One of the harder aspects of the car hobby to wrestle with is when you have a car or part that you desperately want to sell but cannot find a buyer for. The Mercedes-Benz R107 is a terrific example of a great starter classic but an abundance of supply makes it hard to get off the couch and take one home. The seller of this 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SL listed here on craigslist for $7,000 notes that he used to drive it often but health issues have forced him to park it. While it is clean and the condition suggests it was once loved, the fact that it’s been sitting doesn’t help the seller’s case. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
My brother recently attempted to revive a long-dead R107 that he found in a boat storage yard. The price was right – nearly free – but he ultimately threw in the towel, realizing his time was better spent doing other things. That, and knowing he could pick up a running example for less than $5,000 if he really wanted to (he didn’t – the only reason he had the car that he did was because it seemed too cheap not to try.) This represents the logic most people have when they decide they want a car like this; if you wanted the best R107 on the market, you’ve already budgeted $40,000 or better and you’re not looking on Marketplace for it.
My brother ultimately sold his to the local scrap yard after pulling some easily-removed parts off the carcass. In the same vein, I recently put some old Audi parts by the curb, telling the scrap metal guys to come get them. There simply wasn’t sufficient demand for the parts to ask for anything resembling an actual price, and I’m afraid this seller could be headed to the same fate. It’s a shame, t00, because for enthusiasts of a certain age, owning an SL was a major achievement, and I wonder how many of the cars like the one shown here were bought for a strong price back in the day and the sellers still think that their “collector car” has pull in today’s market.
The 4.5L V8 produced 180 horsepower when new, but it may be down a few ponies by this juncture. The Mercedes drivetrains have typically been fairly bulletproof if not particularly exciting, and if the engine is healthy and the transmission doesn’t slip, you’ve at least got a few bucks back in your pocket if you had to part it out. Like most R107s, it came with two tops, but the factory hard top doesn’t add as much value as it would with other convertibles. I’m sure the seller has fond memories of driving his roadster with the top down, but I’m not sure that translates to much more than $K for a non-running car.
It’s a shame because I remember the day when owning an SL shouted “class”. I guess time, wear and rust eventually are the great “equalizers”, where even an exotic becomes worth no more than a dead rusted out VW Bug.
My ex wife’s father used to import Mercedes back in the 70s/ early 80s, until the rules changed on glass and door reinforcement. She had a 78 450 SL in the early 80s, and all the dash switches were in German. I was working with the Teamsters in NYC, and because of the weird hours sometimes she would come to the job site and bring me breakfast if it was an all nighter. Guys on the job were like, Damn, you got it going on. There were to many blinker switches on the steering column and if you pulled one of them towards you it was like stomping on the gas pedal. As noted, it was in German so I didn’t know what it was… But, was on the L.I.E. doing 80, during a lite rain, when I accidentally pulled that blinker. Tires were spinning, and started going sideways before I left go of the blinker’
In ’95, I bought a ’78 450SL, signal red with black leather interior, low miles, showroom condition, and with the 560 update kit on it for 9K$. I flew out of WI. to CT. and drove it back. I updated the rims and sorted out a few minor mechanicals, and it was class, class, and fun! Sold her in ’98 for 11K$ to help me finance a divorce, she went for a great cause. The car was built like a tank, best closing-the-door sound ever!
Don’t be afraid of that MB engine. A GM 350 will slide right in with a kit!
With a broken odometer it’s anybody’s guess how long it will last. Explains the low price.
Walk away and quickly, unless your brother in law is a Mercedes mechanic. It also doesn’t have any redeeming qualities such as a desirable color combo (silver and black is blah), low mileage, etc. By the time you get done, you could have spent the same and found a nicer one that’s ready to go and saved yourself the expense and frustration of getting this one there.