I know it's poor form to promote your own sales on here but if you're still in the market for a fast W220 with good pedigree I'm selling my '04 S600. It is a bit more than $13k but it has only 90k miles and it's fully warrantied until Dec '14 (which includes ABC coverage) and it's had a new ABC pump two months ago.

With an ECU flash and some other minor tweaks you can easily rip more BHP out of the V12.

https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...12-2014-a.html

 

I have a 2004 S55 AMG with the Kompressor. I can tell you that it is a vastly enjoyable vehicle, but you will have to be prepared to deal with the many repairs. You definitely want to find one from someone that's taken the trouble to fix all the things that do brake on this car. I've had more problems with this one S55 than all my other Mercedes combined, that includes 2004 C230, 2002 E430, 2004 CLK55, 2005 C55, and 2007 C280. Here's a list to look out for:

ABC : pump and valve block, including the shocks. You should make sure system is flushed every 40k, and keep it clean or you will have more problems
Transmission: torque converter issues specific to these cars
Engine: supercharger itself. While the engine and transmission, and rear axle are bullet proof, the supercharger will have a lifespan not much more than 150K max before needing replacing
Navigaion: navi unit never worked since day one, thru warranty, extended and now no warranty. Drive itself needs updated replacement. and the misc. other issues with Navi.
Low control arm bushings, Thrust arm (whole arm, since bushings are not sold seperately)
rear brake rotor wear. Front brakes are also not adequate for a car this size and weight, even with an 8 piston brembo design
dynamic seats will never work quite right
supercharger coolant pump, shared. The pump MB put in at the factory is the same as the little C230 Kompressor, sad.... for a 135K car, using a cheap pump on a C class that can't keep up. You will have to get a Johnson pump ($55) and replace it to keep the supercharger happy.

I've had to go to great lengths to solve a lot of the problems that natively came with this S55 from factory. But after everything is fixed and working properly, it is a very nice ride, not something an E55 can match. The car that you were looking at wasn't well taken care of, and too high a mileage. You can easily spend the purchasing price fixing it up, and that is not smart.

I saw a few other suggest an E55, I think it is a smart idea, and less costly, but equally fast. but if you want the luxury ride quality, only a S will do. Let me know if you need any other tips on the S55, I got to know my car pretty well now that I've solved most of it's problems, minus the ABC, which is a major headache.

good luck

 

^^^ Good to know there is someone here with a great deal of experience with these cars.

 

Well I had an E55 all picked out...seller took three weeks dragging his heels...got shipping in place, etc...and then I got the PPI and RAN!!!. During this time the S55 sold. Oh well.