Hi guys, I know there a lot of these kind of posts, please assist in deciding...

Found a 2003 E55 AMG, has done 268,000 KMs.
Checked the VIN and registration documents to find out car was imported from Germany in 2013.
Has an E63 body kit on it, which means bumpers changed I guess.
Roof has been painted black but the rest is original paint, alabaster white.
Has a lot of options which work.
Engine and gearbox are strong, it pulled really hard and I took it to 160 KPH before letting go and testing the brakes which are good as well.
It was raining when I got there and sat in the car, there were no leaks to inside the cabin.
rear sunshade operates flawlessly.
seat ventilator and heaters work.
drives straight with the steering always pointing straight on when let go
serviced at local service shops, Mobil 1 is used, I checked the invoices


Now for the things which would need improving or replacement and the biggest one I see is:

1, airmatic doesn't work. The car is lowered and as per owner those buttons in the middle don't work. Some mechanic has done some kind of solution which the seller doesn't know about or doesn't want to tell me. The car sits low but rides without rubbing and it doesn't feel like a camel. My first thoughts were that the suspension is converted to normal springs.

2, driver seat head rest adjustment knob is missing, don't know if it works, rest of seat adjustment buttons do work.

3, sunroof opening knob is missing so don't know if it works or not.

4, the media/nav head unit is not original MB, it looks the same but definitely not a MB unit. It has slots for navigation sd card and media sd card. speakers work with it and it plays mp3 as well, only thing i don't like it being not the original one but function wise it works.

5, rear seats headrests don't work with the button, something makes a sound but no movement.

6, Wheels are not original what I see in the pictures online are different and the ones on this car are totally different.

7, two wood panels which open up, in front of gear and behind the gear lever, are a bit lose.

8, the leather on driver seat is worn and a bit torn, needs to be changed, I hate torn seats.

9, car key does not work to start the car, seller starts it with the button on the gear lever, says he dropped the key and after that it doesn't work.

10, missing fog lights

11, muffler delete, she is LOUD, i would probably need to get some kind of exhaust on it.

12, outside door opening handles have been replaced some how with chrome plastic counterparts, they don't feel authentic and one of them is loose (rear left door)


and last, the seller uses an annoying car perfume, would need a few weeks to get rid of that smell. it smells like a village of beduin arabs.

So, this is the only E55 W211 I could find in my country and with new import laws on vehicles I cannot bring in and register cars older than 7 years. I I've in Oman, a desert country, beside UAE/Dubai. No snow here and it rains maybe 3 times a year. In this country the car is bought as is, even from the dealers. I could ask the guy to bring the car in for a MB specialist to check but he could easily decline as well. He will of course come down on price. He's currently asking about $9000.

Should I invest in this car more and eventually invest to make her mine? From what I see on this forum, Airmatic can cost a lot, but then again, in this country we have a few German car specialists who do work for cheaper than the dealer and parts are quite easy to get since we have direct 5 hour connection to Sharjah in UAE, the scrap yard of Middle East. The small things like knobs and buttons are exchangeable to other E class mercy right?

 

Have it checked out. It may already have coil overs that's good. Rear seat headrest button only drops them. If the are down it will make a sound. Door handles are chrome plastic like. I don't like not having the button for pano roof. Assume it will not work. Most 03's have a small radio unit and don't have navigation.

The price is good. Do a check on the maintenance and see what has been done. Drive it when it's not raining. If possible have a compression check done. If that checks out its a decent buy.
Considering it's the only one..

 

^^^ what he said.

Make sure you keep a rainy day fund for this car. Even though you are getting it for 9k

repairs are still priced as if this was 100k

 

Thanks for replying guys. The points are well noted and getting it looked at is what should be done.

I have now learned that I should take it easier, since now I have found another one for sale, this has done 190k KMs and is black with all black interior. Again, according to the guy everything works. Will be checking it out tonight. Hope I get something positive out of making the 100 KM trip to see the car.

 

I am not sure how much 9k is for you but I'd highly suggest getting a thorough PPI done on the car from the benz dealership or a trusted independent shop.

 

Definitely you will find better one, just be patient. Search for japaneses spec that were bought/imported before the new import laws. And do a compression test.


https://olx.com.om/en/i2/ad/e55-supe...ml#:9e74aae802

 

its cheap but I wouldn't buy it

 

That one looks promising, will give him a call daytime.

Went to see the black one, it's E500 in "AMG bodykit". No supercharger. On the bright side the airmatic works on it. But I would want an AMG if I'm paying that much.

Will arrange a thorough inspection with a specialist for the one I saw at first and maybe get it even cheaper if a lot of things are wrong but eventually fixable and not a lot of hassle. The deals here work in different ways. This will get done on Sunday so will update the page accordingly.

Tomorrow we have the local Friday Market where people bring their cars to sell in a huge open area, will see if I can find a genuine AMG there.

Thank you for the input guys. I know I shouldn't be in a hurry, so I'm just keeping myself relaxed and under control. Not good to have money and make blind decisions.