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The GOOD [G] the BAD [B] and the UGLY [U] on the R107

3K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  therling 
#1 ·
Your opinion is sought and is welcome on the Good (G) the Bad (B) and the Ugly (U) of the Mercedes 107. If you answer here please prefix each sentence with G B or U as sort of a poll. Of course you could disagree with prior ideas or nit-pick. I'm starting this list with these opinions:

G: Hardtop and ragtop makes two different vehicles in one design that are both quite fun to drive.

G: Timeless body style that gains recognition as classic MB and compliments from total strangers.

G: Outstanding engineering and quality materials make these vehicles last longer and go further than most other cars.

G: This benzworld.org forum featuring good advice and questionable humor.
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B: Plastic chain guides that get brittle with age and heat and will destroy the interference engine when they break.
B: Also, an unfortunate experiment with a single row timing chain.

B: Front subframe recall, or the need to weld reinforcing gussets to keep the control arm mounting tabs from letting go of the front wheels.

B: Cheap foam that turns into dust in places like the sunvisor innards, door cards or the mystifying foam tubes inside the dash.

B: Cheap inferior aftermarket parts that do not fit or fail quickly, such as URO brand.
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U: Soft-top duck tail, the ugly curl in the middle rear from not folding in the cloth each time you stow it.

U: Protruding USA bumpers, although they provide excellent seating.

U: Too much sun that wreaks havoc on the dash, carpet, wood console and leather seats. The price paid to the solar god of topless pleasure.

U: The "Found this 107 on craigslist/ebay/etc." thread. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/1555434-found-107-craigslist-ebay-etc.html
 
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#2 ·
G: low prices
G: how sporty you can make the cars look with wider wheels in the wide open wheel arches
G: how you can solve most of the B with help from this forum
G: availability of parts cars (currently) to get the parts you want to restore yours
G: built like a tank and very safe for such a small car.

B: how they got more plasticy over the years
B: generally incredibly low fuel economy for such a small car
B: prices of some of the repair parts being insane, like rear subframe bushings for r107.
B: very limited supplying of aftermarket and tuning accessories (compared to other cars produced in such large quantities).
 
#3 · (Edited)
U: Mercedes unwilling to fix bad Engineering (see my byline)
G: Beautiful classic styling
GBU: Quality of components get all these classifications.
B: Expensive to repair if you hire it out.
B: Repairs hired out are usually not performed correctly. Experienced mechanics hard to find.
G: Inexpensive to repair if you are a DIYer and read this forum.
G: OEM Soft Top is pretty much effortless.
B: Soft top is typically tricky once it has been replaced with aftermarket Sonenland Canvas.
B: Low Valuation.
G: Low Valuation = bargain collector car - with caveats.
B: Rear View Mirror, Sunvisors, Dash uses low quality materials.
B: Too many Torx bolts.
G: Engine bottom end pretty much bullet proof.
G: Doors are exceptional quality
G: Chrome is high quality
G: Paint is high quality
B: Poor fuel economy
B: Overpriced for what you get when new.
U: Black Lower body under door is butt ugly for a world class car.
U: USA Bumpers with Viagra infused bumper shocks.
U: Accessories: Manual seats/Mirror/Steering but with over-engineered Climate control? Stupid choice - MHOOC
UB: Arrogance toward the USA market: USA got ugly bumpers, single row timing chain, no seat warmers, no 6 cylinders, no manual transmission, and not even the 500SL
 
#4 ·
Your opinion is sought and is welcome on the Good (G) the Bad (B) and the Ugly (U) of the Mercedes 107. If you answer here please prefix each sentence with G B or U as sort of a poll. Of course you could disagree with prior ideas or nit-pick. I'm starting this list with these opinions:


U: The "Found this 107 on craigslist/ebay/etc." thread. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/1555434-found-107-craigslist-ebay-etc.html
IMO that thread should go in the Good category. You should have seen all the threads before it was created. It was a crowded mess.
 
#5 · (Edited)
G: The 107s have, for the most part, depreciated all they're going to and will start going up in value.
G: One of the nicest styled Mercedes ever built. (I like my SL just the way it is. Bumper and headlights.) Though I am still a fan of the W110. The 111, 109, 108, and 123 are also nice.
G: Smooth running V8 that is reasonable simple to work on ones self.
G: The ride. Nicest riding car I've ever had.
G: The car as whole is reasonable simple to troubleshoot and repair.
G: NO COMPUTER. Its like using Linux --> No registry.
G: The smell of the interior.
G: The seats are very comfortable.

B: Certain common design flaws. Like running the power for the Aux Water Pump through the Push Button Panel . The circuit board in the Push Button Panel can't handle the amperage when the Aux Water Pump wears out.
B: Decision By Mercedes to have a single row timing chain in a V8, or any of its engines for that matter.
B: Not enough quality aftermarket parts. Though some of these parts aren't as bad as some let on.
B: Mercedes has discontinuing certain parts.
B: There should be a classic part division providing any part that they have ever manufactured.
B: Mercedes has always terribly over charged for their repair parts.


Other:
B: The quality of the later model Mercedes giving the older Mercedes a bad name. Iv'e had people ask me why I bought such a "high maintenance" car -- referring to my 380SL.
B: The ridiculous embracing of the Maybach name. One of several very big recent mistakes. Especially when the top of the line cars are now being branded with it. Maybach is a FAILED German car brand from the 1930s. This will come back and take a big wet bite out of Mercedes' arse. They'll be lucky to survive it.


@PanzerPuff. Why is the "Found this 107 on craigslist/ebay/etc." thread ugly?
 
#7 ·
My SL's don't have no stinking B-pillar :wink :devil :smile
 
#16 ·
Bad part?? Being too cheap to spend $10 on inner fender panels on the lower price models
so you end up with this, painting after the door hinges etc. are installed so
they rust underneath, putting 4-5 circuits on one fuse, useless wiring diagrams because they only updated them every 3-4 years
no matter how many changes were made, way to many more to bore you with.
Good part?? there beautiful and cheap.
 

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#18 · (Edited)
Almost forgot this one;
B: Blue thread lock compound for dicey disassembly.

B: Allen Head Bolts. Especially in hard to access locations like Steering Coupler and Distributor Adjust.

G: Allen Head Bolts replaced with Hex Head Bolts.

W: (Worst) Allen Head Bolts in hard to access location with Blue Thread Locker :)
 
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#21 ·
RU: (Really Ugly) the 86-87 "turd on the lid" that spoils the clean lines of the rear end. As I grit my teeth thinking about it, I'm wondering if it should actual be H: Hideous, and B: it's made of cheap plastic that cracks and the lens is a very awkward friction fit. I think some high school intern designed that.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Found that thread I started two years ago when I removed the turd to repair the cracks. It's got complete disassembly and plastic surgery that I did on it. Unfortunately, since I did that repair it has cracked again. It's just not made of a material that can withstand how hot the trunk lid gets on a sunny day.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/2083361-87-560sl-third-brake-light-turd.html

I'll take this discussion back to that earlier thread so as to not clog up this one, and keep in all in one place.
 
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