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I’ve got the 72k mile car located in Houston, Texas.
My cargurus and autotrader accounts never seem to work right so I can never check messages and by the time customer service helps out they’re weeks old and I get no response.
Figured I’d post here to give a real CLK lover a chance… and perhaps someone I can buy the car back from in the future.
I’ve owned this car for over 12 years and bought from my father with 39,000 miles. He acquired in 2009 from his best friend (who’s like an uncle to me) with 5,900 miles.
I’ve known this car since it rolled off the showroom floor and was crazy about it since the first time I saw it. True dream car status and was so happy when my dad got it knowing one day maybe I could have it.
I’ve spared no expense in maintaining this beast as I told myself and others I would never sell.
Well I‘ve got something really special coming next month and unfortunately for me but fortunately for someone else I have to make room and let this one go…
Details are in the ad but below please see info and all the work I’ve done to it:
Everything OEM and car is bone stock.- Very well kept and always garaged in climate controlled environment
- No accidents or paintwork.
- Interior and seat bolsters in great condition compared to cars with much lower mileage.
- Clear bra all the way up the hood refreshed 2 years ago and ceramic coated.
- New Michelin Pilot Sport 4s at 69k miles with plenty of life left.
- New OEM Shocks / Struts on all 4 corners in last 10k miles (originals have been sent to OEM manufacturer KW to be refurbished to original specifications and will be included in the sale completely rebuilt.)
-New engine mounts at 60k miles
- Headbolts swap for newer OEM replacements performed at 60k miles as preventative maintenance.
-New valve bucket tappets upgraded to SLS Black Series parts
-Fuel pump and sending unit replaced
-New headliner
-New brake pads on all four corners
-New CV Axles
-New transmission mount
-New differential bushings
-New subframe bushing
-New flex discs
-New hood struts
-New windshield
As you all know, all these cars will need most of the above addressed regardless of mileage simply due to age.
Just completed service b maintenance.
All service records available.
The right rear shock has started to leak a bit but you can’t tell from driving the car. As I mentioned above the original set of shocks that came on the car (what’s currently installed are OEM replacements) are being rebuilt at KW now and will be included in the sale.
All of the above work was either done at Mercedes dealer, very well respected local shop here in Houston H&R motor sports, or by my friend who is an AMG master tech for 20 years who would do the work on the weekends using his tools and bay at the Mercedes’ dealer he worked at.
I hate to let this one go but I’ve gotten my fair enjoyment out of it and it’s time for someone else to.
Considering all the above and a quick sale I’m asking $95k which I believe is fair considering history.
Message me on here or Text
at (713) 2four0 963five and I'll send carfax for free
thanks
Did quick math in my head but I believe that recent service on this car adds up to roughly $20-$25K.
I know this from first-hand experience with my own CLK63 BS and yes, most of these items have to be done due to age, not mileage. Also, if I am not mistaken, CV axles are either no longer available for the Black Series, or close to it.
Super fair asking price considering everything it has been done to it but I should warn you: You may regret selling it the moment you see it driving away.
Did you only have the CV boots exchanged for new ones, or new CV axles on both sides? I can see the boots going bad. Unless the boots were cracked for a long time, the axles on the CLK are as heavy duty as they come. All the other parts that have been changed, make perfect sense to me.
MercedesDad, I agree. This is a VERY well maintained car, for a REALLY fair price!
Yea @MercedesDad this car has basically been a member of the family and thinking long term I wanted it tip top before parts became too hard to come by.
Wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right about replacement CV Axles being non existent but I was able to score these from a Mercedes dealer late last year.
Honestly I already regret listing it and am definitely going to be mad at myself once it’s gone.. I literally go back and forth every few days convincing myself I can manage with what I have coming and business / investments but my rationality takes over and I come back to thinking the smart thing to do is let it go.
@SMP Replaced the CV Axles completely as the boots on the originals are all dried out and open on one side but I believe you’re right that perhaps I should’ve just had them repaired. I still have them and was planning on repairing if I keep. Those will be included with the sale as well in their current condition.
I’ve submitted to carsandbids.com and waiting to hear back but from what I understand they respond pretty quickly and can have the auction up in as little as a week.
I’ve sold a car on bring a trailer before and it took 4 months from submission for the auction to go live which was pretty annoying.
I didn’t love the experience of dealing with all the comments so would rather a sale off auction but since this new car comes around mid April it may be the way to go.
2005 Mercedes Benz C55 AMG..1967 Lotus Europa..1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI..2020 Mercedes Benz E350
SMP...
In 2018, I almost bought a Mars Red CLK63AMG BS in Portland Oregon which was located in downtown Portland MB dealership. I was able to observe and participate in the PPI with the Shop Foreman and in the two (2) hours in and under (lift hoist) the car we found many items totaling almost $30,000 (which some items of brake pads, rotors, all 4 tires, a bent front OEM wheel, 15" inch cracked front windshield, etc., that needed immediate attention and others that were not so urgent. One of them was both CV rubber boots.
According to MB at that time, you couldn't buy separately the rubber boot but only the entire axel at the then cost of $1,600, or $3,200, with no sales tax in Oregon (+ tax if bought in California). Good luck if they're no longer available.
Unfortunately, the seller would not re-negotiate our mutually-agreed upon offer price of 553,000 (sent him a refundable deposit) and I passed on the deal. Ultimately, about 6 months later a forum member, PJMak, was searching the internet and saw the car was totaled in Texas and sold at an auction price of around $30,000. My reconsidered post PPI offer to the seller was $35,000 cash and he was insulted. Too bad.
However, it seems to me that some domestic after-market manufacturer of rubber boots might possibly be able to match MB's rubber boot if they had the dimensions. Who knows.......
In 2018, I almost bought a Mars Red CLK63AMG BS in Portland Oregon which was located in downtown Portland MB dealership. I was able to observe and participate in the PPI with the Shop Foreman and in the two (2) hours in and under (lift hoist) the car we found many items totaling almost $30,000 (which some items of brake pads, rotors, all 4 tires, a bent front OEM wheel, 15" inch cracked front windshield, etc., that needed immediate attention and others that were not so urgent. One of them was both CV rubber boots.
According to MB at that time, you couldn't buy separately the rubber boot but only the entire axel at the then cost of $1,600, or $3,200, with no sales tax in Oregon (+ tax if bought in California). Good luck if they're no longer available.
Unfortunately, the seller would not re-negotiate our mutually-agreed upon offer price of 553,000 (sent him a refundable deposit) and I passed on the deal. Ultimately, about 6 months later a forum member, PJMak, was searching the internet and saw the car was totaled in Texas and sold at an auction price of around $30,000. My reconsidered post PPI offer to the seller was $35,000 cash and he was insulted. Too bad.
However, it seems to me that some domestic after-market manufacturer of rubber boots might possibly be able to match MB's rubber boot if they had the dimensions. Who knows.......
Rob
Thanks for the info. I guess Mercedes has the same attitude in regards to the CV axles, as they have concerning the KW's. If the cheap rubber part has gone bad, buy the whole strut, or in this case, the CV axles Profit making 101 at it's finest I was lucky to get the rear struts back then. Took a long time though, as only one KW coil over was in the country. The passenger side, had to be ordered from Germany. And as luck would have it, the damn thing got stock at the port of Long Beach, CA for 2 month, because they couldn't unload the boats. Not sure if they are still available through the MB parts catalog either.
Yea @MercedesDad this car has basically been a member of the family and thinking long term I wanted it tip top before parts became too hard to come by.
Wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right about replacement CV Axles being non existent but I was able to score these from a Mercedes dealer late last year.
Honestly I already regret listing it and am definitely going to be mad at myself once it’s gone.. I literally go back and forth every few days convincing myself I can manage with what I have coming and business / investments but my rationality takes over and I come back to thinking the smart thing to do is let it go.
@SMP Replaced the CV Axles completely as the boots on the originals are all dried out and open on one side but I believe you’re right that perhaps I should’ve just had them repaired. I still have them and was planning on repairing if I keep. Those will be included with the sale as well in their current condition.
I’ve submitted to carsandbids.com and waiting to hear back but from what I understand they respond pretty quickly and can have the auction up in as little as a week.
I’ve sold a car on bring a trailer before and it took 4 months from submission for the auction to go live which was pretty annoying.
I didn’t love the experience of dealing with all the comments so would rather a sale off auction but since this new car comes around mid April it may be the way to go.
I don't blame you. Although BaT is a great platform to sell your car, you have to deal with "some" people, that work in tandem to "get" the car for a lower price. When my car went live, I had a self-proclaimed Bitcoin king, who tried to line it up for his buddy to get the car for cheap. Good thing, I don't mind dealing with such people, as they are very transparent in their actions. The pictures I took of my car, inside out and upside down, spoke for itself, and real bidders could see the true condition of my car. The impeccable service history with hard copies to prove it, did the rest. I am as OCD as they come Besides, selling a car through BaT is not entirely about the car, but as much about the seller as well. When interested parties came over to look at my car in person, they were more interested to meet me, and spent littles time actually looking at the car. Anyway, you have a well maintained and taken care of CLK, and I wish you good luck with the sale, no matter which avenue you ultimately pursue!
You’re not wrong that car and history should speak for itself. And absolutely the pictures, presentation, and seller engagement do make all the difference in auction.
Lol was that “bitcoin king” DRM Brothers by any chance? I’ve seen them posting about bidding heavy if seller would accept BTC… which in fact I would probably accept for payment.
If it has to go on an auction site for the quick sale so be it but yea ideally I’ll be able to make a deal with someone before that.
Great car that shows how this so called high mileage cars can be well maintained and a better buy than those with suspicious mileage and showing wear that don't match their odometers.
Market drops are normal, remember when the market prices were under 60k, lets see how low this cycle goes, won't mind adding another one to the portfolio.
prices dated back to the past 5yrs up until now has been very stable in a global view, it's nice to see that North America has caught up in the past year or two, and it certainly looks like it's staying that way and still steadily creeping upwards in a macro view.
What a helpful chart. Are the figures inflation-adjusted? If they're not, it might actually seem that we're in a flat or even an opportunistic time based on inflation..
What a helpful chart. Are the figures inflation-adjusted? If they're not, it might actually seem that we're in a flat or even an opportunistic time based on inflation..
it's a global collection on the actual-sold numbers, inflation rate is different across different countries and from year-to-year; hence i'm not here to say the car appreciates significantly (or any at all if you factor in the inflation), but it's pretty clear that at least it does not depreciate over time in terms of value.
the CLKBS will be a halo car! i didnt want to believe everyone back then when they said that car manufactures arent going to build cars like this anymore and now here we are. and they did it by following a simple formula - big engine, wide body, and fat tires. i love it!
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
Profit making 101 at it's finest
I was lucky to get the rear struts back then. Took a long time though, as only one KW coil over was in the country. The passenger side, had to be ordered from Germany. And as luck would have it, the damn thing got stock at the port of Long Beach, CA for 2 month, because they couldn't unload the boats. Not sure if they are still available through the MB parts catalog either.
