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cawimmer430 · 03-14-2006, 10:52 AM

Excellent thread! I love it!

I can relate to this car because my father owns a 1989 500SL, serial number 400-something out of all the R129 SL's ever made (have to check the exact number in the engine compartment sometime). To put a long story short, my father fell in love with this car the moment it came out. He was however in no financial position to afford on. His best friend however ran the Heinz garbage diposal company and had excellent connections to Mercedes-Benz (because he bought trucks from them).

He ordered a 500SL for himself, at a time when the waiting list was about a year, he got it after a few months! After a few years (and 136,000 km later), he sold it to my father at a friendship price. My father was so happy and immediately treated this car like his baby. No one in my family was allowed to drive it, that is until I made my license. Generally, the R129 SL feels like a tank and heavy. The steering is typical of recirculating-ball Mercedes: vague but with enough feedback to know what the front wheels are up to. Handling is so-so, but with the AMG wheels my dad put on, the car handles much better. The fun really starts with the 5.0 V8 engine with 326-horsepower on tap. Acceleration is pretty fluid and fast and the car never fails to slam you deep into the seats. Overall, quite a fun car to drive.

However most of the fun comes from just cruising around in the car, ignoring the need to punch it. In fact, when my father and I drive it, we just cruise around, enjoying the Bavarian countryside scenery, letting the fresh air fill your lungs etc. In a way, that's how the SL was meant to be enjoyed...with the occassional punch to the pedal.

Interestingly enough, many Mercedes' fans at first didn't like the R129 SL, citing that it lacked the elegance and grace of the previous R107 SL. My father never drives the car in the winters, because he wants to keep it in good condition for as long as possible.

Here are some pictures of my father's 500SL. Enjoy.

Link: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=4289212539

My favorite shots of the car!

Country scenery one enjoys when cruising topless in the SL...

Other pics...

Love these shots!

03-14-2006, 10:52 AM	#8 (permalink)
cawimmer430 Contributor Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mühldorf am Inn, Germany Posts: 6,250 Thanks: 2,371 Thanked 1,739 Times in 830 Posts	Re: The SL R129 Picture Thread Excellent thread! I love it! I can relate to this car because my father owns a 1989 500SL, serial number 400-something out of all the R129 SL's ever made (have to check the exact number in the engine compartment sometime). To put a long story short, my father fell in love with this car the moment it came out. He was however in no financial position to afford on. His best friend however ran the Heinz garbage diposal company and had excellent connections to Mercedes-Benz (because he bought trucks from them). He ordered a 500SL for himself, at a time when the waiting list was about a year, he got it after a few months! After a few years (and 136,000 km later), he sold it to my father at a friendship price. My father was so happy and immediately treated this car like his baby. No one in my family was allowed to drive it, that is until I made my license. Generally, the R129 SL feels like a tank and heavy. The steering is typical of recirculating-ball Mercedes: vague but with enough feedback to know what the front wheels are up to. Handling is so-so, but with the AMG wheels my dad put on, the car handles much better. The fun really starts with the 5.0 V8 engine with 326-horsepower on tap. Acceleration is pretty fluid and fast and the car never fails to slam you deep into the seats. Overall, quite a fun car to drive. However most of the fun comes from just cruising around in the car, ignoring the need to punch it. In fact, when my father and I drive it, we just cruise around, enjoying the Bavarian countryside scenery, letting the fresh air fill your lungs etc. In a way, that's how the SL was meant to be enjoyed...with the occassional punch to the pedal. Interestingly enough, many Mercedes' fans at first didn't like the R129 SL, citing that it lacked the elegance and grace of the previous R107 SL. My father never drives the car in the winters, because he wants to keep it in good condition for as long as possible. Here are some pictures of my father's 500SL. Enjoy. Link: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=4289212539 My favorite shots of the car! Country scenery one enjoys when cruising topless in the SL... Other pics... Love these shots!