Ather

Hi All,
I have been silently looking for an 03 CL55 for a while now and see a couple of prospects that sound interesting. I have budget constraints so that is why I am looking at the below options which are not ideal but fit the initial budget.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...item4ac0f460c2

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-...item43b7e15d4a
(I have a quote for $1500 for bodywork and paint plus side mirror extra)

These are both east coast cars and I am in the west coast so shipping would be an additional cost.

I know these are both Salvage and it is advisable to stay away but considering the cost of what else is out there, they look like potential entry points into owning one. Other cars out there near my range are higher mileage. Would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Thanks in advance,
Cheers,
Ather

layzie12g

Buy mine. Its for sale in Seattle.

StarPower

I wouldn't touch the second car if they paid me. You can't do an inspection from across the country, so their quote doesn't mean anything until they tear the car apart. Even assuming the damage is purely cosmetic (which isn't likely), $1500 is way too low to fix that car properly.

When my car was wrecked, the initial quote was for about $3,000 (from the insurance adjuster before the car arrived at the shop). My car didn't look nearly as bad as the white one in the second link. After a couple of days in the shop, they requested an additional $24,000 dollars! This is just to show you that there can be a lot more damage than you can tell from the outside.

If you're looking to save money, I wouldn't even recommend the first car (or any CL). These cars are expensive to maintain properly even if you buy them in perfect condition.

If you are set on it, get a very thorough inspection before you buy. The front bumper (after the work) looks a little off. If there were corners cut anywhere in the restoration, you could end up spending more in repair costs than you paid for the car.

As the saying goes, "there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes." I'm not trying to scare you, I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into before you buy.

slonar21

The white Cl seems to be missing calipers

grane

Sandy victims?

alx

both cars are flood salvage from sandy. the market is now flooded (pun intended) with those.

do not touch with a 30 foot pole.

i repeat- do not touch.

danlnyc

I didn't even need to look through the photos to know what a giant headache the purchase will be for you.

I agree, stay far FAR away

nola_penguin

Neither, but especially not the 2nd.

layzie12g

Buying a CL for 12,000 dollars is a BAD idea. Even if you have access to cheap parts and the time and skill to do it.

Ather

Thank you all for the feedback and appreciate sharing your experiences repairing these cars. So I will go ahead and pass on them and wait for a better offer and also explore other car options. There is not much else out there for the money with that much power though.

kamilclk430

If you have a budget sometime its worth the while to wait and save up more. These are Mercedes Cars, buying the cheapest thing out there is likebuying themost expensive one. Just my .02

Das Geld 2

You need at least 25k to buy a CL period!

This kid is better of getting a kia for $189 a month.