Pre-purchase walkaround
1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL (R107)
43,000 miles · asking $11,000
Five-year cost to own, maintenance and fuel
~$29,600
The final and most powerful US-market R107 roadster, a long-lived boulevard cruiser built like a bank vault. Money goes into deferred maintenance on aging rubber, timing components, and the complex fuel injection, plus rust remediation on cars that lived outside.
The roadmap
43k → 103k mi · 12k a yearYear 1Tires and the ordinary rhythm.~$6,516
Year 2Brakes and consumables.~$5,627
Yrs 3-5The quiet year. · Suspension comes around again.~$17,490
Five years, all in~$29,600
typical parts + government labor rates (national labor rates) · an estimate, not a quote
What to look for on this one
Every used example of this chassis has the same questions. The bands show when each tends to surface; the gold line is this car at 43,000 miles.
Timing chain and guide wear$900-$2,660 if not done
0typical window 80k-150k · this car: 43k, ahead of it150k mi
The M117 uses a single-row timing chain in these years, and stretched chains with worn plastic guides and tensioner are a known age-related failure. Rattle on cold start, chain slap, or in worst cases a jumped tooth and rough running.
Structural rustpriced only if found
Condition-driven, not mileage-driven, so it is not in the totals and inspection is the only answer. Bubbling at rockers, jack points, floor pans, spare tire well, and around the windshield frame.
windows from 0 owner complaints on file with NHTSA and community service data · · profile researched with cited sources, review pending
0 recalls →
Hand this to your inspector
A $300 inspection against this list is the best money in the whole deal.
01Cold-start the engine and listen for timing chain rattle before it quiets down
02Pull carpets and inspect floor pans, jack points, and rocker panels for rust and prior filler
03Check the spare tire well and battery tray area for corrosion
04Inspect both hard top and soft top: canvas condition, rear window clarity, frame operation, and that a hard top stand exists
Walking into a negotiation?
This roadmap as a PDF, priced for your zip code, with the inspection checklist, a fair price for this example, and the negotiation sheet. Saved to your garage the moment you pay.
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Just keeping tabs? , no account needed.
typical parts + government labor rates · an estimate, not a quotecheck another car →