Mercedes -- Would You?

Weather Man

Persistance Is A Bitch
Established Member
Joined
May 18, 2012
Messages
25,764
Location
MN
V-12 Turbo --- $28,6000

The more I look at this car, the more I like it. Now I grant you, service will not be cheap and any major motor problem, you would need to coyote swap it, LOL. The horsepower and torque for the money seem pretty sweet and I bet it drives nice to boot.

So, did the buyer get a good deal?

Credit to Sports Car Marketplace for the article.

20200730_072233_resized.jpg
20200730_072455_resized.jpg
 

patc84

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
1,132
Location
Jup, FL
For what it is, not a bad price. im sure its a great cruising car, but like i warn my 600 and 65 customers. When they run good, its great, when they break, its $$$$.
 

GNBRETT

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Beer Money Bros.
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
4,548
Location
Middle Earth
U can pick an E55 or E63 up cheap. They were like $95k new and can be bought for under $20k now. Mercedes have the absolutely worst re-sale value but make great buys used sometimes.
 

7998

Don't Care
Established Member
Malt Liquor Mafia
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
3,766
Location
PA
I'll say this, nothing will ride as nice and as solid at a ton up as a V12 Benz. My dad had a CL600 with the TT engine. It pulled like a limitless turbine. Deceptively fast. But I'd be afraid of the maintenance, especially the electronics.

I've worked on them, and i work at RENNtech which specializes in Mercedes/AMG

Enlighten us to what you have seen as problems and costs? I know the ABC system is expensive.
 

Recon

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2016
Messages
3,463
Location
In the 427R
giphy.gif

Got a customer with a V12 Mercedes, and I can say now way in hell would I own one. The maintenance cost is obscene.
Now I absolutely love the 10 E63 AMG that’s at our shop but I’m not dealing with the maintenance cost. Friend of ours owns and let me drive a couple of times. Car is so much fun to drive.


Pick your poison.
 
Last edited:

patc84

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
1,132
Location
Jup, FL
I'll say this, nothing will ride as nice and as solid at a ton up as a V12 Benz. My dad had a CL600 with the TT engine. It pulled like a limitless turbine. Deceptively fast. But I'd be afraid of the maintenance, especially the electronics.



Enlighten us to what you have seen as problems and costs? I know the ABC system is expensive.

ABC in general- front and rear valve blocks, 5K, thats not including if you have an issue with the control module, lines, ect.

Cooling system failures- whether it be leaks, or the intercooler pumps that go bad, thats at least a grand. The bleeding procedure has to be done to a T, otherwise airpockets get stuck and cause loss of power and even misfires.

Brakes- they eat brakes- rotors alone are 1k each for front, half that for rears

ignition systems- coils take a dump consistently. those are 3K, plus you do the ignitor module as well as plugs the same time as the coils. thats another 1K.

motor mounts and trans mounts- $1300.

Those are just a few that came to mind.
 

AustinSN

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Beer Money Bros.
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
6,408
Location
the plains
I have a good buddy who manages an import repair shop. He told me a story of a guy who called and his car needed brakes he thought, gives my buddy his VIN and my buddy sees it's an S65.

Tells the dude to bring it in and they will look over the car. Guy gets there and is bragging up and down that he just bought this car for $12k and it was 10x that new. Tech took the car out, verified it shuddered coming to a stop, measured rotors (they had already been turned) and rec'd rear pads and rotors.

$2900.

The owners face went pale and he paced back and forth for like 10 minutes, my buddy tried to work with him finding aftermarket parts and cutting some of his labor, got the total price down to $2400. The dude still couldn't do it and walked.

I've been warning my brother in law about this stuff too but he is a big fan of expensive German cars that need a little work (or a lot, we did an engine on an E60 M5 a year or two ago). His wife's Cayenne Turbo S needed brakes and the cheapest we could find anywhere was $2500 just in parts.

Also, I hate the amount of effort it takes to do something on German cars. My wife loves Mini's and she keeps trying to get me to buy a newer one as a beater, but her JCW had a bad belt tensioner and from what I can tell, it's an engine out service. I didn't do it.
 

Weather Man

Persistance Is A Bitch
Established Member
Joined
May 18, 2012
Messages
25,764
Location
MN
I have a good buddy who manages an import repair shop. He told me a story of a guy who called and his car needed brakes he thought, gives my buddy his VIN and my buddy sees it's an S65.

Tells the dude to bring it in and they will look over the car. Guy gets there and is bragging up and down that he just bought this car for $12k and it was 10x that new. Tech took the car out, verified it shuddered coming to a stop, measured rotors (they had already been turned) and rec'd rear pads and rotors.

$2900.

The owners face went pale and he paced back and forth for like 10 minutes, my buddy tried to work with him finding aftermarket parts and cutting some of his labor, got the total price down to $2400. The dude still couldn't do it and walked.

I've been warning my brother in law about this stuff too but he is a big fan of expensive German cars that need a little work (or a lot, we did an engine on an E60 M5 a year or two ago). His wife's Cayenne Turbo S needed brakes and the cheapest we could find anywhere was $2500 just in parts.

Also, I hate the amount of effort it takes to do something on German cars. My wife loves Mini's and she keeps trying to get me to buy a newer one as a beater, but her JCW had a bad belt tensioner and from what I can tell, it's an engine out service. I didn't do it.

So, pretty much like owning a modded Mustang!
 

Recon

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2016
Messages
3,463
Location
In the 427R
So, pretty much like owning a modded Mustang!

No I wouldn’t compare the two. I’d gladly deal with the modded mustang.
This is what it takes to replace the oil cooler on the V12 we work on:
ec9658e26197c36ae084756eddc24f1f.jpg

Cost 750 bucks in cam alignment tools, just so we could do the job.


Pick your poison.
 

Shifty Powers

The Shifty Mobile
Established Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
4,380
Location
Pennsylvania
So are all newer mercs just good as brand new? But terrible for repairs and maintenance? Have plenty of issues?

How do they compare to newer Audis?
 

My94GT

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
8,685
Location
woodbine, MD
I’d love to have an E63s to daily but I put miles on cars fast and I dread what it would be like out of warranty
 

Klaus

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
13,539
Location
minnesota
Love me an E55. I toy with getting one of these. They are cheap, relatively indestructible and easy to make big power.

I always thought Brabus was corny AF. They are the Hennessey of Mercedes world.
 

03CRUSHER

Active Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2019
Messages
266
Location
NE Ohio
Incredible cars. So much torque. 700/900 with a hot pump gas tune. Yes brakes are expensive, about $2,500 for rotors and pads if you do it yourself. Ignition packs suck, especially when tuned. Recommend V12icpack.com guy View attachment 1654864for upgrades. 10.90s @ 130 with a tune. Way better from a roll. You’ll surprise so many people in these 65 AMGS. Game over on a roll for most cars that dig better and run better 1/4 mile times. Fast as shit for a 4,400 pig.
 

Users who are viewing this thread



Top