Mitra43

Hey Guys / Gals,
I've always wanted to own a MB AMG and I've always loved the styling of the W203. In my area (Ontario, Canada) there's currently a 2003 C32 AMG with around 174,000 kms / 110,000 Miles. The asking price is around $3500 CDN / $2500 USD. From what I can tell based on service records, the car had alot of maintenance done and parts replaced up until April of 2017 with no accidents. In terms of rust (I didn't get to see it on a lift), there's only a bit around the rear driver wheel well and a couple small spots on the passenger side.

Obviously without you guys seeing it you can't give me a true answer but I was wondering what would be your thoughts in purchasing this and using this strictly as a summer car (maybe 2 - 3 months of driving per year with a max of about 3,000 KMS added in this time period).

I'm sure right off the bat I'll need to maybe change brakes or at least do some maintenance on them (when I say "I'll need" I mean i will get a shop to do it) and probably oil and other fluids. Additionally, the hood struts are shot but that should be simple enough to do myself.

Let me know your thoughts

rilonprime

That's definitely a bargain, however I'd be damn sure to get a good PPI if you really want to consider it. They run about $200.

Mitra43

Thanks alot for your reply rilonprime. I'll definitely get the PPI going to see what I have to deal with. Hopefully the dealer the car is at now allows me to take it to get the PPI if not then that's the end of my interest

jneal3110

How good are you at DIY? That's what's kept me in my '04 C32 to 218K miles (bought it with 70K), in Michigan. If you are dependent on a dealership you'll go broke. Also, has the transmission had the radiator replaced? Up to '03 had an issue with leaking coolant into the trans fluid, but with so many miles on that one it's probably been dealt with. I'm of the opinion that once these cars get to a certain age, the really scary stuff has already happened and been dealt with by MB with TSB's so all you really have to deal with are typical maintenance issues (brakes, serpentine belt/pulleys, etc) that are DIY stuff. If oil changes have been religiously done with Mobil 1, the engine stays strong almost forever.

Mitra43

I would say i'm decent at DIY. Not comfortable with very in depth jobs that involve many parts being taken apart but most I'm pretty confident about provided I can get detailed guides on the interwebs. From the repair history I see radiator fan replaced and transmission serviced (whatever that means) about 20,000 KM ago. In terms of oil used etc that I'm not sure of. I was planning on calling the repair shop that handled this car over the past few years as I do have the contact information. Thanks alot for your reply on this and I'm grateful for the input though I'm still on the fence about it. The head mechanic at the dealer selling the car is an acquaintance of my father so I'm hoping to talk to him and maybe he can tell me the honest truth of what he sees.