Hi Garry,
I have several friends with these. They all have good things to say. These do not have as much room as the full size SL for luggage or passengers, but have a lot more than your "E Type". The heating and AC are great, and the folding power hard top is fantastic, with no wind noise, at all, at highway speeds. Also, as you may remember, these folding hardtops are water-tight, even in a down-poor. The power and acceleration is incredible and the roar of the big V-8 engine is music to one's ears. Frank Cozza competed with his, in driving events, in the Mercedes Club for years with no real issues. Last I heard it was still going strong after 100 K miles. It can be a bit of work to replace any bad folding top hydraulic cylinders so check for any hydraulic leaks.