A cheap W208 CLK55 AMG
Discussion
Having been made an offer I couldn’t refuse on my very charming A124 Cabriolet last month (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1742422), it seemed high time to hunt for another cheap but interesting entry from the Mercedes back catalogue.
With a wedding to plan for, I didn’t want a load of cash tied up in a hobby car that I would only use maybe every other weekend, so set a budget of £2,500.
Originally I had been searching for a W208 CLK 320 convertible with the factory AMG styling pack. These are very cheap and I figured it would fill the wafty drop top hole left by the E220, only with bit more power. I looked at a few but for whatever reason, didn’t follow through.
Then, whilst idly searching through online ads, I stumbled across what I thought was a typing error or some kind of scam. A 2000 W208 CLK55 AMG for a shade under £3,000. I called the seller who advised that it had the usual rust spots but was mechanically sound with only 94k on the clock and had Mercedes history to 83k plus a fresh MOT . There was another party interested but the first to show with funds would win so to speak. I grabbed some of the A124 proceeds and booked my 3 hour train journey from London to Shropshire.
To cut a long story short, with bit of haggling, I think I have ended up with the cheapest AMG in the country.
A few initial observations. I have never owned a V8 before, but I have had a few 300bhp+ cars in my time (Golf 7 R, E46 M3) but this feels considerably broader in its power delivery. It isn’t very sharp in terms of handling but then it isn’t what it was intended for. It’s a muscle car through and through. The noise and effortlessness gives it a character of its own.
The W208 is often derided as not being a “proper” Mercedes. Whilst there is some rust here and there to me it feels just as solid as the A124 did.
I spent the weekend giving it a good clean and once over to create a jobs list.
- Rust. The rear arches are bubbling as is the front offside. The near side wing appears to have been sprayed at some point but not to a brilliant standard. Plan is to find a good body shop in South London/Surrey and have the rot cut out properly, repainted and the underside treated. Recommendations appreciated.
- Service. Helpfully it came with and oil filter and 1 air filter (despite there being 2). Genuine Mercedes oil is very cheap on eBay so I will tackle this as a DIY next weekend. I will send it off to a specialist for a gearbox service, plugs (all 16 at £120!) and all other fluids replaced.
- Interior. Generally in excellent condition and everything works. Drivers bolster stitching is coming loose which will need repairing but the leather itself is saveable.
- Wheels need a refurb
- Headlights are a little milky
- Number plates look tired
- One of the door speaker covers is cracked. New one was ordered today from Mercedes at a very reasonable £9.
- Tyres are mismatched but look healthy. They are all decent brands (Continental, Goodyear and a Pirelli) but I want Pilot Sports all round when the wheels get refurbed.
- No obvious suspension noises but I will ask for an inspection when it goes in for it’s service.
My usual position with hobby cars is to buy, do a bit of a mini restoration, enjoy for year or so then move on to something else. I have to say though, this could be a keeper!
With a wedding to plan for, I didn’t want a load of cash tied up in a hobby car that I would only use maybe every other weekend, so set a budget of £2,500.
Originally I had been searching for a W208 CLK 320 convertible with the factory AMG styling pack. These are very cheap and I figured it would fill the wafty drop top hole left by the E220, only with bit more power. I looked at a few but for whatever reason, didn’t follow through.
Then, whilst idly searching through online ads, I stumbled across what I thought was a typing error or some kind of scam. A 2000 W208 CLK55 AMG for a shade under £3,000. I called the seller who advised that it had the usual rust spots but was mechanically sound with only 94k on the clock and had Mercedes history to 83k plus a fresh MOT . There was another party interested but the first to show with funds would win so to speak. I grabbed some of the A124 proceeds and booked my 3 hour train journey from London to Shropshire.
To cut a long story short, with bit of haggling, I think I have ended up with the cheapest AMG in the country.
A few initial observations. I have never owned a V8 before, but I have had a few 300bhp+ cars in my time (Golf 7 R, E46 M3) but this feels considerably broader in its power delivery. It isn’t very sharp in terms of handling but then it isn’t what it was intended for. It’s a muscle car through and through. The noise and effortlessness gives it a character of its own.
The W208 is often derided as not being a “proper” Mercedes. Whilst there is some rust here and there to me it feels just as solid as the A124 did.
I spent the weekend giving it a good clean and once over to create a jobs list.
- Rust. The rear arches are bubbling as is the front offside. The near side wing appears to have been sprayed at some point but not to a brilliant standard. Plan is to find a good body shop in South London/Surrey and have the rot cut out properly, repainted and the underside treated. Recommendations appreciated.
- Service. Helpfully it came with and oil filter and 1 air filter (despite there being 2). Genuine Mercedes oil is very cheap on eBay so I will tackle this as a DIY next weekend. I will send it off to a specialist for a gearbox service, plugs (all 16 at £120!) and all other fluids replaced.
- Interior. Generally in excellent condition and everything works. Drivers bolster stitching is coming loose which will need repairing but the leather itself is saveable.
- Wheels need a refurb
- Headlights are a little milky
- Number plates look tired
- One of the door speaker covers is cracked. New one was ordered today from Mercedes at a very reasonable £9.
- Tyres are mismatched but look healthy. They are all decent brands (Continental, Goodyear and a Pirelli) but I want Pilot Sports all round when the wheels get refurbed.
- No obvious suspension noises but I will ask for an inspection when it goes in for it’s service.
My usual position with hobby cars is to buy, do a bit of a mini restoration, enjoy for year or so then move on to something else. I have to say though, this could be a keeper!
Thanks for the comments.
A few more jobs have been added to the list. Slight vibration between 40 and 50mph which accordinging to the internet is either wheel balance, ball joints, bearings or engine/gearbox mounts. A set of the latter are £120 on eBay for decent febi ones and the wheel bearing came up as an advisory years ago on an MOT but didn’t reappear. I will inspect further at the weekend.
The 55 era cars do seem to be cheap, with the exception of the SL which appears to be on the rise slightly. Talking of ML’s I saw an ML55 that needed de-blinging on Facebook for £2k. A huge amount of car for the cash.
A few more jobs have been added to the list. Slight vibration between 40 and 50mph which accordinging to the internet is either wheel balance, ball joints, bearings or engine/gearbox mounts. A set of the latter are £120 on eBay for decent febi ones and the wheel bearing came up as an advisory years ago on an MOT but didn’t reappear. I will inspect further at the weekend.
The 55 era cars do seem to be cheap, with the exception of the SL which appears to be on the rise slightly. Talking of ML’s I saw an ML55 that needed de-blinging on Facebook for £2k. A huge amount of car for the cash.
Thanks for the tips, I shall make some calls tomorrow. I haven’t really attempted bodywork before and whilst I wouldn’t even consider actually applying paint myself (I don’t have the patience), I do fancy having a go at basic prep. Sanding down to the metal, treating, filling and priming before carting it off to the body shop.
Given that the offside wing looks well past it, my plan is to have a practice on a 2nd hand replacement. Then judge whether I’m confident enough to go ahead with the rest.
First of all though is the service, I want to enjoy it before taking it off the road for paint over winter.
Oil arrived today from eBay costing £35 for 10L of Genuine Merc stuff. The oil filter came with car and a quick search of the part number revealed it was the correct one.
I had a bit of trouble finding suitable air filters. I’m not always confident with the ECP part recommendations so consulted this US site which gives the proper Mercedes part diagrams.
https://www.mbpartsworld.com
Found a pair on eBay from Crossland for a very reasonable £17. Mercedes wanted £56 each.
They are good for some things though, I’m picking up a new speaker grill on Saturday for £9. Ebay wanted £20.
I have also managed to get the cost of plugs down to £75.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/16x-Bosch-Platinum-Spark-...
I may sound a bit sad but half the fun for me is shopping around for best deal on parts. Im also originally from Yorkshire so quite tight.
The rest, namely gearbox service, diff, coolant, brake fluid, engine & trans mounts I’m having done at James Leigh in Wimbledon once I have sources the parts.
Looking around the car tonight, I’m sure the parcel shelf is supposed to be black and has been bleached purple by the sun? I have a can of matt black spray paint so have a go at removing and giving it once over.
Given that the offside wing looks well past it, my plan is to have a practice on a 2nd hand replacement. Then judge whether I’m confident enough to go ahead with the rest.
First of all though is the service, I want to enjoy it before taking it off the road for paint over winter.
Oil arrived today from eBay costing £35 for 10L of Genuine Merc stuff. The oil filter came with car and a quick search of the part number revealed it was the correct one.
I had a bit of trouble finding suitable air filters. I’m not always confident with the ECP part recommendations so consulted this US site which gives the proper Mercedes part diagrams.
https://www.mbpartsworld.com
Found a pair on eBay from Crossland for a very reasonable £17. Mercedes wanted £56 each.
They are good for some things though, I’m picking up a new speaker grill on Saturday for £9. Ebay wanted £20.
I have also managed to get the cost of plugs down to £75.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/16x-Bosch-Platinum-Spark-...
I may sound a bit sad but half the fun for me is shopping around for best deal on parts. Im also originally from Yorkshire so quite tight.
The rest, namely gearbox service, diff, coolant, brake fluid, engine & trans mounts I’m having done at James Leigh in Wimbledon once I have sources the parts.
Looking around the car tonight, I’m sure the parcel shelf is supposed to be black and has been bleached purple by the sun? I have a can of matt black spray paint so have a go at removing and giving it once over.
347 BHP and 376lb-ft, so not very impressive by today’s standards I guess!
Good mileage on that 320, the consensus seems to be the mechanicals are tough but I think the W208 has always stood in the shadow of its own rust. Having said that, my 2004 M3 had it arches done under warranty for the same problem.
It’s my only view but compared to some of more Mercedes more modern designs, it’s looks far more subtle and resolved. I like the traditional star on the bonnet not the big gaudy plastic grill badge. The first thing I did to my W204 was retrofit the grill and star from an elegance.
I’m 30 by the way not 80. Just old for my years!
Good mileage on that 320, the consensus seems to be the mechanicals are tough but I think the W208 has always stood in the shadow of its own rust. Having said that, my 2004 M3 had it arches done under warranty for the same problem.
It’s my only view but compared to some of more Mercedes more modern designs, it’s looks far more subtle and resolved. I like the traditional star on the bonnet not the big gaudy plastic grill badge. The first thing I did to my W204 was retrofit the grill and star from an elegance.
I’m 30 by the way not 80. Just old for my years!
ZX10R NIN said:
Don't buy used wings it will be a false economy honestly also when the wings come off be prepared to do some work inside as well, here's the link to some decent wings.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-1997-2003-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-1997-2003-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-1997-2003-...
Cheers, they look quite reasonable too. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-1997-2003-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-1997-2003-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-1997-2003-...
griffin dai said:
There’s also a pedal reset to sharpen up the gear change on the E55 AMG and bring it back to life (I think it shares the same auto box as the XJR8) but not sure if it’s the same as yours? I found after a few weeks of long motorway journeys it got a little slower changing gear (still quick and pulled nicely but more of a relaxed change) the pedal reset sorted this out.
Rust.....definitely get it checked as above, mine was pretty bad.
Interesting, I have noticed that the kickdown and part throttle acceleration can be inconsistent. Sometimes it will put into the sweet spot at around 4K and other times it wants to stay put and pull from 2.3-3 with the same input. I will look into this as the box itself is smooth just a little dim witted at times. Since picking it up all I have done is motorway drives. Rust.....definitely get it checked as above, mine was pretty bad.
As for rust I’m accepting of the active weight shedding superleggera bodywork. A cursory look underneath didn’t reveal anything more than surface rust on suspension bits. Intend on giving it a closer inspection on ramps this weekend.
Thought I would give an update on the first day of work on the CLK, and I really do mean “day”
First job was to collect and fit the door speaker grill which was satisfying and straight forward.
Next up, whilst the sun was out, I thought I would tackle the purple parcel shelf. Now the internet warned that this was going to be a pain but it’s difficult to gauge the scale of understatements in the written word.
The main problem is the headrests, if only they had put the same care and effort into rust proofing as they did engineering those then I would have one less headache.
To get the clips to release, you really need to be able to decouple your head and put it on a tripod looking through the rear window.
Eventually, after a minor tantrum and muttering long sentences made entirely from swear words, it came free.
I removed the speaker grills and the little Bose tags, brake light and masked up.
After a few coats of matt black, it came up a treat and didn’t transfer to my hands after drying. I also sprayed the speaker grills separately.
Refitting was the reverse of having your finger nails ripped out with pliers.
I then turned my attention to the minor service. Just oil and air at this stage. The air box was easy to remove but held together by 16,000 of the longest screws known to man.
Of course, the filters I had spent hours researching to ensure they matched the original part numbers didn’t fit. It turns out the MANN ones from ECP I had originally disregarded were correct but Croydon helpfully only had one in stock. I bought it anyway and they ordered the other for delivery on Tuesday. Reflecting on the disgust expressed over my choice initial choice of a lesser known filter brand, I also picked up a MANN oil filter.
But my woes aren’t finished yet....
Leaving the doors open all day, leaving the radio on after checking the parcel shelf for rattles and leaving key in position 2 with the climate working drained the battery and the big sweaty V8 wouldn’t start.
The oil change can wait until tomorrow. I need a beer.
First job was to collect and fit the door speaker grill which was satisfying and straight forward.
Next up, whilst the sun was out, I thought I would tackle the purple parcel shelf. Now the internet warned that this was going to be a pain but it’s difficult to gauge the scale of understatements in the written word.
The main problem is the headrests, if only they had put the same care and effort into rust proofing as they did engineering those then I would have one less headache.
To get the clips to release, you really need to be able to decouple your head and put it on a tripod looking through the rear window.
Eventually, after a minor tantrum and muttering long sentences made entirely from swear words, it came free.
I removed the speaker grills and the little Bose tags, brake light and masked up.
After a few coats of matt black, it came up a treat and didn’t transfer to my hands after drying. I also sprayed the speaker grills separately.
Refitting was the reverse of having your finger nails ripped out with pliers.
I then turned my attention to the minor service. Just oil and air at this stage. The air box was easy to remove but held together by 16,000 of the longest screws known to man.
Of course, the filters I had spent hours researching to ensure they matched the original part numbers didn’t fit. It turns out the MANN ones from ECP I had originally disregarded were correct but Croydon helpfully only had one in stock. I bought it anyway and they ordered the other for delivery on Tuesday. Reflecting on the disgust expressed over my choice initial choice of a lesser known filter brand, I also picked up a MANN oil filter.
But my woes aren’t finished yet....
Leaving the doors open all day, leaving the radio on after checking the parcel shelf for rattles and leaving key in position 2 with the climate working drained the battery and the big sweaty V8 wouldn’t start.
The oil change can wait until tomorrow. I need a beer.
el romeral said:
The CLK55 looks an amazing buy, despite the small bits and pieces which need doing. It is making my ML55 purchased a year ago seem very expensive indeed!
I am curious to know if the oil you purchased is the very same as the MB dealers supply and if you know what they would charge for it? I have found the stuff you bought on e bay and am considering buying it - looks way cheaper than Mobil 1, which a lot of people seem to recommend.
Hi, it is a dealer selling it on eBay, Mercedes Cardiff or Newcastle I think. It arrives with the same kind of invoice you get from parts counter. The label as all the usual Merc markings. I am curious to know if the oil you purchased is the very same as the MB dealers supply and if you know what they would charge for it? I have found the stuff you bought on e bay and am considering buying it - looks way cheaper than Mobil 1, which a lot of people seem to recommend.
So today I set about changing the oil. I love jobs like this.
Whilst I was under the car I noticed one of earth straps from the block to the frame had snapped. This is usually a symptom of bad engine mounts which I had budgeted for anyway. The motor does move round a bit when you blip the throttle.
One other surprise was that DHL are delivering on a bank holiday. My shiny new steering damper arrived at 11am so also got to fit that.
The one I removed was crusty and about as resistant as the Iraqi Army.
Still waiting for my other air filter.
I did also have a go at the gearbox reset and it did appear sharper. However, this also could have been as a result of the memory resetting when the battery died on Saturday.
What I have noticed is that when turning at low speed the front end seems to crab. Almost like low speed understeer. The alignment is out as the steering wheel needs pulling to the right going dead ahead. But could anything else be causing this?
Whilst I was under the car I noticed one of earth straps from the block to the frame had snapped. This is usually a symptom of bad engine mounts which I had budgeted for anyway. The motor does move round a bit when you blip the throttle.
One other surprise was that DHL are delivering on a bank holiday. My shiny new steering damper arrived at 11am so also got to fit that.
The one I removed was crusty and about as resistant as the Iraqi Army.
Still waiting for my other air filter.
I did also have a go at the gearbox reset and it did appear sharper. However, this also could have been as a result of the memory resetting when the battery died on Saturday.
What I have noticed is that when turning at low speed the front end seems to crab. Almost like low speed understeer. The alignment is out as the steering wheel needs pulling to the right going dead ahead. But could anything else be causing this?
el romeral said:
Neil1b24 said:
Hi, it is a dealer selling it on eBay, Mercedes Cardiff or Newcastle I think. It arrives with the same kind of invoice you get from parts counter. The label as all the usual Merc markings.
Thanks for the tip on the engine oil. Have just ordered 10 litres. Even with shipping costs it is still a good deal.https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/5w-30-Fully-Synthetic-Eng...
It is however fully synthetic with MB type 229.5 approval - £45. With a filter from ECP an oil change works out at about £15.
Mileage on the C220 is now 223,000.
Not much of an update this weekend.
Air filter finally arrived from ECP, fitted that this morning.
I noticed how manky the antenna gasket had become over the years and it was also missing the little rubber nipple over the Aerial.
Turns out Mercedes don’t sell the gasket and nipple separately, only as a complete unit for about £6.3m.
A search of the part number returned this being sold through the US Amazon site.
https://www.amazon.com/URO-Parts-210-827-0031KIT/d...
I ordered it for £20.13 Including international postage.
In other news, following a tip from one of the earlier posters, I have an appointment at County Coachworks in Kingston on Monday for a estimate on the rust repair.
Air filter finally arrived from ECP, fitted that this morning.
I noticed how manky the antenna gasket had become over the years and it was also missing the little rubber nipple over the Aerial.
Turns out Mercedes don’t sell the gasket and nipple separately, only as a complete unit for about £6.3m.
A search of the part number returned this being sold through the US Amazon site.
https://www.amazon.com/URO-Parts-210-827-0031KIT/d...
I ordered it for £20.13 Including international postage.
In other news, following a tip from one of the earlier posters, I have an appointment at County Coachworks in Kingston on Monday for a estimate on the rust repair.
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