1980 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

WDB10704412003394

Gasoline

I am critical. :) I've owned the car since 2005. VIN: WDB10704412003394 Engine: 119k mileage. Top end work done, new rubber, timing chain, guides, intake gaskets. Starts up on every first turn, even after sitting for weeks/months. Idle is stable and at the correct RPM. Runs at 80-90 Celsius normally. New: Fuel pump, filter, in-tank filter, vacuum routing lines, etc Body: Straight with one repaint. Original owner testified the car had a minor ding when another car backed into it in the left quarter back in the 1990's, repair was done right as I can't find evidence of such a repair. Undercarriage is clean without the brown, crusty surface rust you see on other cars driven on salt roads. Only visible rust is a quarter sized spot lifting the paint on one of the hardtop corners (separate from body). The front spoiler has a fiberglass tear (seen in pics) but no pieces missing. Rear tail valance has a dent where a tow truck chain pressed against it at one time (seen in pics). A couple small side dings on right side. Mechanicals: Steering dampers are a bit on the loose end (new parts w/ car, uninstalled) Steering box will need Pitman arm seal redone (also parts w/ car). I was also going to replace the driveshaft bearings at one point in the future. Rear end is a LSD unit and fluids are clean. First gear solenoid intermittent (electrical?). Paint: Fair condition. The original paint was repainted at one time by a paint coat that has taken on a lesser quality than the original. Hood has burred area where a spray can repair was done (no bondo apparently as evidenced by the underside). You can see it (the burred area) on the front right corner of the hood - that's the only part of the car like this. Wheels: The car currently rolls on Lorinsers - the ATS 16x8 rims are long gone. I would prefer to keep these rims, the tires a re a bit on the fat side, so I will source alloy Bundts. Interior: Recaro seats in very good structural condition, bolsters solid. Will need recovering as they are original to the car. Dash is cracked and will need to be swapped out at one point. Driver's side window will need alignment, which is why the door panel is off (in trunk). Carpet is good, interior wood (dark zebrano) will need to be refinished or swapped out. No rust there as well. The car previously had an aftermarket alarm system which I removed myriads of wiring doglegged into the factory harness and returned to stock. A/C inop - haven't looked too closely as it isn't important to me. Top: Canvas is black and in excellent shape. Driving: The car pulls very strong. Limited slip differential in a short wheelbase car makes for an pretty exciting ride. The car has springs which lower the height and tighten up the ride which is NOTHING like the usual 450SL, not spongy at all, handles with very little roll like its on rails. Another reason its hard for me to part with the car. Clear Illinois title. You can find videos of the SL by doing a search of "amgbenzrocks" on YouTube. Will assist w/ shipping arrangements on buyer's discretion. Walkaround vid: http://www.youtube.com/user/amgbenzrocks#p/u/16/5jn5UVeY8ds Let me know if any further questions! On Nov-19-10 at 16:55:52 PST, seller added the following information: The car has brand new catalytic converters installed for CA smog compliance. A $500 deposit required via cash, wire, or PayPal within 48 hours of auction close. I will be more than happy to assist with international shipping as well as US shipping arrangements. Your bid is a binding agreement and you agree to all normal auction guidelines and procedures. Feel free to e-mail if any further questions. On Nov-19-10 at 22:58:20 PST, seller added the following information: Car comes with a thick stack of records, contact info from the original owner who bought it out of Miami, FL in 1983, including photos of the car in the 1990's. All USA federalization paperwork, including CA compliance included, along with service records and documentation dating back to the 1990's.