Which model/year SLK should I buy?

Uncle Benz

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On the subject of SLK's, my wife is 50 next week. I bought her a CLK430 cabriolet for her 40th, and she has looked after it very well for the last ten years. She had been dropping hints about a Maserati GranTurismo for ages. I've become a little deaf of late (I blame power tools), but I suggested that it might be nice to drag her old R170 SLK out of storage and use it for the summer. I have just finished recommissioning it, and it is at the valeter all day tomorrow. I'll try to get some pictures on Friday. Saved me a few quid too ;)
 

LostKiwi

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On the subject of SLK's, my wife is 50 next week. I bought her a CLK430 cabriolet for her 40th, and she has looked after it very well for the last ten years. She had been dropping hints about a Maserati GranTurismo for ages. I've become a little deaf of late (I blame power tools), but I suggested that it might be nice to drag her old R170 SLK out of storage and use it for the summer. I have just finished recommissioning it, and it is at the valeter all day tomorrow. I'll try to get some pictures on Friday. Saved me a few quid too ;)
Did you say something? ;)
 

Blobcat

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John Laidlaw

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Having to go external to find something on our forum is a little tedious but I wasn’t going to give up!
It’s what I do mostly but I obviously didn’t hit the key word(s):(
 

Wighty

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On the subject of SLK's, my wife is 50 next week. I bought her a CLK430 cabriolet for her 40th, and she has looked after it very well for the last ten years. She had been dropping hints about a Maserati GranTurismo for ages. I've become a little deaf of late (I blame power tools), but I suggested that it might be nice to drag her old R170 SLK out of storage and use it for the summer. I have just finished recommissioning it, and it is at the valeter all day tomorrow. I'll try to get some pictures on Friday. Saved me a few quid too ;)
Well done on the cost saving , but I hate to tell you it's only temporary :D , keep an eye out for glossy brochures from Maserati . Looking forward to the SLK pics though .
 

Uncle Benz

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The r170 came back from paint correction today. The car has been in storage for ten years, and quite a layer of dust had built up. Add to that the fact that the obsidian black paint of this era was quite soft, and quite a few swirls were evident. I have owned this car from new and it has never had any paintwork in its life. It has covered only 30k.
I was testing with a client all day today at Goodwood motor circuit (a whole other story there...), so I didn't see the car until quite late this evening. All I can say is I was transported back to 1999! The car is exactly as I remember on the day I collected it!! It looks completely like a brand new car!! It is immaculate!!!
I will have to take some pictures over the weekend and post them up!
 

grahamcol

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R170 a bit long in the tooth someone said but boy is a good one a lot of fun at not that much outlay. I've had my show winner 230K for a little over 2 years and it just makes me smile every time I look at it. Worth more now than when I bought it.
Mine's Obsidian black too. Vastly underrated in my humble opinion.
 

Uncle Benz

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It was the good lady's birthday today, so the surprise was sprung, and as promised some pictures of the dear old thing. And the car...

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Yours truly trying to extract my 6' 3" from the cockpit

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I got a kiss, so I think it went down ok!
 

Uncle Benz

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Recommissioning involved a change of all fluids and filters, new wiper blades, a pair of new drive belts, and a new set of tyres. Although they were like new tread wise, they were the second set and eighteen years old. I think it would have been extremely foolish not to have replaced them. The only minor glitch today was the fuel gauge. The car had half a tank when I presented it to her, and a good test drive dropped it to a quarter. On brimming the tank the gauge stuck at half which was worrying. After a couple of miles I hoofed it over a humpback bridge. The sender must have unstuck on landing as it the gauge popped straight up to the full mark. Phew!
 

Chrishazle

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If anyone fancies a good IIRC 99-2000 R170 SLK320 V6 which I'm certain will be mechanically perfect but has a couple of small bodywork tinworm items, low mileage (IIRC less than 80k) good history and a lovely slightly blue silver colour, PM me an email address and I'll give contact details. It's a good friend of mine, wife's car he bought for her last year but medical problems she can no longer drive it. he's a time served mechanic who has changed all sorts since he bought the car - discs and pads all round, ATF etc - plus I have the data sheet for it. He's not looking for much money - probably £2.5k.
 

sonic

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Last of the 170's were in the paint & rust era. My wife has a 171 SLK200K 2010 with 45K on the clock, now only worth about £10K.
Thats what I would go for.
 

Uncle Benz

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Last of the 170's were in the paint & rust era. My wife has a 171 SLK200K 2010 with 45K on the clock, now only worth about £10K.
Thats what I would go for.

It's very true, sadly. Mine is the only one I've seen with no rust for a good few years now. I have a customer with a 2003 vivianite green which is probably the nicest after mine. It is only showing slight bubbling on the rear arch return lip. My car has only seen rain a handful of times in its life, and has the benefit of a coating of waxoyl applied with the arch liners out which I did the first week of ownership. I used to waxoyl the whole familys new cars back then!
 

sonic

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It's very true, sadly. Mine is the only one I've seen with no rust for a good few years now. I have a customer with a 2003 vivianite green which is probably the nicest after mine. It is only showing slight bubbling on the rear arch return lip. My car has only seen rain a handful of times in its life, and has the benefit of a coating of waxoyl applied with the arch liners out which I did the first week of ownership. I used to waxoyl the whole familys new cars back then!
Yours is immaculate, you must be very proud of it. A friend of mine has a 170 SLK350 2003, with 45K on the clock. No rust be gets any paintwork done straight away. A lot of car for the money.
 

MercHand

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Go for an older model with an M112 V6 or V8.

Fix the rust and run it forever. :D
 

Capra

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Then one can really hear that tractor engine rattling.....
Why would a manufacturer put a diesel engine into a convertible, surely if you're buying a MB convertible you want to hear the engine?
 

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