99 - SLK 200 & 230 Kompressor - Any guidance

[B'stard Child]

Hoping for a bit of advice here - The better half has been badgering me for a drop top for ages.

My first preference would be something TVR or similar (it's an itch I've wanted to scratch for a while) but she doesn't want a "soft" top (number of reasons and I can't change her mind on this one) so a lot of the usual PH favorites like S2000, MX5 that are out there in plentifull numbers are off the list.

We'd love an old 300 SL but I really don't want another project car and the good ones are way outside the budget so it's got to be late 90's to fit inside the budget and also mean that I don't have to spark the welder up/fix the car before every journey (I've a bit of a thing for older Opels with a six pot flavour)

So she's been looking at the megane, 206cc/207cc and I really don't want to go anywhere near them however she's started looking at SLK 200/230 Kompressors and the more I look at them the more I think they'd probably fit her criteria and apart from the bug eye'd look I actually think they look quite attractive and it seems there are a few out there with a manual box which would be my prefered option.

Any buying advice out there? - I assume the engine is shared accross other models so any faults are out there related to the engines?

Or is this one to steer clear off?

[B'stard Child]

Highway Star said:

Avoid the manual box, it is rubbish and the SLK is more of a cruiser than a b-road weapon which means the auto suits it far more.

I'm used to very agricultural boxes (see profile) so if it's a bit of a long throw box and a bit agricultural it'll suit me very well - I have a large barge with a slush box - I'd prefer not to gain another car with a self changing gearbox

Highway Star said:

We have a 1999 V-reg 230K which my wife uses, its now done 40k in 2 1/2 years with us and 111k in all.
She loves it. I've kept the profile up to date, so that should give you an idea of what it's cost us. With the roof up, its like a little coupe and it is great for winter and security.

I think that's a major consideration for Mrs BC - all year round useable and security (plus it'll live outside as garage space is reserved for other cars)

Highway Star said:

Some things to look out for from my experience and when I was buying:

Engine seems quite robust, ours (touch wood) has never needed any oil inbetween services. Make sure the supercharger works.

Any way of checking? It's a belt driven one isn't it?

Highway Star said:

Auto box transmission fluid/filter change - should be done around every 40-50k - the box is good, but it does need this doing, many owners overlook it, it's not expensive.

Trying to avoid an auto buit if I end up with one I'll bear that in mind - I'm fairly able to do pretty much everything maintenance wise myself from general servicing and fault finding to a full engine rebuild

Highway Star said:

Rust - not too bad, ours is just starting to get one or two bubbles in one of the rear arches. I've seen a lot worse though, arches and around the boot lock seem prone.

Check the roof works fully, check it again and then again.

Excellent - can't handle another car that disolves in the rain like an alka seltzer!!!

[B'stard Child]

Highway Star said:

We have a 1999 V-reg 230K which my wife uses, its now done 40k in 2 1/2 years with us and 111k in all.
She loves it. I've kept the profile up to date, so that should give you an idea of what it's cost us.

That's excellent info - really usefull

One question - what's your wifes typical usage - town work or country/longer runs - I'm guessing here that with 40K in 2 1/2 years it gets longer runs and 29 mpg

The idea is that the car replaces a 2001 Polo GTi which is stunning of fuel either in town or on a run (although it's had more runs recently than it should because I managed to break the barge but that's nearly fixed now) so for long trips we take the 740 so it would mainly be used for shortish commuting and her "shopping" trips. It could have been used to replace the 740 but that's the tow car for the track car.

[B'stard Child]

Starting to narrow down the choices - want to avoid the variable VED rate if I can so pre March 2001 is definate the cut off age wise.

The bhp difference between 200 and 230 Kompressor is surprising 163 for the 2.0 and 197 for the 2.3 so I'd prefer the 2.3

(Not a lot of bhp difference between the 2.3 & 3.2 V6 and I'm not a fan of V6's from a maintenance perspective)

Looks like the Manual option was 5 speed pre 2000 and 6 speed after so need to find a Post 2000 (before March 2001) in manual - preferably in black (although why I do this to myself I'll never know) with black leather. Although at this stage that's the target car if it exists - compromises on colour or trim can be made for the right car condition and history wise

Wonder how easy it will be to find one......

[B'stard Child]

Highway Star said:

OP - our 40k was mainly done when the car was our main car - it was far more reliable than the Fiat Coupe Turbo I had at the time, so it did get a lot of long journeys (Italy two years ago, France last year). Now I need something more practical and have got an Octavia 4x4 estate, the SLK gets used less, for my OH's commute (15 miles, mainly back roads and then a crawl around the ringroad) and for trips on sunny days. We do try and give it a good run every month or so. She is off on business for two weeks soon, so I'll probably use it quite a bit.

OK considering the type of usage now the mpg figure is impressive and more than I would have expected.

Highway Star said:

There is quite a difference between the 200 and the 230K, the 200 is quite slow, the 230K is 'brisk' - it kept up with my old 220bhp Fiat Coupe Turbo from rolling starts off roundabouts.

Yep - I'm 200K is of my list I think 30 odd bhp less would make it positively lethargic - I've had saloons with bottom of range engines - a Carlton with a 1.8i (115 bhp) compared to one with a 2.6 (150 bhp) makes a huge difference to drivability (without making much difference in fuel usage.

Just trying to find a decent selection of cars to look at over coming BH weekend, Make some calls to establish accurate details on the cars and see about a road trip to view them

[B'stard Child]

rb5230 said:

Having worked at a well known Mercedes dealership when they were new and having driven hundreds of them I can say they are terrible cars.

They always seemed to be in for warranty work and watch for the auto gearbox as when they need rebuilding it costs almost as much as the car.

Auto wouldn't be my prefered option but if it was I'm firmly in the camp of preventative maintenance - ie fluid and filter changes before boxes get too old or leggy

I expect any secondhand car of 10 years old to not be free of problems as that's part of the fun of owning something older and well out of warrenty - were there any issues that were common to the model that with your inside knowledge you can share?

rb5230 said:

But if you want a folding hardtop and not one that is french i suppose you have very limited options. The 200 also feels woefully underpowered.

I'd like a TVR Tuscan (removable hard roof section) but it's outside my budget unless I sell a car or two and I'm not so good at selling them.....

rb5230 said:

ETA: I know i have gone against the grain and am in the Mercedes forum so will expect the flaming i receive but I can only speak from experience.

I dont think you've said anything that would result in a flaming TBH

[B'stard Child]

rb5230 said:

I am sure it will be great in the sunshine with the roof down, but I think you should be looking at living the dream and go for the TVR, you only live once and its not hard to sell cars as long as they are reasonably priced, PH classifieds and ebay are easy peasy.

Good luck either way.

Thanks for the advice - Couple of issues mind

1. Mrs BC is the driver behind the purchase of a drop top and I've no idea if it will work out for the best so best to dip my toe in the puddle first rather than jump in the lake (expense wise)

2. I'd have to sell the Lotus in order to afford to buy a Tuscan - I'd rather not sell that right now (I fall in and out of love with it and I'm not sure which camp I currently fit in and Mrs BC hates it (not quite as much as the Monza but it's fairly up there) - so once sold I'd probably never ever get another

[B'stard Child]

rb5230 said:

You cant sell a Lotus Carlton, I am sure you are required by motoring law to keep those until you die.

^ part of my problem Although it really will have to be time for someone else to have some fun with it one day - 11 years of ownership so far

[B'stard Child]

TISPKJ said:

Not sure what year they started but dont discount the 320, makes a lovely noise and goes well.

Seem to be a higher ratio of Manuals v Autos in the 320 version so that might end up being an alternative if I can't find a decent manual 230 - still not keen on the added complexity of a V6 versus a four pot with a charger for only 20 bhp more

TISPKJ said:

Again depends on your budget but SLK 32 AMG pretty much bargain prices now, can only hold value and maybe increase a little over time and with 360 bhp they sure do go well.

Good lord - there was me thinking the AMG version was all cosmetics and alloys!!

[B'stard Child]

TISPKJ said:

No not in this case :-)

Seem to recall the 200 was manual as std and auto option, then 230 the reverse, mind you we were buying them in France at the time so maybe wrong.

Doesn't seem to fit the picture here - way too many are auto but I've found one that fits almost all the criteria

TISPKJ said:

Think you will find a manual SLK hard to shift on if you need to, and would expect it to be a fair bit cheaper.

Well I hope I don't need to shift it too soon and because of the condition I was prepared to spend to near the top of my budget

Black and almost perfect paintwork
Black leather inside (no garish coloured panels in seat or dash)
1 owner from new
230 Kompressor in Manual 6 box format with the right amount of history

Only thing it didn't fit into my criteria was the pre March 2001 for VED bit being just after the cut off but I wasn't going to walk away from the best one I'd seen for a tiny bit more VED cost

TISPKJ said:

Please drive a 300sl before you even consider buying one .... horrible compared to modern stuff

Now I wouldn't have a problem with that - in fact it would be part of the charm but it's an itch to scratch another time




Anyway thanks for the advice all of you - very usefull and appreciated

[B'stard Child]

Picked it up last night



Four bangs and a blower - it's a bit gruff compared to a 6 or 8 but not horrid - nice spread of torque from 2K on



Boot very usefull with the roof up



Refurbished Alloys



Got home at well past midnight after calling into the ACE cafe to look at the hot rods - 6 deg outside roof down and I can conclude that the heater is adequate - Anyone know what temp they run at on the dash as this one sits bang on 80 deg C and I'd expect 90 Deg as the norm

[B'stard Child]

Riff Raff said:

r129sl said:

80 deg C not the end of the world if it's cold and you've got the heater on strong.

Looks like a super car: well done! These are seriously under-rated vehicles in my view.

Mine runs at that on the Motorway or an 'A' road, but creeps up to the high 90's in traffic.

Riff Raff said:

Looks like a nice car. If I were you I'd whip the cover at the front of the engine - the one with the star on it - and have a look to see if there is any oil in the wiring to the cam sensor. Post back if there is. The cover just clips on.

No oil residue at all - just OE fluffy alloy and wiring but thanks for the tip about the cover

[B'stard Child]

So saturday it was time for a proper clean

Jet washed all the arches and the drive was covered in dirt (that hadn't been done for a while)

Paintwork got a claybar with dodo juice tarmalade taking car of a huge number of tar spots that the claybar struggled with.

Lime prime and then Orange crush gave a lovely gloss

Leather cleaned and fed

Wheels removed and waxed inside and out

My neighbour asked for a short back and sides as he drove out so I made sure I had a stool and a pair of clippers on the path for his return (took him a couple of attempts to back onto his drive due to laughing so much)

This all meant that it was time to introduce Mrs BC into the delights of topless motoring

100 miles (on A and B roads)later and we are both really liking the SLK - the 230 seems like a good choice - sure it's not a proper quick car but it's torquey and gruff in a nice way with just a hint of charger whine where pressing on. It's a solid and heavy stable car with both a compliant ride and enough oomph (provided you drop a few cogs) to pass slower traffic with a safe margin

The box is agricultural and doesn't like to be rushed but has a nice positive action with a pleasantly weighted gate and the choice of ratios meant that there was always a choice of gears dependng on the level of acceleration required

Overall it's growing on me - it's not got the grunt of the LC or the effortless drive of the 740 and it's not got the dynamic ability of the Monza but it has elements of all and if has a similar thirst to the Gti (unlikely) it'd be perfect

[B'stard Child]

Sorry to bump this thread but quick question for the SLK owners

What Oil for a non long life nmaintenance schedule (I change the oil every 3000 miles and filter every other change - I've done this for all my cars since 1985 and don't see any point in going long life - in fact I'm deeply suspicious of it)

[B'stard Child]

B'stard Child said:

Highway Star said:

OP - our 40k was mainly done when the car was our main car - it was far more reliable than the Fiat Coupe Turbo I had at the time, so it did get a lot of long journeys (Italy two years ago, France last year). Now I need something more practical and have got an Octavia 4x4 estate, the SLK gets used less, for my OH's commute (15 miles, mainly back roads and then a crawl around the ringroad) and for trips on sunny days. We do try and give it a good run every month or so. She is off on business for two weeks soon, so I'll probably use it quite a bit.

OK considering the type of usage now the mpg figure is impressive and more than I would have expected.

Sorry to come back to this but first full tank of fuel now been consumed - very mixed driving, 140 miles of 80 mph motorway use, 100 miles of A and B road "making progress" work and the balance of it short commutes to work and back (less than 4 miles with cold start at each end) and general running about with a bit of traffic congestion thrown in. The roof has been down most of the time too.

The Polo Gti would have returned about 35 mpg in similar circumstances (but it's a buzzy little thing and to get good mpg you need to keep the speed down to below 80 mph on a m-way) and the SLK returned 32.5 mpg (I reckon that nice long 6th gear has a significant positive impact) I reckon a run up to scotland to see some old friends would see some very impressive mpg figures

[B'stard Child]

r129sl said:

Your fuel consumption is excellent, significantly better than the auto.

Yeah it surprised me - I wasn't driving it for economy but as I said that long 6th I think had a major effect on the longer runs

r129sl said:

It should tell you when it needs a service. A little spanner sign will show in the odometer. The interval is variable but is generally 9,000 to 15,000 miles. Like you I change the oil and filter more often, about every 6,000miles. To be honest, every 3,000 is probably a bit excessive (because modern oils and engines are so much better and because it carries about 6.5litres of the stuff) but certainly won't do it any harm.

It's my oil change regime for all my cars (cept the track car which gets changed before every trackday) Sure it sounds a little excessive but if I said I change the oil once a year regardless would that sound as excessive? I have a few cars with similar mileage limits and tend to alternate between the cars - effectively I do max 9,000 miles a year spread between three cars (not always same three - last year I never used the 740 for a whole year....)

r129sl said:

Other intervals are pleasingly distant from each other but you might want to start with a new baseline and renew air filter, brake fluid, coolant, spark plugs, and fuel filter, maybe even the diff oil. Nobody ever renews the power steering fluid and filter, I have no idea why not. This motor is not that expensive to service.

All of those are on my list to give myself a base line - the oil and filter is priority because it looks dark (8500 miles since last change)

Dog Star said:

As to the oil changes - every 3000 is excessive IMO. I did "interim" changes. Mobil 1 from Costco.

I'm not keen on long life oil especially when to reach the change interval it would potentially 3 years old at the time of change.

Much rather use a good quality branded oil at a good spec and change every 3000 miles (or a year time wise)

[B'stard Child]

ATM said:

ewan221 said:

very nice - love the black :-)

I picked up an SLK32 AMG the other week and loving the car so far

My friend had the c class saloon with this engine and got around 15mpg. Is the slk anywhere near as bad as this?

That's quite a thread resurection!!