[andy380SEC]

I am assuming by your signature you already know what you are getting into. especially with that 86 911.

Everything that commonly goes wrong with a mercedes can and will go go wrong with this one, its no more or less sensitive than any other Mercedes.

Here are some things to consider.... that are unique to the E55

Anything to do with the suspension needs to be perfect or you should pass. The brakes are ridiculous expensive, as are the tires. If the brakes are shot, pass, or knock off 1200 dollars.. seriously the front rotors are 270 a piece and the pads are 100 a piece. The rears are as expensive as a normal benzes front. The tires run 300 a piece and even a cheaper tire will be more than 200 a piece so if those are shot pass or knock off another 1000. Normal wear and tear items on normal mercedes are ungodly for an amg. Another item that will make you shit your pants when you find out what it costs to replace are the cats..... real OEM cats are 2500 a piece X 2 plus install. Aftermarket cats are still in the 500-800s. If the tranny doenst shift like butter.. i mean.. un-de-tect-able. dont buy it. If there is any clunkyness to it, someone hasnt take care of it. Once the damage is done you cant stop it, even with a fluid change. The rebuild on my first one was around $2000 ( I caught it before it was destroyed, a few more months and it would have been $5000). On my second one I made sure the tranny was smooth no matter what i did.

DIY friendly is in the eye of the beholder. I dont think anyone would say its DIY friendly. Its do-able but its not friendly. If its anything more than a line replaceable unit (MAS, relay, CPS, ect sensor) or a filter or a oil change, get ready for a massive headache.

Make sure you check every thing out at an indy, they can tell you alot more than when even an experienced person looks at the car.