hello everybody

i'm going to view a 1984 mercedes 280 sl, it got afew issues like the fan and AC doesn't work and boot seal is ripped so it leaks a little water when its raining.

can anybody give me any advice on what kind of things i should look out for, and if theres any specific problems with this model??

thanks

The 280 sl is a great soon to be classic car! If you can get it for the right money and without to many problems you will have a good car that will gain in money in the years to come.
First thing to check is the service book of the car, check to see if there is an MB service work and if the service work is up to date.
The 280 has a timing chain and not a belt so unless its done more than 150k miles, don't worry about it.
Next remove the oil filler cap and check to see if there is any white sludge, if there is it could be that the car has been used for stop/start around town driving but it could also mean that the head gasket has failed. Start the engine and see if the temperature gauge goes in the red also check the water in the radiator for oil.
As the car is a 1984 I am not surprised that the air con does not work, no major problem it probably just need to be re-gassed.
You say the fan does not work? Is it an electric fan? If so its probably just a fault with the temperature switch on the thermostat housing.
If its a fan directly driven from the engine, there should be a magnetic coupling between the fan and the pulley. They are famous for failing but don't worry you can get on on eBay for £60.
The biggest single problem with old cars like this is rust, check the car all over for rust. Make sure that the underside of the car is rust free and tat there is no nasty patches welded on.
Last but not least is the suspension and gear box, if its a manual check the clutch to see that there is plenty of life left in it. If its an auto box check the level of the automatic transmission fluid, smell the dip stick and check the colour of the fluid. It should be bright red and not smelling of burned oil.
On the suspensions check the usual things, play on steering wheel, wobbly the front wheels to see if there is any play on the wheel bearings etc.
Other than these checks do the usual checks on the vin numbers nd documentation.
Ja.