CARE Case Study: Pine Green 420SL

JAMES, 1984 PINE GREEN R107 420 SL, 62,000 MILES

James acquired his 420 SL from a private buyer in 2014 at a reasonable cost, with no considerable works obvious to him upon inspection. With its low mileage of 45,000 and fair service history, the 420 SL represented a positive investment opportunity to complement his adventurous lifestyle, while also offering his children and grandchildren a rewarding asset later down the line.

Following two years of usage pushing the mileage up to 50,000, James noticed that there was occasional dampness in the cabin, with intermittent electrical performance issues and dysfunctional air conditioning and heating. The local garage he had been using was unable to determine the best course of repair. Therefore, he decided to bring his R107 420 SL to SLSHOP where they quickly diagnosed a rusty bulkhead. During the consultation, he was advised that overall, the vehicle was in good order, but would continue to deteriorate if the bulkhead was not repaired. James decided to invest in a bulkhead refurbishment at a significant cost.

With James’ 420 SL now in factory-level condition, he went on to use his 420 SL over the next few years, utilising his local garage for annual service work. Over this period, he covered 12,000 miles and reported that several issues began to develop that were not highlighted by his local garage.

‘’I became complacent with my local garage and wrongly assumed that they understood the complexities of the R107 SL. While the work I commissioned them to do was only minor, there were several issues that seemed to roll over and not improve. This included the steering and suspension which they had not properly rectified. My frustration with this issue occurred at the same time as the arrival of an invitation from SLSHOP to reconnect with them, including an introduction to their CARE product in which I was struck by the offer of discounted transportation to their facility in Warwickshire.

After speaking to Russell in early 2020 about my qualms with the steering rack, I was invited for a tour of their new facility just outside Stratford-Upon Avon. Russell gave me the grand tour of the premises, with an in-depth look at the newly segmented workshops dedicated to different eras of classic and modern classic Mercedes-Benz. While I was reconnecting with Russell and some of the long-term staff, Paul – who had worked on R107s in their heyday – quickly diagnosed the issue.

At this stage, I realised how beneficial the CARE package was to me as an owner based quite a distance away from SLSHOP. The 420 SL will be in my family for years to come, and CARE allows me to invest in future servicing work, not only for my benefit but also for my children and grandchildren.

I can depend on Russell and his team to book my servicing, arrange the collection of the car without too much input on my end; with the reassurance that the car will be given the love it deserves. Of course, the 8% discount on parts and labour is not to be sniffed at either! I have more recently taken out a discounted policy with Heritage Classic Car Insurance, taking advantage of the free security extras that will ensure my car is secure whether parked on my drive or in the centre of Paris. ‘’

James continues to enjoy his 420 SL, with his more recent visit to SLSHOP involving only minor improvements, with the seals around the deck lid and windows being replaced utilising a small portion of his CARE account. James is one of many CARE members who are maintaining their car simply by investing in their CARE account each month.