Zender is one of those names that I really identify with the 1980s. While they continued on after, the real height of Zender’s popularity seemed to be in the 1980s. Body kits, wheels and even steering wheels ultimately resulted in a tuning firm that was able to produce a few of their own show cars; remember the Zender Fact 4 and Vision? Today there are a host of real and copy Zender pieces floating around – here’s a sampling of what I was able to find on Ebay. While the styling may be a bit polarizing, it’s hard to deny that Zender offered customers something unique and having period detail pieces like these can really set your car apart if done properly:
Tag: R107
We all have a bucket list of cars that we would like to own over our lifetime. One that has perpetually been on my list is the Mercedes R107 SL, specifically, one of the later models like this 1987 560SL for sale in New Jersey. When I was growing up, a neighbor had a 560SL just like this one and I was always enamored with it, dreaming of the day that I would someday own a Mercedes. Even though the design was well over a decade old at the time, it was still a vehicle that commanded respect with its presence. After owning two C classes for a period of ten years, I’ve gotten a bit of the Mercedes bug out of my system, especially in light of some of the new models that are, in my opinion, a bit overstyled. So I sit here, still dreaming of the day I will finally snag my R107.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL on eBay
1 CommentThe R107 SL had one of the longest lifespans of any model in Mercedes-Benz history. From 1972 to the dawn of the 1990s, this two-seat roadster represented the style, performance and durability that were hallmarks of the Three Pointed Star. Curiously, Mercedes decided the V8 versions were enough variety for the US consumer, leaving the six cylinder models, some with manual gearboxes, to other markets. This low mileage 1986 300SL for sale in is now eligible for importation to the US under the 25 year guideline. Signal red over black leather is a classic combination for these cars. The 5-speed manual coupled to the 3.0 liter inline-6 makes for an involving experience. Look a little closer and there is one option that had me ogling over this car. The very rare on-board computer. I have never before seen this option fitted to an SL.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SL at Ruyl Classics
2 CommentsAt the other end of the gray market scale from the 500SL we featured a few days ago sits this car, the 280SL. For most of its lifespan, European customers were able to specify a six cylinder variant of the popular R107 roadster, the first examples having the engine we see here, the twin cam M110 inline-6. This example for sale in Wisconsin has remarkably low mileage and features a few nice options like alloy wheels, heated seats and the rear “kinder†seat.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SL on eBay
1 CommentBeginning in the 1970s, the split between US and Euro market vehicles of foreign manufacturers became more pronounced, leading some US customers to import more and more non-US market vehicles. Oftentimes these imports would be more powerful, have features unavailable on US models or, in an era of changing safety rules, have slimmer, lighter bumpers. Such was the case with the R107 Mercedes-Benz SL. Before the 560SL arrived on the scene for the 1986 model year, the holy grail of forbidden SL fruit was the 500SL, with the 240 horsepower V8. This was considerably more than the 155 horsepower offered from the 3.8 liter V8 in the 380SL sold in the US at the time. This 500SL for sale in New York offers the SL enthusiast a chance at an R107 in one of its ultimate forms.