love hate relationship

Am I the only one?  do any of you feel you have a never ending repair bill going on?  It just seems that there is always something wrong.  Thank God I can do a lot of the work myself. After all, nobody cares more for their gems than us.  And then you ask yourself, is she really that wonderful of a jalopy? Is she as beautiful as you think? Is there a point that you throw in the towel and get another rig?  Another?  but I really love my little sweetheart, when she's running good, wow.   I think most of you can relate and appreciate a nice ride.  Yes! I'm going to keep shoveling money into her for awhile longer.  Just wanted to vent a little. 

Brookings,
I definitely love it, (mine is a 97), but it is the gift that keeps on taking. As I type, I have camshaft oil supply tubes sitting in front of me, waiting to be installed. Since I bought this beautiful car, I have invested plenty of time and money. First I had the top cylinders resealed (thanks, Dennis). Then I had the top replaced due to the plastic window being discolored. Engine mounts, Rewire the trunk mounted stoplamp, and I have front strut mount plates in a box in the trunk waiting until I have the spare time to install those. (These did not fail, but are showing signs of age). But the car is incredible, and the great folks who write in the pages of this forum allow me to afford such an automobile. Thanks to all for the great advice. And I hope your SL continues to bring you joy, regardless of the expense. I also hope after this, the expense will start to taper off.
By the way, you wouldn't happen to know the torque spec for the camshaft bolts which hold those tubes down, would you?
Regards,
Perry

assuming the torques are the same from year to year, mine is 21Mn for the cam bearing caps.  the 97s on were the best of the 129s.  they finally got the bugs worked out.  If you subscribe to www.alldata.com they can help some.  It costs about $15 for one year, $30 for three yrs. They especially help in determining what the cost should be if there is something you don't want tackle yourself.  so this way you'll know if you're getting taken to the cleaners or not if you have to take her in.  Boy is that ever hard to find.  A good and honest shop.  That's why I try to know as much about my little beauty as possible and I actually enjoy working on cars.  Although the sl is really a work of art, not just a car...  get factory repair manuals or repair DVDs.  they are worth their weight in your gold.  I did get a slk to drive when she's down.  can't go a day without a benz fix.  It's not a sl, but is quite fun and very dependable. 

Thanks for the information! I sure wish I could get the WIS program to work on my computer. I bought the program on ebay. Tried to get it from Mercedes, but is is currently unavailable (which may not make any difference). Meanwhile, I will have fun changing the oil supply tubes.
Regards,
Perry