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Mercedes 380--450--560 SLs

518 messages,  Last post on Nov 27, 2011 at 1:38 PM

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What is this discussion about? Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Convertible

Messages Page 52 of 52

#509 of 518 Re: Thanks mucho guys! [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 06, 2011 (6:05 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Mar 06, 2011 5:55 pm)
You must be thinking of New Zealand. Australia is stricter, but has a special and enthusiast vehicles (SEVS) program that might have worked for some of the cars you saw.
 
But they require that you conform to a set of rules and may require safety modifications, assignment onto a registry, and government approval.
 
If you aren't on the list of approved types of "enthusiast" cars, I guess you are SOL in OZ?
 
you can read about the Aussie regs here:
 
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/motor/sevs/index.aspx
 
Yes of course part of EPA/DOT regs were due to dealer pressures, but there's no denying that traffic deaths have decreased dramatically.
 
Rules and regs in *any* government are fueled by political will and not really on any rational basis. Politics supports auto safety for instance, but not gun control or allow an uneducated person from one country to become a citizen but not a PhD from another country.
 
Go figure--it's politics for sure.
 
If nothing else, the history of EPA/DOT and the history of the American auto industry in the last 30 years should convince anyone that there is no such thing as a "free market" around here.
 
Big lobbies rule.

#510 of 518 Re: Thanks mucho guys! [Mr_Shiftright] by fintail

Mar 06, 2011 (6:18 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 06, 2011 6:05 pm)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y97oLjiuA
 
This doesn't make it too hard to ship a JDM unit into Oz. A quick check of Oz ebay shows lots of weird Japanese and US market stuff there - not all of it classic or specialty material either. Odd Japanese microvans and mundane sedans, malaisey yank tanks, not exactly enthusiast vehicles.
 
How do traffic deaths relate to a handful of weirdo foreign market cars being imported? I'd wager any of them would be better maintained than a typical domestic of similar age. That I can't bring a Skyline here but I can drive a rotten 25 year old heap with threadbare tires and no brakes just fine says it all.
 
Free markets are indeed a lie. There's no rational reason to this, it just makes the US laughable in yet another way. Spend a day in Vancouver and see how much cool weird stuff is on the roads. You can't throw a cat without hitting a RHD RX7, Supra or a Skyline.

#511 of 518 Rear windshield for 107 by freshairfiend

Mar 27, 2011 (8:57 am)

Much as I enjoy the wind in one's face that is part of the joy of convertible motoring, on a long trip it can be a little tiring. Consequently I have been considering making a rear windshield that could be employed for longer trips but don't have all the information needed to start. Does anyone have experience in this area? First, is it better to use a mesh or would a solid shield be better? Secondly would anybody have any ideas as to the right dimensions? It wouldn't seem to be too difficult a project and what I am looking at is making the shield with legs that can be fastened to the cloth covered back wall with velcro. If the shield is solid it would be very easy to cut the whole thing out of a sheet of perspex, while if the preferred shield was to be composed of mesh it would be necessary to make a frame. Either way it doesn't seem to be too difficult, but I would hate to make something up and find it didn't work properly because it was a couple of inches too big/small. Any helpful ideas would be appreciated.

#512 of 518 Re: Rear windshield for 107 [freshairfiend] by fintail

Mar 27, 2011 (9:33 am)

Replying to: freshairfiend (Mar 27, 2011 8:57 am)
I know they made these for R129 SLs, I can't imagine there wasn't one for the 107...maybe it could be adapted? I'd contact one of the accessory sellers who advertises in Hemmings or The Star etc and see if they know of one.

#513 of 518 Re: Rear windshield for 107 [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 27, 2011 (10:52 am)

Replying to: fintail (Mar 27, 2011 9:33 am)
I agree with fintail, I'd adapt something that already exists. You may also find that just putting something between the gap in the front bucket seats will help a lot.

#514 of 518 '88 MZB 560 SL odometer & A/C fan by jonim

Nov 27, 2011 (8:41 am)

I bought my '88 MZB 560 SL in '89 with 20,000 miles on it. It has always had good maintenance. Recently, at 127,000 miles, the odometer quit turning, but spedo still works. Also, the A/C fan has become erratic. Sometimes it will come on, run for a while & then just quit. After turning it on & off repeatedly, sometimes it will work again, sometimes not. I can hear the A/C itself working; just seems to be the fan that stops. Are these issues related? Sound like a fuse problem? Wiring?

#515 of 518 Re: '88 MZB 560 SL odometer & A/C fan [jonim] by fintail

Nov 27, 2011 (10:49 am)

Replying to: jonim (Nov 27, 2011 8:41 am)
I am pretty sure those have an old style mechanical odometer, unless the faults happened at exactly the same time, it might just be coincidence - the old dear isn't getting any younger Does the speedometer work fine?

#516 of 518 Re: '88 MZB 560 SL odometer & A/C fan [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 27, 2011 (12:02 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Nov 27, 2011 10:49 am)
yeah I bet the little gears in the odometer are just worn out. As for the AC, well, welcome to old German AC. I suspect that's a problem in the control head for the AC system. You may need to spend some time prowling around the forums at www.benzworld.org to get more technical advice.
 
Here's where you'd want to be posting: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/

#517 of 518 Re: '88 MZB 560 SL odometer & A/C fan [jonim] by jodasa

Nov 27, 2011 (1:38 pm)

Replying to: jonim (Nov 27, 2011 8:41 am)
I had the same issue with the AC fan turning on and off on its own in my 89 560SL. After i turned it on and off a few times it would finally stay on. In my case it was a loose connection behind the control panel. If you have done any work behind the main console in the last while that may be your issue as well.

Messages Page 52 of 52

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