JHIN

I've previously been an owner of a '99 C230K and miss the car. Recently found a 1996 C36 with 90K miles. Looks like a cherry car from the pics however not knowing much about a C36 what should I be looking for to make sure it's a good purchase. Owner wants $9K. Body is perfect so is interior. Thanks in advance from this newbie.

bagelsjustbagel

Check head gasket.
check the title on carfax
make sure the tires are in good condition.
you should be able to talk him down to 8.5

AMGC

make sure its got service records.
wiring harness has been changed.
tranny has gotten proper service.
and enjoy the car. very fun to drive, lots of history, and very reliable.

C43AMG

You can find C43's for that price.

AMG140.6

Look in this forum's Classifieds for my 96 C36 thread. Its for sale. Buy it !
End of story.

Look any further and your on your own. Perfect is an absurd description...especially from pics.
I've been on this board and my car is solid. Its a good first AMG. Plus I've got it down to 6200.00.

9k you're better off w/ a C43 or better yet that gets you an Audi S4.

E55 PWR

real money on C36 is 6-8k tops. hope that helps.

PJmak

s4 over a c43?

why?

SeeKlasse

+1

thebenzbar

B5 S4?
or a C36/C43 AMG?

OR

I still prefer the AMG... granted the S4 is easier to mod and has quattro BUT the w202 AMGs still gets my vote.

AMGC

yeah no doubt.

JHIN

WOW I like that maroon picture awesome!

JHIN

oooppps the owner has reduced the price to $8k now.

SeeKlasse

ill take a good c43 over any b5 s4. not that the s4 isnt nice, i love the class of a fine w202

E55 PWR

B5 is a maintenance nightmare (worst than even E36 M3s). Money pit black hole.

C36 (and even more so C43) are far more reliable. the only thing you really have to worry about on the AMGs are the few key areas, Transmission, headgaskets & wiring harnesses. other then that they are almost bulletproof. (later AMGs from 00-02 are even more so).

silence

wow about the s4 vs. c43 comment above

there was a reason c43s cost like 30 grand more than an s4 in 1999... lol

plus audi reliability is so awful (i've owned a B5 and a C5)

AMG140.6

Quote:

Originally Posted by E55 PWR

B5 is a maintenance nightmare (worst than even E36 M3s). Money pit black hole.

Money pit if you over-chip the stock Ko3's at hi mileage. Any car would suffer than fate.
The B5 S4 is probably the most popular platform being used today for both strip and track day fun.
Just like any car, if do the upgrades the right way, the car is very solid. I've lost track of how many S4's run lo 10's in the 1/4 and still remain streetable.

There are B5s4's out there , including a good friend's that have 500+ at the wheels w/o reliablilty issues. There are a few B5S4's out there that run down Ferrari F430's,E55's and P cars. I'm sure Youtube has vids galore. How many C43's can claim that ?

The only expensive part of owning a B5S4 is switching over to Ko4's or Rs6 turbo's. Its as expensive as a tranny on a C43. Once this is done there's not too many cars that will run with you.

All high end cars are money pits if you want them to play.

My current S4(475hp,VEMS standalone,6 speed Statis/S4 tranny,Centerforce StgIII,65lb injectors,polish,ported,ARP studs,mains,JE Pistons,Lehmann Crank knifed,3.5in DP to 3in exhaust,RS2 comp exh manifold,GT3071R turbo) is a 1st gen C4 which has the legendary 5 cylinder 20 valve turbo motor that Audi used to dominate the rally world and the Trans Am series of the 80's. Its bullet proof ! Mine is basically a weapons-grade build.Total cost $ 10K.I bought the car itself w/ over 180K on the odo for 5500.00.


For over 10 yrs now I've had both an Audi and a Benz in my garage , partly because I live where it snows. The Benz stays in the garage once December rolls in with the exception of our ML320.

Both are great marques,but I would never say that one is more expensive than the other to maintain. Thats a very subjective thing, and I tend to stay away from forum-based hyperbole and bench racing.

I predict this thread is going to get as worthless as the C36 vs C43 thread from a few weeks ago.

01SL500

I am watching the same car. Its not worth 8K. If you really really want it you might offer him 7K but I am thinking 6500 and even then not sure if I want to go that far out of my way to get it.

This is the second time it has been on ebay and the first time it only went as high as 4800 so that should give you an idea of demand. I bid it up to 6K (it was only at 3500 or so prior to my bid) just to see if I could get it off reserve but am not going any higher. For 8K I would def. be looking for a C43.

As far as issues, head gasket head gasket head gasket. I think 95 was the last year they had probs with the wiring harness and the only other thing I can think of is the throttle actuator which can be a huge bummer if you can't find a used one.

Looks like a nice car barring the uber ghey pinstripe.

One other thing, the red one was a bs deal so don't use that as a comparison.

thebenzbar

You're right on the e36 M3... mine (to keep in fresh condition) costs me over $2,000 on unforeseen stupid repairs this year already!
While the AMG stays in tip top shape with no hiccups and just costs me routine FSS maintenance expenses with most as DIY items. And I keep my cars well-kept!

AMG140.6

Excellent choices in cars Benzbar.

The E36 M3 is such a landmark car. I never thought it was too expensive to maintain. Once the upgraded water pump and all alu rad was upgraded the car is one of the best ever.

I hope your M3 is not a auto.

thebenzbar

Thanks, and 5-spd of course - no other way… yeah the snapping radiator necks, the butt sensor (aka pass airbag sensor mat), RTABs, misc electrical gremlins, and poor craftsmanship on door panels and headliner (bad oem gluing causes them to defray and sag)…. Those are the things that plagued me – but it’s all sorted out now! The car is a blast to drive… all-stock… I’m not into racing, just pure joyrides and cruises. The AMG still gets a top vote for me. In fact, I’m disposing the M and find a clean classic MB again (I’m a fan of old skool MB’s). Cheers!

SeeKlasse

good choice get a 500e, those cars are so nice....


on another note...
people race b5 S4's because more were manufactured than all c36's and 43's combined. also, the resale value of audis is terrible (perhaps due to notorious reliability issues) so theyre much more affordable; and lastly, due to the fact that they come FI, you can coax more power out on a lower budget. none of these reasons make the b5 s4 a better track car IMO

SeeKlasse

These photos and the following paragraph were taken from wikipedia....

Between 1991 and 1995, Mercedes-Benz sold a sport version of the W124, the Mercedes-Benz 500 E, created in close cooperation with Porsche. Each 500 E was hand-built by Porsche, being transported back and forth between the Mercedes plant and Porsche's Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen during assembly---taking a full 18 days to complete each model. Design began in 1989 and into 1991. Between 1992 and 1995, Mercedes/Porsche built a total of 10,479 500 E's[1]. Of these, 1505 of the "super" sports sedans were imported into the USA between 1992-1994, or roughly 500 cars per year of importation. Called '500 E' through model year 1993, for model year 1994 it was face-lifted along with the rest of the range and renamed to 'E 500'

Uncle Benz

That's one NICE C36 Designo

silence

not going to start a huge argument at all- they are apples and oranges, it isn't like the c36 vs. c43 argument

thebenzbar

That sweet car belongs to DesignoC36, however according to AMG it's not a Designo at all... but it don't matter, I'd still take it anyday anytime... that's how nice it is!

"Dear DesignoC36,

Thank you very much for your post. In 1997 we did not offer designo editions in the US. This started with the W220 S-class. The red interior of the C36 was offered as a series package.

Best regards,
AMG Private Lounge Team"