A lot has been said on this. I like the 380's which were designed for the American market featuring low speed limits and long distances between destinations. It is about the smallest V8 anywhere, very short stroke and gives me ~25 mpg with a range of almost 500 miles. The 560's have some improvements and others like them best. There are those who go for stick shifts, any model, my sister is like that with her Toyota's.

We all share the same basic chassis which is where the real charm lies.

 

560sl have the biggest number. Therefore they are the best. Right? It is true that the tri-y, no cat 5.0 liter 500sl is rated up to 13 HP more than the 560sl and also came in the 1986+ package enhancements. So that would be the one to have if going for power, but that is one great thing about the 107’s, so many varieties to meet the desires of so many buyers over the 1971-1989 span. Personally, I have zero interest in owning a 560sl, probably because: they are common, they only come in automatic, they have big bumpers and US headlights and electrical boxes under the bumpers, and more plastic parts than the earlier models. IMO Indisputable enhancements are: power, updated front subframe, and an anti-squat rear end for the US market. But with so many 107s out there, you can customize with MB parts to make any 107 respectable, even if heavily “customized”. Some features that are commonly important to buyers:
- bumpers
- lights
- seats
- transmission: manual, auto, 3,4,5 speeds
- suspension
- mpg
- power
- classic features (for me) like small chrome bumpers, chrome shifter gate, chrome grill star, brass coolant overflow tank, brass radiator, and most important of all, the simplest possible fuel and ignition system, making the older cars more of a joy to work on and maintain, etc. I don’t want ignition timing, and idle speed, I can’t play with or tune for fun. Older toys are more fun IMO.

The m110 is cool. It is the only factory 5-speed MB offered in a 107. It’s also got just as much HP as most of the v8s available and is fun to rev. But it does lack the torque of a v8.

I’ve turned this into an “oil thread”, haven’t I?





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The m110 is cool. It is the only factory 5-speed MB offered in a 107.






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Wanna bet?:devil

 

I love them all, but I like the 380's the most. Why? I'm not 100% certain but the fact that I've owned mine for 35 years might have something to do with it. Oh yeah... of the various V8's the 380's have better fuel economy.

I prefer V8's to straight 6's... sorry Nobby… V8's just look better.

 

I have had a 74 450SL for 25 years. I was brought up knowing how to do points, rotor, cap, wires, etc. Oh--and timing! I love my 450's timing flexibility. It can be timed to run on anything from crappy unleaded regular to high octane racing gas. No, I'm not going to time it for racing gas, although that would be lots of fun (and tickets!). It runs just fine on mid grade to premium. From what I can tell, the car came with no pollution controls except for severely retarded timing. I have had to replace some plastic parts that were broken and correct someones lack of doing things right the first time, but that's part of the joy of owning a vintage car.
As Jyuma said, V8s are--to me--preferable over a 6, but that doesn't matter if you're looking at a 560SL.
Every one of us here has a preferred 107, whether it's an SL or an SLC. The main thing is how much fun you have driving it.

 

I owned a 1988 560SL for a number of years, acquired with 80k miles on the clock.

I now own 2 280SL's.

From my perspective, the 560SL is probably the "best" choice for most people who think they would like an R107. The chassis enhancements, and the driving experience of the 560 are the most "modern" of the series. While the power of the 560 is laughable by today's standards, its performance is not terrible; passing and acceleration can be decent, fuel economy is ok for a weekender.

I sold mine on, and embraced the 280. I like inline 6 cylinders, and the M110 is as nice an example as you are likely to find in an occasional use roadster. The driving experience of the 280 R107 is somewhat more nimble, with a bit of a "vintage" feel compared to the '86 and up chassis which also appealed to me.

The finer points have been argued here for years. At the end of the day, they all are an attractive, high quality roadster that can be had for very little money.

 

When I was purchasing my 560SL I was looking for a convertible that was a little more relaxing to drive than the Honda S2000 I bought a few years prior. The 560SL popped up for sale about 20 miles from my house so I bought it. Always liked the looks of the R107’s. I probably would have been just as happy with any of the other R107 models.

 

560SL is defiantly the most practical mostly due to best rust protection and parts availability. But there are other reasons people might consider other models, like the availability of a stick in the 280/300 or even in the early V8s and maybe the V12 if I get off my ass. And there there are features in the Euro models not available in the US like lights bumpers, hounds tooth cloth interiors etc.

 

When I was looking for my latest "new" toy, I was thinking about a car from the 40's, 50's, or 60's, and there was no Mercedes Benz model that was on my list. I had a 1960 190SL for a while in the 80's, the wife had a new C280 for a few years in the 90's, and I thought no more about M-B's.

As I searched for this fantasy that I had to buy and own a restored American classic, I accidentally came across what would become my 107. I did a fair amount of research on the series and, as mentioned, many expressed the opinion that the 560 probably had the most advantages, but what caught my attention more than anything was the mileage and condition of the car.

I mentioned it to my European Indy one day, and he offered to make the 4 hr. round-trip drive with me to check out the car. I was very thankful for his generosity as he not only fixes cars, he builds and races them, and since my knowledge of car maintenance is extremely limited, it was important to me to have his input. He determined the car was as it seemed; a nice specimen in very nice shape with only 26,000 miles and it had a complete set of maintenance records.

It's been an enjoyable car to own and drive although I wish it had a standard shift. I'm also constantly told by anyone who knows these cars that I don't drive it enough at approximately 1,000 miles per year, but actually, that's been roughly the history of the yearly mileage since it was new.

Having had it for over 6 years now, I still fantasize about my restored American classic!

 

The best 107 is the one in your garage. You can't drive a wish list.

 

When I was 18 I wanted my car to have all the modern features I could not afford.

Then I got older and could afford the modern features only to find that moderns cars are just plain boring. Lots of power to accelerate is fun in the beginning, but I am not and never have been a boy-racer type. I driver a snazzy car and I rarely use ABS or SRS as I am a careful driver. I look over my shoulder and do my own parking so I don't need no aids for that thank you.

Little older again and now can afford to have a classic on the side. Oddly this meant that I was no longer looking for the the most powerful of feature rich old cars and character, authentic driver experience and practicality of ownership is more important.

So for me the 380 works just fine. Power is enough, not too expensive to buy/insure/keep. No ABS/SRS to go wrong. I would have preferred manual (stick) shift, but that is hard to come by here in the USA. I also have a 1972 Land Rover Series 3 for the 'real' driver experience (tractor style).

 

well, I could probably have bought any one of the variants

and I tried several, but when I found ours, she found us. You know what I mean, I looked around it, under it, sat in it, went for a drive, and heard her loud and clear saying look after me, and I'll look after you. Bazinga.....85 500SL finally meets the right owner.

It has cost more than I have ever shelled out on any car in my life, adjusted for inflation/compared to my earinings ,whatever measure you take. Still very affordable, and is still way cheaper than what my mate has spent on new and nearly new cars over the same years. I mean by a factor of 5 at least. and guess what he'd rather have spent his money on....

That big v8, by our standards at least, is an absolute dream to sit behind. It's like herding a very good-natured tiger. I love it to bits. So for me, pre-facelift 500. the last of the old skool.:devil

 

I can understand the 560 hype. It is the last and bestest to be had. All the bells and whistles, lots of modern goodness, and it is looked upon as investment/collector possible. Toss that one on an auction block and maybe there is some cash.

The 380 has almost enough power and the best gearing ratio mated to MPG. Almost modern instruments and radio, without the computers and electronics that can go bad.

I think the 350SL may be the cats meow. It is just as the engineers envisioned it without the tampering of nanny state putzes. Rock solid build, simple and understandable to repair and keep on the road, as long as you can handle the EFI.

 

It seems that "to each his/her own" is the more or less the verdict here. There would appear to be adequate reasons to admire and/or prefer just about all the various power trains. I am a little surprised that nobody has mentioned rarity as a value factor, but suppose that, like power when compared to modern cars, actual value is at the bottom of the list of reasons why anyone would want, obsess or drool over a 107. I have driven a couple of 560SL's and found them to be not to different from what I expected. I've also driven a 380SL or two and couldn't really agree that they were underpowered as I had been warned. They cruised just as sweetly as any other 107. The 280SL grabbed me though, partly because of the sweet burble of the exhaust, but mainly because the slim bumpers were the way that all 107's should look. The Euro headlights are nice but I see nothing wrong with the US twin style. In the final analysis I guess if I didn't have a 280 in my garage I would have some other iteration of the 107 - I just like them - warts and all.