2007 C55 AMG - my new Est-Eight
Discussion
This year, for the first time I went looking to buy something other than a sports car. Not that I’m giving up on them, but having decided to neither sell my RX-7 nor continue using it daily I wanted something practical, comfortable but still quick to complement it.
I was looking for something with about a three litre engine for about £8k https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... when DKL suggested a C55. Wow! A 5.4L V8 sending 362hp to the rear wheels of a small estate? Sign me up. I’m not quite sure how these slipped under my radar 15 years ago, probably due to the five-speed auto that’s the only transmission option. Today the big engine, auto box, estate combo looked just what I wanted.
I found two C55s up for sale, both at £9k. One was in NI and Cat C, so I went to view the other in Winchester. Covid meant an unaccompanied test drive, and when I went to explore the performance I was wowed by the smooth revviness of the V8. I’d expected the three-valve engine to be all bottom end grunt, but the mechanical balance of the crossplane V8 layout sung through as the gearbox kicked down and the revs smoothly soared.
However, all the joy of the engine couldn’t hide the fact that the brakes had a horrible graunch. And there were signs of rust around the rear arches. And the ventilation system was clicking away, calling for a dash-out job. So I thought I’d ask the local Merc specialist to give it a good look over - establish the depth of the money pit, get some quotes for the work, allow for that in the purchase price and then get MBS to make it good before it left town.
The first car I saw
Well, that wasn’t quite how it panned out. With significant underbody rust and all sorts of expensive parts needing replacement, the mechanic’s words were “I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole”. While I was glad to avoid a bad car and appreciated his plain speaking, that didn’t leave me any further forwards with my hunt. Flying to NI mid-pandemic to view a dodgy car was out. I started seriously considering getting a car imported from Japan, but issues around audio and particularly lack of Euro 4 ULEZ-eligibility on pre-2006 cars made me hesitate, not to mention I’d be committing money and waiting for many months until one of these uncommon cars appeared in good condition, was bought and shipped.
On my research into C55s I’d found this excellent thread https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... , and the unabridged version over at MB Club forums. I noticed in the latter that the estimable Mr Dammit had indicated an interest in moving the car on before he saw six digits on the odo, and dropped him a line to ask he let me know if he was thinking of selling. Having read the whole thread and seen all the very extensive work he’d had done, I was very confident in the condition of his car.
In March 2018, the last time it changed hands
At that time in October he indicated a price that was about £6k above my budget, which itself had already been stretched upwards since the Winchester disappointment. Over the following weeks I stewed in my unsated lust for an AMG, while Dammit decided he really did need to upsize his MTB support vehicle to an E63. Thus we gradually talked each other into meeting in the middle on the price, and the deal was done.
He brought the car up to Stevenage on his way to pick up his E63, so I took my first train trip since March and drove away in my new Mercedes. I was taking it cautiously, getting used to braking against the auto box’s creep, when on a dual carriageway a TT came past at speed. I instinctively pulled out into his wake and squeezed the throttle, and broke out laughing at the wonderful bub-bub-bub growl from behind. I think you have to drive a car like this to really appreciate what a big-engine soundtrack does for the driving experience.
The auto box isn’t perfect, with some jerks around town when cold, but it’s clearly performance-minded and when you want to get past a truck it collaborates very well with the engine - it grabs the right gear immediately when you go for a move, and the V8’s well-nourished powerband does the rest. Full throttle acceleration is impressive - the auto smoothly feeds in the power, the nose rises, the V8 bellows and roars and it charges up the sliproad with that exquisite almost-out-of-control feeling of hurtling forwards.
At motorway speeds the steering is noticeably light, but when you push a bit into a roundabout or bend it weights up nicely and ‘tips into’ the turn; generally it feels wieldy and responsive. I did find it pushing into understeer on a tight sliproad, but then it is cold and damp, and the car is currently on its winter tyres so I should probably be patient. I feel like with a bit of judgement you could get the car turning and balance it on the power, but don’t want to push my luck! Anyway I know the car carries ~54% of its weight on the front wheels and I’m happy that it doesn’t need to be a sports car, it’s more than fit-for-purpose in handling terms.
The ride is generally good, it’s firm but with a layer of smoothness that eases away the miles. Overall I reckon the ride/handling balance is about as good as one could hope for without modern electrickery such as adaptive dampers.
I like the leather seats, the cruise control and how generally comfortable it is, while still feeling compact and easy to place on the road - visibility is great. I like the looks a lot, I always liked the arched elegance of this generation of Mercs, and the extended, tapered nose borrowed from the CLK to accommodate that big V8 elevates the car slightly, lifting it from a standard C-Class to a bit more of a mini grand tourer.
The Merc foot-operated “hand”brake is taking some getting used to, as is the auto box. I probably want to replace the head unit with something modern that’ll do Android Auto. And I can’t wait to get the proper wheels on it with the summer tyres. But overall I’m really happy with my AMG, every drive feels a bit exciting, I’m like a little kid with a new favourite toy!
While searching for more C55 info online, I was surprised to find that Harry Metcalfe drove this very car back in 2009 when it was nearly new, as a used car mini-feature in evo. As Harry said at the time, “If you’re after a beautifully built, muscle-bound small estate car then look no further – you’ve just found it”.
Evo pic in 2009
Evo Article - https://www.evo.co.uk/mercedes/c-class-estate/1401...
Quick pic of the three cars I temporarily own together, before the 350Z departs for its new owner on Sunday. I was amused to note that Merc 362hp + Mazda ~330hp + Nissan 308hp = 1,000bhp.
I was looking for something with about a three litre engine for about £8k https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... when DKL suggested a C55. Wow! A 5.4L V8 sending 362hp to the rear wheels of a small estate? Sign me up. I’m not quite sure how these slipped under my radar 15 years ago, probably due to the five-speed auto that’s the only transmission option. Today the big engine, auto box, estate combo looked just what I wanted.
I found two C55s up for sale, both at £9k. One was in NI and Cat C, so I went to view the other in Winchester. Covid meant an unaccompanied test drive, and when I went to explore the performance I was wowed by the smooth revviness of the V8. I’d expected the three-valve engine to be all bottom end grunt, but the mechanical balance of the crossplane V8 layout sung through as the gearbox kicked down and the revs smoothly soared.
However, all the joy of the engine couldn’t hide the fact that the brakes had a horrible graunch. And there were signs of rust around the rear arches. And the ventilation system was clicking away, calling for a dash-out job. So I thought I’d ask the local Merc specialist to give it a good look over - establish the depth of the money pit, get some quotes for the work, allow for that in the purchase price and then get MBS to make it good before it left town.
The first car I saw
Well, that wasn’t quite how it panned out. With significant underbody rust and all sorts of expensive parts needing replacement, the mechanic’s words were “I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole”. While I was glad to avoid a bad car and appreciated his plain speaking, that didn’t leave me any further forwards with my hunt. Flying to NI mid-pandemic to view a dodgy car was out. I started seriously considering getting a car imported from Japan, but issues around audio and particularly lack of Euro 4 ULEZ-eligibility on pre-2006 cars made me hesitate, not to mention I’d be committing money and waiting for many months until one of these uncommon cars appeared in good condition, was bought and shipped.
On my research into C55s I’d found this excellent thread https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... , and the unabridged version over at MB Club forums. I noticed in the latter that the estimable Mr Dammit had indicated an interest in moving the car on before he saw six digits on the odo, and dropped him a line to ask he let me know if he was thinking of selling. Having read the whole thread and seen all the very extensive work he’d had done, I was very confident in the condition of his car.
In March 2018, the last time it changed hands
At that time in October he indicated a price that was about £6k above my budget, which itself had already been stretched upwards since the Winchester disappointment. Over the following weeks I stewed in my unsated lust for an AMG, while Dammit decided he really did need to upsize his MTB support vehicle to an E63. Thus we gradually talked each other into meeting in the middle on the price, and the deal was done.
He brought the car up to Stevenage on his way to pick up his E63, so I took my first train trip since March and drove away in my new Mercedes. I was taking it cautiously, getting used to braking against the auto box’s creep, when on a dual carriageway a TT came past at speed. I instinctively pulled out into his wake and squeezed the throttle, and broke out laughing at the wonderful bub-bub-bub growl from behind. I think you have to drive a car like this to really appreciate what a big-engine soundtrack does for the driving experience.
The auto box isn’t perfect, with some jerks around town when cold, but it’s clearly performance-minded and when you want to get past a truck it collaborates very well with the engine - it grabs the right gear immediately when you go for a move, and the V8’s well-nourished powerband does the rest. Full throttle acceleration is impressive - the auto smoothly feeds in the power, the nose rises, the V8 bellows and roars and it charges up the sliproad with that exquisite almost-out-of-control feeling of hurtling forwards.
At motorway speeds the steering is noticeably light, but when you push a bit into a roundabout or bend it weights up nicely and ‘tips into’ the turn; generally it feels wieldy and responsive. I did find it pushing into understeer on a tight sliproad, but then it is cold and damp, and the car is currently on its winter tyres so I should probably be patient. I feel like with a bit of judgement you could get the car turning and balance it on the power, but don’t want to push my luck! Anyway I know the car carries ~54% of its weight on the front wheels and I’m happy that it doesn’t need to be a sports car, it’s more than fit-for-purpose in handling terms.
The ride is generally good, it’s firm but with a layer of smoothness that eases away the miles. Overall I reckon the ride/handling balance is about as good as one could hope for without modern electrickery such as adaptive dampers.
I like the leather seats, the cruise control and how generally comfortable it is, while still feeling compact and easy to place on the road - visibility is great. I like the looks a lot, I always liked the arched elegance of this generation of Mercs, and the extended, tapered nose borrowed from the CLK to accommodate that big V8 elevates the car slightly, lifting it from a standard C-Class to a bit more of a mini grand tourer.
The Merc foot-operated “hand”brake is taking some getting used to, as is the auto box. I probably want to replace the head unit with something modern that’ll do Android Auto. And I can’t wait to get the proper wheels on it with the summer tyres. But overall I’m really happy with my AMG, every drive feels a bit exciting, I’m like a little kid with a new favourite toy!
While searching for more C55 info online, I was surprised to find that Harry Metcalfe drove this very car back in 2009 when it was nearly new, as a used car mini-feature in evo. As Harry said at the time, “If you’re after a beautifully built, muscle-bound small estate car then look no further – you’ve just found it”.
Evo pic in 2009
Evo Article - https://www.evo.co.uk/mercedes/c-class-estate/1401...
Quick pic of the three cars I temporarily own together, before the 350Z departs for its new owner on Sunday. I was amused to note that Merc 362hp + Mazda ~330hp + Nissan 308hp = 1,000bhp.
Nice, looks like you dodged a bullet there with the first one.
I've been tentatively looking at these for a while. I don't need one yet but it's good to learn of common issuesif when I go down that road, thanks for the info and links.
My friend has one of the uber rare C55 W202 estates he bought new in 97 or something, a great car I hold in high regard. I can't imagine this is far off with a pretty similar recipe, unfortunately I fear they both rust as much as each other or is it better on the 203?
Enjoy.
I've been tentatively looking at these for a while. I don't need one yet but it's good to learn of common issues
My friend has one of the uber rare C55 W202 estates he bought new in 97 or something, a great car I hold in high regard. I can't imagine this is far off with a pretty similar recipe, unfortunately I fear they both rust as much as each other or is it better on the 203?
Enjoy.
MOTK said:
My friend has one of the uber rare C55 W202 estates he bought new in 97 or something, a great car I hold in high regard. I can't imagine this is far off with a pretty similar recipe, unfortunately I fear they both rust as much as each other or is it better on the 203?
Enjoy.
Thanks, and good luck with your hunt. Values are all over the place and not necessarily reflecting condition, I think with a bit of patience and skills one might be able to score a good car at a fairly low price.Enjoy.
I have read a little of the legendary W202 C55 unicorn, but wow, an estate must be even rarer! Yeah this has the same M113 5.4 engine, a slightly higher state of tune but also slightly heavier so I'd imagine pretty much a dead heat. W202 has massive rarity points though
My understanding is that Mercedes improved their rust-resistance processes in 2003, such that facelifted W203 cars like the C55 are better protected than earlier models. It seems that these cars aren't absolutely terrible for it, but there's a specific issue with the rear subframe which can rust, and the brake pipes hidden behind it too - previous owner paid £3.5k to have the subframe dropped, the whole area de-rusted, and the subframe refurbished and all protected. Then there's the wheelarches, rear first but all four will go, although that's not dissimilar to many cars of this sort of age. Rust is definitely an issue on these and important to look for after 15 years on UK roads, but find a good one and it shouldn't deteriorate too rapidly.
samoht said:
My understanding is that Mercedes improved their rust-resistance processes in 2003, such that facelifted W203 cars like the C55 are better protected than earlier models. It seems that these cars aren't absolutely terrible for it, but there's a specific issue with the rear subframe which can rust, and the brake pipes hidden behind it too - previous owner paid £3.5k to have the subframe dropped, the whole area de-rusted, and the subframe refurbished and all protected. Then there's the wheelarches, rear first but all four will go, although that's not dissimilar to many cars of this sort of age. Rust is definitely an issue on these and important to look for after 15 years on UK roads, but find a good one and it shouldn't deteriorate too rapidly.
Yes, they galvanised the body from 2003 and the facelift was introduced mid-2004. Interesting to see the first one - mine (a 270CDi estate - but it's got the same torque at 1600rpm as yours at 2k rpm ) is KN54. It was an MB management car for its first 5mths, then I bought it.I can't quite believe the money the previous owner of your car threw at it, only to then sell it! Perhaps with mega man-maths he thinks he's done OK as he sold it for more then he paid! I do recall him saying he wouldn't have bought it if he's realised how much it was going to cost - I think he got sucked in once he started.
I imagine there's not a lot of similarity but mine does seem to drive better if driven hard - it seems to kind of hunker down. I recall having to do a long trip once at speed in very heavy rain and it was as if the extra drag tightened everything up. And it's certainly possible to steer it on roads like fast motorway link roads by using the throttle.
DanG355 said:
Interesting fact about the C55 - the front end is bespoke to this model as it had to be made slightly longer to accommodate the engine (Google it...).
Indeed. It's a CLK front end. The slightly more pointy nose makes a nice difference to the overall proportions of the car, and makes it look less podgy.LetsTryAgain said:
I like to think I know a thing or two about cars but I didn't even know there C55 existed...
Me too! I literally went from never having heard of it to owning one in two months, thanks to a suggestion on my thread in Car Buying Court_S said:
That’s pretty cool. It looks so small compared to modern cars.
Definitely sounds like you dodged a bullet avoiding the first car.
Yeah, it's only 175cm wide so this estate is notably narrower than my 'sports car' 350Z. I really wanted something compact, for me that's part of making a car easy to place and feeling at one with it. That's also why I didn't pursue the E55 estate option, although those have the supercharged version of the engine so even more of a performance bargain.Definitely sounds like you dodged a bullet avoiding the first car.
It's funny, I'd driven the first car and loved the engine, I was standing on the street and the dealer offered me it for £8k (so a grand off), I was close to saying yes but I said 'I'll sleep on it'. Did a load more research and decided a pre-purchase inspection would be appropriate, very glad I did.
DanG355 said:
On paper these seem a great buy. Early 2000's Mercedes build quality and rust would be a concern, although being an AMG it may have been assembled more thoroughly or on a different production line?
These were used as F1 safety cars for a while:
I get the impression quality is 'average', not exceptional like a Lexus but not so terrible as to ruin the enjoyment of ownership. And hey, there never was an IS-F SportCross, so what can I do? The doors do close with a lovely bank-vault thunk, though These were used as F1 safety cars for a while:
The F1 linkage is kinda nice, both as this specific model having served as the medical car, and the brand being 7x world champions. I've always supported British drivers and naturally Hamilton's success puts a smile on my face, so a minor bonus to own a 'Mercedes AMG'. Quick clip of the Medical car flying past at Interlagos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcyT1UQAzGg
Sheepshanks said:
Yes, they galvanised the body from 2003 and the facelift was introduced mid-2004. Interesting to see the first one - mine (a 270CDi estate - but it's got the same torque at 1600rpm as yours at 2k rpm ) is KN54. It was an MB management car for its first 5mths, then I bought it.
I can't quite believe the money the previous owner of your car threw at it, only to then sell it! Perhaps with mega man-maths he thinks he's done OK as he sold it for more then he paid! I do recall him saying he wouldn't have bought it if he's realised how much it was going to cost - I think he got sucked in once he started.
I imagine there's not a lot of similarity but mine does seem to drive better if driven hard - it seems to kind of hunker down. I recall having to do a long trip once at speed in very heavy rain and it was as if the extra drag tightened everything up. And it's certainly possible to steer it on roads like fast motorway link roads by using the throttle.
Hmm, I wonder if the other car was Merc management too. If I was a manager there I'd certainly have allocated myself one of these if I could ! This car was a dealer demonstrator, then owned in London for a couple of years, as per the evo article on it. ) is KN54. It was an MB management car for its first 5mths, then I bought it.I can't quite believe the money the previous owner of your car threw at it, only to then sell it! Perhaps with mega man-maths he thinks he's done OK as he sold it for more then he paid! I do recall him saying he wouldn't have bought it if he's realised how much it was going to cost - I think he got sucked in once he started.
I imagine there's not a lot of similarity but mine does seem to drive better if driven hard - it seems to kind of hunker down. I recall having to do a long trip once at speed in very heavy rain and it was as if the extra drag tightened everything up. And it's certainly possible to steer it on roads like fast motorway link roads by using the throttle.
I think the previous owner takes a view of if you're going to do something, do it properly, and so was prepared to open his wallet wide for the chance to enjoy this car at its best, with everything working and being able to drive it hard and get the best from it. Which is an attitude I very much appreciate, especially in someone I'm buying a car from! To be honest I've spent a lot on my RX-7 with the same reasoning, if you get to enjoy driving the car properly that's worth the cost of maintaining it in good condition.
The W203 is significant for being the first small Merc whose steering wheel is directly connected to the front wheels via a rack and pinion, rather than their traditional recirculating-ball linkage. Overall it seems that BMW's legendary E46 spurred Mercedes to up their game at this point, in terms of chassis development, and it's a car that drives pretty nicely - often overlooked I think. There's a nice write-up at Autozine https://www.autozine.org/Archive/Mercedes/old/C_W2...
devnull said:
Indeed. It's a CLK front end. The slightly more pointy nose makes a nice difference to the overall proportions of the car, and makes it look less podgy.
Yeah, I like the way it stretches the shape out a tad. It's also a bit cool to have a car where they had to fit a longer nose just to accommodate the vast engine! I'm actually surprised tho, because it slopes down I have great visibility over it, nothing like as bulky as you might think considering the swept capacity.samoht said:
LetsTryAgain said:
I like to think I know a thing or two about cars but I didn't even know there C55 existed...
Me too! I literally went from never having heard of it to owning one in two months, thanks to a suggestion on my thread in Car Buying samoht said:
I can’t wait to get the proper wheels on it with the summer tyres.
The weekend before last was strikingly mild, the sun dispelling the icy grip of winter and dragging the air temperature definitely above 7 degrees. The arrival of Spring affects everyone differently - some people are moved to pen a sonnet, some to get out into the garden and start digging, but my first thought was getting the summer wheels and tyres on the car - partly for the looks, and partly so I can throw it around a bit more.The old rear tyres were nailed, in both senses of the word, which I knew when I got the car. While the PO had stuck with OEM fitment Pirellis, my recent experience with MPS4 rubber on my 350Z made a compelling case for their fitment to another fairly heavy, powerful FR car.
The original 18"s really make the car aesthetically to me, making it look like a more practical version of the big-brother SL55, with the full-fat supercharged version of the same M113 engine. So since it's my thread, here are some gratuitous pics
The ride is maybe fractionally crisper on the larger wheels, but I think that having brand new Michelins on tends to dampen the effect somewhat - I don't feel it makes a significant difference to the overall liveability of the car. I've not yet had the occasion to really feel how much it changes the handling.
The gearchanges have been a bit jerky when the car's been cold, especially during the depth of winter. Absolutely fine once warmed through, but noticeable for the first 5 minutes or so of a journey. I'm intending to call Alex Crow in Stowmarket to ask him to have a look sometime, but am waiting to get the RX-7 through a Covid-delayed MoT first so I'm not without wheels. But not a problem once warmed up a bit.
I still need to learn the gearbox though - often what I want is full throttle, but not necessarily the lowest possible gear, which I'm sure is possible with a bit more experience. The engine remains fantastic, and I've not tired of full-bore acceleration when leaving 30mph zones or pulling out of side roads.
Check the gearbox oil level. The 722.6 is very particular about levels and you might find a little top up helps. On some cars, the warming up of the oil can be what gets the box to a good working minimum.
You can buy a dipstick online fairly cheaply although you need to check the level at hot and cold temps, so not the easiest.
Alternative is doing diff and gearbox oil changes if they haven’t been done for a while. Not a bad thing to do, just a not insignificant cost unless you are doing yourself.
You can buy a dipstick online fairly cheaply although you need to check the level at hot and cold temps, so not the easiest.
Alternative is doing diff and gearbox oil changes if they haven’t been done for a while. Not a bad thing to do, just a not insignificant cost unless you are doing yourself.
Tommie38 said:
Check the gearbox oil level. The 722.6 is very particular about levels and you might find a little top up helps. On some cars, the warming up of the oil can be what gets the box to a good working minimum.
You can buy a dipstick online fairly cheaply although you need to check the level at hot and cold temps, so not the easiest.
Alternative is doing diff and gearbox oil changes if they haven’t been done for a while. Not a bad thing to do, just a not insignificant cost unless you are doing yourself.
Thanks, that makes perfect sense about the thermal expansion of the oil. Probably makes sense to get the oil changed.You can buy a dipstick online fairly cheaply although you need to check the level at hot and cold temps, so not the easiest.
Alternative is doing diff and gearbox oil changes if they haven’t been done for a while. Not a bad thing to do, just a not insignificant cost unless you are doing yourself.
MOTK said:
Nice, looks like you dodged a bullet there with the first one.
I've been tentatively looking at these for a while. I don't need one yet but it's good to learn of common issuesif when I go down that road, thanks for the info and links.
My friend has one of the uber rare C55 W202 estates he bought new in 97 or something, a great car I hold in high regard. I can't imagine this is far off with a pretty similar recipe, unfortunately I fear they both rust as much as each other or is it better on the 203?
Enjoy.
Sorry for slight thread derail but is this your mate's car...? I've been tentatively looking at these for a while. I don't need one yet but it's good to learn of common issues
My friend has one of the uber rare C55 W202 estates he bought new in 97 or something, a great car I hold in high regard. I can't imagine this is far off with a pretty similar recipe, unfortunately I fear they both rust as much as each other or is it better on the 203?
Enjoy.
https://twitter.com/hannahburgesspr/status/1366015...
I'd never heard of their existence, and now I've heard them mentioned twice in the space of a week! Only two of them left in the UK apparently!
Usget said:
Sorry for slight thread derail but is this your mate's car...?
https://twitter.com/hannahburgesspr/status/1366015...
I'd never heard of their existence, and now I've heard them mentioned twice in the space of a week! Only two of them left in the UK apparently!
Ha! Yes that's the one. https://twitter.com/hannahburgesspr/status/1366015...
I'd never heard of their existence, and now I've heard them mentioned twice in the space of a week! Only two of them left in the UK apparently!
I believe there were something like 7 made worldwide in RHD, 30 in total, proper rare
Updates:
No solution on the jerky gearchange into 2nd when cold yet - Alex Crow said it would need the gearbox out and sending to an auto transmission specialist, so am living with it for now.
The car did however get a complete replacement sunroof, free of charge. There's an issue with these W203 C-Class sunroofs, which consist of a pane of glass glued onto a metal frame that tilts and slides. Apparently the glue hasn't stood the test of time (rather like a few other Mercedes process innovations of the period), but since failure can result in the glass flipping out at speed and hitting the following driver, it's a safety issue and thus Mercedes' responsibility to fix. So my 14 year old car now has a brand new sunroof. Since the sunroof retraction was I think the only fault I was aware of when I bought the car - it was halting after a few mm of opening - I count this as a result.
At the same time they picked up a few issues, including a broken front coil spring and an oil leak from the engine/gearbox area. Alex Crow replaced both front springs and the top mounts, whose rubber was cracked - apparently this rubber in tension provides a bit of extra 'give', perhaps part of the veneer of smoothness the car pours over imperfect surfaces. They did this plus the propshaft centre bearing and a few other things for a very reasonable £600.
On the oil leak, apparently they previously attempted fixing this leak on a few cars, but had it recur, so aren't currently tackling this issue. I tried to get Mercedes to look at it when it was in for the sunroof, but they ran out of time so that's currently pending. Not losing oil at a huge rate, but will try to get it back to the local dealer again soon.
This may all sound negative, but the total bills so far are reasonable, and the outstanding problems are only small niggles that aren't stopping me enjoying it.
On that topic, this car's purpose for me was to enjoy longer trips, and we finally got away to Scotland this past week. Now if you've seen the news, you might question the sanity of someone who sets off on an 800 mile roadtrip in a thirsty V8 with a not particularly large tank this past week. In fact we were fortunate; having done A1, A66, M6, M74 and then back down the A1, the only 'no fuel' sign I've seen all week was in our local BP in Cambridge. I was filling at half a tank to be on the safe side, which meant quite a few stops, with at least one of 95 or 97 unleaded available at every one. I did however get up to 27mpg on the trip computer while taking it easy-ish on the way up, a new high score.
We went to Glasgow, then Callander and on to Edinburgh, so the middle section of our route had a few nice B-roads. The C55 is a bit of a 'pocket GT', being smaller than a true Grand Tourer, but with a suitably GT-esque drivetrain of big V8 driving the rear wheels through an autobox. As such it has a nice balance of comfort on long trips, while still being 'threadable' down a tight country road with a fair degree of enthusiasm, as it's fundamentally still a compact saloon platform. The slightly bumpy low-speed ride translates into a good balance of body control and bump absorption when you're taking a country road at a good speed, and slower traffic is easily jumped at the first opportunity. I wasn't pushing that hard as we were two-up, but still able to enjoy the drive.
I'm predictably coming to appreciate what people say about a big-engined car, it's just a pleasure in any situation. This trip ended up combining motorway, single and dual carriageway trunk A-roads, B-roads and urban driving, and every mile felt better for having that V8 up front, with its power, response, breadth of powerband, and subtle growl.
On our return from Edinburgh today we managed to include a stop at the Jim Clark museum in Duns, which I've been wanting to visit for a while. It was good but not great I thought, lots of mementoes and a decent attempt to set the scene of sixties motor racing for a general audience, but could have perhaps told a bit more detail about his life and career. Still really glad to have been there, some nice stuff to see. Also picked up 'Jim Clark - the Best of the Best' by David Tremayne, finally.
So hugely satisfied to have put the car to its intended use, and had the chance to enjoy it. Perhaps next year a trip to the Fatherland, and try and find a derestricted autobahn before that particular party ends.
No solution on the jerky gearchange into 2nd when cold yet - Alex Crow said it would need the gearbox out and sending to an auto transmission specialist, so am living with it for now.
The car did however get a complete replacement sunroof, free of charge. There's an issue with these W203 C-Class sunroofs, which consist of a pane of glass glued onto a metal frame that tilts and slides. Apparently the glue hasn't stood the test of time (rather like a few other Mercedes process innovations of the period), but since failure can result in the glass flipping out at speed and hitting the following driver, it's a safety issue and thus Mercedes' responsibility to fix. So my 14 year old car now has a brand new sunroof. Since the sunroof retraction was I think the only fault I was aware of when I bought the car - it was halting after a few mm of opening - I count this as a result.
At the same time they picked up a few issues, including a broken front coil spring and an oil leak from the engine/gearbox area. Alex Crow replaced both front springs and the top mounts, whose rubber was cracked - apparently this rubber in tension provides a bit of extra 'give', perhaps part of the veneer of smoothness the car pours over imperfect surfaces. They did this plus the propshaft centre bearing and a few other things for a very reasonable £600.
On the oil leak, apparently they previously attempted fixing this leak on a few cars, but had it recur, so aren't currently tackling this issue. I tried to get Mercedes to look at it when it was in for the sunroof, but they ran out of time so that's currently pending. Not losing oil at a huge rate, but will try to get it back to the local dealer again soon.
This may all sound negative, but the total bills so far are reasonable, and the outstanding problems are only small niggles that aren't stopping me enjoying it.
On that topic, this car's purpose for me was to enjoy longer trips, and we finally got away to Scotland this past week. Now if you've seen the news, you might question the sanity of someone who sets off on an 800 mile roadtrip in a thirsty V8 with a not particularly large tank this past week. In fact we were fortunate; having done A1, A66, M6, M74 and then back down the A1, the only 'no fuel' sign I've seen all week was in our local BP in Cambridge. I was filling at half a tank to be on the safe side, which meant quite a few stops, with at least one of 95 or 97 unleaded available at every one. I did however get up to 27mpg on the trip computer while taking it easy-ish on the way up, a new high score.
We went to Glasgow, then Callander and on to Edinburgh, so the middle section of our route had a few nice B-roads. The C55 is a bit of a 'pocket GT', being smaller than a true Grand Tourer, but with a suitably GT-esque drivetrain of big V8 driving the rear wheels through an autobox. As such it has a nice balance of comfort on long trips, while still being 'threadable' down a tight country road with a fair degree of enthusiasm, as it's fundamentally still a compact saloon platform. The slightly bumpy low-speed ride translates into a good balance of body control and bump absorption when you're taking a country road at a good speed, and slower traffic is easily jumped at the first opportunity. I wasn't pushing that hard as we were two-up, but still able to enjoy the drive.
I'm predictably coming to appreciate what people say about a big-engined car, it's just a pleasure in any situation. This trip ended up combining motorway, single and dual carriageway trunk A-roads, B-roads and urban driving, and every mile felt better for having that V8 up front, with its power, response, breadth of powerband, and subtle growl.
On our return from Edinburgh today we managed to include a stop at the Jim Clark museum in Duns, which I've been wanting to visit for a while. It was good but not great I thought, lots of mementoes and a decent attempt to set the scene of sixties motor racing for a general audience, but could have perhaps told a bit more detail about his life and career. Still really glad to have been there, some nice stuff to see. Also picked up 'Jim Clark - the Best of the Best' by David Tremayne, finally.
So hugely satisfied to have put the car to its intended use, and had the chance to enjoy it. Perhaps next year a trip to the Fatherland, and try and find a derestricted autobahn before that particular party ends.
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