Thinking about selling a C43. Which one?
06-09-2015, 11:02 AM
#1
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1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
Thinking about selling a C43. Which one?
Been thinking about this for a while now, and I keep going back and forth.
I've had 2 C43's for a couple years now. C43 is my all time dream car, and I got the cars so dirt cheap I couldn't turn them down. My 99 I got with 238,000 miles on the clock for $4,400. It needed nothing, but has had to have a new water pump and idler pulley. Has more complete service history and got an entirely new transmission and TCU in 2006. There's a bunch of drama in a previous thread about how my wife crashed it but I had it repaired. The shop spent 6 months and still didn't get it quite right. But I've found an OE bumper and gotten it awfully close to normal myself. My 98 I found on craigslist and got it for $2,300 because the owner was told by the dealer that the car was "dead" and needed $6,800 in repairs just to be roadworthy. It only needed a drive shaft, flex discs, support bearing, oil cooler gasket, and crank seal. All that set me back about $550. Car has been problem-free and is solid. Has no service history prior to me buying it, previous guy owned it 2 months and threw it away. But it checks out and is healthy. Tranny/motor are all good and smooth. Suspension is better on the 98 than the 99.
Wife finally got a new car so the C43's are both mine now, but now sometimes I think it's a waste of money/resources to have 2 of these things. I'm driving the 99 as the tag/insurance from the 98 was transferred to the wife's car.
My 99 has 298k miles on it now, but here's what it needs:
timing chain/guides ($1200)
headliner
rear thrust arms (rear end swings when i accelerate)
grease on the flywheel to fix random no-start issue
front seat control relay in trunk
wheels refinishing
My 98 has 211k miles on it, here's what it needs:
AC leak at condenser or compressor ($100 to $400)
1 aux fan not spinning
SRS sensor under passenger seat needs replaced
Cracked xenon headlight lens
Rain sensing wiper, but need to get wiper back to correct resting spot (is on wrong side and too high)
I have some small debts I'd like to get rid of, and selling a C43 sounds like a tempting quick-release. I always wanted a C43 since I was 16, and now I have 2. They're the "same" but both have very different personalities. The 99 has more miles and has a few cosmetic issues and needs a suspension refresh, but it's noticeably meaner sounding and slightly quicker than the 98. I don't know why but the one with nearly 300k miles is more fun to drive. The exhaust note sounds identical but somehow more aggressive. The 98 is black and is, by far, more attractive than the 99. The paint is in much better shape on the black one, and only has a tiny crack in front bumper where my wife hit a block of wood on the road once. It has NO AC and that's crippling in the summer (I have 2 toddlers, can't have them in that car with no AC).
So if you were me, would you sell one? Which one would you sell?
If I keep them, I'm going to do a 55 swap in one and the other will be just maintained 100% original and fixed back up to mint, stock condition to be my daily driver. The one getting the 55 swap will get full 3" exhaust and other minor upgrades over time. With luck, I'll land a reliable S/C kit for it one day. I want the 55 swap car to be a sleeper beast someday. If I sell one, whichever one I keep will likely still get a 55 swap.
I've had 2 C43's for a couple years now. C43 is my all time dream car, and I got the cars so dirt cheap I couldn't turn them down. My 99 I got with 238,000 miles on the clock for $4,400. It needed nothing, but has had to have a new water pump and idler pulley. Has more complete service history and got an entirely new transmission and TCU in 2006. There's a bunch of drama in a previous thread about how my wife crashed it but I had it repaired. The shop spent 6 months and still didn't get it quite right. But I've found an OE bumper and gotten it awfully close to normal myself. My 98 I found on craigslist and got it for $2,300 because the owner was told by the dealer that the car was "dead" and needed $6,800 in repairs just to be roadworthy. It only needed a drive shaft, flex discs, support bearing, oil cooler gasket, and crank seal. All that set me back about $550. Car has been problem-free and is solid. Has no service history prior to me buying it, previous guy owned it 2 months and threw it away. But it checks out and is healthy. Tranny/motor are all good and smooth. Suspension is better on the 98 than the 99.
Wife finally got a new car so the C43's are both mine now, but now sometimes I think it's a waste of money/resources to have 2 of these things. I'm driving the 99 as the tag/insurance from the 98 was transferred to the wife's car.
My 99 has 298k miles on it now, but here's what it needs:
timing chain/guides ($1200)
headliner
rear thrust arms (rear end swings when i accelerate)
grease on the flywheel to fix random no-start issue
front seat control relay in trunk
wheels refinishing
My 98 has 211k miles on it, here's what it needs:
AC leak at condenser or compressor ($100 to $400)
1 aux fan not spinning
SRS sensor under passenger seat needs replaced
Cracked xenon headlight lens
Rain sensing wiper, but need to get wiper back to correct resting spot (is on wrong side and too high)
I have some small debts I'd like to get rid of, and selling a C43 sounds like a tempting quick-release. I always wanted a C43 since I was 16, and now I have 2. They're the "same" but both have very different personalities. The 99 has more miles and has a few cosmetic issues and needs a suspension refresh, but it's noticeably meaner sounding and slightly quicker than the 98. I don't know why but the one with nearly 300k miles is more fun to drive. The exhaust note sounds identical but somehow more aggressive. The 98 is black and is, by far, more attractive than the 99. The paint is in much better shape on the black one, and only has a tiny crack in front bumper where my wife hit a block of wood on the road once. It has NO AC and that's crippling in the summer (I have 2 toddlers, can't have them in that car with no AC).
So if you were me, would you sell one? Which one would you sell?
If I keep them, I'm going to do a 55 swap in one and the other will be just maintained 100% original and fixed back up to mint, stock condition to be my daily driver. The one getting the 55 swap will get full 3" exhaust and other minor upgrades over time. With luck, I'll land a reliable S/C kit for it one day. I want the 55 swap car to be a sleeper beast someday. If I sell one, whichever one I keep will likely still get a 55 swap.
06-09-2015, 11:49 AM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
You got three different mileage readings in there 
Since one of your c43s has a pretty much new tranny id make sure that trany stays in whatever c43 you are keeping. Even if it means you swapping the trany your self.
Everything else you mentioned is just stuff that can be slowly fixed down the road and wont cost an arm and a leg.
Being a mercedes.....silver is probably going to be a more desireable color if the car ever becomes a collectors item so thats another thing to consider.
Keep the car that will cost less to restore back to perfect condition. Swap all the good parts from one to another. For example make sure the car you are keeping has best front and back seats....those are expensive but its so easy to swap them around.
Swap the door panels and all the cosmetic stuff you can swap and keep all the good stuff in the car you are keeping. If you were local id love to help you do all this and this is what id do personally
After all is done im sure the car you are selling will still be in decent condition and youll be able to get enough for it to put towards the one you kept.
I cant wait to sell my c280 so i can dump all the money into the 43 but im so lazy i didnt even put it up for sale lol
Since one of your c43s has a pretty much new tranny id make sure that trany stays in whatever c43 you are keeping. Even if it means you swapping the trany your self.
Everything else you mentioned is just stuff that can be slowly fixed down the road and wont cost an arm and a leg.
Being a mercedes.....silver is probably going to be a more desireable color if the car ever becomes a collectors item so thats another thing to consider.
Keep the car that will cost less to restore back to perfect condition. Swap all the good parts from one to another. For example make sure the car you are keeping has best front and back seats....those are expensive but its so easy to swap them around.
Swap the door panels and all the cosmetic stuff you can swap and keep all the good stuff in the car you are keeping. If you were local id love to help you do all this and this is what id do personally
After all is done im sure the car you are selling will still be in decent condition and youll be able to get enough for it to put towards the one you kept.
I cant wait to sell my c280 so i can dump all the money into the 43 but im so lazy i didnt even put it up for sale lol
Last edited by PJmak; 06-09-2015 at 11:51 AM.
06-09-2015, 12:31 PM
#4
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1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
The problem is that they are both in about the same shape! The interiors are in GREAT shape on both of them. The driver's seat in the 99 is a tiny bit faded in a spot by the door, but it can be leather-polished back to good shape.
They both have some minor issues that will add up about the same to fix them up. The silver car sticks out more and ricers want to race me, but the black one is invisible. No one notices it at all! Personally I think the black one is better looking, the color really suits the w202. The black one has xenon and rain sensing wiper, too. But the black one needs the aftermarket radio and speakers ripped out and replaced with stock. Silver one has perfect stock audio system (I love it)
But yes, the known-good tranny is in the 99. Hmmm....
They both have some minor issues that will add up about the same to fix them up. The silver car sticks out more and ricers want to race me, but the black one is invisible. No one notices it at all! Personally I think the black one is better looking, the color really suits the w202. The black one has xenon and rain sensing wiper, too. But the black one needs the aftermarket radio and speakers ripped out and replaced with stock. Silver one has perfect stock audio system (I love it)
But yes, the known-good tranny is in the 99. Hmmm....
Last edited by Sulaco; 06-09-2015 at 12:35 PM.
06-09-2015, 04:04 PM
#5
What did Mr. John Cutter say?
Always bet on black!
I couldn't help it, just watched Passenger 57 recently.
It's no brainer, move over all better parts to you black car, then you'll have the better car
Always bet on black!
I couldn't help it, just watched Passenger 57 recently.
It's no brainer, move over all better parts to you black car, then you'll have the better car
06-09-2015, 04:32 PM
#6
Super Member
Hey Sulaco,
I'd definitely sell one and as PJ mentioned, transfer all the good parts to the one that you decide to keep. As far as resale value, it is hard to argue the demand for a black or silver car as they are both desirable colours. I personally prefer black as I've owned a W202 C230K in silver and black is is a much meaner colour. There is no point in owning two as you'll be constantly throwing needed money into a car that you don't need. Keeping one will allow you to fully enjoy your dream car without always comparing the two. Good Luck!
I'd definitely sell one and as PJ mentioned, transfer all the good parts to the one that you decide to keep. As far as resale value, it is hard to argue the demand for a black or silver car as they are both desirable colours. I personally prefer black as I've owned a W202 C230K in silver and black is is a much meaner colour. There is no point in owning two as you'll be constantly throwing needed money into a car that you don't need. Keeping one will allow you to fully enjoy your dream car without always comparing the two. Good Luck!
