Hello everyone. This is my first post and the main reason I joined was to say thank you and give back to the community somehow/someway. I am a used car dealer, but even before I was, the CL55 has long been one of my all time favorite cars. I just could never justify purchasing one due to all the suspension & electrical horror stories I've heard through the grapevine. Combine that with all the cars I've seen firsthand at auctions with various suspension & electrical issues, I just wasn't willing to pay anywhere near close to the price these cars were commanding knowing what I knew about them.

Almost exactly a year ago, I saw the 2003 CL55 below at auction. It was one of the victims of Super Storm Sandy in the NorthEast of the US (Long Island) and I could not pass her up. Car went for unbelievably cheap and I had to pull the trigger. I purchased the car based of a few low resolution auction pictures, but based on the pictures I did see, car appeared fairly clean. It was being sold with no key, flood damage, electrical damage... I still had to pull the trigger.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I finally got the car running with the help of this forum, a few other forums, Google, and putting in some hours troubleshooting electrical issues.

If you take a look at the door, you can clearly see the water mark of where the flooding reached. Water also entered the fog lights.





Luckily, the water intrusion to the cabin only affected the passenger side. The rear SAM/fusebox were destroyed, the phone module was destroyed, alarm & window module were iffy, no obvious signs of water damage, but it was too early to tell. In the pic below, you can see the soot, silt, dirt, minerals that settled under the passenger side carpet.





Compared to the passenger side, the drivers side is surgically clean.



I had to replace this pre-fuse block, the previous owner tried to start the car while the rear fuse block and SAM were swimming in salt water.



I was not getting power to the EIS so the key would not turn, I had to put a jumper wire on the EIS fuse to allow the key to even turn, but even after I added the jumper wire, the car would not start or crank. Just ACC & IGN...



Here is where I spliced in all new terminals/connectors/pins to all modules under the rear passenger seat.



After all the salt water was dried out/evaporated, this is what your carpet looks like...



From bottom to top... 2006 phone module, 2003 water damaged phone module, 2003 water damaged rear SAM/fuse block.



This shot shows the first time the car has moved under its own power in almost a year. After the car started, amazingly the suspension rose right up and no ABC issues with the exception of the right front suspension height being ever so slightly lower than the left side... 1/4" or so lower. Shortly after this shot, I gave her a well deserved bath with the pressure washer to get off almost a year of dirt. Car looks pretty good for not being washed in almost a year.

 

outstanding. however, i would not have touched that car at any cost. you are a brave man and you have been rewarded.

kudos

 

I hope it works out for you and you got it cheap. Just be ready for the money you are about to start throwing at the car. CL ownership is not for the squeemish, cheap, or poor.

 

Welcome to CL ownership. Nice to see a potential scrap saved. Of course, some of us need parts so don't save them all!
LOL

 

very cool!!!

 

Nice man.

 

Makes me smile! Thanks for sharing this.

 

nice man, hope it treats you well

 

That's awesome!! I really enjoy how so many ppl on this site have so much pride and love for their cars. Everyone around where I am from just doesn't seem to share the same joy. Just always ends in drama its pathetic. Anyway awesome project I love my cl even with all the issues she throws at me lol

 

Wow. Very cool!
Please continue to post more about this car :-)

 

Very good work indeed

 

Fantastic rescue and kudos to you!

 

Nothing much to add. I had to take care of some service items before I begin with the fun stuff...

1. Belts, pulleys, & bearings were noisy. Replaced a few items on the front of the motor including supercharger bearing (thanks to this forum)...
2. Rear rotors were in bad shape, replaced pads, rotors, and emergency brake shoes, also cleaned calipers.
3. Parking brake lever wouldn't stay engaged and the release lever felt sloppy and wouldnt spring back, fixed that.
4. Still need to perform some ABC preventative maintenence & replace rear wheel bearings, then I can have some fun...





If you are having parking brake issues such as the foot lever not staying engaged, the release handle not pulling itself back in, no spring tension, excess slack in release lever, or the feeling that your parking brake is partially engaged, this may be your problem:

1. First you have to remove black plastic cover that hides the mechanism



2. Pic of the cover removed



3. My issue was the black L shaped rod directly above the spring had jumped out of the pocket that it is supposed to sit in, once I put it back in place, all was good. I also bent it inward some more so hopefully it does not happen again...

 

Thank you. Fortune favors the brave...

I definitely wouldnt recommend this car to anyone who does not have deep pockets, friends with a good indy, or can perform and enjoy working on their own vehicles... maybe all of the above...

Thanks. I bought a parts car because it was cheaper than running to the dealership... even with my discount, I come out on top by getting the parts cars.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks.

She already has... large grin every time I step on it...

Thanks. Its one of my all time favorite cars. The issues are not that bad when you think about it. You are basically getting near supercar performance for little to no money. Maintenence is pretty affordable if you dont run to the dealer for everything.

Will do.

Thanks.

Thanks.

 

Will you tell us what you paid? Was it a Copart car?

 

Did you need some modules or wiring harness:? I have a complete one from a CL55 if you have any issues (knock on wood)!!!