2005 Mercedes C Class C55 AMG

Here we have my 54 plate Mercedes Benz C55 AMG, which was first registered in January 2005. Put into a sentence, this is a 5 owner car with higher mileage but immaculately presented and with a meticulous service history.

Now the longer version!

Background

These cars are something of an anomaly. They have everything you want in an AMG Merc but without the complexity, reliability issues, or cost (to buy, run, service or repair). But they have no 'halo effect' so get somewhat ignored except for those 'in the know'. The car was designed to compete with the BMW E46 M3, which was always a tall order whilst retaining Mercedes levels of refinement and using an auto box. As a result, in the UK sales were poor (it sold much better elsewhere). This means they are rare but not in a way that leads to parts supply issues, since most of it is either standard Mercedes or Brembo/ Eibach etc). They are actually quite exclusive!

In addition, there was definitely a big effort from Mercedes/ AMG to up the quality after the previous generation. Sorry C43/ W202 owners but (IMvHO) that car's exceptional charm is compromised a bit by a level of rustiness and general tendency towards the tatty. I had a contemporary E Class (W210) and that was just the same. I've not seen a C55 as messy as any of the C43s I've looked at. That must say something. Sorry. I love the C43 but there it is. Hope I'm wrong!

Looking at the C55 in hindsight and having driven one for 10 years, I would say UK buyers missed the point. I hear great things about the E46 M3 but the C55 will beat it in a drag race (or any kind of rolling start), makes a noise like a mountain falling on Brian Blessed’s toe (whereas an M3 sounds like someone throwing spanners in a wood chipper) and keeps up with an M3 (and other exotic stuff) in any realistic public road situation. Essentially, whilst it pushes different 'smiling' buttons it definitely pushes them! So, you pays (less of) your money and you makes your choice!

But don't take my word for it, try these reviews.

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-          this last one featuring the (i. e. my) actual carBefore I bought the car in 2014 (as a daily driver) I contacted the dealer network to obtain the service history. All the required services had been carried out (although one was a bit late). Having satisfied myself about this, I also contacted the previous owner (i. e. the chap before the guy I was buying it off) and he confirmed the car had never had any accident damage and had been 100% reliable. I couldn't get hold of the previous two!

Anyway, from that point on I basically halved the mileage between services (to 5000) and started doing all the maintenance required as cars reach post-warranty age. Things like transmission/ diff oil, coolant, brake fluid etc. Initially, I had this done by Clive Atthowe Tuning (a very experienced local performance car specialist) but later taking on the work myself. During the next 70, 000 miles, I had a surprise requirement to replace the rear springs but beyond that (and a headlight thanks to the Norfolk wildlife) there was nothing but the usual wear and tear to contend with (I had the wheels re-painted for instance). With about 130, 000 miles on the clock, I decided to retire the car from daily use (electric car) and set about the wear and tear. This amounted to some corroded brake and fuel pipes, a few patches of paint (done by a professional paint shop) and some rust proofing underneath. The main item to address though was the gearbox, which usually needs a new control plate at about this age/ mileage even if the oil has been regularly changed. It was getting a bit grabby into first when cold. The typical sign re control plate replacement. This I did together with a complete clean of the valve body and replacement of the overlap valves. Then I sorted the leaky rocker covers ("they all do that sir"). Finally, new front brake disks and pads, 4 new tyres, a new water pump, pulley, tensioner and serpentine belt were fitted. Oh, and I re-shelled the ignition key!

There are other things in the receipt pile (1. 5in thick) but I think the point is that whilst yes, its fundamentally a reliable car (whereas newer AMGs are frequently less so - don't ask for my worry list about the C63) there is still stuff you have to keep up with and I've been at pains to do so. It’s mostly not allowing little problems to mount up. The difference between a nice and not-so-nice C55 will be this sort of thing!

Bad points? Of course!

- It has a small oil leak from the main crank seal. Its always been like that and its not getting any worse.
- One of the headlights looks a bit newer than the other (because it is).
- I don't think the headlight washers have ever worked.
- There's a (free) dealer recall on the sunroof. It's just an inspection (looks fine to me) but I'll get it done before sale if I can.

In summary, you can pay anything from £5k to £25k for these cars but no matter what you pay, you can't have one that's been driven regularly AND has low mileage. The fundamental problem with cars of 20+ years! Driving them wears them out, letting them stand seizes them up! If you drive them and keep up with the maintenance, that's probably about as good as it gets (there are records of the M113 V8 going 400, 000+ miles). And of course, if you plan to drive your car, then paying a massive premium for a low mileage example doesn't work, so maybe think about this one and come take a look?

Why am I selling? I have too many cars and I’ve had this longest.

P. S. - It averages over 20mpg, nearer to 30 on a run. Honest.

P. P. S - I've made a slight exhaust modification to release a bit more V8 character. It's not destructive, doesn't intrude on driver comfort and is totally reversible.