At what point do i stop here?

[AMG KC]

Hi all :)

I just replaced the rear pads on my C180 after debating if it was worth the money... Drove it for four days and then this occured:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/Casethecorvetteman/image_zps544cd585.jpg

Which resulted in more of this:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/Casethecorvetteman/image_zpsb7b432d5.jpg

So now that i had a hole punched in the side of one of the only two good tyres on this car, i need three more tyres, i may as well buy four because the spare was quite bald...

So now that im nudging 1,357,XXX klms, the car is looking quite tired, the bushings are all stuffed, the engine mounts have been stuffed for the past 200,000klms, the engine makes abit of noise, but the trans still shifts as beautifully as it did when i first drove this car at 792,000klms, and ive never had to touch the air con either. Still getting around 7.5ltrs/100klms and not using oil...


I really quite like this car, its just so damn reliable... The spare parts guys that used to work at the local Mercedes Benz dealer where i buy most parts were always telling me years ago i should just buy another one, they'd never seen another W202 go past 400,000klms, but at the same time they'd never seen one dead either!!

Four new tyres is as much as the car is worth... But id love to know just how far it will go before it simply wont go on...

[Sulaco]

Never seen one go past 400k kms??? Are they blind?

My c280 had 255000 miles when I sold it and is still going strong. My 99 c43 has 273000 miles and is almost like new all over! Dead reliable and no signs of letting go at all. Mileage is just numbers on the dash. A good car is a good car. Don't let the numbers on the dash fool you.

Bird in the hand...

[RemoLexi]

Just find some used tires for less cost and drive it until something more catastrophic fails!

[mbsickness]

If a set of tires will keep it on the road then I would say go for it. Holy crap 1,357K klms! Impressive.

[John Jones Jr.]

1,357,000! That must be close to a record for a C180, even if not it's still awesome.

[AMG KC]

Never seen one go past 400k kms??? Are they blind?

My c280 had 255000 miles when I sold it and is still going strong. My 99 c43 has 273000 miles and is almost like new all over! Dead reliable and no signs of letting go at all. Mileage is just numbers on the dash. A good car is a good car. Don't let the numbers on the dash fool you.

Bird in the hand...

Yeah but what they mean is no one with that mileage goes into their Mercedes Benz new car dealership ;) They were not suggesting they all die before that.

Im certainly not bothered by the high mileage at all, its bragging rights when you get that high!!

Back when it went from 999,999 to 000,000 again i didnt have the camera with me, which is unfortunate!! I remember having a wheel alignment done years ago, the guys doing the work said "this mustve been 35,000 VERY hard klms!!!

[Sulaco]

Yeah but what they mean is no one with that mileage goes into their Mercedes Benz new car dealership ;) They were not suggesting they all die before that.



that's a very, very good point. i feel you are exactly right. the only people who go to the dealership at that point are people with the money to buy the convenience or don't have the smarts to take it somewhere cheaper (or fix it themselves)

[AMG KC]

Yep, all those with the money have updated, the others went elsewhere, and i still go there for my trade prices on genuine parts ;)

[RemoLexi]

I'm rolling over laughing at the alignment guys reaction!! =]

My TDi is almost 300,000 miles (roughly 483,000 km) I drive that car daily at least 70 miles. And my days off my wife drives it because she just learned to drive manual and is very good!

But yea milage is just a conversion piece! =]

Keep that C180 alive!

[AMG KC]

Yeah mate to have been that flogged at 35,000klms id have to have been rally driving it on a regular basis!!

My C43 has 117,300 klms on it now, and it is very much like new. The C180 is 20 years old in january next year!!

[Pagz]

Bragging rights for sure!! =D

I say new tires and keep her going!

+1 Ausi weather for extended 202 chassis life ;)

[AMG KC]

Oh the chassis is perfectly good, its just the bushings and tyres!!

[AMG KC]

Well four new Pirellis went on today, first impressions are they have nothing on BF Goodrich G Force Sport, but we cant get those in Australia anymore apparently...

[benz4life]

sold my 97 c230 with 243k miles because I finally found a black c43 amg... but i still miss it. Car was in great shape...

[Sulaco]

sold my 97 c230 with 243k miles because I finally found a black c43 amg... but i still miss it. Car was in great shape...

I sold my beloved 1994 C280 that started my love for cars and the w202 specifically. It was in pretty sad shape and I was always planning on restoring it and keeping it as my daily driver (for the rest of my life, I loved it and I was proud of it) but I just got sick of it after having a really nice C43 to drive around. A guy with one of those wrecker trucks who buys junk cars caught me outside one day when I was really broke.... Let it go for $700. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I tracked him down a year later because he said he was actually gonna drive it because it wasn't too far gone. By the time I found him to try and buy it back, he had already crashed it and sent it to the crusher. Her name was Sharlene and I will always miss her.

[benz4life]

I sold my beloved 1994 C280 that started my love for cars and the w202 specifically. It was in pretty sad shape and I was always planning on restoring it and keeping it as my daily driver (for the rest of my life, I loved it and I was proud of it) but I just got sick of it after having a really nice C43 to drive around. A guy with one of those wrecker trucks who buys junk cars caught me outside one day when I was really broke.... Let it go for $700. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I tracked him down a year later because he said he was actually gonna drive it because it wasn't too far gone. By the time I found him to try and buy it back, he had already crashed it and sent it to the crusher. Her name was Sharlene and I will always miss her.

Mine was my 1st car, 1st love, had it for 8 years

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/f/2011/288/7/a/i_know_that_feel_bro_by_rober_raik-d4cxn5a.png

[AMG KC]

I dont think id be able to sell this one even if i wanted to, unless someone wanted the new tyres or straight panels!! :lol:

[AMG KC]

I dont think id be able to sell this one even if i wanted to, unless someone wanted the new tyres or straight panels!!

[AMG KC]

Might be getting close to terminal here, seems the trans is slipping in first on hard acceleration.

[Sulaco]

my w124 (same transmission) did that when the fluid was low! you'd be surprised how much difference a flush can do.

[AMG KC]

Yeah mate first thing i checked, it was just under the full mark and still nice and clean. I have driven this car pretty hard, so after such incredible mileage i wouldnt be suprised if it is just worn out.

I should know tomorrow if im buying the 06 C55 or not, if so i will retire the good old C180 when the registration runs out.

Either way, the 99 C43 is staying for a long while yet ;)

[AMG KC]

Well, its not the trans at all ;)

The black rubber coupler is buggered between the diff and the tailshaft. Nothing serious at all!! Hahaha!!

[AMG KC]

Abit worn?

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/Casethecorvetteman/image_zps78d6ac7b.jpg

I usually keep used parts as emergency spares but in this case i just said no straight away...

[Dearlove]

man that's awesome, not many merc's here (oz) get really high k's because of the cost of up keep.

i'm also thinking about getting a c55, the price of them has crashed lately (as well as c32's)

[c_j]

Please can I request a picture of the miles on the clock?
That is an incredible number!!! (Maybe the onky one ever to do that milage! !) :)

[AMG KC]

It just shows 357,XXX now, after 999,999 it went back to zero.

[AMG KC]

man that's awesome, not many merc's here (oz) get really high k's because of the cost of up keep.

i'm also thinking about getting a c55, the price of them has crashed lately (as well as c32's)

Im not sure why people think the upkeep on them is high or expensive, nothing could be further from the truth!! Ive owned four and hardly spent a cent on them at all. The AMG i have will cost me abit more, but the 280SE, 380SL and C180 have cost me near nothing considering the work at least two of those did.

The C55 prices did drop, but has jumped up again when there was none for sale for a few weeks.

You can get some real bargain W210 E55s in good condition now though.

[Dearlove]

they're at about ~$30k at the moment which isnt too bad. A c63 is down to $70k so im considering that too, but then you can get a clk63 black series for $120k... oh the choices

[AMG KC]

Yeah mate the Blacks have dropped alot eh, wonder just how low they will get though...

You can get a 211 E55 for mid 30s now too...

[AMG KC]

Ive got the 2004 C203 today... The C43 is a BIG step up... Much bigger than i thought...

[Sulaco]

211 E55's are as low as $17k in the States now. Depending on how well they hold up, I might be picking up one in the next couple years. Hard to imagine the interior being as great as my C43's. They both had more than 200k miles and interiors were like new. We shall see...

AMG KC: you're saying the C43 is a bigger car than the w203? Like on the interior?

[AMG KC]

Nah not the W203, the C203, the two door C Class with the different rear on it. Im not a huge fan of the seat design in relation to the sise adjustments being almost impossible to reach.

More so the power and handling, i though that C200K was alot quicker than it really is, and the handling is pretty ordinary too... I can see im going to have to put in another order to KMAC to get some better springs and shocks...

When im saying its a big step up, its a big step up in terms of performance and quality, i certainly feel the 202 is a better built car.