VMAX7

Mrbobby that Canadian S55 is perfect! Much better than the one im looking at thats gotten my attention. 143k miles, looks like an ABC fault somewhere, silver on black. Asking 10k.

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/5038538524.html

mrbobby

It's been on the dealer's lot for a long time. I suspect that it's got a lot to repair in order to pass the provincial safety check. That, plus ABC (probably) scares the hell out of me. Frankly the next 55 has to be perfect before my wife will even consider making a move. Not only did the last 55 scare the hell out of her but the pile of money we put into it for me to learn "there is no such a thing as a cheap AMG) has me in a tight corner.You can only hide so much from your wife before she makes you pay for years to come. Still that 55 is bloody tempting.

VMAX7

Happy wife, happy life.

;-}

VMAX7

Welp, just got back from behind the wheel of an '03 S600 Biturbo and I must say I left the car feeling a little...unimpressed.

Performance wise it felt less powerful than the 55K, boost came on around 2500-3000rpm, from a standstill to 20mph my S500 feels more peppy. Was not as brutal as the Kompressor from 0-80. Took it on the highway, wasnt as crazy fast as ive always heard. Maybe bc its more insulated than the others. The speedo didnt sweep like I expected. Maybe she needed a tune up.

Otherwise a very clean car, 104k miles, pewter on black. Seats were equally as plush as the 55K, interior was nice. Leather dash was not bad but I wouldnt go outta my way to swap it over to the 500. Alcantara was silky and clean, wood hadnt aged. Rear seats were the best part of the car. Timeless.
Everything worked except Keyless Go and a whining ABC pump. Needed engine mounts too. Fuel pump whined. Had no rust.

Was a sport package equipped car(front/rear bumper, side skirts) also had SL63 AMG 19"s. Trunk opened but was like 60lbs heavy and wouldnt stay up. Brakes were good but didnt get to really test them.

My understanding with the 600TT is that the K24 turbos are shoddy and finicky. Borg Warner turbos, in my experience, are prone to crack hotsides and /or break impellers, also known to leak coolant. Id be more confident if MB used Mitsubishi 15G or 16T turbos. Waay more reliable.
Also I believe the connecting rods are weak and some have suffered a catastrophic failure ive seen on these forums and online. Even stock unmodified engine failures have occurred. Dont need the extra anxiety.
Havent seen any S65 engine failures so the rods AMG use there are obviously stronger.

To sum it up, stock to stock the 55K is more reliable and faster in my opinion.

VMAX7

Dafuq is up with the ZERO center console storage space?!? Id rather delete the rear AC feature for some dang storage and decent cup holders in front! That would be the first thing id swap out if I were to pull the trigger on one of these 500hp starships.

Welwynnick

Sounds like there's something wrong with the car you drove, and there are lots of possible reasons. The most likely thing is that air got into the IC system (which can result in pump failure) but there are others.

Not great from 0-20? Did this one seem to need more engine revs to start from standstill than you'd expect for something so torquey? That's a sign of a broken torque converter. I think it's not uncommon, for some strange reason....

Nick

VMAX7

There was a slight dead spot on the first 10% of the throttle. Took some getting used to. After about 30 mins it felt ok.

But from a standstil to 20 it took more effort to get off the line than my 500. A tune up would make it feel like the 55K, it just wasnt brutal. Fast, but not brutal.

Felt like 400hp, once boost came on it was strong, would walk my 500 pretty briskly. Granted I didnt go too crazy with it bc the seller was a good chap and I didnt wanna break his car!