dime you to death. In that respect this one has plenty going on in its favor. The high priced items like sun visors, dome light are all intact and in excellent shape, even the trim rings on the visor arms are in good shape. The rearview mirror however is missing. I think one of the hinges on the visor mirror is broken but the mirror lid still functions as it should. The seats had covers on them all their life so they are in good shape though the passenger side has a little discoloration I think from the seat cover. The convertible top is OEM Mercedes and is in very good original shape. The hardtop is included and has a couple scratches you'd expect but overall is very nice. The hardtop headliner has some droop so it should be fixed sometime down the road. It has heated seats and the power windows work as they should.
The car sounds like a symphony of 12 well oiled and cared for cylinders, happy to spring to life with the turn of a key. The transmission likewise shifts properly though I have never taken further than my neighborhood.
The exterior of the car shows well but in my opinion it will need paint. It shows a repair on the driver quarter panel that has not aged well, I tried to take a picture but black is almost impossible to photograph. OEM wheels are in good shape, tires are good as well. Exhaust note is beautiful, Mercedes passes it spent gases thru some very thick piping so rarely is the exhaust an issue in these cars.
Now as you probably already noticed the front bumper doesn't match the rest of the black car. I was in the middle of a conversion from the original two tone to all black when I stopped and took a step back and decided to clean out the garage of some cars so I never had the front bumper cover painted. So as a bonus I am including the original side skirts, lower fenders, quarter panels pieces with the car, if you want the rear bumper I will include it as well though it has some paint peel (which is why I was doing the all black conversion).
The car comes with the OEM owners manual and assorted paperwork including the original window sticker that shows the original price for the car which was, wait for this...$120K! Also included are some receipts from over the years and this car looks to be well taken care of at a genuine Mercedes dealer, one receipt totals over $5000, a good sign the car had the required maintenance.
In all a great running car that I started at the price of what I could easily get for just selling off a few pieces of it. But since it is a SL600 I would rather sell it as a whole to someone that doesn't want to spend $10K on a low mile V12 SL.
That said there are things very worthy of mention to the prospective owner. First and foremost is that these old Mercedes of early to mid 1990s vintage had a terrible wiring harness composition, basically Mercedes dropped the ball big time with most of their cars having a engine wiring harness that broke down around the heat of the engine. There is only one wire of concern that I see, it is possible that the conversion was done already as the engine runs like the day it was born but this a cautionary note to you about these car. The has been idled and run for over many hours with no concerns or issues.
Next, the windows work, the power top pump is full but the top does not want to work. It tries, and there do not seem to be any leaks, but as of this time the top is not working as it should. Another problem with the R129 is the hydraulic top, mainly the computer and the cylinders that work it. To me, every SL that ever gave me a problem was just as easy to turn into a manual top. Easy, quick and no worries!
Climate control panel works but the fan speed stays on low. Working on the A/C system, not sure if it is the panel or it needs a freon charge so this too may need to be addressed. The car has been sitting for a while so my guess is it needs a charge.
The front grille has been repainted, it could use another coat of chrome paint to make it looks great. It is missing the lower tow hook cover, if I can locate one I will include it. I have a few R129 parts laying around the garage and will be glad to include it if I can find it. Also, one of the pull handles for the center console slider lids is missing. Radio plays but for some reason blinks. One of the seat wood laminate has cracked off, may be able to repair. Hydraulic suspension light is on (see dash picture) but it levels out as it should. SRS light is on as well, probably age related.
Finally, this was an abandoned car when I got it and it has an ignition from another SL in it. This will have to be installed fully for the key to be able to be removed. And since I do not have the key, the doors cannot be locked until you get an original key cut.
I am sure I am forgetting something here and want to be as thorough as possible so if you have any concerns or questions please let me know and I will be glad to assist.
In all it is a great classic car and since it is an SL600 it is worthy of someone's time to do an easy restoration. Please do not ask if you can fly in and drive it home, again the car has been sitting and it would be in your best interest to have it shipped so that a full maintenance schedule can be performed before taking it anywhere.
I can help in delivery and can deliver it if you are within a reasonable distance for a fee.
Good luck and please again if I have forgotten anything let me know and I will be glad to assist.