> Overall, the 380SL is a better car in lots of ways. The 450SL has more > power, but power isn't everything. But I'd probably buy the one in better > condition cosmetically.
That is _always_ the rule with 107's. Cosmetic/rust condition dominates the value. > As far as 450s go I would rather have a 78-80 I think but it seems like some > years were detuned with less power. They were _all_ detuned with less power. IMHO, a '76 with different exhaust manifolds (cat-free) would be nearly the best of the US-spec 450's. No D-Jet, no ACC. > The 73 450 in question does have manual climate control, the short bumpers, > that steering wheel that only the early ones had, and hubcaps. Those are all Good Things, and would probably sway my choice heavily. > The 560 ... has enough power. The 380 felt sluggish to me... How did Bruce Willis' character put it? "Enough is never enough"? Tastes vary. My 380, definitely not as sprightly as the 560, felt fast enough. It has a 4-speed tranny, vs the 450's 3-speed, which helps. The 380 also takes regular gas, and got maybe 1-2mpg better than the 560. I thoroughly enjoyed my 380, and sometimes miss it a little, but I'd had my fun and it was time to sell it. Unfortunately the next owner was not up to the task of maintaining a 'beater' SL, and I saw the car parted out a few years later. Now _that_ was sad, after all I'd done to bring it back from the dead. -- Jim _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
