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ive been in contact with a seller of a 1998 C43 for the past few days and am going to be driving out to see it tomorrow. It has 180k miles and the seller mentioned it needs “some front end work (ball joints, etc)” and the seller is located pretty far outside of the Metroplex. There isn’t a Mercedes-focused mechanic in the small town where the car is located, so doing a PPI (which i suggested while speaking to the seller) is going to be hard to do.
Should I push for the PPI? He’s about an hour and a half from the nearest mechanic and doesn’t seem very interested in a PPI.
This is my first endeavor into the C43 realm, anything in particular that I should be looking for? Besides the mentioned front end, are there any other big issues that I should watch out for?
From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
Transmission: Find out if the oil and filter have been flushed and changed and when. Are the shifts up and down smooth with no shocks or shudder.
Engine: Has the engine oil (which brand and type), these engines like Mobil1, been changed and what maintenance has been done recently and in the past. Major interventions? If so what? Check for visible oil leaks around the engine. The valve covers do leak but it's a simple fix.
Electrics: Check that all the electrics work correctly.
Bodywork: Check for rust, if possible under the chassis.
Interior: Check the interior condition. That gives an indication how the owner cares for his vehicle.
Suspension: You mentioned the front needs new parts, but I guess that's normal for the years and mileage covered. It's not difficult to do if you have the right tools.
Brakes: The front rotors are special and expensive, but it seems MB have lowered the price for replacements. Other solutions exist for the rotors or calipers. Rear brakes usually no problem finding parts
Oh, BTW the 43 looks clean and nice in the photo but the front bumper needs adjustment
P.S. Keep us posted
Last edited by DRBC43AMG; Feb 2, 2019 at 04:44 AM.
Reason: Completed post
Update: checked the car out this afternoon. I’ve attached pictures below but GOOD NEWS, car is in good shape and I will be purchasing tomorrow morning.
Items of note:
Wife of the owner got a little too close to the front curb. Because of that, alignment is off. Could try to fix, but it’s looking like I’ll just find a replacement. Any help in the right direction for a front bumper would be appreciated!
Same wife hit a pothole pretty hard, and blew out the front right tire. An old tire is currently on and it’s got some flat spots. That’ll have to be replaced, but I’ll probably just replace them all honestly.
Radio lights up and runs, but no sound. Owner mentioned this began with the replacement of the new battery.
Interior is in great shape! Both the seller and the previous owner ran seat covers on all seats (don’t want to ruin that Magno white leather). Steering wheel has been covered as well. I checked under them all and no issues. Dash is clean with no cracks. AC blows cold and hot.
Body is is clean and straight. Carfax showed 1 minor accident, and owner had documentation of the event. Pipe flew off a plumbing truck and hit right above the right A pillar. One small dent on rear right quarter panel. Paint looked great.
Small valve gasket leak, will be addressing that soon.
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
Double check on that being a 98. The shifter surround being wood, the bin beneath the stereo, and the stereo itself indicate a 99.
Also, is the bottom of the front fascia black? It is hard to tell because there is no good picture of the front fascia.
Are pixels out in the dash? Looks like the clock is not displaying properly.
The little stuff can add up quickly on these, especially anything that is unique to the C43 (like the gauge cluster). Based on the pictures, I wouldn't pay more than $4k-$4.5k for this car under the assumption that it is a driver and not a restore candidate. If you're looking for a driver to enjoy on the open road and don't care too much about the cosmetics, enjoy the hell out of it. Just don't want you to overpay for it.
PS: Check the inside of the rim on the wheel that had the blowout. If its bent, its most likely on the inside lip.
I picked up the car on 2/5 and trailered it the 80 miles home. Due to a family emergency, I had to leave her in the garage until yesterday when I got back into town. Front bumper is absolutely beat and not sure that anyone will be able to repair it. Still got the vibration in the steering wheel, and some popping/creaking at lower speeds. Taking her to a shop this weekend to assess what needs to be done on the front end/suspension.
Lot of work to do, but I’ll tell you one thing...I smile from ear to ear every time I start her up. Fiancé has taken to calling the car “silver bullet,” or Bull for short. Can’t wait to get to working!
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