Not really a stranger to MBWorld, but relatively new to the 32/55 forums. I still have my C43 which I had swapped in a 55 motor out of a W210 E55, but for some reason, the motor was not happy, and thus I have put the 43 back in. Boo. Very sad and depressing. You can read the whole thread in my sig below.

At any rate, that disappointment, the contemplated funds required to make it right, and the need/desire for a newer and hopefully much more reliable car for the soon to be added first addition to my family, led me down the path to acquiring another vehicle. Contemplated a B6/B7 Audi S4 (good for Canadian winters, plus the Avant bodystyle makes it quite practical - but those cars have timing chain tensioner issues and that's a huge deal); E39 M5 (wicked cool car but carbon build up issues are scary expensive); E60 545i (very nice car, loaded with tech, but worrisome for a long term / high mileage ownership prospect due to all the tech - water cooled alternator, really??) - and thus finally just figured the best fun to drive and own car, and most simple and hopefully most reliable was the 203 C55.

Can't abide by the older, pre-face lift 203 interiors - no offence to any C32 owners. To me it just doesn't feel special enough, and by that I mean the gauge cluster isn't very appealing looking, so that negated the C32, and there are a few available in my area and very cheap now, so it was tempting.

Anyway, drove a couple, looked into a few more, settled on one that was in Calgary, a three hour drive away from my home. Checked it out a couple weekends ago, picked it up last weekend. Has just over 97,000km on it, and used to be a local car to me. No nav, but does have rear sunshade and iPod adaptor already in it. Some aftermarket mods include roof spoiler, and secondary cats and resonator delete, some tint and tinted side markers.

Thus far, very happy with the car. The suspension looks and feels spot on, in my view. Nice ride height, still practical but with an obvious sporting intent. And I love the balance between comfort and sport too, it's firm but not ridiculously so.

The paint had me perplexed for a few days too. When I initially saw the ad for the car, and looked at it, I just figured it was obsidian black, like my C43. Only on the way home did I see that in the light and up close, it's got a very blue look to it. Ran the VIN through the EPC and saw that it is actually diamond black, so I'm quite pleased with that. Love the look and how the hue changes. Very trick.

Already have a story with the car too! Parked up outside the grocery store the other night, and when I came back a grey C63 with performance pack was parked next to me! Usually I am pissed off when someone parks next to me in an otherwise parking lot - "empty parking lot and you have to park right next to my car?!?" - but of course I would make an exception to the AMG cognoscenti...

Only have a few photos thus far, but here they are. The stock 18s are in the garage at the moment, the photos show the car on 17" snows that I picked up.

Congrats and welcome aboard, love the diamond black! Hopefully you get to enjoy it before the weather gets too bad up north!

Congrats and welcome to the Diamond Black club

That is a clean C55 for 97k km! Congrats.

+1!!

lookin' good!

The W203 crowd is lucky to have you Vince, you were a great contributor to the W202 section and I am sure you will continue on here.

Don't be a stranger

gotta love the black mercedes club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvGmn0FbVc0

Welcome to da club Sir!

Congrats on your purchase, you will love the C55 such a great AMG Benz

welcome aboard man. congrats on the new girl!

Good choice!

Congrats and welcome man!

Welcome to the club, was this the same car you were looking at before?

I prefer DJ Quick and AMG (for obvious reasons)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuD-Z6ay7O4

Or this DJ Quick CLASSIC!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVEDQ2xq5lA

Welcome to the club!

Loudandheard, my car was one of two local-ish ones that I was looking at. The other was a silver 06 with ~176,000km on it. I actually like the silver, as it's easier to keep clean than a dark car. I had posted earlier about buying a high mileage car, and that was the one I was talking about. It was pretty beat to hell, cosmetically speaking. Chunks missing from the lower right corner on the front bumper (only visible if down on the ground though), dented up lower middle grille (dealer wants C$300 for that), both fog lights broken. Looked like the front and rear main seals were leaking, and maybe a bit from the power steering pump too. All four brakes would need to be done soon too, ridges on the rotors.

That car was on a used car lot, they said they bought it at auction and the original owner was a realtor, thus accounting for the high mileage. Sales talk? Dunno. They probably say that about every high mileage car! But the lack of upkeep on cosmetic items indicated to me that the previous owner didn't really take care of the car. I test drove it, and it felt nice and tight, but didn't go for it.

The kicker was their sales pitch when I went and test drove the car on a Saturday a few weeks ago. They have it listed for C$22k. Immediately on discussions, they said they would sell it as is, without a new lower grille or foglights or brakes, tax in (5% sales tax) for C$20k. And that I had better hurry and make a decision coz "there's another guy who's dealing on the car, and it'll probably be gone Monday". Three weeks later, the car's still there....

Anyway, very glad I bought the car I did, as it is immensely nicer by several magnitudes, has the iPod hook up, half the mileage and diamond black in colour! Of course I paid 10% more than the used lot's 'good deal' price, but well worth it in my view.