Cardinal Biggles
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2010
- Messages
- 446
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- Location
- Suffolk
- Your Mercedes
- CLS 320 (09) W219; C220D (07) W204
I'm probably the last one to have seen this, but this week they had an SLK being revamped on Wheeler Dealers. It was (iirc) 10 years old, and bought from a scrap auction with a couple of obvious problems ref the folding metal roof.
It was an interesting programme. Mechanically it was in pretty good nick for its age except for a new Kompressor unit (OUCH!!!!) and some parts for the roof mechanism ( incl a hydraulic pump unit for £260!!!).
The bodywork is where the MB let itself down with horrible bubbling rust at the front of an A pillar, on the corner of the bonnet, and especially in the wings around the headlights. It reminded me of my old Triumph Herald in my student days....... They did some cosmetic repairs on it, but the underlying problems were still there when they sold it on.
The commentary said something like MB used to run by engineers, but then the accountants took over, bought cheap low quality steel from China, had the cars made with cheap labour and mixed manufacturing standards all over the world rather than in Germany, and it has taken 10 years for them to get their good name back.
Having spent a bit of dosh on it, though, the SLK looked great back on the road and drove really well. It looked a quality motor for just £4000.
Shame about that rust though........
It was an interesting programme. Mechanically it was in pretty good nick for its age except for a new Kompressor unit (OUCH!!!!) and some parts for the roof mechanism ( incl a hydraulic pump unit for £260!!!).
The bodywork is where the MB let itself down with horrible bubbling rust at the front of an A pillar, on the corner of the bonnet, and especially in the wings around the headlights. It reminded me of my old Triumph Herald in my student days....... They did some cosmetic repairs on it, but the underlying problems were still there when they sold it on.
The commentary said something like MB used to run by engineers, but then the accountants took over, bought cheap low quality steel from China, had the cars made with cheap labour and mixed manufacturing standards all over the world rather than in Germany, and it has taken 10 years for them to get their good name back.
Having spent a bit of dosh on it, though, the SLK looked great back on the road and drove really well. It looked a quality motor for just £4000.
Shame about that rust though........
