Max Bradley - A Good Used Car Dealer I've Found in Essex

[Chrishazle]

Users on here will know of Jaymanek on Mercland, who has a well earned and excellent reputation - but in Nuneaton, which may be a bit away for some. I'm just buying a 2008 SLK280 and saw a S204 C250 being delivered to new owner while I was there, both of which were mint, and was very pleasantly surprised about dealing with Max Bradley at https://www.max-bradley.co.uk/. I've bought and sold many cars over the years, main dealer, smaller dealer and private, and dealing with Max has been excellent (so far anyway, don't collect the car for a week). I'd certainly recommend him as a place to look if you're a fter a second hand car, he specialises in MB but also has others, and as a result of taking my 968 tip cab in PX is now 2branching out" into classics!

 

[John Laidlaw]

You should be prepared to travel for the right used car IMO, my 63 came from Safwat cars in Essex ...good to hear a positive review

 

[Blobcat]

You should be prepared to travel for the right used car IMO, my 63 came from Safwat cars in Essex ...good to hear a positive review

I always travel for the right car, Cheshire for my W210, Norfolk for Caravelle, Birmingham for W211, Stockport for 911 and Derby for SLK.

With the interweb it’s so much easier to search nationally and get the car you really want at a price you’re prepared to pay.

Just have to be clear that the car is as described and the dealer isn’t a complete rogue. Always good to get a recommendation as per @Chrishazle above.

 

[Wighty]

Users on here will know of Jaymanek on Mercland, who has a well earned and excellent reputation - but in Nuneaton, which may be a bit away for some. I'm just buying a 2008 SLK280 and saw a S204 C250 being delivered to new owner while I was there, both of which were mint, and was very pleasantly surprised about dealing with Max Bradley at https://www.max-bradley.co.uk/. I've bought and sold many cars over the years, main dealer, smaller dealer and private, and dealing with Max has been excellent (so far anyway, don't collect the car for a week). I'd certainly recommend him as a place to look if you're a fter a second hand car, he specialises in MB but also has others, and as a result of taking my 968 tip cab in PX is now 2branching out" into classics!

I’ve heard of him , but never been . He’s walking distance from me .

 

[Chrishazle]

Guess I've been lucky over the years as the only cars I've ever had to travel any distance to buy are the 968 tip cab (north of Peterborough) and the SLK, other than that it's been dealers quite close to home. However, as said above, you have to be prepared to travel for the right car, and with the research you can do online these days it's quite easy to limit viewings to cars you're pretty sure are worth a look!

 

[Chrishazle]

I’ve heard of him , but never been . He’s walking distance from me .

The address on his website is his "yard", I'm guessing a barn or similar where he keeps the cars he has for sale. Viewings are at his home, 39 Parkdale, Danbury, which is where I'll be about noon Monday!!

 

[Chrishazle]

I'm reconsidering my view on Mr Bradley and for now withdraw my "recommendation"!!

I knew the car had not been serviced to MB standard, and having gone through the provided history and service invoices knew it was due a B service plus plugs, combination filter and brake fluid change, so booked it in to MTA (formerly Mastertech) who are German car specialists and look after the C220 for us - and happen to now be a mile away at the bottom of our village! Took it to them this morning, less than an hour later get a phone call "you need to come down and see this". Cue palpitations!

Car on ramp with under engine covers off. Double oil hose leaking and close to failure. Oil leak from a rear of engine cover that's obviously been off before (no mention in supplied history) as 2 bolts had not been replaced. Signs of front NS damage repair. Front NS shock and top mount corroded and leaking. Rust patch on front OS chassis rail "hidden" with waxoyl of similar. All suspension bushes twisting and buggered. Rear barke pads 3mm but falling apart, discs look skimmed and questionable (front pads OK). Geometry way out so car pulls right. all this made Ben abort his test drive as he thought something was broken in the steering/suspension!

Now awaiting Ben's report, photos and price to fix, and already know that the £4-500 I was expecting for the service etc will be £1500-2000! Once I have Ben's report and quote I will be contacting Mr Bradley, wonder how I stand in law about getting him to contribute towards the additional costs. Also wonder what SWMBO will say when I give her the news - she was here when the phone call came but out when I came back from seeing the car.

 

[John Laidlaw]

^ well that escalated quickly !

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Sorry to hear this, I’ve always perplexed at the way we are shepherded into buying cars, the bits out of sight are never questioned at sale but taken on trust....take it back and get a refund, and yes well worth the effort to travel to Mercland

 

[Wighty]

I think you surely have enough issues to return for full refund already

 

[Chrishazle]

Don't want to reject it, took long enough to find an R171 SLK280-350 not black not silver and all the right toys (200+ SLK's up to 3.5L on Autotrader ATM, only 1 comes anywhere close but not close enough!). Not sure if it was this thread or the matching one on t'other side, but someone flagged it to Max and he phoned me, I have forwarded to him MTA's report and quote and a suggested reasonable way forward (called him contributing 1/2 the cost of the additional unexpected items) and will see what happens. He talks af getting the car back to him for his mechanic to do things, but I've specified I want any work done to be at MTA, known and close by rather than unknown (to me) and 2 hours away.

 

[Wighty]

Don't want to reject it, took long enough to find an R171 SLK280-350 not black not silver and all the right toys (200+ SLK's up to 3.5L on Autotrader ATM, only 1 comes anywhere close but not close enough!). Not sure if it was this thread or the matching one on t'other side, but someone flagged it to Max and he phoned me, I have forwarded to him MTA's report and quote and a suggested reasonable way forward (called him contributing 1/2 the cost of the additional unexpected items) and will see what happens. He talks af getting the car back to him for his mechanic to do things, but I've specified I want any work done to be at MTA, known and close by rather than unknown (to me) and 2 hours away.

That’s a good start , although as the supplying dealer he will have the right to rectify faults himself in order to control the costs , otherwise he is paying someone else’s labour (I believe ?)

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

As it’s a compromise ie you are presumably meeting some of the cost to avoid betterment he may decide to let your garage do the work but as he has his own mechanic I doubt it and will want to rectify the faults himself I know I would

 

[A.J.]

As it’s a compromise ie you are presumably meeting some of the cost to avoid betterment he may decide to let your garage do the work but as he has his own mechanic I doubt it and will want to rectify the faults himself I know I would

That would also give him the opportunity to give it a cheap bodge

 

[Chrishazle]

He's already read the MTA report and phoned me, tomorrow he's checking what price he can get the parts for (from his local MB main dealer where he gets good prices) compared to MTA and, although he'd prefer to have his mechanic fit the parts, he's potentially amenable to getting them (if he can get them much cheaper than MTA) and shipping them to MTA. We'll see what transpires tomorrow!

 

[vtaylor78]

That’s a big list of problems, but at least he seems to be acting and doing the right thing.
The signs of damage are starting alarm bells ringing , are you sure it’s not on the register?

 

[Frontstep]

I would run, stop have a breath then run again all in the opposite direction.

The country is full of cars.

 

[Chrishazle]

I would run, stop have a breath then run again all in the opposite direction.

The country is full of cars.

OK, I looked on Autotrader today, searched SLK's 2006->, max engine size 3500, over 200 cars, 90% 200's, only a couple of 280-350's, only 1 car that was anywhere close to the wish list, and even that was not even close to requirement. I've been looking on and off for a year or more, so when I saw this one only missing the electric seats from my wish list, I went to look even though it was a 2 hour drive away and in Essex.

Once fixed it will be a lovely car, it's just how much the seller is prepared to contribute to the unexpected costs, and so far he's making encouraging noises - and as I know what he paid me for my 968 cab against what it's on his website for (serious 4 figure difference!! but I think he'll either wait a long while and have to accept £2-5k less than he's asking, or find living proof that there's one born every minute who will buy it!) I have some ammunition.

 

[A.J.]

OK, I looked on Autotrader today

There are other Used Car search engines than Autotrader

 

[Frontstep]

I'm still running.