Another SLK joins the AS fold. My views so far of my first ever sportycar in 40 years.

[Spiny Norman]

Up until a few weeks ago I had a Saab 95 Aero I was rather fond of and kept it for longer than I've kept any car for over 10 years. Sadly the MOT threw up some challenging crispyness issues those familiar with the breed will recognise, and I was faced with the all too common choice between spending £££s and fixing a car I was planning to sell in the new year anyway, probably for no more than the scrap price plus what I'd have to spend on repairs, or getting something new* and letting someone else have the joy of crawling about underneath a rusty Swede, and for once the pieces dropped neatly into place as I spotted this on eBay  and sold the Saab to a chap on the Scottish Saabs Facebook page almost on the same day.

So, I now have a Mercedes SLK. If I'm honest I've fancied one of these for a while, and almost bought one on here last year. They seem an ideal compromise for someone with no garage who wants a convertible for the summer to keep outside, so what better time to buy than December when it's freezing cold and pissing down?

What collection thread there was got tacked onto a Car Wanted ad on here but the short version was I picked it up from a bloke in Cramlington two Saturdays ago and drove home in what has become the default weather for my first ever convertible. Pissing rain.
First impressions were good, everything worked including the roof (& the wipers!) and my biggest annoyance on the way home was the rather sticky steering wheel and only being able to get Radio 2 on the stereo.
It's been pissing down since I got it so I haven't done anything to it other than press it into regular car duties, which it's accepted without any trouble.

Anyway, some pics. the ones taken in the sunshine are from the eBay ad. The ones in Glasgow's dreich December depression are mine.

 

[skoda_fan]

That looks nice. I've had two of those in that colour and now I'm looking at that I wouldn't mind another. Only trouble I had was the vacuum operated central locking playing up and the heater blower causing a battery drain. Otherwise great fun (though I still prefer my MX5 if I'm honest). Also wasn't so keen on the tacky interior trim which looks nice but is a bit cheap and nasty and damages easily. Also, a minor point, but I always wished you could close the doors with say a cutout in the door armrest, instead of the grab handle quite near the hinge.

[Split_Pin]

Lovely cars, I have unfinished business with them. I loved mine but my wife couldn't get comfortable in it and when someone offered me what I paid for it I couldn't say no. It meant I could get her a more suitable daily driver and I take the TT as a hobby car.

They're an interesting car and so recognisably a Mercedes, inside and out and including the engine note. Just watch for rot on the inner wing behind the headlights and also the bracing bars underneath can disintegrate. 

Enjoy yours, I will have another some day (I usually have about 3 of each example of car I like before I am satisfied!)

[Spiny Norman]

  On 27/12/2023 at 09:02, Split_Pin said:

 I loved mine but my wife couldn't get comfortable in it and when someone offered me what I paid for it I couldn't say no. It meant I could get her a more suitable daily driver and I take the TT as a hobby car.

Expand  

I find you need to be a certain shape for some cars. In my experience German cars require you to have legs of at least average length and can easily accommodate someone well over 6 foot but since I conform to neither of those things I've often found BMWs in particular and to a lesser extent Mercedes as well to be slightly awkward. In this I wish the wheel went further away from the seat and up a bit (there's no up/down adjustment in these) so I didn't have to sit so close to operate the throttle pedal comfortably. Being floor hinged doesn't help it  either but I've found a decent compromise and it was very comfortable during the 170 mile journey home, probably the longest run I'll ever do in it.

It has the usual couple of little blisters round the rear arch and on the door bottom but of course the usual "The MOT tester commented on how clean it was underneath" quote was fired at me by the seller. I heard the same thing about the Saab and look how that turned out. It's been a south of England car most of its life so here's hoping, if it looks like being any kind of a keeper I'm going to fire it into the garage maybe February/March for a check up, it's MOT'd till November but I want the steering looked at. I understand it's an old fashioned box rather than the more modern rat and pigeon and it's been so many decades since I had something with a steering box that I can't remember if the slight vagueness is normal.

[tooSavvy]

  On 27/12/2023 at 08:28, skoda_fan said:

That looks nice. I've had two of those in that colour and now I'm looking at that I wouldn't mind another. Only trouble I had was the vacuum operated central locking playing up and the heater blower causing a battery drain. Otherwise great fun (though I still prefer my MX5 if I'm honest). Also wasn't so keen on the tacky interior trim which looks nice but is a bit cheap and nasty and damages easily. Also, a minor point, but I always wished you could close the doors with say a cutout in the door armrest, instead of the grab handle quite near the hinge.

Expand  

MX5 patently 'tick all boxes' for you then, we're glad 😉

🚙💨

[hairnet]

They say they're not a sports car

But put a big engine in them

Best colour tho

 

[Split_Pin]

The steering on mine wasn't noticeably vague, in fact I was really surprised to find out about the set up!