Looking at a C36, whats your opinion on this car.
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97 C36 AMG
Looking at a C36, whats your opinion on this car.
I'm currently looking at a 97 C36 with 167,000 miles on the dash. Car has some minor rust spots but from pictures everything else looks fine. owner wants 4800 obo.
Here is the link for those that are interested: http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/4718270796.html
Here is the link for those that are interested: http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/4718270796.html
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 549
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From: Oregon
'97 c36
Wow, lot of car for the money especially if there is paper work to go along with the head gasket and trans service.
are you pretty handy at working on cars? with those kind of miles unless it's been done before your going to be looking at control arm bushings at the very least as well as some other suspension/steering work.
Also take a good look at the front air dam and the fog lights. The lights are hard to find an very expensive as well as the 3.6 crossover tube on the engine intake. It's super common for those to crack out where the crank case vents enter on the bottom of the tube.
when you take a look at it, pop the hood then get in the car and hold your foot on the brake pedal. Put the car in reverse and then in forward vis versa and notice the amount of engine movement between the different gears. This will kind of give you an idea of the condition of the engine mounts. Not super hard to change but a common failure.
are you pretty handy at working on cars? with those kind of miles unless it's been done before your going to be looking at control arm bushings at the very least as well as some other suspension/steering work.
Also take a good look at the front air dam and the fog lights. The lights are hard to find an very expensive as well as the 3.6 crossover tube on the engine intake. It's super common for those to crack out where the crank case vents enter on the bottom of the tube.
when you take a look at it, pop the hood then get in the car and hold your foot on the brake pedal. Put the car in reverse and then in forward vis versa and notice the amount of engine movement between the different gears. This will kind of give you an idea of the condition of the engine mounts. Not super hard to change but a common failure.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 12
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97 C36 AMG
Wow, lot of car for the money especially if there is paper work to go along with the head gasket and trans service.
are you pretty handy at working on cars? with those kind of miles unless it's been done before your going to be looking at control arm bushings at the very least as well as some other suspension/steering work.
Also take a good look at the front air dam and the fog lights. The lights are hard to find an very expensive as well as the 3.6 crossover tube on the engine intake. It's super common for those to crack out where the crank case vents enter on the bottom of the tube.
when you take a look at it, pop the hood then get in the car and hold your foot on the brake pedal. Put the car in reverse and then in forward vis versa and notice the amount of engine movement between the different gears. This will kind of give you an idea of the condition of the engine mounts. Not super hard to change but a common failure.
are you pretty handy at working on cars? with those kind of miles unless it's been done before your going to be looking at control arm bushings at the very least as well as some other suspension/steering work.
Also take a good look at the front air dam and the fog lights. The lights are hard to find an very expensive as well as the 3.6 crossover tube on the engine intake. It's super common for those to crack out where the crank case vents enter on the bottom of the tube.
when you take a look at it, pop the hood then get in the car and hold your foot on the brake pedal. Put the car in reverse and then in forward vis versa and notice the amount of engine movement between the different gears. This will kind of give you an idea of the condition of the engine mounts. Not super hard to change but a common failure.
Super B,
Thanks for the quick reply, I have a picture of a work done summary, it looks like the left and right lower control arm was serviced in 2010, and I will make sure to check all those things you mentioned.
As far as my skills I would say handy but not proven if that makes any sense. Before I purchased my current car for my wife (13 Encore) I had a 09 G8 GT. really only minor maintenance on that car, I wanted to do more just no opportunity really. Currently my brother and I have been servicing his BMW, so I know my limits and plan on expanding my skill with this car.
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From: Oregon
'97 c36
Sweet ride. I really liked the G8 and it was a shame to see Pontiac go. Coming from a car with that kind of tq and hp the c36 is going to feel measurably slower. it's not a slow car per say and it will lay the smack down on most low to mild built Japanese imports (of corse exceptions like sti's, evo's ect ) but it's not a power house that is going to respond to mods like your G8. The c36 is a very well hot rodded version of a c280. Bored, stroked, cams/head work, tuned exhaust and intake it's pretty near the end of what a naturally aspirated m104 engine can be.
So if your looking for something to build further engine wise it might not be the car you want. To go faster and stay in the w202 body your going to be looking in the direction of a C43.
However it's still a wonderful car and can be made a considerably faster overall with suspension mods. The build quality is excellent! and as long as your not working on the front of the engine I wouldn't say it's necessarily a hard car to work on. But not going to be honda easy. You will need some specialty tools for certain tasks but for the most part you can get by with standard tools.
I've owned a number of cars from a Datsun, Pontiac (mild built lt1/t-56 trans am), BMW 540i/6, Porshe 928 and few others. But hands down the C36 is my favorite.
As about any of the 202 AMG owners will tell you there is something special about these cars that grows on you. And they are special in a sense or their production and import numbers. You WILL BE the only mercedes guy at most car meets or w202 amg car in the parking lot.
with all that said if you like the car get it. If it's in good shape and has been serviced regularly it's a good buy. But keep in mind you are looking at a 17 year old car edging towards 200k it's going to need things. But this board and the people on it are fantastic and the amount of knowledge that can be found with the search button is second to none.
So if your looking for something to build further engine wise it might not be the car you want. To go faster and stay in the w202 body your going to be looking in the direction of a C43.
However it's still a wonderful car and can be made a considerably faster overall with suspension mods. The build quality is excellent! and as long as your not working on the front of the engine I wouldn't say it's necessarily a hard car to work on. But not going to be honda easy. You will need some specialty tools for certain tasks but for the most part you can get by with standard tools.
I've owned a number of cars from a Datsun, Pontiac (mild built lt1/t-56 trans am), BMW 540i/6, Porshe 928 and few others. But hands down the C36 is my favorite.
As about any of the 202 AMG owners will tell you there is something special about these cars that grows on you. And they are special in a sense or their production and import numbers. You WILL BE the only mercedes guy at most car meets or w202 amg car in the parking lot.
with all that said if you like the car get it. If it's in good shape and has been serviced regularly it's a good buy. But keep in mind you are looking at a 17 year old car edging towards 200k it's going to need things. But this board and the people on it are fantastic and the amount of knowledge that can be found with the search button is second to none.
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Newbie
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 12
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97 C36 AMG
Sweet ride. I really liked the G8 and it was a shame to see Pontiac go. Coming from a car with that kind of tq and hp the c36 is going to feel measurably slower. it's not a slow car per say and it will lay the smack down on most low to mild built Japanese imports (of corse exceptions like sti's, evo's ect ) but it's not a power house that is going to respond to mods like your G8. The c36 is a very well hot rodded version of a c280. Bored, stroked, cams/head work, tuned exhaust and intake it's pretty near the end of what a naturally aspirated m104 engine can be.
So if your looking for something to build further engine wise it might not be the car you want. To go faster and stay in the w202 body your going to be looking in the direction of a C43.
However it's still a wonderful car and can be made a considerably faster overall with suspension mods. The build quality is excellent! and as long as your not working on the front of the engine I wouldn't say it's necessarily a hard car to work on. But not going to be honda easy. You will need some specialty tools for certain tasks but for the most part you can get by with standard tools.
I've owned a number of cars from a Datsun, Pontiac (mild built lt1/t-56 trans am), BMW 540i/6, Porshe 928 and few others. But hands down the C36 is my favorite.
As about any of the 202 AMG owners will tell you there is something special about these cars that grows on you. And they are special in a sense or their production and import numbers. You WILL BE the only mercedes guy at most car meets or w202 amg car in the parking lot.
with all that said if you like the car get it. If it's in good shape and has been serviced regularly it's a good buy. But keep in mind you are looking at a 17 year old car edging towards 200k it's going to need things. But this board and the people on it are fantastic and the amount of knowledge that can be found with the search button is second to none.
So if your looking for something to build further engine wise it might not be the car you want. To go faster and stay in the w202 body your going to be looking in the direction of a C43.
However it's still a wonderful car and can be made a considerably faster overall with suspension mods. The build quality is excellent! and as long as your not working on the front of the engine I wouldn't say it's necessarily a hard car to work on. But not going to be honda easy. You will need some specialty tools for certain tasks but for the most part you can get by with standard tools.
I've owned a number of cars from a Datsun, Pontiac (mild built lt1/t-56 trans am), BMW 540i/6, Porshe 928 and few others. But hands down the C36 is my favorite.
As about any of the 202 AMG owners will tell you there is something special about these cars that grows on you. And they are special in a sense or their production and import numbers. You WILL BE the only mercedes guy at most car meets or w202 amg car in the parking lot.
with all that said if you like the car get it. If it's in good shape and has been serviced regularly it's a good buy. But keep in mind you are looking at a 17 year old car edging towards 200k it's going to need things. But this board and the people on it are fantastic and the amount of knowledge that can be found with the search button is second to none.
Yea I have noticed I learned so much just by stalking the boards already!! Yea I have always loved the w202 style and I know its going to be a drop off, but I am driving a Buick CUV right now so anything will feel like an upgrade! As far as what I plan to do with the car I am not sure yet, mostly cosmetic stuff though and make sure its running right then go from there.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: America
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
Honestly, I think the C36 is more "special" than the C43. It takes everything I absolutely LOVED about my C280 and made it 10x better. My C43 is amazing in different ways, but there's something magical in the DNA of the C36.
Anyway, everything to say has already been said. I loved the G8 (and they sort of brought it back with the Chevy SS, with updated styling) and hated to see it go.
Anyway, everything to say has already been said. I loved the G8 (and they sort of brought it back with the Chevy SS, with updated styling) and hated to see it go.
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Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 214
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From: Ocala, Fl
1996 C36 AMG and 1999 BMW e46
I agree. Coming from W201's, I had never really been a fan of the 202's in general, but I will say, there really is something about this car. It just wants to have fun... it wills you to put your foot down, and the sound is fantastic.
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From: north jersey
99 c43,90 mustang gt supercharged convertible,07 acura tl type s, Hummer H3t pickup
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97 C36 AMG
Update...
Had a friend check out the car in Chicago, everything checked out fine, the engine sounded good, no check lights on and the bottom of the vehicle was rust free. He did mention that the differential seeped oil after a test drive and when left running for a while but no dripping. We started negotiating and I thought I was out as another buyer emerged. The seller emailed me this morning saying that the buyer didn't have the cash so if I still was interested it's available. I won't be able to get to Chicago until the weekend but if it doesn't sell by then I should be the new owner.
Had a friend check out the car in Chicago, everything checked out fine, the engine sounded good, no check lights on and the bottom of the vehicle was rust free. He did mention that the differential seeped oil after a test drive and when left running for a while but no dripping. We started negotiating and I thought I was out as another buyer emerged. The seller emailed me this morning saying that the buyer didn't have the cash so if I still was interested it's available. I won't be able to get to Chicago until the weekend but if it doesn't sell by then I should be the new owner.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 228
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C36 AMG
Update...
Had a friend check out the car in Chicago, everything checked out fine, the engine sounded good, no check lights on and the bottom of the vehicle was rust free. He did mention that the differential seeped oil after a test drive and when left running for a while but no dripping. We started negotiating and I thought I was out as another buyer emerged. The seller emailed me this morning saying that the buyer didn't have the cash so if I still was interested it's available. I won't be able to get to Chicago until the weekend but if it doesn't sell by then I should be the new owner.
Had a friend check out the car in Chicago, everything checked out fine, the engine sounded good, no check lights on and the bottom of the vehicle was rust free. He did mention that the differential seeped oil after a test drive and when left running for a while but no dripping. We started negotiating and I thought I was out as another buyer emerged. The seller emailed me this morning saying that the buyer didn't have the cash so if I still was interested it's available. I won't be able to get to Chicago until the weekend but if it doesn't sell by then I should be the new owner.
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97 C36 AMG
Thanks guys, I'll try to get some pics up this week. The car was a blast to drive on the 240+ mile trip home, I won't say how fast I pushed her, but she responded extremely well. The engine sounds fantastic and all things considered, for it being a 97 and with over 167,000 on the dash, I was pleasantly surprised with the overall package. Got some maintenance to pull this weekend and already have developed quite a wish list of things I want to do in the future. I look forward to being a positive contributing member of the boards here and it's already has been a ton of help.
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 549
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From: Oregon
'97 c36
Welcome to the 36 crowd the more you drive it the more your going to love it. Start saving money for springs and shocks. If you like the way it handles now it's only half as good as it can be with the high American spec springs.
There are some excellent post on here from lots of members. But if you can't find something just ask.
Looking forward to the pictures.
There are some excellent post on here from lots of members. But if you can't find something just ask.
Looking forward to the pictures.
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97 C36 AMG
Promise to get those pictures up, this week has the makings of a rough one already but anywho..
Few things I noticed with the car today, during my trip from Chicago the car operated at a smooth 80 or just a bit over degrees, today after putting some gas in the tank and driving I noticed the temp gauge between 90-100. Is this normal operating temperature for these cars? It was about 70 degrees today and about 35 driving from Chicago when the car was operating around 80.
Also I got the srs light today, will run codes and see what's up with that, I followed a thread about an ECU reset for a c43, not sure if it would work I tried it anyway, then the light showed up shortly after.
Lastly I'm noticing a bit of a metal clunk sound when shifting gears, saw some threads that may have the answer and will look into exploring those further..
Few things I noticed with the car today, during my trip from Chicago the car operated at a smooth 80 or just a bit over degrees, today after putting some gas in the tank and driving I noticed the temp gauge between 90-100. Is this normal operating temperature for these cars? It was about 70 degrees today and about 35 driving from Chicago when the car was operating around 80.
Also I got the srs light today, will run codes and see what's up with that, I followed a thread about an ECU reset for a c43, not sure if it would work I tried it anyway, then the light showed up shortly after.
Lastly I'm noticing a bit of a metal clunk sound when shifting gears, saw some threads that may have the answer and will look into exploring those further..
