SLK 96-04 Buying Advice

[gib4793]

Hey guys,

I'm pretty new to PH. I'm looking at buying either an SLK 230 or SLK 320 96-04 and would like some buying advice

My insurance is pretty astronomical anyway due to me having a crash 3 years ago... I noticed that it's like an extra £10-£25 per month to have an SLK rather than an Astra which is absolutely nothing so I'd rather be able to actually enjoy driving..

My budget is like £2,700 due to my stupid insurance costs.

Is there any years I should avoid and is there any well known issues on either? I don't want to buy the 230 and the turbo go cause will cost an absolute bomb which I can't really afford, however the 230 is cheaper to insure and more economical. I have searched the internet and not found anyone really complaining about their turbo giving in which is a good sign but at the same time this car is gonna last me 2-3 years at least so I'd like it to be as fun as possible while not breaking and I'm quite keen on having a 3.2 for that extra little poke.

How would you guys rate the 320 or the 230 for fun and reliability?

Thanks in advance for your help

[paulwirral]

I've had a couple of 230s , both 6 speed manuals .
The main problem is rusty wings , front and rear , the rest is pretty simple nuts and bolts mechanicals . You needn't worry about the turbo as it doesn't have one , it's a supercharger , mainly reliable but if it gives up used ones are available for about a hundred quid and an hour to swap with a small socket set .
320 sounds better but isn't much faster and uses more fuel . 6 speed box benefits from an oil change and slightly short filling it . K 40 relay sometimes causes electrical problems , just minor stuff and no more than a couple of hundred quid to sort .
I fitted a bigger bottom pulley , bigger intercooler , home made induction and a basic remap to my scruffy old 230 and it made a big difference , probably nearer 240 bhp and a lot more torque , does about 35 mpg on a decent run as well .
They don't handle great but no where near as bad as people make out , parts are cheap from the likes of euro car parts .
Mines got 135k miles on and I don't think twice about driving it to Biarritz , the dordogne or the ring .
I think they are amazingly good value but I am looking to replace mine with a later 55 amg , most knock slks but they are good old cars fit for purpose , touring rather than track days .
Take a look on slkworld for more info

[ClassicMercs]

As already stated - rust on the front and rear wings - arches (must get around to getting mine sorted).

Check the various seals - wear on the door / window seal wear the top corner of the glass meets the seal - and also the seal below the rear window meeting the boot line. The central locking is below this window and fried locking is common. The seal is cheap compared to the locking - even at about £125

[02joe]

For that money, would you not consider a Chrysler Crossfire instead?