There are possibilities if you’re seeking for an iconic Mercedes-Benz classic model that will serve as a comfy cruiser for your weekend excursions without being a limo. One of those choices is the single-series model, which has the second-longest manufacturing run of any automobile manufacturer, having been produced in some capacity from 1971 until 1989.
We’re talking about the Mercedes-Benz SL R107, which had a staggeringly long manufacturing run and produced more than 300,100 units, of which more than 204,000 were sold in the United States. The SL was offered as a coupe with four seats as well as a convertible.
The latter shares many elements in comm on with the SL, but it is called SLC, and it has two extra seats and everything that goes along with that, including a larger wheelbase. Both models got the thick rubber bumpers on the U.S. market, and the latter was kept in production even after the law that mandated it was changed.
With over 204,000 units reaching the U.S. over the SL and SLC production run, some models ended up being affordable at a point, and not all their owners drove them as often as they could. Since that situation occurred, some examples ended up being almost abandoned in various parking structures, garages, and, sadly, in backyards.
This example is a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC, and it has spent the last 16 years in a parking space in New York. It is estimated that the vehicle has not been driven for over two decades, though.
Unlike another vehicle that was acquired by Larry Kosilla on the same trip, this one was not sitting in the sun or exposed to the elements, but was left in a dusty corner of the parking structure that will be demolished once it is cleared.
After so many years without a single wash, the vehicle is dirty, but at least it has not been affected by direct sunlight. Well, there are other issues at play here, and one of them is soot, which came from the exhaust of all the vehicles that were driving through that parking structure. Along with dust, it made a layer of dirt across the body of this vehicle, and it is not pretty.
As usual with a vehicle that has been sitting for so many years, the first thing that needs to be done is to wash the body, and do the same for the engine compartment, as well. Inhaling years of collected dust is never a good idea, and working on a clean vehicle is nicer for anyone involved.
Larry then shows us his technique with the interior, which has also collected dust, and getting it to look right is essential if he wants the next owner of the vehicle to appreciate it as much as possible when they acquire it.
Unlike the BMW 535i that was purchased on the same day, Larry wants to sell this SLC to recoup the price of both vehicles, hopefully, and this model can be valuable if it looks and runs accordingly. Enough talking, it is time to watch Larry in action!
