My 2005 SLK 55 AMG R171
Discussion
Hi all,
I have been reading others threads for a long time now but I never post so I thought it was about time I created my own thread.
So in February 2016 I purchased this little beast on a complete whim. I had been looking at C63's for a long time but I just couldn't quite stomach the price and then the insurance being 23 at the time with 7 points and an at fault and non at fault claim to declare the costs just all added up to more than I wanted to pay. When searching through popular car buying sites for cars with 5L+ engines I couldn't help but come across the SLK as a contender. I know it is widely considered a hairdressers car but personally I quite like the looks and after watching youtube clips and in particular the top gear review I was interested enough to give the dealer a call...
After getting a lift down to Bromley from Norfolk a few hours later the above picture was taken having given the car a clean on my driveway. As soon as I heard the car I was sold!
It hasn't been niggle free after a few days of the car being home the dreaded SRS light illuminated in the dash and the crankshaft position sensor started to play up. I took it into a local specialist the sensor was a straight replacement but the SRS light needed a trial and error fix which a few hundred pounds later and a trip to the main dealer was sorted.
A couple of snaps of the car below....
I have been reading others threads for a long time now but I never post so I thought it was about time I created my own thread.
So in February 2016 I purchased this little beast on a complete whim. I had been looking at C63's for a long time but I just couldn't quite stomach the price and then the insurance being 23 at the time with 7 points and an at fault and non at fault claim to declare the costs just all added up to more than I wanted to pay. When searching through popular car buying sites for cars with 5L+ engines I couldn't help but come across the SLK as a contender. I know it is widely considered a hairdressers car but personally I quite like the looks and after watching youtube clips and in particular the top gear review I was interested enough to give the dealer a call...
After getting a lift down to Bromley from Norfolk a few hours later the above picture was taken having given the car a clean on my driveway. As soon as I heard the car I was sold!
It hasn't been niggle free after a few days of the car being home the dreaded SRS light illuminated in the dash and the crankshaft position sensor started to play up. I took it into a local specialist the sensor was a straight replacement but the SRS light needed a trial and error fix which a few hundred pounds later and a trip to the main dealer was sorted.
A couple of snaps of the car below....
I thought I would break it up as I didn't want to lose my progress so far...
My first mod to the car having peeled back the bad fake carbon wrap which had been applied to the interior was to get myself an x-pipe.
Panel filters to replace the K&Ns the previous owner had put in and I gave the MAF a quick wipe when the airbag was off.
Exhaust
I got too excited when picking up the car to remember to take a picture of the underside. I will do it the next time it goes up on a ramp and I am there however due to what I am about to write below that may be a little while.
Sadly a short time into my ownership I had an incident in a different car which left me in the situation where I was near enough guaranteed to lose my license. Driving had been one of the biggest things in my life and I would just go out to the car and go for a drive with no destination in mind and I would happily go for hours pretty much every day...
Knowing I was going to lose my license made the want to travel even greater and with this in mind I set off on a road trip to North Wales (EVO Triangle etc) with my friend in his Mk5 Golf GTI. Lots of images below for you all.
Photo before the journey home in the car park...
And we stopped at a museum on the way back to round off the car weekend...
More to come...
My first mod to the car having peeled back the bad fake carbon wrap which had been applied to the interior was to get myself an x-pipe.
Panel filters to replace the K&Ns the previous owner had put in and I gave the MAF a quick wipe when the airbag was off.
Exhaust
I got too excited when picking up the car to remember to take a picture of the underside. I will do it the next time it goes up on a ramp and I am there however due to what I am about to write below that may be a little while.
Sadly a short time into my ownership I had an incident in a different car which left me in the situation where I was near enough guaranteed to lose my license. Driving had been one of the biggest things in my life and I would just go out to the car and go for a drive with no destination in mind and I would happily go for hours pretty much every day...
Knowing I was going to lose my license made the want to travel even greater and with this in mind I set off on a road trip to North Wales (EVO Triangle etc) with my friend in his Mk5 Golf GTI. Lots of images below for you all.
Photo before the journey home in the car park...
And we stopped at a museum on the way back to round off the car weekend...
More to come...
Soon to be 25 sadly I lost my license altogether so it will be eye watering when in a years time I get it back... to give you some idea on the figures on a multi-car policy with an Audi S1 it was about £1,250 the SLK being £725 of that but it was only £100 more than the BMW 120d coupe I had. I had been paying £2,500 for my first car at 17 a MK6 Fiesta Zetec S with 99hp!
I forgot the picture of the trip computer after the trip... Pretty good going I would say for a 5.5L V8!
After the Wales trip I was straight onto planning my next trip away. Then this happened...
Needless to say the atmosphere of the ring has left me wanting more. Since my inability to drive all I have wanted to do is get a German driving license and live there however the complications of life mean this isn't possible. I went in August and it was so busy the sound of de-cat exhausts in the air and just the quality and level of care taken on cars was amazing. It is the first place I will go when I am back on the road and I cannot wait! I did a lap and I was certainly not breaking any records seeing the cars that had crashed on the way round reminded me I needed to get back home in my car.
But we made it safely home and again image of the trip computer... Pretty amazing MPG if I may say so myself!
After the Wales trip I was straight onto planning my next trip away. Then this happened...
Needless to say the atmosphere of the ring has left me wanting more. Since my inability to drive all I have wanted to do is get a German driving license and live there however the complications of life mean this isn't possible. I went in August and it was so busy the sound of de-cat exhausts in the air and just the quality and level of care taken on cars was amazing. It is the first place I will go when I am back on the road and I cannot wait! I did a lap and I was certainly not breaking any records seeing the cars that had crashed on the way round reminded me I needed to get back home in my car.
But we made it safely home and again image of the trip computer... Pretty amazing MPG if I may say so myself!
And they are the last photos of the car in action. It has been kept on the road and is driven from time to time by family and friends to ensure the juices are still flowing. Now a year into the ban with a year remaining I have set about tidying up the car and getting it exactly as I want it.
The first thing I have done is trim the roof lining in black alcantara
Before...
During
Fitting
Finished
While I was doing this I sent the steering wheel off to be re-trimmed by royal steering wheels who I have to say are amazing! I think it is the go to company for this work with every forum user I have ever seen using them.
Before
I also fitted some G-Paddles to replace the factory standard buttons which had gotten really sticky and don't really do the looks any good.
And then the steering wheel came back...
Installed on the car...
The car has a Dynavin head unit that was installed by the previous owner and while it functions perfectly they have bypassed the Harmon Kardon amp which has resulted in the worst sound quality I have ever heard in a car. I have ordered some bits and pieces hoping to resolve it.
That is all the progress for now if anyone has any questions please ask away. Progress on the thread will likely be slow but hopefully there are many adventures to come in the future!
The first thing I have done is trim the roof lining in black alcantara
Before...
During
Fitting
Finished
While I was doing this I sent the steering wheel off to be re-trimmed by royal steering wheels who I have to say are amazing! I think it is the go to company for this work with every forum user I have ever seen using them.
Before
I also fitted some G-Paddles to replace the factory standard buttons which had gotten really sticky and don't really do the looks any good.
And then the steering wheel came back...
Installed on the car...
The car has a Dynavin head unit that was installed by the previous owner and while it functions perfectly they have bypassed the Harmon Kardon amp which has resulted in the worst sound quality I have ever heard in a car. I have ordered some bits and pieces hoping to resolve it.
That is all the progress for now if anyone has any questions please ask away. Progress on the thread will likely be slow but hopefully there are many adventures to come in the future!
You say that the insurance was £725.... Having a Z4M when I was 28 I have some appreciation of insurance costs of these cars.
However when I approached a few insurers when I was thinking of putting a more vocal exhaust the price went through the roof.
So how have the insurance companies reacted to your mods. Or is it unknown as the car is off the road?
However when I approached a few insurers when I was thinking of putting a more vocal exhaust the price went through the roof.
So how have the insurance companies reacted to your mods. Or is it unknown as the car is off the road?
Had to do the crankshaft position sensor on mine too, common problem, easy enough to do - but expensive if the dealer fixes it (as always).
MPG is decent on these. Even around town I could get 23mpg+ and closer to 30mpg on the motorway, which is much better than the the bigger AMG's which struggle to break 20!
So what caused you to get banned, then?
Kkrussell said:
Soon to be 25 sadly I lost my license altogether so it will be eye watering when in a years time I get it back... to give you some idea on the figures on a multi-car policy with an Audi S1 it was about £1,250 the SLK being £725 of that but it was only £100 more than the BMW 120d coupe I had. I had been paying £2,500 for my first car at 17 a MK6 Fiesta Zetec S with 99hp!
Christ on a bike, that's competitive! I need to know who the insurer was, or what your postcode is!Jonmx said:
That's a cracking looking little car OP. Find the silver lining to the cloud and use the time fettling her and getting her concours clean and sparkly.
I can probably guess the reason for the ban if it's over 12 months, learn from it and don't make the mistake again
If it is what I think it is then tbh the OP should have taken more consideration before driving, especially as he claims his ability to drive is so important to him. Nice car non the less and if I am wrong about the reason for the ban then I apologise in advance. I can probably guess the reason for the ban if it's over 12 months, learn from it and don't make the mistake again
C70R said:
Kkrussell said:
Soon to be 25 sadly I lost my license altogether so it will be eye watering when in a years time I get it back... to give you some idea on the figures on a multi-car policy with an Audi S1 it was about £1,250 the SLK being £725 of that but it was only £100 more than the BMW 120d coupe I had. I had been paying £2,500 for my first car at 17 a MK6 Fiesta Zetec S with 99hp!
Christ on a bike, that's competitive! I need to know who the insurer was, or what your postcode is!I have six points (gained in under ten mins, from the same van FML), and an at fault.
I have had quotes for circa 1250 on a Volvo v50 diesel!!
Thanks for all of the kind comments!
I am planning to do a full machine polish or to use the detailing term "3 stage paint correction detail" which my professional car cleaning friend says will be much more difficult than I imagine will update as things progress....
I was with Admiral I have pretty much always been my first two years were with Quinn (not sure if they are still about) and then the next few years hopped between Admiral & Elephant and one year with Privilege. I think my post code helps massively living in Norwich (NR13) is the beginning part of my postcode. We basically have no local crime with the parish magazine only ever having a few domestics to report on each month...
Going back to fuel consumption it does do really well which is a pleasant surprise on a 5 mile commute I used to see between 19-21mpg depending on traffic. Low 20's is easily achievable for everyday use.
To answer the question on why the ban I would like to assure everybody I am not a drink driver and I won't bore you all with the entire story but I will outline the simplest points below...
Basically the lesson to learn is not to drive around with dead hookers and kilos of cocaine in the boot so that when the police try and pull you over you do not decide that the better option is to take off doing some pretty excessive speeds in a built up area.... Fortunately or unfortunately I got away (120d BMW) and managed to ditch the hookers and cocaine before handing myself into the swarms of police which had gathered in the housing estate near to the car and proved I was not drunk or on drugs and was promptly arrested for dangerous driving. With hindsight I would not have made the same decision and it is definitely up there with the worst decisions of my life (I must have done some pretty stupid things for this not to be clearly the worst although it is a strong contender)
I would say I have learnt a lot from this and will treasure my license when I have it back!
Image of my car to brighten things up! The S1 was also mine for a short while having ordered it before the above incident took place I took delivery and had the joy of driving it for around 3 months before the ban and sadly having to sell it to help fund a house purchase and the fact it was losing money as fast as a ships anchor sinks...
I am planning to do a full machine polish or to use the detailing term "3 stage paint correction detail" which my professional car cleaning friend says will be much more difficult than I imagine will update as things progress....
I was with Admiral I have pretty much always been my first two years were with Quinn (not sure if they are still about) and then the next few years hopped between Admiral & Elephant and one year with Privilege. I think my post code helps massively living in Norwich (NR13) is the beginning part of my postcode. We basically have no local crime with the parish magazine only ever having a few domestics to report on each month...
Going back to fuel consumption it does do really well which is a pleasant surprise on a 5 mile commute I used to see between 19-21mpg depending on traffic. Low 20's is easily achievable for everyday use.
To answer the question on why the ban I would like to assure everybody I am not a drink driver and I won't bore you all with the entire story but I will outline the simplest points below...
Basically the lesson to learn is not to drive around with dead hookers and kilos of cocaine in the boot so that when the police try and pull you over you do not decide that the better option is to take off doing some pretty excessive speeds in a built up area.... Fortunately or unfortunately I got away (120d BMW) and managed to ditch the hookers and cocaine before handing myself into the swarms of police which had gathered in the housing estate near to the car and proved I was not drunk or on drugs and was promptly arrested for dangerous driving. With hindsight I would not have made the same decision and it is definitely up there with the worst decisions of my life (I must have done some pretty stupid things for this not to be clearly the worst although it is a strong contender)
I would say I have learnt a lot from this and will treasure my license when I have it back!
Image of my car to brighten things up! The S1 was also mine for a short while having ordered it before the above incident took place I took delivery and had the joy of driving it for around 3 months before the ban and sadly having to sell it to help fund a house purchase and the fact it was losing money as fast as a ships anchor sinks...
Kkrussell said:
Basically the lesson to learn is not to drive around with dead hookers and kilos of cocaine in the boot so that when the police try and pull you over you do not decide that the better option is to take off doing some pretty excessive speeds in a built up area.... Fortunately or unfortunately I got away (120d BMW) and managed to ditch the hookers and cocaine before handing myself into the swarms of police which had gathered in the housing estate near to the car and proved I was not drunk or on drugs and was promptly arrested for dangerous driving. With hindsight I would not have made the same decision and it is definitely up there with the worst decisions of my life (I must have done some pretty stupid things for this not to be clearly the worst although it is a strong contender)
I'm not sure if you're being serious or not.What did you think of the S1?
How else could I have bought the cars 
Well I must say truth be told I was not the biggest fan which was disappointing although if I had the car longer I may have fallen in love... it was twitchy on high speed direction changes due to the very short wheelbase. It feels very nippy but not that fast it's very faultless in the Audi way and was everything I needed it for but the seating position lets it down. Plus on stock suspension it sits just a bit too high... I don't know if my view is tainted because of my time with the car but I think having spent a lot of my time in rear wheel drive cars the haldex four wheel drive felt more like a front driven car.
Well I must say truth be told I was not the biggest fan which was disappointing although if I had the car longer I may have fallen in love... it was twitchy on high speed direction changes due to the very short wheelbase. It feels very nippy but not that fast it's very faultless in the Audi way and was everything I needed it for but the seating position lets it down. Plus on stock suspension it sits just a bit too high... I don't know if my view is tainted because of my time with the car but I think having spent a lot of my time in rear wheel drive cars the haldex four wheel drive felt more like a front driven car.
So it has now been two years of ban which has at least given me a chance to get healthy riding my bike everywhere! I bought a Suzuki Swift sport as a project car to have for when I could drive again (I will eventually get round to doing a thread) but as with all projects timelines always slip so this has happened for now.... 
Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will have the L plates off and be able to go on some road trips!
Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will have the L plates off and be able to go on some road trips!
Had one for 2 years - loved it.
I'd recommend the QuickSilver exhaust - pattern taken from the F1 Pace Car. Had one fitted to mine - still miss the noise.
https://quicksilverexhausts.store/products/slk55-i...
Mine had FMSH and found the Dealer prices reasonable.
Recommend the facelift aerial if you haven't already.
I found the HK 7.1 system or whatever it was to be the best I've ever heard. Cracking audio..
Enjoy & take it easy!
I'd recommend the QuickSilver exhaust - pattern taken from the F1 Pace Car. Had one fitted to mine - still miss the noise.
https://quicksilverexhausts.store/products/slk55-i...
Mine had FMSH and found the Dealer prices reasonable.
Recommend the facelift aerial if you haven't already.
I found the HK 7.1 system or whatever it was to be the best I've ever heard. Cracking audio..
Enjoy & take it easy!
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