My V8 Bargain Barge (part 2) C43
Discussion
Some of you may know i bought a C43 2 months ago, it was an honest car, but needed a bit of TLC, as the dreaded tin worm had set in, as with most Merc's of this era.
This was the original thread..
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a... New V8 Bargain Barge&mid=48537
Well its been in the bodyshop for the last month and now looks like this, I've replaced the front wings, door seals, badges, front foglamps and various other little clips and seals, I've also had fitted a new crankshaft pulley, tensioner pulley, idler pulley and v belt, after it decided to shread the belt a week after i bought it..
This was the original thread..
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a... New V8 Bargain Barge&mid=48537
Well its been in the bodyshop for the last month and now looks like this, I've replaced the front wings, door seals, badges, front foglamps and various other little clips and seals, I've also had fitted a new crankshaft pulley, tensioner pulley, idler pulley and v belt, after it decided to shread the belt a week after i bought it..
Mikey_W said:
The respray was £1400, I paid mates rates. I haven't finished adding up all the other bits and pieces..
Was that a full body respray? It looks great and I desperately need to do the same for my C36, but £1,400 isn't far off the value of the car....There's something addictive about and old AMG, I just wish I could afford the fuel so I could drive it more!
callahan said:
Mikey_W said:
The respray was £1400, I paid mates rates. I haven't finished adding up all the other bits and pieces..
Was that a full body respray? It looks great and I desperately need to do the same for my C36, but £1,400 isn't far off the value of the car....There's something addictive about and old AMG, I just wish I could afford the fuel so I could drive it more!
I've only driven it about 300 miles since the end of May, so petrol isn't an issue yet..
Is there not something that can be done to stop the rust from ever coming back? IIRC that car has been resprayed twice now, is there not some kid of topcoat or something that can go on an make a permanant protective barrier, or do you just have to claybar and wax it often?
What is the average MPG - I know you haven't been driving it long but I suppose you've been researching it. I've seen it quoted as high as 25 mpg Urban (yeah right...) and as low as 18mpg combined. I'm thinking the 18mpg is perhaps more realistic?
Anyway, I'm still exceedingly jealous. It would be a while yet before I could get insured on such a car for a reasonable price, such is the hardship of being 21, but if I could afford to maintain and run a car like this I'd jump at the chance. So much stealthier than it's BMW counterparts, people who know cars will spot the muscular stance, the AMG badge and AMG wheels, but people not so in the know (like chavs in their modded up Corsas and Saxos) would just be left sitting at the lights by cars like this.
What is the average MPG - I know you haven't been driving it long but I suppose you've been researching it. I've seen it quoted as high as 25 mpg Urban (yeah right...) and as low as 18mpg combined. I'm thinking the 18mpg is perhaps more realistic?
Anyway, I'm still exceedingly jealous. It would be a while yet before I could get insured on such a car for a reasonable price, such is the hardship of being 21, but if I could afford to maintain and run a car like this I'd jump at the chance. So much stealthier than it's BMW counterparts, people who know cars will spot the muscular stance, the AMG badge and AMG wheels, but people not so in the know (like chavs in their modded up Corsas and Saxos) would just be left sitting at the lights by cars like this.
Gaz. said:
I'm stunned that such a new car has needed new panels.
Not as stunned as the bargain-ness of the things in the first place mind.
Merc bean counters cutting back on quality I think everyone is aware of rust on mercs of this age. I expect the new panels will be adequately protected from rust.Not as stunned as the bargain-ness of the things in the first place mind.
Mastodon2 said:
Is there not something that can be done to stop the rust from ever coming back? IIRC that car has been resprayed twice now, is there not some kid of topcoat or something that can go on an make a permanant protective barrier, or do you just have to claybar and wax it often?
What is the average MPG - I know you haven't been driving it long but I suppose you've been researching it. I've seen it quoted as high as 25 mpg Urban (yeah right...) and as low as 18mpg combined. I'm thinking the 18mpg is perhaps more realistic?
Anyway, I'm still exceedingly jealous. It would be a while yet before I could get insured on such a car for a reasonable price, such is the hardship of being 21, but if I could afford to maintain and run a car like this I'd jump at the chance. So much stealthier than it's BMW counterparts, people who know cars will spot the muscular stance, the AMG badge and AMG wheels, but people not so in the know (like chavs in their modded up Corsas and Saxos) would just be left sitting at the lights by cars like this.
It has had some paintwork before, not quite to the extent it has now. I've had a proper job done, the rust wasn't as bad as we first thought so there was no need to replace anymore panels other than the front wings. Hopefully it should last for many years now. I'll keep it in tip top condition with regular polishing just to be on the safe side..What is the average MPG - I know you haven't been driving it long but I suppose you've been researching it. I've seen it quoted as high as 25 mpg Urban (yeah right...) and as low as 18mpg combined. I'm thinking the 18mpg is perhaps more realistic?
Anyway, I'm still exceedingly jealous. It would be a while yet before I could get insured on such a car for a reasonable price, such is the hardship of being 21, but if I could afford to maintain and run a car like this I'd jump at the chance. So much stealthier than it's BMW counterparts, people who know cars will spot the muscular stance, the AMG badge and AMG wheels, but people not so in the know (like chavs in their modded up Corsas and Saxos) would just be left sitting at the lights by cars like this.
I don't have a clue about the MPG as yet, but i reckon on 18mpg..
Thanks for the kind words
ALawson said:
Mikey nice choice and that respray looks good. Do they only rust around the front wings and sills?
That car will still probably fall apart around that V8 I hear the engines last forever.
Hi Alex, they seem to rust in most places, my front wings were knackered, the nearside door bottoms had some rust just appearing, the leading edge of the bonnet had a couple of minor blemishes, i could go on...That car will still probably fall apart around that V8 I hear the engines last forever.
The Riddler said:
Was this car advertised on here? I kept looking at it but was scared off by potential bill and fuel bills. I was looking Feb/March time.
I don't think it was ever advertised on here, i saw it on eBay, rang the chap and did the deal straight away.. Luckily i work for Mercedes, so when the crankshaft pulley and other bits threw a wobbler a couple of months ago i got them at a discounted rate and the labour was reasonable too Mikey_W said:
10 Pence Short said:
Awesome, awsome car. Congratulations on a stunning sleeper.
Cheers 10P 
te a few years ago, I was in a hurry- as was the car behind me. I was doing a few knots in lane 3 and thought it reasonable to let the guy behind come passed as he seemed to want to go faster and was being nice about it. As the C43 sauntered passed I smiled and thought, why the f
king hell does it need such a big engine, and good on them for doing it. Why the hell not. Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff