Mercedes Benz R 129 versus R 107 which is the better car 4K

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[ubkcmmd]

It’s hard to compare these 2 models. Design is a persons taste. I own a 88‘ 560sl and would not trade it for any R129. People love to see cars with a late 60‘s design. I admit, any modern Roadster is faster, more comfortable and probably more reliable. Also parts are readily available. But non of these new cars brings me back to my childhood, where my dad worked for Mercedes Benz in Stuttgart and could not ever afford an R107. I truly love them thanks for your Reports which are interesting and cost you quite some time.

[TheCardio]

Right on . Love my 1986 560 SL R107 . Always get compliments as you said and very reliable being purely a mechanical car. Thanks

[JakeW]

Great Video! Exactly the info I’m looking for. Also, that wonderful beeping noise in your video had me turning my kitchen upside down until I realized its in your video. Thanks for your videos!

[denisletourneau]

Merci Pierre, for this video. I have a r129 95 sl 320 (m104) and a w116 450se 1975. When a good Mercedes gets old, it needs of course a lot a maintenance. For me, the r129 is the last sl of the Mercedes good era. Still modern today, nice handling and really looks Mercedes as it should ... My r129 has 140, 000 miles on the clock. No leak, everything is dry. Yes, the wiring harness has been changed, water and air pump, etc. And I consider it as normal. I am sure that in ten or 15 years, r129 will be more appreciated in value...and pleasure! Of course, I don't like the electric top, electric everything, even the inside mirror adjustement. But the car drives in a much modern way than the r107. Reading everybody down here, I think that the classic Mercedes we have is always the best... Thank you!

[rustyturner]

OK... Former dealer here, and to me there is no contest. The 107 is already a classic plus, if the metal termites have been kept at bay, you can usually fix the mechanicals. Sure, a few parts are getting tricky, but there are some out there, if you know where to look (and are willing to pay the price). The 107 has soul, like a 6.3 or 6.9 has soul; post-1990 Benzes have no soul. Yup, they're faster, quicker, better handling...but no soul.

[mikeparrysatwat]

Great video, I get loads of admiring looks and comments when I take my R107 450sl out for a drive here in England

[BEGGARWOOD]

I’ve owned both and I still own the R129 . I loved the design of the r107 but the drive and construction of the R129 win hands down . My R129 has never broken down . I have owned it’s for 18 years . I have never had an electrical fault . My r107 was reliable but broke down several times in 9 years of ownership . You say that all the faults re roof, water pump etc come at once . Not my experience

[johnmcevoy]

I have a 96 r129 280SL for the last 22 years. It has 83k on the clock. The car has been very reasonable to maintain with no big failures. This car is no V8 performer but good enough to cruise in town and on country roads. The r129 is a modern classic without the r107 rust issues.

[chrispoulson]

I live in the UK and owned an R107 300SL in Signal Red for fourteen years. The car was an absolute delight. The last of the chrome Mercedes. The fact that the model ran from 1971 to '89 without a single change to any body panel throughout its production is a testament to how right Mercedes got its design.

It was both a durable car and a reliable car and here in the UK, like elsewhere, it remains a favourite in classic car circles.

I sold it in 2018 for a lot of money,

In 2015 I purchased an R129 500SL which came off the Bremen production line in October 1989. I particularly wanted an early "066" chassis and one without a catalytic converter. These were the most powerful versions of the standard 5L V8 cars and were built to a level recognised as the Mercedes norm during previous decades. This would not last, as the winds of change were already blowing through Daimler Benz and the "best or nothing " ethos was killed off after W140 and you started to see that in terms of the R129's various makeovers in '93, '95 and '98. That sense of "Mercedesness" was watered down. Nevertheless the R129 is a durable and reliable car.

Like any used car purchase, success lies in buying the best maintained, best condition vehicle and then keeping on top of its maintenance. This is no different for either the R107 or R129. The only real issue I had with the R129 was easy to fix, relating to rotors. But side by side in my garage there was no mistaking that my SLs were automobiles designed and built to a standard that would see them relevant and useable for decades.

Personally, I think comparing the R107 with the R129 is the wrong comparison.

W113 is the most appropriate comparator for R107. R129 was launched at the onset of the digital age. How does it compare with the R230?

[violentomar]

Love my 560SL. Wouldn't trade it for a r129. Just a classy smooth ride. Always get compliments. I keep mine really well maintained and have done preventative maintenance and, knock on wood, don't have any problems at all. Only 68k miles on it... but she is thirsty and there's no real way to improve gas mileage. Lol

[bobratu]

I love this concept"analogness".I probably miss the spelling, but it makes sense what this guy says.Thank you, sir.

[tomburke]

I think you made a credible, fact based case for the R one zero seven as the preferable car. I have never owned either and am delighted with my CLK at present. However, in my opinion they are both classy, excellent vehicles and I would be happy with either one. Excellent Video Pierre.

[johnzito]

Hi, Thanks for taking the time and interest to make this video. I have owned both and still have a 129. The 107 cars have good engines once you get the beyond the early single roller timing chains, but they have their share of fuel injection issues. Cold start valve, IAC, EHA valve etc. A good 107 is a low or no rust example or you will just keep finding deeper rust as you disassemble it beyond what you see. The 107 soft top is totally manual vs the extensive automation on the 129's as you know, so the 107 has a clear advantage from a top reliability standpoint. I have replaced many actuators on my 129 and they aren't that bad to do thanks to youtube videos from Klaus. The 107 feels solid but a bit more "spindly" on narrow 14 or even 15 inch 205 tire Bundt wheels IMO. The 129 feels and is well planted. The 129 cars major drawback is the 94-to 98 biodegradable wiring harness, hence the reason I have a 1990 300SL, which once beyond the shrinking corner head gasket issue is addressed, is as reliable as a long life hammer and powerful enough to back road cruise or even highway motor at 80 mph. A real issue with 129's is finding replacement parts that aren't as worn as what your taking out. That in some areas is a deal breaker. If you let a 129 sit for months and don't start it drive it, and cycle the top, you increase your likelihood of early failure of one or more top seal components. In that regard it's a bit of a high maintenance car, I pay to store mine and start it once a month, drive it 20 to 30 minutes and cycle the top. I have the hardtop but have chose to leave it off. I will always have an SL. Always. I love the exclusivity of the cars and enjoy top down motoring. I drive a beater (old Buick) for 5 months out of the year to preserve my SL and I guess apparently to preserve my 50K mile W212 E class which is my summer sedan. Prior that I drove a 126 car- 380SE for almost 10 years as my daily driver. Thanks for posting, have a great day.

[MDavidG]

Great video! I have an '87 R107 560SL, a '98 R129 SL600, and an '07 R230 SL65 AMG, all (allegedly) with under 60k miles. They are like beautiful women: temperamental, and expensive to keep happy. But don't ask me to choose a favorite...they are each wonderful and exquisite in their own ways. And their monetary value/cost has nothing to do with how much I enjoy them.

[natejgreene]

I can tell this video was tough for you buddy haha. I love my 107 but still want to own an early 129 at some point

[prestigewoodworks]

I wanted to say thank you for producing such high quality and informative content

My love affair with MB started with my W124, I loved the car so much I longed for something even better and bought a W123 - 1984 300D

I binge watch your content and have to say that it has elevated my enthusiasm for classic MB to almost obsessive. I’ve come to think of classic MB ownership as a privilege and an opportunity to steward something great for future generations

I sincerely look forward to learning more and continuing to wrench on my own car, I can only hope a W126 and W108 are in my future as well

As a side note my long suffering BMWs barely get driven now that I’ve discovered classic MB

[petercollingwood]

For me both are gorgeous. The 129 was Sacco's swansong was it not? But I have to say I prefer the look of the early 129. I don't like the "sporty" look of the attempts to make the cars what they are not. If you need rapper style go buy some ludicrous supercar and make stupid fart noises around the hood with your free flow exhausts. That is not what Mercedes Benz's were ever about. And I'm so iconoclastic I even prefer the original two tone paint scemes with the differently hued lower cladding. But I do ultimately agree with Pierre, that the 107 will probably have a timelessness that the 129 will not quite achieve.

[KennethITGuru]

I love the early R129 1990-1992 cars. Particularly the inline 6 cylinder model, 300SL. I don't need nor want a gas guzzling V8 motor. The inline 6 is both smooth and provides plenty of power for someone like me who just likes to cruise around the top down. Also, the manual top of the R107 is easier to maintain but in real world use, it's going to get real old, real fast putting that top up and down, up and down, up and down each time you pull into store and need to lock your car up.

[mohabatkhanmalak]

The only bit of R 107 that I ever had was the exhaust muffler! My W116 (450SEL) needed one and none was available in the whole country and a custom muffler from an exhaust shop won't do for these sensitive jetronic engines. We tried the last MB dealer and he had the last R107 (450SL) muffler on the shelf, we had a look and it turned out all we needed was to make extensions to fit the longer 450SEL.
Yes, I would go for the R107, it has beautifull curves and lines, especially the US models with the twin round headlights. The R107 reminds me of that doctor in 'Colombo', he drove a burgundy colored one.

[EmilianoCaballeroFraccaroli]

I do like the 129 and before buying my 560sl I was looking to 500sl and 320sl too …one day maybe :)