dwalker011

Hey guys, i'm about to buy an 03' CL600. I need some help and advice in the whole process.

I've decided to buy a car out of state from an EBAY auction. I'm in MD and the car is in Studio City, CA. It is an 03' CL600 w/ 37000 miles, appears to be in very good condition and also has some nice upgrades including Renntech ECU/TCU. The AUTOCHECK report indicates that there is no history with the car, although I know that isn't always 100% true. Still I feel its a small relief.

The car was bought by the owner in 2007 from Open Road Motorcars. I googled this dealer and I could find no negative comments and they have a 100% positive feedback score on Ebay so that is also a good sign. Should I contact the dealer(the owner gave me the name of the salesman) and try and find out if they have any records or pertinent info? The Renntech stuff was done by MOTORIK CONCIERGE. Should I contact them to verify this(he has an invoice from them from Nov 2007)?

I will have to send a deposit to secure the car and then when I get there I will pay the remaining balance assuming everything is okay. This is where my questions begin.

1. What is the best and most secure way of sending a deposit for ME(in case anything happens and I need it back)?

2. What should I look for and where should I take it for inspection? What do I ask the shop to do exactly? Should I have a compression test done as well??

3. Any other advice is GREATLY appreciated.


ANY SHOPS OF VENDORS THAT ARE IN THE AREA AND WOULD BE WILLING TO LOOK THE CAR OVER OR HELP ME OUT IN ANYWAY PLEASE PM ME OR POST. ANYBODY WHO IS GOOD AT BODY WORK OR HAS A PAINT METER, PLEASE POST. Thanks.

shardul

iTrader: (1)

I know bmw dealerships do a ppi for 150. Check with the local mb dealership if they can do the same for you. They will hook the car up to star system and see if everything is in order.

dwalker011

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Dealerships seem to be hit or miss though. I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction of a good dealership or an aftermarket tuner/shop.

Also, I just spoke with the owner. He said the car is very nice etc. He said the only thing is that the SOS LIGHT is on because they diconnected the factory phone service or something like that. It also doesn't have the factory radio, it has an ECLIPSE 6600 series radio. Does that sound about right?

shardul

iTrader: (1)

yes that might trigger the sos light.

dwalker011

Nobody else???? It's not a 55 but help a brotha out LOL!

samho2009

Hey bro! Glad to see a local here. I just bought a E55 a few months back from Ebay. It's a '03 silver with 106K miles. Compared to your deal I can't see much that could go wrong if the previous owners didn't trash the car physically and mechanically. I have to say with my experience, I went in blind, talked with the dealership, sounded reputable, sent my deposit and then the remaining balance. My remaining balance I did by electronic check from my lien holder. So that might help. I would try to do some research into your CL's for inherent MB problems, recalls, discussion groups to see what issues your new car will come up with. For example, all W202 C-class cars have these issues that comes up: bad wiring harness, crapped out radio lcd screen, AC goes, belt tensioner, lower ball joint, etc. I know, I have a '95 and a '96 that I restore currently. The ML's have the power steering pumps issues for example. The E55's have the gas smell that I ended up getting soon afterwards. If you're handy these jobs saves you tons of money, but if not the EuroMotor Car in Bethesda or Germantown will rape you! I have to say though, my E55 looks, smells, and drives like it's brand new, except I paid pennies on the dollar for! So hope you get the same deal. See you racing up and down 270 one day!