Mercedes Benz C32 AMG

Mercedes Benz C32 AMG

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80quattro

Original Poster:

1,724 posts

194 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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After a brief dalliance with a C32 AMG back in 2005, owning one has always been on my list. I've kept a semi interest since, and the numbers for sale have gradually dwindled, whilst prices have not increased. To me, this seems a good time to buy, so after a couple of weeks of looking, one came up about an hours drive away, advertised as a rust free example but with a misfire present.

The owner had bought it a number of years previously and had sunk quite a bit of money into it, even purchasing expensive modifications that he never fitted due to the engine issue. It had been decatted, and a new TCU with an AMG map fitted. Whilst trying to get it fixed, new plugs, leads and and injectors had been fitted, but to no avail, and he had decided to draw a line and get rid. Interestingly, it had not been plugged into Mercedes Star diagnostics. The car was very keenly priced, so I bought it and paid extra for the mods. This was in December 2021.







I drove it back home and booked it in with my local specialist HA Locke. I know Albert and Andrew already and whilst they don't run the most spick and span operation, they are exceptionally well experienced with Mercedes of 20 years and older.









The car was plugged in, and an issue with cylinder 3 diagnosed. Albert assured me it was a faulty injector, and someone had 'fitted st ones'. So a new genuine one went in, and hey presto.

I barely drove the car for a couple of months due to poor weather and being busy with other stuff, until my friends decided we were well overdue for a road trip. I was slightly nervous of taking the car, having only driven it a total of about 150 miles by this point. But this is Pistonheads, right biggrin

I drove from my hometown with guys local to me, accompanied with a Macan Turbo, BMW E36 M3 Evo, Mazda MX5 turbo, 996 C4S and and Audi RS3. We headed up to Telford services, meeting up with some more mates with an Audi TT, RS4 Cab and a 996 C4 - destination Ponderosa Cafe to meet everyone else, comprising 991 GTS Targa, RS4 Avant and BMW M4 CS.

Journey up there went really well. My car left the E36 M3 standing on the motorway, hilarious considering the driver is my best mate of 30 years and he paid 3x for his car than I paid for mine. Whilst the cars are similar BHP, mine has a significant torque advantage due to the S/C.

We drove around Snowdonia, Evo triangle etc, with an overnight in Bala.



The next day, we had a quite a lengthy route planned, but some of the guys wanted to head home for various reasons, so we cut it short, and this is when I had a little problem. Up a fking high, fking narrow mountain pass !! My gearbox lost all drive, so we towed it to the top behind the Macan. I switched it off, let it sit for 10 mins, fired it up again, and drive engaged.



Unfortunately, it was only temporary, so I basically coasted in neutral all the way back to sea level, coming to rest outside a little old lady's house. Of course there's no phone signal anywhere, so I had to knock on her door and she lent me her phone to call for breakdown. Describing to the AA our location was utter carnage despite spelling lots of Welsh words, so we towed the car for 20 mins or so to a road that actually had a number.

After a couple of hours, the car was recovered, and I jumped in one of the other cars, heading home later that day.



The car materialised after a few days later due to a pony express type recovery via a few hotel car parks, and was engaging drive and reverse, albeit sporadically. I took it to my neighbours unit only a few miles away, and he replaced the mechatronic unit (exchange from MB, fitted was actually not expensive).

I've now done another 5-600 miles in it, and all is well. It's booked into to MSL Performance in Brum in a few weeks time to have the bits fitted and a remap, so I will update when done !

MickyveloceClassic

369 posts

58 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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Like all pre-C63 C-class AMG, an understated, underrated car.

It was believed at the time they were made that MB deliberately under-reported the performance figures, so as not to distract attention away from the E55.

Autocar timed it at 4.6 for the (pretty meaningless) dash to 60, making it much swifter than anything comparable in 2003.

Rust is probably the biggest issue, and flakey bits of trim, but they’re a great car.

80quattro

Original Poster:

1,724 posts

194 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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MickyveloceClassic said:
Like all pre-C63 C-class AMG, an understated, underrated car.

It was believed at the time they were made that MB deliberately under-reported the performance figures, so as not to distract attention away from the E55.

Autocar timed it at 4.6 for the (pretty meaningless) dash to 60, making it much swifter than anything comparable in 2003.

Rust is probably the biggest issue, and flakey bits of trim, but they’re a great car.
It's certainly quite quick in a straight line, but does require some work around the bendy bits.

This one is rust free, which was the deciding factor to me buying it. C55's are galvanised, but I prefer that lovely S/C whine and the single pair of exhausts !

Roboticarm

1,450 posts

60 months

Saturday 16th April 2022
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I love amgs of this period, as mentioned above a passing glance and this looks just look a top spec c200.

Not a fan of the latest amgs, too shout for me.

We had a c180k, the little coupe one in the same colour as a company pool car when they were new. The others often asked for the keys to the golf GTi or the Saab turbo, I often found myself asking for the Merc keys


DKL

4,480 posts

221 months

Saturday 16th April 2022
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80quattro said:
.... C55's are galvanised, ...
No one told the wheelarches that I think!

BenjiA

300 posts

209 months

Monday 18th April 2022
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Fondly remember my C32, utterly amazing engine, attached to a chassis that didn't really know what to do with all the power.

Threw some fabulously large bills and then my ex wife took it off me so she could ferry the kids around in it and exported it to Ireland - at one time it was the only one registered there I think...Hope it's still alive somewhere in the Emerald Isle.

Best if luck with it, I'm sure used parts off ebay will be useful in keeping the electrics working as mine used to flumox the Merc centre in Essex back in the day!


Limited100

1,340 posts

99 months

Monday 18th April 2022
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Interesting machine, are MSL doing the pulley? Be interesting to see before and after comparison dyno graphs.

These are considerably lighter than the E55 (1535 kg vs 1835 kg) so with the extra poke should be able to upset 55 Kompressors / N/A C63s.

80quattro

Original Poster:

1,724 posts

194 months

Wednesday 20th April 2022
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Limited100 said:
Interesting machine, are MSL doing the pulley? Be interesting to see before and after comparison dyno graphs.

These are considerably lighter than the E55 (1535 kg vs 1835 kg) so with the extra poke should be able to upset 55 Kompressors / N/A C63s.
MSL are fitting a Vtech pulley, larger heat exchanger, needswings pulley saver, johnston intercooler pump and new serpentine belt.

Along with a remap and rolling road, I'm hoping for slightly north of 400 bhp, but it ideally needs SL55 AMG air intakes that pretty much fit straight on. Unfortunately they are hard to come by.

Alex_225

6,234 posts

200 months

Wednesday 20th April 2022
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That's a great looking car and with the plans will be a serious weapon. One of the underrated AMGs I'd say but adds to the cool factor. smile

80quattro

Original Poster:

1,724 posts

194 months

Wednesday 20th April 2022
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Had a right result last night, after looking for an SL55 AMG air intake set up, I found someone breaking one…… in my home town partyparty this never happens !!

So a trip across town to meet a Romanian chap called Ion and a quick viewing of the donor vehicle that gave up its intake system for a reasonable price.





I’m hoping to get it fitted before the trip to MSL at the end of the month.

mr_oversteer

800 posts

217 months

Friday 22nd April 2022
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80quattro said:
Had a right result last night, after looking for an SL55 AMG air intake set up, I found someone breaking one…… in my home town partyparty this never happens !!

So a trip across town to meet a Romanian chap called Ion and a quick viewing of the donor vehicle that gave up its intake system for a reasonable price.





I’m hoping to get it fitted before the trip to MSL at the end of the month.
You should make a little more than this. I have pretty much the same mods you mention, but the dyno was done before the intakes

80quattro

Original Poster:

1,724 posts

194 months

Friday 6th May 2022
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Due to the car losing drive again, I booked it in with Dartford Transmissions for diagnostic and repair, care of The Auto Mover





Oh, and bought a cheap set of SL55 wheels for it



I'll get them refurbed and fitted when the thing is running.

strangehighways

479 posts

164 months

Saturday 7th May 2022
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I really like the C32. I think it is from reading the Autocar road test back in the day and they figured the 0 - 100 mph time of 10.8 seconds I think, which was really quick back then for a saloon.

trevalvole

965 posts

32 months

Saturday 7th May 2022
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80quattro said:
Oh, and bought a cheap set of SL55 wheels for it



I'll get them refurbed and fitted when the thing is running.
What diameter are those wheels?

Limited100

1,340 posts

99 months

Saturday 7th May 2022
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strangehighways said:
I really like the C32. I think it is from reading the Autocar road test back in the day and they figured the 0 - 100 mph time of 10.8 seconds I think, which was really quick back then for a saloon.
That's properly fast, considering the E55 W211 was 10.2, with some light tuning the C32 should be ahead.

Echoing the other comment, are you sure the SL55 wheels aren't going to be too wide or tall for the C32? Can easily make it handle really weirdly and scrub the arches with the wrong wheels on. Would look cool mind.

matty13

111 posts

157 months

Saturday 7th May 2022
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I had a c32 for 3 years . And they are defo rapid Q cars. Very understated. Your planned mods will make a fairly big difference.

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Saturday 7th May 2022
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I'm guessing they're the 19's, you'll need 235/30/19's on the front to avoid catching the top of the suspension, nice work on the car they're properly underrated. beer

80quattro

Original Poster:

1,724 posts

194 months

Tuesday 10th May 2022
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ZX10R NIN said:
I'm guessing they're the 19's, you'll need 235/30/19's on the front to avoid catching the top of the suspension, nice work on the car they're properly underrated. beer
Wheels are 18's.

7.5 inch front, 8.5 inch rear. I'm anticipating 225/40 front and 255/35 rear tyres as that's whats on the rims at the moment. The wheels were most recently fitted to a CLK without issue so I'm reasonably confident all will be well.

Merc W203's will take 19's, but I don't like the look of them, and the pitfalls with spacers and potential suspension geometry issues, tyre wear etc Plus, I'm aiming for more of a subtle OEM look with the car.

blackscooby

300 posts

279 months

Tuesday 10th May 2022
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I ran a C32 Estate back in 2010 to about 2013. Fantastic motor. Really liked it.
Had issues initially when I got it with it consuming coolant which was a "known" issue at the time with the charge cooler failing that I had MB replace under warranty.

Lovely place to ride in, fantastic performance 0-100 (where laws allow) were just pure entertaining.




Debadged it was a complete unknown.

idealstandard

643 posts

54 months

Tuesday 10th May 2022
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excellent thread.

Saw one of the station wagon variant at the MB museum the other day, think the W203 shape has aged very nicely