hawk02

Not in a position to spend a ton but this looks really nice, they sent me a video of the car running with the hood up and a walk around also which I thought was pretty cool. At first I was worried about the mileage but the Carfax service history looked pretty extensive compared to others I've seen. The price IS around $3300 below KBB from what I could see on KBB.com. Just would like a little insight on the overall car. We just started talking so the price WILL come down just not sure how much yet. This will be a 2nd car(toy/nice weather only) and will never see rain or snow and be less than 10k per year, probably closer to 5K of use. Thanks.

https://www.vwofstreetsboro.com/inve...gf7hb8bf643049

TPete19

Mileage is high, but if it was taken care of, then it could be ok.

The VIN shows that the engine is outside of the defective head bolt group, so that's a positive.

Options wise, the car is pretty average.

hachiroku

vin number verification isn't 100% so we've seen.

hawk02

This is why I'm here, had no idea about a head bolt issue, hopefully if it had any issues they have been addressed by this mileage.

C63fora2w1

HAWK there are a lot of things that you need to take into consideration. If your looking at a 120,000 mile C63 for under 20k on the surface that looks like a smoking deal but .. There are a lot of hidden costs with owning a luxury sport sedan. Tires are 1k a set and in 6mo I have gone through two sets and im about ready for a third. Its very common to get 6-10k miles to a set of tires and that is just commuting. My payment insurance and gas is about a grand a month and I bought a 2013 so you can figure 600-$750 mo. (350 payment, 200 insurance, 200 gas)

Maintenance is important and the C63 will need one major service a year. A car of this age will not have a warranty so repairs can be very expensive.. these cars are reliable but are thousands not hundreds to repair. For example on my recent trip to the MB dealer I was quoted $800 to replace a MAF sensor. Power steering pump $1600.. MB brake pads $800 although there are cheaper options. :0) A 2011 could be affected by the dreaded head bolt issue, you'll have to check the VIN with the dealer to know for sure, preventative fix 6500 dealer 3500-4500 indy shop. They are amazing cars but its easy to get in over your head if your not careful.

hawk02

This is the kind of info I was hoping for, thanks!!! I understand the maint/repair costs and between myself and a close friend who has his own shop and works on any and all from Honda to BMW/Audi/MB/Porsche and more I wouldn't be on the hook for crazy labor costs, I pretty capable on my own too but nice to hear what the parts cost. As for tires is it an issue/characteristic of the car to go through tires so fast or the type of tire itself? At 5-10k miles per year what services would be needed besides oil changes/tires? And I will chaco with a local MB dealer to confirm the head bolt concern. Fuel economy is not a concern as I have a daily toyota camry and a previous toy was a 2004 Ram SRT10 Viper truck...LOL

Any other items to look for?, I am in RI and this car is in Ohio so want to cover all the bases before a road trip.....

hawk02

Ran the VIN and got engine number 156985 60 066580 which seems to be at least a few thousand out of the affected range. Can this be confirmed? I PM'd the individual who started a thread about this issue with my VIN and ENG number so hopefully I'll know soon. Thanks.

skratch77

It has 120k without blowing the head off! I would say that's an indicator that it's the newer bolts.

hawk02

Yeah I was thinking the same thing, lol, whatever issues it had were already addressed by the original owner. And it was just confirmed on the other thread that it is not in the affected range of engine numbers.

hachiroku

wow...a set of tires every 6-10k you really do enjoy to press the gas from stop.

I personally own a W211 E63 which has higher running costs in comparison to the W204 C63. What I tell people is that to maintain/repair my car it costs $1,500 a year. Any unused dollar amount from this rolls over to the next year. This will continue rolling over until you are required to complete a big dollar repair. That is the easiest way I could explain the cost of ownership to you. Some cars costs more to maintain, some cost less. BMW's cost more for the most part. MUCH MORE, unless you're lucky.

C63fora2w1

A w211 is not a C63 w204 they are completely different platforms. It is well documented throughout this forum the rate at which C63's eat tires and I am right at that rate.

C63fora2w1

C63's live on a steady diet of premium gas, tires and oil. My rate at which I replace tires is about average. The good news is Michelin has a 15k warranty so after initial purchase it should not cost to much to replace. I drive my car everyday and get every ounce of enjoyment I can out of it. Its definitely not a garage queen. I bought my car in Seattle and drove it back to New Mexico, I took the scenic route along the California coast over a 5 day period with stops in Oregon and Vegas. It was the best road trip of my life. If you end up going to ohio to get a car you will fall in love with it on the way back. As a side note on loge hwy way drives I can get 24 mpg with a max range of 375 miles but that was pushing it. Have it inspected by a MB dealer before purchasing as they will be able to find things a regular shop will not. The only way to tell if the headbolts have been changed is have someone look at it like a MB dealer.. The new headbolts have a different design and they should be able to tell without tearing to much into it. Once you get it home put some headers and a tune on it and you will have a monster in your garage.

Tlnt60

I thought you could also tell if it doesn't have the affected headbolts by the color of the head valve cover. If it's black then it's not in the affected range.

But I need someone to verify this.

hachiroku

yes...because valve covers from the factory came after x date, BUT since then, the plastic valve covers have become the updated part. If the previous owner updated valve covers to the new part, then it wouldn't be a good indicator. My engine is having the head bolts replaced as well as other things, in that process i'm updating the valve covers to the new part.

realjones88

At 120K you are buying a German car that has, quite frankly, been used up. Expect to replace stuff like shocks, pumps, etc as they all have an end life. Spending $10K more for a much lower mileage car could save you in the long run. Honestly when you say "Not in a position to spend a ton" you are in over your head with this car. Makes me think you have $20K and wanted see how much car you could get.

With regards to the headbolts VIN I don't think ONE guy, who wasn't even the original owner, changes the engine cutoff number officially established by Mercedes.

hachiroku

have you realigned your car? all of my cars and race cars have zero rear toe so handling is neutral. i have even set my E63 with a zero rear toe.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...so-fast-5.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...ml#post5118242

QWKSNKE

They don't eat front tires. Just rears. And if you are paying 2k a year for rears, you are getting robbed.

My experience with my 2008 that was totaled 2 weeks ago.

I bought the car with 87k miles and it met its untimely demise at 117k miles

*Rear tires twice a year or 4k miles per rear set. Buy Michelins PSS's. they have a 15k mile warranty which they will never reach. At 4k miles per I was averaging $400/yr for 2 sets. Front tires lasted me around 30k miles

*Bushings were gone in two of the front control arms around 110k miles. Bought the OEM arms from FCP Euro for half what they cost every where else. Paid a shop to put them on and alignment. Total investment $500

*Replaced thermostat at 105k miles. Easy work. Done this myself. Cost $100

*HVAC Blower fan went out around the same time. Another DIY job. Cost $110 for OEM part

Here is the biggest expense I had- Ignition module went out last August. Can't DIY this because of the anti theft system. Towed to a local indy shop who specialize in Euro cars. Total cost $700


My point, if the car appears to have been taken care of and you are a DIY guy of any kind, these cars are no more expensive to own/maintain than any other american sports car. If you are someone who runs to the dealer for everything, than ownership will be expensive

hawk02

My statement was towards the initial purchase, I am well aware of the costs of repairs and maint and have a good network for any work that it may eventually need without going to a MB dealer.

hawk02

That's the boat i'm in, I will do what I can and I have a shop owned by my son's godfather and close friend who can tackle anything that I can't. Thanks for that repair run down also, nice to see specifics.

C63fora2w1

I replaced one full set of tires, the stock conti's at 6k miles. I replaced them with MPSS 255/40 and 275/35 and the fronts still have plenty of meat but the rears are at 5/32 right now. I imagine I'll get another 2k miles on them before they hit 3/32 and can be warranty swapped.

hawk02

Well they are black and the engine number is about 4000 after the affected range and someone said at this mileage something would have happened already....where else can all this be confirmed?

hachiroku

mileage has nothing to do with head bolt failure. its a gamble. there is a member on the W211 forums that has +200k on an unopened 2007 engine and he occasionally tracks his car.

NotABaller

How does warranty/warranty swap on tires work? What is the 15k warranty?

Tlnt60

Call discount tire or whoever you buy your tires from. If the tires wear out before you hit 15k they will prorate a new set based on the miles remaining.

NotABaller

Ok, I think I get it.

Lets say my tires wear out within 5k. Then I can buy new tiers for roughly 1/3rd the price?

Tires wear out at 10k, I pay 2/3rds, as an example, of full price?