Schwayz

I am interested in getting back in to a w202. I specifically want a low milage example in white, black or red. Also, if there happens to be one of the very rare c55's floating out there that anyone knows of I am also interested. Thanks in advance.

Benzrider17

Looking to part ways with one of my c43s silver 93k miles

Sentinel83

Have you seen @MoMBGW 's C43 in the marketplace? It's in fantastic condition: https://mbworld.org/forums/market/877352

Schwayz

Mainly looking for black or red but would consider white. Not interested in Silver

Sentinel83

Sorry, I didn’t notice that silver was not part of your original list.

Red W202 C43s are extremely rare. @PJmak might know the actual production numbers that came to the U.S.

Red C43s only come available for sale once every few years (including internationally), and when they do, the enthusiasts scoop them up quickly.

My original plan was to have my black C43 repainted red until I found this red one available sale:



Now the plan is to repaint the black one Lapis blue:



If you really like the red color then you might want to explore buying one in one of the other colors and having it repainted instead of waiting.

There is significantly more demand for red than there is supply.

PJmak

Red is nearly impossible to find, and if you do find one, its probably gonna be rough around the edges. The red paint doesnt age well for some reason. It usually starts shedding its clearcoat.

It took me ten years to buy a red c43. There are roughly less than 40 in red imported into USA. White is also rare but nowhere as rare as red.

Theres also a dark blue/green metalic which is the rarest color for the usa market(excluding the only one burgundy car which is a 2000 year model)

Sentinel83

I agree. Imperial Red’s color looks great but is high maintenance. Mine has 84,000 miles and it already needs a repaint:

speed43

Google search shows…

Red has a very long wavelength and blue is very short. Because red paint absorbs blue light and others which are shorter in wavelength, the more energy it absorbs compared to other colours means the red pigment in the paint is eroded faster

Sulaco

The silver on mine is absolutely trashed too. Whole car needs a complete strip and respray. 323k miles and southern owned with zero rust.

speed43

Now that you wrote this i can see why my silver car looks so bad. When i first bought it I thought someone sprayed a silver color using a can. The whole car has faded so bad that i have to respray the whole car. I dont want to paint it silver though. I was thinking of a space grey with black accents here and there. Or a deep black color, or some color not seen on a Mercedes.

Im not the type that has to have things “period correct” Like so many. Back in the “period” time that’s all they had to work with. Why would i want to stick to that…. That’s just my thinking though not to offend anyone that follows this stuff.

Sentinel83

Would be great to see your car when the repaint is done.

White, black, and silver look great on the C43…but those colors are everywhere. They’re also the same colors on every modern car.

My silver W202’s paint has aged well with waxing it 3-4 times a year. When I don’t have it waxed the paint wears out faster.

@PJmak how often do you wax your Imperial Red?

Sulaco

I'll likely stay silver to save money and have it done right. If I were to do a total recolor it would be dark green 💚

PJmak

The paint on my red one is shot on most panels and itll need a full respray. This is how I bought it. I never had a budget to fully repaint it yet. I have other priorities.

speed43

Thanks. I will be sure to take pictures and a video. Right now I’m working on the rear suspension. I want to get all the mechanical stuff done first. Doing the work super slow 1-2 hours a day. So it will be a long time but it will come out like new and more. I have so many parts to install its crazy.