The Car Thread

[Sllim Pickens]

22 hours ago, Uncle Buck said:

I'm sure these probably don't appeal much to the younger generations, but being a product of the 80's, I've been wanting one of these ever since the first day I saw a new one sitting on the showroom floor at a local Lincoln dealer back in the early 80's. 

Lately, I've been thinking it would be fun to finally go for it and get one after I retire and make a project out of it.  The exterior styling is awesome, IMO, but the interiors and the engines are often a little lacking, being as they were built on a Ford Mustang chassis with a 5.0 liter engine.

   

There is one sitting in a storage facility here in Clearwater.  It needs work but it is a nice car. 

[Sllim Pickens]

So we are thinking of getting a convertible for a third car but get nervous when we look at reviews.  We are trying to stay in the 10-15k range and want something a little fancier. Most of our focus has been on 05-10 Mustang GTs (sound like the most reliable of this group but are harder to find now), 06-08 Mercedes CLK 550, 06-10 BMW 650, 06-13 BMW 3 series (reviews show BMW and Mercedes fall apart around 100k and have crazy high maintenance costs at that point), 10-12 Infiniti G37, 10-12 Lexus (Seem to be reliable and newer but more expensive than Mustangs), maybe an Audi but we don't know much about them and dont love the older 4 cylinder turbos.  Anyone have any experiences with these?  

[Uncle Buck]

35 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

There is one sitting in a storage facility here in Clearwater.  It needs work but it is a nice car. 

Any idea what they are asking for it and what it needs?  I'm not ready to buy one yet, but it's nice to get as much insight into the market as possible, since there aren't a ton of them for sale any more. 

Edited February 3, 2021 by Uncle Buck

[Sllim Pickens]

7 minutes ago, Uncle Buck said:

Any idea what they are asking for it and what it needs?  I'm not ready to buy one yet, but it's nice to get as much insight into the market as possible, since there aren't a ton of them for sale any more. 

Not even sure its for sale.  Just saw it when we took the boat there.  I can see if there is any info on it when we go by it again. 

[Uncle Buck]

32 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

So we are thinking of getting a convertible for a third car but get nervous when we look at reviews.  We are trying to stay in the 10-15k range and want something a little fancier. Most of our focus has been on 05-10 Mustang GTs (sound like the most reliable of this group but are harder to find now), 06-08 Mercedes CLK 550, 06-10 BMW 650, 06-13 BMW 3 series (reviews show BMW and Mercedes fall apart around 100k and have crazy high maintenance costs at that point), 10-12 Infiniti G37, 10-12 Lexus (Seem to be reliable and newer but more expensive than Mustangs), maybe an Audi but we don't know much about them and dont love the older 4 cylinder turbos.  Anyone have any experiences with these?  

I'm a Mercedes guy.  I've considered buying one of the SL convertibles from that era and they are nice cars, but you are correct that they can be expensive to maintain.  The two most common problems that I've read about are the convertible top mechanisms and the suspension.  If you can find one that has receipts for the top having been serviced recently, that would be helpful. 

As far as the suspension is concerned, they come with two different types of suspensions.  If memory serves me correctly, the six-cylinder cars (which are fairly rare) came with  what is called the "Airmatic" suspension system.  As the name indicates, it is an air suspension that, when new, was great.  What often happens at around 10 years or 100,000 miles, is that leaks occur in some of the components. 

I had a 2006 S500 sedan with the same system.  The airmatic in my car went out slowly over time and when I came out to the car in the morning, I would notice that the car was sitting just a little lower than usual.  When I started it up, it pumped itself up and it was no problem.  Eventually, something must have given out though, because one morning I went out to the car and it had sunk down completely to the point where the car was almost riding on the tires.  I tried to start it up but it wouldn't pump up and the car was undrivable at that point.  I checked with a local independent repair shop and he wanted $4,000 to replace the whole system.  He said I could try to replace components individually, but the chances were that others would give out sooner or later and I would be back in his shop again anyway.  What I ended up doing was converting the airmatic system to old fashioned spring struts/shocks.  This only cost $1,500 and worked just fine for me.

That worked fine for me, but it might not be a good solution on an SL for a few different reasons:
- An SL convertible is more of a "sporty" car and SL drivers might prefer the better performance you get from the airmatic.
- The S Class cars like mine were able to do the conversion without much problem, but the SL convertibles are tougher to convert because they need an additional sway bar that I didn't have to use in the sedan.  I think these sway bars can be found, but when you get to the point where you have to start making modifications like that, you might just as well repair they airmatic system and have a car that is stock.
- The biggest problem is that most of the SLs don't even have the airmatic system.  They have something that is a far uglier thing to deal with when you are talking about cars of this age. 

They have the dreaded "ABC" system.  This is a system that is hydraulic, (as opposed to air with the airmatic) and the struts and other components for that system could cost almost twice as much to replace as the airmatic system.  The ABC system is great when it is working, but when it goes on you, you better get ready to write a big check.

So, the main issues with older Mercedes SL's are the operation of the convertible hardtop, and the suspension.  Other than that, you could get yourself a LOT of car for the money.  I did read one guy's story on a Mercedes Owner's forum where he said his was constantly breaking down, but I'm guessing he probably just had a lemon.  My SL of the same vintage was actually very reliable other than the airmatic system.  I just look at the suspension systems on these cars as a maintanance item and expect to replace them eventually.

One thing you might consider is going with the previous body style of Mercedes convertibles which were made in the 90's.  Those were great cars and you can find nice ones in the $7,000-8,000 range.  I almost bought a 2001 model  for $10,500 a few years ago and kind of wish I had.  About 15 years ago, I had a 1995 SL 500 and absolutely loved it.  If you get one of those, you are better off staying with 1997 or newer models though, because the wiring harnesses in the older ones can be an issue these days.

 

[Uncle Buck]

22 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

Not even sure its for sale.  Just saw it when we took the boat there.  I can see if there is any info on it when we go by it again. 

No problem, Slim.  It's going to be a few years before I'm ready to buy one anyway.  Thanks though. 

[Sllim Pickens]

11 minutes ago, Uncle Buck said:

I'm a Mercedes guy.  I've considered buying one of the SL convertibles from that era and they are nice cars, but you are correct that they can be expensive to maintain.  The two most common problems that I've read about are the convertible top mechanisms and the suspension.  If you can find one that has receipts for the top having been serviced recently, that would be helpful. 

As far as the suspension is concerned, they come with two different types of suspensions.  If memory serves me correctly, the six-cylinder cars (which are fairly rare) came with  what is called the "Airmatic" suspension system.  As the name indicates, it is an air suspension that, when new, was great.  What often happens at around 10 years or 100,000 miles, is that leaks occur in some of the components. 

I had a 2006 S500 sedan with the same system.  The airmatic in my car went out slowly over time and when I came out to the car in the morning, I would notice that the car was sitting just a little lower than usual.  When I started it up, it pumped itself up and it was no problem.  Eventually, something must have given out though, because one morning I went out to the car and it had sunk down completely to the point where the car was almost riding on the tires.  I tried to start it up but it wouldn't pump up and the car was undrivable at that point.  I checked with a local independent repair shop and he wanted $4,000 to replace the whole system.  He said I could try to replace components individually, but the chances were that others would give out sooner or later and I would be back in his shop again anyway.  What I ended up doing was converting the airmatic system to old fashioned spring struts/shocks.  This only cost $1,500 and worked just fine for me.

That worked fine for me, but it might not be a good solution on an SL for a few different reasons:
- An SL convertible is more of a "sporty" car and SL drivers might prefer the better performance you get from the airmatic.
- The S Class cars like mine were able to do the conversion without much problem, but the SL convertibles are tougher to convert because they need an additional sway bar that I didn't have to use in the sedan.  I think these sway bars can be found, but when you get to the point where you have to start making modifications like that, you might just as well repair they airmatic system and have a car that is stock.
- The biggest problem is that most of the SLs don't even have the airmatic system.  They have something that is a far uglier thing to deal with when you are talking about cars of this age. 

They have the dreaded "ABC" system.  This is a system that is hydraulic, (as opposed to air with the airmatic) and the struts and other components for that system could cost almost twice as much to replace as the airmatic system.  The ABC system is great when it is working, but when it goes on you, you better get ready to write a big check.

So, the main issues with older Mercedes SL's are the operation of the convertible hardtop, and the suspension.  Other than that, you could get yourself a LOT of car for the money.  I did read one guy's story on a Mercedes Owner's forum where he said his was constantly breaking down, but I'm guessing he probably just had a lemon.  My SL of the same vintage was actually very reliable other than the airmatic system.  I just look at the suspension systems on these cars as a maintanance item and expect to replace them eventually.

One thing you might consider is going with the previous body style of Mercedes convertibles which were made in the 90's.  Those were great cars and you can find nice ones in the $7,000-8,000 range.  I almost bought a 2001 model  for $10,500 a few years ago and kind of wish I had.  About 15 years ago, I had a 1995 SL 500 and absolutely loved it.  If you get one of those, you are better off staying with 1997 or newer models though, because the wiring harnesses in the older ones can be an issue these days.

 

Thanks for the info.  We are looking at a 2006 CLK550 as we dont really want the 2 seater but really want a V8.  I know its tough to fit people in the back seat anyways but want the option at least for one or two small folks if needed.  We have guests in Florida occasionally and we either need to keep our old 02 Cadillac DHS or get something that at least one more person can fit in.  The CLK we are looking at has just under 70k on it and the soft top was just replaced.  It has some minor stone chips on the front but hopefully can get those taken care of relatively easy but other than that seems like a solid car.  Well, other than the radio screen bubbling up but that seems to be a common problem on all of these as my brother in law recently got one and had the same issue.  Its $10k which seems like a solid deal.  I guess even if we have to bt a few grand into it in the next year or two it still is probably a decent deal. 

[Uncle Buck]

1 minute ago, Sllim Pickens said:

Thanks for the info.  We are looking at a 2006 CLK550 as we dont really want the 2 seater but really want a V8.  I know its tough to fit people in the back seat anyways but want the option at least for one or two small folks if needed.  We have guests in Florida occasionally and we either need to keep our old 02 Cadillac DHS or get something that at least one more person can fit in.  The CLK we are looking at has just under 70k on it and the soft top was just replaced.  It has some minor stone chips on the front but hopefully can get those taken care of relatively easy but other than that seems like a solid car.  Well, other than the radio screen bubbling up but that seems to be a common problem on all of these as my brother in law recently got one and had the same issue.  Its $10k which seems like a solid deal.  I guess even if we have to bt a few grand into it in the next year or two it still is probably a decent deal. 

The nice thing is that even if you have to put some money into it with repairs, at least you won't lose much in terms of depreciation on specialty cars of that age.  That kind of helps to cancel out the repair costs - at least when you are trying to talk your wife into getting one.   

Good luck on whatever you decide to get.

[MrDrew]

1 hour ago, Sllim Pickens said:

So we are thinking of getting a convertible for a third car but get nervous when we look at reviews.  We are trying to stay in the 10-15k range and want something a little fancier. Most of our focus has been on 05-10 Mustang GTs (sound like the most reliable of this group but are harder to find now), 06-08 Mercedes CLK 550, 06-10 BMW 650, 06-13 BMW 3 series (reviews show BMW and Mercedes fall apart around 100k and have crazy high maintenance costs at that point), 10-12 Infiniti G37, 10-12 Lexus (Seem to be reliable and newer but more expensive than Mustangs), maybe an Audi but we don't know much about them and dont love the older 4 cylinder turbos.  Anyone have any experiences with these?  

If reliability is a big thing for you, go for a Miata. They're very reliable, and the most fun to drive. Problem is that they're small cars.

Going by the models you listed, it looks like you want something bigger, and more ride than drive focused. If that's the case, pick the one you find the most comfortable. Outsie of Lexus, nothing you listed would really be considered a reliable brand. They all have good drivetrains, but have little problems. The European brands have more expensive parts. They're all nice cars, and they should all hold up ok if it's not a daily driver, but I don't see a clear winner in the group. They all do something better than the rest, but not so much that it puts any of them head and shoulders above.

If you like the Mustang, but can't find a GT, look at the Eco Boost. They still have a lot of power, you can get most of the features of GT, but you save a lot of money.

[Uncle Buck]

15 hours ago, Sugashane said:

 

 

So I bought a Lincoln Navigator L last year and love. Went to change the oil today and found out the bolt in the oil pan is stripped. So I'm going to have the pan re-threaded tomorrow. All things considered an easy enough fix, but this verifies exactly why I never want to take my vehicles anywhere to get the oil changed. If it wouldn't have been December or if I had a garage I would have done it myself like usual and it wouldn't have been stripped.

I feel your pain.  My sister just had the same thing happen.  She got her oil changed before going to work.  When she came out to the parking lot after her shift, there was a huge puddle of oil underneath the car.  I haven't talked to her about it yet, but I'm assuming that's exactly what happened to her.

That's a sharp looking Navigator, by the way.  I like the window tint.  Is it legal to have it that dark where you live? 

[Sugashane]

12 minutes ago, Uncle Buck said:

I feel your pain.  My sister just had the same thing happen.  She got her oil changed before going to work.  When she came out to the parking lot after her shift, there was a huge puddle of oil underneath the car.  I haven't talked to her about it yet, but I'm assuming that's exactly what happened to her.

That's a sharp looking Navigator, by the way.  I like the window tint.  Is it legal to have it that dark where you live? 

Appreciate it. Took it to a Lincoln dealership for the highest chance of having it done right. Found out they could just replace the bolt. They said the last people likely dropped the original and just grabbed another. $6 was all they charged for it so I got lucky.

 

Haven't had an issue yet with the tint, it was that dark when I got it. The sun is setting and behind it so that makes it look a bit darker than it really is.  That being said I'm not sure if it is too dark or not. Now I get to enjoy unnecessary anxiety when I drive for a bit. Appreciate it Buck. lol

[Uncle Buck]

45 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

Appreciate it. Took it to a Lincoln dealership for the highest chance of having it done right. Found out they could just replace the bolt. They said the last people likely dropped the original and just grabbed another. $6 was all they charged for it so I got lucky.

 

Haven't had an issue yet with the tint, it was that dark when I got it. The sun is setting and behind it so that makes it look a bit darker than it really is.  That being said I'm not sure if it is too dark or not. Now I get to enjoy unnecessary anxiety when I drive for a bit. Appreciate it Buck. lol

Glad to be of assistance. 

The reason I asked is because I had a new car that I bought about 30 years ago (geez, time sure flies) and I paid the dealer about $300 to put some of their "deluxe" window tinting on it.  I decided to go with a shade that they said was one step too dark to be legal, but since the car had a light interior they said I might get away with it.  A couple years later I was driving around and my license tabs had expired a couple of days earlier.  Sitting at a stoplight, I looked up and sure enough, there was a cop behind me.  I made my turn and tried to innocently turn into the gas station in hopes of getting him to drive by.  He followed me into the gas station and gave me a ticket for the tabs, and my guess is that he probably figured I was trying to pull a fast one and get away from him so tested my window tint.  He had an instrument that slid over both sides of the window and shot a light through it.  He nailed me for the tint and said I had to it off.    Hopefully, yours is legal in your state and you won't have that happen.

[PARROTHEAD]

19 hours ago, Uncle Buck said:

Any idea what they are asking for it and what it needs?  I'm not ready to buy one yet, but it's nice to get as much insight into the market as possible, since there aren't a ton of them for sale any more. 

Last I saw (over a decade ago now) you could order a kit car version. Or someone might have a prebuilt kit version for sale.

 

[Uncle Buck]

4 hours ago, PARROTHEAD said:

Last I saw (over a decade ago now) you could order a kit car version. Or someone might have a prebuilt kit version for sale.

 

You're right, there have been kit cars that are similar.  Unfortunately, I think my days of crawling around on the ground underneath a car are pretty much over.

The car in the picture is was built by a company by the name of Zimmer in a manner that is similar to a kit car.  It's called a Golden Spirit.  As I recall, they built them using a Ford Mustang engine and running gear, and I'm pretty sure the doors and the rear roof line are from a Mercury.  I love the exterior styling, but an old Ford engine just doesn't do the car justice these days.  It would be fun to get one and find a different engine to have installed in it.

 

[PARROTHEAD]

40 minutes ago, Uncle Buck said:

You're right, there have been kit cars that are similar.  Unfortunately, I think my days of crawling around on the ground underneath a car are pretty much over.

The car in the picture is was built by a company by the name of Zimmer in a manner that is similar to a kit car.  It's called a Golden Spirit.  As I recall, they built them using a Ford Mustang engine and running gear, and I'm pretty sure the doors and the rear roof line are from a Mercury.  I love the exterior styling, but an old Ford engine just doesn't do the car justice these days.  It would be fun to get one and find a different engine to have installed in it.

 

You got me curious. So looking around at kit places. Ran into this since youre a Benz guy.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265039121540

Mainly it seems like a lot of old data concerning different companies. Showed 1, JPR Cars Ltd thats not far from me in Gloucester VA that was said to have bought the Gatsby design. But think theyve been out of business a few years now.