My Mercedes W210 e55 AMG

My Mercedes W210 e55 AMG

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mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
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Hi Everyone

I've been reading PH for ages with great interest, but am a first-time poster so please be gentle with me...! smile

Just wanted to share some pics of my newish weekend toy - Mercedes's sadly unloved and under-appreciated but still fabulous w210 e55 AMG.

I know the oft-quoted issues with rust and build quality etc etc on these - but I managed to find this LHD one imported from Japan last year with sub-50k miles and not a speck of rust on it. Looks and drives pretty much like new - and boy what a machine it is!
I still can't believe how devastatingly quick (yet also very comfy and quiet) something nearly 20 years old is (this is a pre-facelift 1998 edition). Brings a smile to my face every time I start it up....

I've also been lucky enough to have it featured in both Modern Classics (the AMG cover feature a couple of months back) and Mercedes Enthusiast (June edition).

It's a third car and was in storage over the winter, so don't do many miles in it, but thus far it's not put a foot wrong (Had better touch wood quickly!).

Would love to hear from any other owners of their experiences. And would be great to know of any car meet-ups around Cambridge/ North-Essex way over the summer as well...

thanks for reading
Mike



mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all

mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all

mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all
[Can't seem to orientate this image from my phone in portrait with Thumbsnap - anyone got any tips?]

Rich_AR

1,958 posts

203 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
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Nice! Like these. Original American spec?

griffin dai

3,194 posts

148 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
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Still miss my old one frown (but. It the running costs!!)


mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all
Cheers Rich. As I mentioned it was a Japanese import but judging by the front bumper it looks like an American spec, yes...Not sure how that happened.....I managed to get the Datacard for it from MB here in the UK and it mentions '498 Japan version'...?

mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all
Nice, griffin dai! What are those wheels? Re running costs - yup this ain't meant to be a daily driver for sure!

griffin dai

3,194 posts

148 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all
mjrg said:
Nice, griffin dai! What are those wheels? Re running costs - yup this ain't meant to be a daily driver for sure!
I think they were 19" wolfrace sharks.

The previous owner fitted them and did all the mods, must have spent thousands doing it up. Had it dyno'd 381bhp & 429ft/lbs so pretty quick. The big power comes from a SC conversion but it's mega money.

Only had it 10/11 months, a few big bills 3 months in a row meant it had to go. Nice car though, and was my daily at the time smile


ChocolateFrog

24,852 posts

172 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
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Has it been undersealed? Most JDM cars don't get the same protection as UKDM cars and it needs all the help it can get.

mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
quotequote all
Yes, Chocolatefrog. Had a full covering of Dinitrol applied underneath whilst in storage - when they had it up on the ramp I couldn't believe how clean the underside was. Let's hope it stays like that! smile

mickyveloce

1,035 posts

235 months

Monday 3rd July 2017
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Hello Mike, thanks for sharing. I've owned an old AMG for some years, and extol their virtues to anyone who cares to listen.

I hope your car continues to impress you. I would recommend joining the Mercedes Benz club for technical advice etc if you haven't already done so.

I'm eyeing up the prices of E55k 211 cars. They're immense value too.

mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
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Thanks @mickyveloce. I see you're an AMG and an R129 SL owner - you lucky guy!

Yes I have been a member of the MB club in the past and found them very helpful, particularly when I had my old 560SEC.

The W211 AMG is a indeed thing of joy but the complexity (and attendant cost!) scares me somewhat, to be honest. I prefer good old-fashioned normally-aspirated coil-sprung grunt to supercharged air-suspended whizzery....smile

PS I thought LHD might be annoying, but for a weekend blast on open roads it makes no difference. Just so long as you avoid toll booths and multi-storey car parks...! Many other left-hooker drivers out there?

Fattyfat

3,301 posts

195 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
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Saw this in the Modern Classics AMG article. Looks very nice indeed.

I've never owned a W210 but have driven 2 different E55s. One of the examples though was rotten as a pear by 15 years old and wasn't allowed out of the test centre at MOT time. However, love the relative simplicity of these, big NA V8, strong slusher gearbox etc. I'd really love an AMG but the potential bills that a W211 offers scares me a little and I think the ship has sort of sailed on really clean W210s

stuckmojo

2,955 posts

187 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
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I always wanted one of these.

Lovely car. Keep it out of the rain!

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
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Nice car OP

HybridAero

1,340 posts

99 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
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Stunning car, congrats.

Thought this may be of interest; yes, that's an E55 with a Holset turbo mounted in the boot!

http://www.compressorracing.com/demo-cars.html

mjrg

Original Poster:

10 posts

80 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for the kind comments, guys.

@Fattyfat: based on my experience and research to date, I'd say check out the import route if you're in the market for one of these. Japanese owners (for one) seem to be pretty fastidious...

And thanks for the link, @HybridAero- that AMG is just nuts! smile

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
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That is a smashing looking car.

I am becoming a fan of the 210. I am not completely rose-tinted-spectacles about them and, for sure, you can fee where cost has been taken out compared to a 124. Nonetheless, propensity to rust aside, they are really good cars. If they didn't rot, I suspect they would be by far and away the barge of choice. The interior in particular is a very nice place to be. I have an E430 which I find extremely rapid across country, so goodness knows what the E55 is like.

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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ChocolateFrog said:
Has it been undersealed? Most JDM cars don't get the same protection as UKDM cars and it needs all the help it can get.
Mercs built for export to Japan have exactly the same body protection as Mercs destined to all other market places.