Merc SL - What to do! ?

oregano

Looking for advice please - and Mods, I'm not advertising, I promise!

In 2007 I bought myself a lovely 98 SL when I still worked in a main dealer. In 08 I went sole trading and found the SL impractical for the new role, but decided to hang on to it. It failed the NCT on emissions in 2011 and a new cat is about 1k STG, unjustifiable.

I have put no more than 9000 miles on it in 5 years, but its doing me no good sitting there depreciating.

Over the summer I advertised it and got all the usual enquiries you get for a sports car in a recession "How much is the tax?" "Why is it so dear?" "Why is it so cheap?" "Will you take a piece of string as a trade in?" etc. It's worth sod all obviously on the open market and I'm in two minds as to selling it. If I got 3k for it I could buy a Micra, sell for 4, buy another Micra, sell for 5, etc etc. But it would kill me to sell it for 3k, when I know it'll be the perfect classic if I ever get to retire in the 2027!

I can't justify taxing a 3.2 engine when my Landcruiser is commercial and does what I need it to do. Trade plates are only asking for trouble.

So I guess, if you owned it, didn't need it, but loved it, and it was worth feck all, would you hang on to it or take the pain and move on?

niallu

I've seen a few threads for Dipetane lately which should help it pass for the emissions.

As for the cat, 1k sterling is alot, althought it is an OEM part. Why not get a cheaper one made by a garage ( it wont be as good) but should do you another 2 years and buy the oem when you have the cash in the future.

Hogzy

OP Its going to be a classic in 5-6 years so the tax bill will come down. Hang on to it. Declare it off the road and just maintain it. Then once 2018 comes it will be feck all to tax. Between now and then you can try source a second hand/cheap cat for it for when you want to start driving it again.

Eireann81

Hogzy wrote: »

OP Its going to be a classic in 5-6 years so the tax bill will come down. Hang on to it. Declare it off the road and just maintain it. Then once 2018 comes it will be feck all to tax. Between now and then you can try source a second hand/cheap cat for it for when you want to start driving it again.

Unfortunately a car only qualifies for the classic rate of tax once it is over 30 years old.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/motor_tax_and_insurance/motor_tax_rates.html

So the OP would be waiting until 2028...

It's a nice car but unfortunately the Irish government penalises those of us that like nice cars... and the penalties are high! Unless the OP has somewhere suitable to store the car for a good few years then I would suggest letting it go.

Hogzy

Eireann81 wrote: »

Unfortunately a car only qualifies for the classic rate of tax once it is over 30 years old.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/motor_tax_and_insurance/motor_tax_rates.html

So the OP would be waiting until 2028...

It's a nice car but unfortunately the Irish government penalises those of us that like nice cars... and the penalties are high! Unless the OP has somewhere suitable to store the car for a good few years then I would suggest letting it go.

Oh sorry, I though it was 20.

oregano

Eireann81 wrote: »

Unfortunately a car only qualifies for the classic rate of tax once it is over 30 years old.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/motor_tax_and_insurance/motor_tax_rates.html

So the OP would be waiting until 2028...

It's a nice car but unfortunately the Irish government penalises those of us that like nice cars... and the penalties are high! Unless the OP has somewhere suitable to store the car for a good few years then I would suggest letting it go.

Yup, there's the problem. Dipetane won't cure my ills, and even if it did it certainly won't every annual NCT. Motor tax is effectively a grand every 6 months too and I doubt Mr Noonan will ever bring that down ...

MidlandsM

its a right pain, and i feel it........

its not collectable,its unsellable, un-run-able for most folks ....... it currently broken, the only solution i see is flog it off "as is" or flog it to as breaker ...you could see what a merc breaker in the uk will give you, and you might get more cash in stg

hi5

I had a generic cat welded in to a Mercedes, it worked well and passed the NCT.
If you don't need the cash and have somewhere to store it, then keep it and tax it for 3 months over the summer.

larchill

Hogzy wrote: »

Oh sorry, I though it was 20.

In this screwballs excuse of a country - you must be joking!

cadaliac

Weld a cat in and try and get it past the NCT. Then (and only then) shift it on. You will get close to nothing for it without an NCT.
Even going down the route of a UK breaker - you still have to get it there and get yourself back home. Not worth the hassle.
I would be slow to hold on to it unless you would drive it regularly. i know we all have good intentions but.....
Time for change.

Idbatterim

a terraclean should help the emissions, take a look at the below link... you can put it up at a price that youd be happy to sell for, just put down your bottom line and say NO OFFERS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKTp2DjugOA

Bearcat

I can't see the R129s being a classic for a looooong time. I think your going to have to man up, take the pain and shift it on.....

galwaytt

Bearcat wrote: »

I can't see the R129s being a classic for a looooong time. I think your going to have to man up, take the pain and shift it on.....

...unfortunately, this is so - same for my 2 x wagons this year......

...even had to drive one of them TO the UK, to deliver it, as part of the deal.

If you do advertise it, don't forget to advertise it in UK too - Pistonheads and other sites. You won't like what you get, but you should find someone who'll take a shine to it.

Bigus

On a positive note ,at least you had an SL for a while so you have the memories and stories, lots of people worldwide aspire to owning one but never will .

I even thought about hiring out cars like this but the tax kills that idea too.

Engineered like no other car according to clint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sUjJDDYh20

oregano

I wonder if Clint wants to buy my hard top? Wrong colour, but it'll finish the car off very well...

bijapos

oregano wrote: »

So I guess, if you owned it, didn't need it, but loved it, and it was worth feck all, would you hang on to it or take the pain and move on?

Sell it and move on. Those cars need to be moved regular enough and leaving them idle for long periods of time will cause more problems down the line. You could mothball it, but it's not as easy with cars with electronic components as with older mechanical ones. The car needs to be serviced as well which isn't cheap either. The ymay be cheap to buy but they aren't cheap to run.

It seems that you don't have the money to look after it properly, but on the other hand if you had the €3-4K cash for it you can actually do something with it to improve your own financial situation.

So in your case I'd get rid of it and move on, invest the money, with the intention of getting another one sometime in the future. They came out in the late 80's so in 7 years time you could spend a few bob on getting a well maintained one and drive it around on classic car tax and insurance.

anthony4335

If it was an SL500 I would hold onto it but other than that, if it requires TLC move it on and let some one take care of her before you are left with a rotten corpse from been left idle. Put it up for sale and wait ,as this is not the best time of year to sell. Saw one just the other day and even in the two tone burgundy and incorrect wheels it make me look.

Del2005

The longer you hold onto it the less it's going to be worth, till eventually you'll have to scrap it. Better let it go for a loss now then a bigger loss in a year or so.

sumo12

I think I was one of the people who enquired on your car, although I know I didn't ask any stupid questions! I'm still tentatively looking for an SL but really baulking at the road tax and don't know whether I could ever justify it. The fuel cost doesn't bother me nor does the maintenance as I'm in the trade also. I regularly scan the car websites and I'm seeing the same SL's advertised for months. They are just not shifting at the moment and its the road tax thats killing them. Even if you advertised it for €2k you might struggle at the moment! I guess there's a school of thought that you fix it up (properly-ish!) and get it NCT'd and in March stick 3 months tax on it and advertise it then, it'll be a more attractive buy then.

SUMO

lomb

What are they worth in the UK where roadtax tops out at 170 on older cars pre co2 I think?
I always fancied an SL, that shape is a classic. Nearly a reason to have a place in the UK to store a few large gas guzzlers. Id like in no particular order - an SL500, a S600, a 750il, Cl500 or Cl600. Id say that lot would cost around 15k euros to buy , less than the cost of a supermini!

oregano

sumo12 wrote: »

I think I was one of the people who enquired on your car, although I know I didn't ask any stupid questions! I'm still tentatively looking for an SL but really baulking at the road tax and don't know whether I could ever justify it. The fuel cost doesn't bother me nor does the maintenance as I'm in the trade also. I regularly scan the car websites and I'm seeing the same SL's advertised for months. They are just not shifting at the moment and its the road tax thats killing them. Even if you advertised it for €2k you might struggle at the moment! I guess there's a school of thought that you fix it up (properly-ish!) and get it NCT'd and in March stick 3 months tax on it and advertise it then, it'll be a more attractive buy then.

SUMO

You are probably right, as is everyone else. Fix it, Nct it, tax it, advertise it.

Thanks

sumo12

oregano wrote: »

You are probably right, as is everyone else. Fix it, Nct it, tax it, advertise it.

Thanks

Sorry buddy, you sound defeated. I am of course prepared to steal the car from you cheap if you *really* don't feel like doing anything with it...

Sumo

oregano

sumo12 wrote: »

Sorry buddy, you sound defeated. I am of course prepared to steal the car from you cheap if you *really* don't feel like doing anything with it...

Sumo

There's more in this world that'll defeat me than a feckin car! I've two provisional offers of 3k on it, so will decide in jan whether to accept the kick or not. All depends on Santy ! Thanks for all the input

Soarer

If you've offers of €3k, move it on.

You've "lived the dream" and haven't lost your balls on it.

darragh o meara

If you really love the car but can't afford to run it sell it on to someone who can give it the care it needs. I tried holding onto one if my dream cars ( a rare edition that took me years to find) in the hope that one day I could afford to restore it properly and ended selling when it's condition started to deteriorate more.

The good thing that came from it was the new owner was an enthusiast himself and kept in touch sending me pics during the restoration and even brought the car up to me after he'd finished to show me how it turned out. Also have first refusal should he ever decide to sell it too.

It can be hard to let go of it but sometimes 3-4 grand sitting in the driveway is better in your pocket especially in these times.