After 3 of these monster R129 Mercedes showed up this past summer, we got a tip for another one on eBay from Portland, Oregon. It’s a short list of cars that have over 7 liters of displacement, and pretty extreme for Renntech to punch out the normal 6.0 liter V12 in the SL an extra 1.4 liters. A couple things always seem come up with these cars: time/space-bending power in a dated chassis, and massive depreciation. I’ve always fantasized about having a Benz that could light up the rears on the highway, so maybe this is the most financially feasible way to achieve that goal.
The seller’s 2 cents:
This is an extremely rare Mercedes SL600. It was converted to a RENNtech in 1999, and has a 7.4 liter 575 HP engine with camshafts and ported and polished heads. It also carries a RENNtech resonator by pass, RENNtech rear muffler, oil cooler, CF air intake, transmission upgrade, ASR delete switch, larger front and rear sway bar, Alcon 14″ front brakes and AMG 18 inch Aero wheels all verified through RENNtech. The Customer spent $73,681.00 to do this RENNtech conversion. The car is in spectacular shape, with books and all four Keys.
In the same sleeper green as the one Evan found this summer, this one is extra sleepy with standard AMG monoblocks and completely shaved identifying badges. Nice to see another one that’s been driven, having covered 89k miles, but the flipside is that you’ve got a 90k-mile tuner V12. Right. Anyways, while it’s certainly not the best looking R129, that’s kind of the appeal here: scary power in as plain-jane an exterior as Mercedes can do. No bites at $20k yet, we’ll see if even that is too high for a car whose monster in the engine bay is only matched by its monster depreciation.
-NR
I am intrigued by the mileage. These cars were designed to be driven and seeing 90k on the clock says a lot about Renntech and reliability. It isn’t clear how much mileage has accumulated since the conversion, but its safe to say this thing wasn’t parked in a garage.
When a person dumps that much cash into a car and ends up with 7.4 liter engine under the hood and doesn’t add a single bit of badging exclaiming such an accomplishment it says something. The owner clearly was into it for the right reasons, strictly the performance and not the flash and outrageousness you see on some celebrity / pro athlete cars today with monster flashy rims and body kits and badges all over.
Though I think if it was mine I’d have a very hard time not tacking the SL74 badge back on the trunk.
I think there are no badges because the car looks like it was driven out of the Spray Booth. That paint looks brand new. Not sure what the point of all that power in a cruiser is? I guess it is an amazing rush passing a slow moving motorhome on a two lane highway though. An admirable engineering feat. I would hate to find out it had a header leak, or needs spark plug number 11 changed. If it is reliable, an extreme car. My brother just bought a sedate SL 500. It is special cause it has 9000 miles on it.
Every time I visit my local Benz specialist I see the same couple mid 90’s SL600’s and just watch the mechanics shake their heads at the V12’s. I’d rather have an AMG V8 I think.
I actually did all the research on this car. I am the Service Manager at the dealership that has it. It has had one owner. He registered it in CA and in MT because he had a home there and moved it there at one point. The service advisor I spoke to at Palm Desert MBZ said no expense was ever spared on the car and it was always this clean. The Carfax shows a lot more detailed info as well, including transmission services, etc. You can get the name of the servicing dealer from Carfax. Given the detailed Carfax, I have no reason to think this car has been repainted. The headlights are updated to the 00 and newer style though whith HID bulbs. The engine conversion was done in 99. I will copy and paste an email conversation between Ken Rudy of RennTech and myself below so you have more info:
“The car belonged to (name withheld), we converted it in 1999 7.4 liter 575 HP, Camshafts and ported and polished heads, RENNtech resonator by pass, Renntech rear muffler, oil cooler, CF air intake, transmission upgrade, asr delete switch, larger front and rear sway bar, Alcon 14†front brakes and AMG 18 inch Aero wheels, customer spent $73,681.00”
I also posted this in The Car Lounge online http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5032572-Cobra-in-the-Barn-along-those-lines-just-a-little-different/page2
If anyone on here is interested in the car, give me a call. I can answer most of the questions you may have.
Thanks for the extra info. Sounds like it is as clean as it looks.
Evan, You’re welcome. It sold yesterday to a good customer. Took his 07 RS4 in on trade.
What a trade!
The 7.4 liter Renntech engine of this SL has now been transplanted into a W140 S class:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129-sl-class/1565535-just-bought-1994-sl740-renntech.html