My turn to be ridiculously excited - my first AMG!

My turn to be ridiculously excited - my first AMG!

Author
Discussion

juice

8,578 posts

284 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
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Looks lovely and a great spec - congratulations !! You must be well chuffed biggrin

Enjoying the snappy gear changes ? hehe

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
quotequote all
juice said:
Looks lovely and a great spec - congratulations !! You must be well chuffed biggrin

Enjoying the snappy gear changes ? hehe
Yep! All good!

Quick trip over to Caffeine & Machine this afternoon to meet a friend. Always feel like you are being silently judged when you arrive, but I think I passed today!

Managed to get a spot by the pub itself which was good. What was not so good was the covering of dust it got from the passing cars eek

Hadn’t intended washing it this weekend, but got home and decided I couldn’t leave it like that! Only a quick wash and wheel clean, but it looks most excellent now cool


romeodelta

1,125 posts

163 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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Lovely, enjoy. Great colour.

I was looking at these around 6 months back, but could only find silver and black. Why do people do that?!

Ended up with a silver Boxster biggrin

Will get one, one day.

Alex_225

6,353 posts

203 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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That is a really nice looking example and as others have said a great colour. So many Mercs are just in the standard silver or black, I have two of them! haha

I think the SLK55 is one of the lesser known AMGs and for that I think it's a very cool little car. Also it's a hefty engine for a relatively small car so has kind mini-muscle car credentials but I suspect handles really nicely too. smile

carboy2017

694 posts

80 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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Awesome looking car mate!

no matter how old you are you will feel like a kid on Christmas morn when your about get a new motor be it brand new or a banger (atleast in my case thats how it is and i'm in my 40's)

WCZ

10,581 posts

196 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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I used to have one of these, loved it! the folding hardtop had so much to be said for it and that torquey motor + the deep noise was so nice

they are great value used now, if I got another I think i'd stick a loud exhaust on it tbh

timbobalob

337 posts

244 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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Congratulations! Cracking looking car.

Was that the Waitrose in Banbury? If so I’m local in Bloxham - give me the thumbs up if you see a yellow Chimaera!

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Monday 19th August 2019
quotequote all
timbobalob said:
Was that the Waitrose in Banbury? If so I’m local in Bloxham - give me the thumbs up if you see a yellow Chimaera!
Yes it was, and yes I will thumbup

Johnny Raydome

1,429 posts

107 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
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Congratulations!

Great car, superb colour.

juice

8,578 posts

284 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
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Just a quick one, when you get a chance, check the battery compartment for water.
I just checked mine - it was half full of water after I had just washed it.

There's a rubber grommet at the bottom next to the battery, with a flap that's supposed to let the water out, but mine was blocked with small leaves/crap
The location is perilously close to the cabin fan, so to prevent soggy carpets and stink I'd recommend giving it a quick check esp after all the rain we've had ! thumbup

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
quotequote all
juice said:
Just a quick one, when you get a chance, check the battery compartment for water.
Thanks - mine looks bone dry with no sign of previous issues, and the heater fan looks very clean. There are a number of drains around the car - the one in the scuttle panel near the battery box on mine was totally clogged with crap, but now clear. No sign of water in the boot under the spare wheel and toolkit either.

I do have one issue in that one of the keys will lock / unlock the car, but has really poor range (even with brand new Duracall batteries) and the little red LED light on the fob does not light up when the buttons are pressed. It also doesn't start the car - put it on the ignition and nothing happens at all. The circuit board all looks ok (some people have found the coil can come loose if the key is dropped) so I think I'll need to send it off for repair.

Bought some new gas struts for the boot, but they are about 2-3mm too long and I cannot get them on, even when bump stops on the hings are removed.

Also got a new 'SLK55' badge for the boot, as this has been removed at some point, as well as a 3M headlight restoration kit to try to freshen up the offside headlight which is quite faded.

A good clean and lubrication of the rubber seals is also in order at some point (Gummi Pflege and Krytox to the ready!)

Hopefully will have some time tonight to get a few of the jobs done...

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
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Oh, and a couple of questions... (there will be lots!)

I've got a Bluetooth to 3.5mm adaptor (link below) which works well for streaming, but not for the phone, as it sits in the glovebox

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mpow-Bluetooth-Streaming-...

The COMAND unit has a Bluetooth menu item if the 'SERV' button is pressed, which appears to search for a phone - it did actually pick up my iPhone XS at one point, but my phone didn't seem to recognise the car. I thought the phone system connection was via a cradle in the centre console. I know you can get a Bluetooth 'puck' that connects to the connector in there, but they are ££££, and I think are only for calls, and not streaming anyway.

I'm not really sure what the menu option does - anyone know? Anyone got it to work?

Next question... Tyres....

I'm thinking Michelin PS4s - any thoughts or alternatives?

Edited by 595Heaven on Tuesday 20th August 12:38

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
quotequote all
This evening I decided to tackle the badly faded, crazed and yellowed offside headlight. The nearside one looks fine, so possibly replaced at some point.

Bought the 3M Headlight Restoration Kit from Amazon. There are several different kits on the market but they are all basically the same - a set of progressively fine sanding pads attached to an electric drill and then some polish.

This was the light before I started:



Lots of masking tape and cardboard to protect the surrounding bodywork, and I got started. First grade is quite aggressive and turns the lens totally opaque eek

Two more finer grades and the haze begins to clear...

After several passes with the polishing compound and we have a result:



It isn’t perfect, and there is still some sign of the crazing, but it looks so much better, and feels totally smooth to the touch. Pretty happy with that!

I then had another play with the bad key. Realised that if I put it in the ignition and then press the lock button, the steering column releases and I can turn the key. Didn’t start the car so as to avoid spousal rolleyes , but I suspect it would work. Weird...

Mr lestat

4,318 posts

192 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
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Leave it next to an electric toothbrush charger for a day. It might just be flat and that could bring it back to life

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
quotequote all
I put brand new batteries in yesterday. I don’t think the fob has any rechargeable batteries, but it does have a coil to energise the security system when it is inserted into the ignition barrel.

It’s a bit strange!

cerb4.5lee

31,134 posts

182 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
quotequote all
595Heaven said:
I'm thinking Michelin PS4s - any thoughts or alternatives?
I have PS4s on my 370Z and I've been really happy with them, so they come very highly recommended from me.

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Wednesday 21st August 2019
quotequote all
cerb4.5lee said:
595Heaven said:
I'm thinking Michelin PS4s - any thoughts or alternatives?
I have PS4s on my 370Z and I've been really happy with them, so they come very highly recommended from me.
Thanks

Sa Calobra

37,374 posts

213 months

Wednesday 21st August 2019
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595Heaven said:
She’s used to that from my Caterham days biglaugh

Tonight, more whipping cream was needed wink


I was expecting the typical silver thing.



However this is stunning. Wow, how much??

Sa Calobra

37,374 posts

213 months

Wednesday 21st August 2019
quotequote all

595Heaven

Original Poster:

2,435 posts

80 months

Wednesday 21st August 2019
quotequote all
Sa Calobra said:
However this is stunning. Wow, how much??
Think low spec Dacia Duster money...

The Duster is a great car for the money, but the SLK55 beats it in a number of areas. The Dacia fights back with ECO mode, ISOFIX, roof bars and a second row of seats, but there is not really any contest laugh

Not that keen on black cars (look great for about 5 minutes after you wash them), but I think the silver looks great. Mystic Blue trumps them in my view and looks absolutely amazing in the sunshine.