A friend is interested in a 94 SL320 that's listed semi-locally, and I'll be going along for the initial assessment and consultation. I know essentially zero about these cars, but I do speak German car fairly fluently after decades of BMW ownership. Aside from the obvious - condition and service records - what should I be looking for, what fails, what's unobtanium? Good cars or Scheissewagenen?
All I know is that in that year the engine wiring harness is the kind that self destructs. Make sure it has been addressed or look over it to see how it looks. Not the end of the world as there are people that fix it, but make sure your buddy knows and is willing to tackle the job or have someone do it for him.
Also there are quite a few cylinders to actuate the top, pull some of the trunk carpet if possible and look for fluid that leaked.
R129s came with both tops from the factory, make sure they are both with the car.
Its a cool car, definitely not Scheissewagenen.
Biodegradable wiring harness is the biggest concern. It's the I6 so easier to work on. It's slow lol. But there are turbo options and manual transmission swaps that can be done. The m104 is Mercedes own gas 2jzgte.
Was there a factory or aftermarket solution for the wiring harness problem, or was it just a matter of replacing wires as needed? Any specific place where it's most likely to fail?
There is a guy that you send your harness to and he will send it back redone. I can dig up the info.
There are sections of the harness that are more prone to the problem, probably due to heat, but I only looked into the big engines which I know for sure have sub-harnesses.
You might find more info in the w124 forums, they have the same problem starting in '91 or '92
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