cmy_bimmer

My dad just bought a 97 e420 with a supposed AMG conversion. I am clueless about benz, and the only things I noticed was the wheels and the badge. What package or kits does AMG offer?

Ill post up some pics tmw for sure .

Glad to start looking into the benz scene

PS: Oh and if anyone can give me any background information about the car, that would be great. Anything I should look out for or change before anything would NEED to be replaced? (preventative maintenance )

ohlord

It can be dressed up with body aeros to look AMG but AMG is all about the engine.
I hope he did not pay more than 5 grand and that he had it fully inspected.
Check for noise tapping coming from the valve covers,signs of oil feed tube issues common to that M119 engine. Inspect spring perches. Change the transmission fluid and filter. RRead the diy's on www.benzworld.org w210 section.
Read more on www.peachparts.com diy section.
Ask questions before you do anything you are not sure of. From buying parts to diy to finding a good indie mb shop if you find yourself in over your head.

cmy_bimmer

lol, well we def didnt pay over 5k, even tho kbb for the car was 7.5k... weird

Ill def be reading up on the other forums, tryna keep up with the car. I def know how the game goes tho with asking before doing anything. Been on forums for a couple years now and learned how to get around things and the such.

Oh and some semi-bad news... While my dad was driving the car back home, the CEL came on. My dad just gave him a check and told him if its an expensive fix, then its going back. ouch, we'll see how that goes.

tscales

Just to 'second' the previous comments. Anyone that badges a non-AMG (i.e. no AMG engine) car with AMG badges is a poser, pure and simple. Even the dealers do it.

Always makes me laugh.

ohlord

and let him drive away.Not a coincidence
In Ca. don't you have some law about the seller of a car making them be responsible for the car passing smog? For surely it will not pass with an active or pending code.Good luck

cmy_bimmer

Regarding the badges, yes we (bmw forums) react the same way when we see a non-M bmw slap on some M badges. It gets annoying and retarded so I can imagine it being the same w AMG. Sadly, my dad "thinks" its an AMG even though I keep telling him its not. How sad.

And ^, yes supposedly the guy smogged the car before he sold it to my dad. My dad was so pissed when he saw the CEL come on because he knew the guy just reset it. I hate unreliable sellers. Another reason why not to buy from auto traders.

gotglasses

CEL so soon ! Been there - sounds like PO erased codes. After a couple of "cycles" they come back. They can also be seen as codes "pending" if you have a good code reader. It might need only a spark plug change - code number will point you in the direction of what is needed, but expect related items to pop up too. The Mercedes diagnostic system is more sensitive than most cars and triggers the CEL if any item is less than perfect. Once item is fixed properly you are OK to go get inspected - but make sure all the monitors are on, which takes a couple of days/cycles to reset after you erase codes.

cmy_bimmer

Yea, we're going to go get someone read the cide for us and see what it might be. Hope its an easy fix.

gotglasses

I'm sure that Mercedes made a lot more AMG badges than real AMG's !

My E420 Sport had the AMG badge on the trunklid when new from the dealer, the Sport has handling mods but no special engine mods. Real AMG's have a plate on the engine signed by the tech who blueprinted it. Real AMG's also have the top speed limiter lifted to 155mph, so if you can get it over the standard 130mph limit you may have found another AMG mod in the computer, LOL !

In 1997 the electronic 5 speed transmission was new and had so much inherent throttle delay, plus no over-ride over the ASR and ESP, that more power is kind of pointless.

RichardM98

Yes, in California the SELLER is responsible for the smog test during title transfer and the purchase can be reversed if they are unwilling. Of course, this can be difficult with a private party sale if they've spent the money (or say they did).

cmy_bimmer

Yea, well I told my dad im taking off the AMG badge and he asked Why!? So I didnt even bother explaining . I may take it off eventually.

Oh and update... This morning my dad took the car to a shop and they found that a hose was disconnected that caused the light to turn on. I dont know which hose it was because when my dad went to the shop I was still asleep . The light was reset and havent turned on yet, hopefully it stays that way.

The car needs some minor body and consmetic work, such as some new fogs, front bumper grill, pulled dent on the trunk (where the e420 badge is), get a rear parking light socket (where can I get those from other than the dealership?), and the interior is maybe a 7/10. All in all a pretty clean car.

It drives nicely and damn that V8 is nice . It sounds pretty sweet, I love the gargly sound it gives.


Pics are coming shortly

cmy_bimmer

Pics!













Tell me what you think plz . Even though its not my car, I can always suggest it to my dad for him to decide.

BTW, do these cars have any DEPO headlights or anything aftermarket? I hate the fogged look

PS: I just realized the wheel is missing a lug nut

C280 Sport

Sweet looking W210 you got there dude. Where did you buy that car from? inde sell or dealer? Always before buying used cars get a Pre Purchase Inspection(PPI). Will save you lots of money and time.

cmy_bimmer

Indy seller, no dealer (eff that). Dad pretty much stole the car with the price he got it for. Yea I wish my dad doesnt trust ppl as much as he does. he takes everyone's word as if it were a promise so he just took the sellers word (its the damn sellers words for gods sake, when you're desperate for money you'd say anything...).

Glad the CEL is gone tho, hoping it stays that way for a long time .

Thx for the kind words.

Oh I also wanted to ask if the tails are aftermarket? I didnt think they came with smoked tails from the factory. yeah?

C280 Sport

Those tail light where actually from the 00-03 W210 style. Since that is a 97 E420 it has the old style lights. So they have been upgraded already.

cmy_bimmer

Sweet

im almost liking the PO

gotglasses

[quote=cmy_bimmer;3849508]Regarding the badges, yes we (bmw forums) react the same way when we see a non-M bmw slap on some M badges. It gets annoying and retarded so I can imagine it being the same w AMG. Sadly, my dad "thinks" its an AMG even though I keep telling him its not. How sad.



So, nice car - looks like it has a trunklid from a later E430. You can get those tailights on Ebay for $80 - great buy! Not a Sport Package since it does not have the round fog lights, air dams, side skirts.
It does have the AMG Monoblock wheels - 97 were 17" , later ones were 18". These wheels are available in after market in various sizes. Car looks good in black. Where is the AMG emblem? Only on the wheels? Mine is on the trunklid. Great sales attraction for me too! I was a bit disappointed when I found out it was no E55. The engine shown is definitely a standard 275 HP 420 32 valve, DOHC , 10:1 compression 6300 RPM rev limited M119 - sweet engine that in race trim won LeMans a number of times for Mercedes. The later 3 valve heads did not add anything to the performance potential, but that more compact engine was a complete re-design for emissions but still provided plenty of power.

AMG or not - a 420/430 is still a sweet ride!

cmy_bimmer

The badge is on the right side of the trunk, I couldnt picture the whole rear end of the car. Yea I really do like the car. Big difference from my I6 in the bimmer. Still cant equal the badassness of a 5-speed :p.

Btw, do these motors in specific have any problems with like rod knocks or anything of the sort? When the car idles, especially when cold I hear the motor tick a little. when I rev it up to about 1k, the ticking/knocking becomes more audible. Sounds usual ?

E55 KEV

Where's the AMG conversion? From reading the post I was at least expecting a 97 E420 Sport? The Sport comes with an AMG body Kit all around and 17" AMG rims and that is it. The Sport has no upgrades to the engine, suspension, tranny or interior.

saintz

You'll want to change the tranny oil if it was never changed. I think that's the biggest preventative maintenance that is most often overlooked and most expensive if not done. Check the tranny dipstick tube and see if the locking tab is red (meaning the oil might have been changed) or black (meaning the factory seal).

You can polish the headlights with Meguiars Plast-X or wet fine sandpaper to get them clearer. You can also get Depos cheap on eBay.

desired_speeds

Why do you have an HID headlight on the passenger side and a halogen headlight on the drivers side? It seems as if it was involved in an accident on the drivers side front end at one point in its life. Also, the fenderliner seems to be torn. Other than that, it looks like a solid buy.

Figuero

1997 did not have ESP, only ASR. And you could override the ASR.

cmy_bimmer

Idk, its kinda why I made this thread lol.
Yea, actually I still have yet to check the fluids. My dad was out the house all day with the car so I didn't get a chance to check the fluids. Planning on changing the oil/tranny fluids/filter once was the semester is over. Is the tranny filter fairly easy to do?

And ill have to check out the lights. Hopefully it hasn't been in an accident, its a clean title tho, so idk.

saintz

Yes. Plenty of DIY instructions here, BenzWorld.org, PeachParts.com, and others. Basically, drain, drop the pan, swap the filters, fill, run the car, measure. You'll need about 5 quarts, 9 quarts if you drain and fill twice (to really flush it). Use only MB Fluid, buy your parts online.

cmy_bimmer

Ok cool, now a supernewb question... Where the hell is the oil and tranny dipstick? I just popped the hood to check the fluids for the first time and couldnt, for the life of me, find the dipstick for either the oil or tranny. I even checked the owners manual and it wasnt where it said it should be. I think it was referring to the e320 model .

EDIT: False call... if you look at teh pics I posted earlier, you'll see that the head of the dipstick is broken and the dumbass PO just wrapped it with electrical tape.

BTW: I also found out the car is a 96, so im not convinced its an e430 .