Camden123

I have an opportunity to buy a 99 CLK320 convertible with 87k for $8900.

My intent is this: Buy an awesome convertible for 1 year and then sell it.

I have no more than $10k as "fun money" (of course I get some back when I sell) so this opportunity fits the bill from that regard. But I don't want to buy a 10-yr old car and have a ton of problems over the next year.

I've read lots of thread here and am interested in your thoughts on the following:
(1) Assuming condition is good-to-excellent I think this is a fair price. Agree?
(2) Any major service items I should definitely check out?
(3) It's out of mfg warranty but less than 100k. Too late to get starmark?
(4) One potential red flag is the seller installed chrome 20s...i assume for a pimped out look. Besides bumpier ride what other issues might that present for me?
(5) I've never owned MB. Best to get dealer service? I have a well-trusted local independent I typically use.

i'm new to MBs so Thanks in Advance.

lx4life

As with any vehicle, if you have a good maintence history with the car that will tell you how it was taken care of and how long it should last. Find out when the last service was done and what was actually done, these engines are pretty reliable as for the tranny i don't know I have heard good an dsome bad mine feels strong and I have 104k on it. I am actually selling my 00 CLK320 but its not a convt. for more so that is a good deal, as far as selling it in a year i would just save the money and not buy the car. Wait until next year to buy what you really want thats my two cent.

MarcusF

1. Assuming the car is good to excellent, I'd have to ask myself why the owner is only asking $9K.
2. The 5 year service is due again (plugs). Ask your local dealer what the 5 year service is going to cost. You may want to find out if the current owner has done the 3 year service, the 4 year/50K service, and the 4 year/60K service. You may want to find out if the brakes need work. Personally, I'd take the car to an MB dealer and pay for a pre-purchase inspection. If I only had $10K in "fun money", I wouldn't spend $9K on a 10 year old Mercedes-Benz and hope it didn’t need $1K in repairs over the next year. Spending $100 to find out just what the needs may be a good approach.
3. You can only get a StarMark car from an MB dealer, or a private party whose car is already certified. That model is too old for the dealer to certify it now.
4. No comment.
5. If your Indy knows MB, then you're set. If he doesn't, you may want to find one that does. Paying an indy to learn on your car isn't the optimal situation.