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HELP HERE FELLAS!!!

884 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  navydave 
#1 · (Edited)
I am not a Benz owner ...but almost...I am 60 and a 4x4 guy and ex....vietnam POW..I have rebuilt engines did lift kits etc. I even put a newer hemi in a 2002 wrangler...but I have slowed down do to war time injuries.

Now I say all this because I have a very close friend whos is acquainted with a older lady that just passed away and she has a 2003 Benz CLK-32O CABRIOLET Beautiful bright red.....with 32,450 miles on it and a 2006 C350 4DR WITH 55,000 ON IT.....I am not in any way familiar with Benz but they are very nice looking , I would like to buy one for my wife.

The RED cab with 32,000 has had front end damage, but very minor he showed me the pics. but they had to brand the title....no big deal really.

So I had to come in here and ask you fine experts.....which one do i get
He is handling the estate and told me I could have the 03 CLK for 15,000 and I could have the 06 C350 for 13,000....Thanx fellas and ..Have a very nice Easter.
 
#2 ·
If you think that the CLK is repairable without too much hassle, I'm sure that your wife would be delighted with owning this convertible. With that mileage it is scarcely run in. Make sure that the hood is in perfect working order before you buy, as the hydraulic operating system can be a real pita when faulty.

However, if she is used to taking friends out shopping or playing bridge, the 4 door C 350 would be a better bet. I have noticed that (older) ladies are not too keen to clamber into the back seats of my CLK, as it requires a degree of agility.....

Welcome to the forum, and please use the UserCP ^^^ to add some details of your location, etc.
 
#3 ·
Grace,

Were you a pilot over there?? I was there from '67 through '69 as a weapons loader on F-100's at Phu Cat AB. Later on I joined the Guard, where I went to pilot training and then CCTS where I flew the F-100D/F until our unit retired them and we got the A-10, which I flew until I retired back at the tail end of 1999.

Can we assume that the "brand" you mentioned actually means that the car has a salvage title? If that's the case, it will only come into play if and when you try to sell the car. If you plan to keep it, as you should, than I'd not worry about it.

Personally, I'd take the CLK, but then I'm partial to them, having had an '02 320CLK coupe and my current car, a 350CLK Cabriolet. I absolutely love the Cabriolet and drive it, top down, as much as I can. I'm sure your wife would love the car, but you might have to get her another car, because once you start driving it, most other vehicles will come up short, and she's probably not going to see it anytime soon.

Best to you and yours, and Thanks for your sacrifice and service to our country.

JJ
 
#4 ·
WELL

mayby I should of said , The RED CLK CAB...has already been fixed, I seen the damage by the pics and it was mild....She backed up almost hitting one of her grand childs bikes and pulled up quickly and ran into the corner of garage, thus deployed the air-bag....and I guess when that happens car gets branded title.....but car is very beautiful and fixed by one of the best from what I was told and I have known these folks a long time.

Now I must say my wife is 57, I am , as you can tell a 60,s hot rod kid, she is now driving a 98 COBRA convert that is , lets say has some get up and go, from a few things I have done to it,....But she has always liked the Mercedes in the 2 door . I notice it does have a smaller rear seat but the COBRA seems to be smaller...the C350 is silver and Black and both drive very well although the clk seems to be more stiffer do to the sports suspention and larger tires.

I could care less about selling it for we will have it a long time....and I must say Converts are fun...but when its 90,ish with the top down and black interior.It can get hotter than hell inside.

OBTW....She usually goes shopping with one other gal friend, she is not into the "silver haired" bring as many as you can and shop till you drop sceen.
 
#5 ·
Regarding your reference to the CLK with a 'branded title'. This is a term not used in the UK, so I had to look it up in Google. It said:

"A title designation used when an insurance company purchases a vehicle that has been severely damaged (ie, totaled) and then resells the vehicle." ...

That does not sound like a 'mild' bump to me...:confused:
 
#6 ·
I’m not here to say used car salvage titles are automatically a good or bad idea, but I understand what I am getting into before purchasing a used car with a salvage title.

In almost all cases, salvage title is given to any vehicle that has sustained damage worth 75% or more of its value. For example, if you drive a 2002 Honda Civic worth $9415 and it suffers $7061 in damage in a collision, it’s going to be branded with a title stamped “salvage.” In other words, it’s not considered fit to drive. Some states also call this a junk title.

According to carfax.com, the following 11 states also use salvage titles to identify stolen vehicles: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Oregon.

Needless to say, there is risk involved in buying a restored salvage vehicle. While many of the parts may be new, there will be some that are not, and even trained mechanics cannot always gauge the life expectancy of a vehicle. Further, the vehicle will be difficult to resell if you ever choose to, and very few, if any, dealers will take it as a trade-in.”

I do know a few that have bought "reconstructed" titled cars and knowing this they have driven them until the wheels fell off, they were closely looked at by a very highly respected reconstructed body shop, to tell them where and any problems might be.

And if every thing looks good and they get it for a great price they then are in it for the long haul.

But anyway I think I will be leanning for the Silver C350 mainly because my wife like the way it drives.
 
#7 ·
Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like you may be leaning toward the CLK, and so would I. Although it has very low miles, the car is still 7 years old and especially with the earliest ones, these cars do have their share of problems, the most serious of which is the failure of the radiator trans cooler, allowing coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. Do yourself a big favor and search the forum for transmission issue posts (I've done a couple myself) and have your trans fluid checked to ensure the coolant contamination issue isn't affecting your car. I speak from experience here. Good luck with whatever vehicle you choose, and thank you for your service.
 
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