POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF THIS CL55 AMG but Vin reads as a CL500

toby1

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Not sure if this helps or hinders but according to the Baumuster info I have

215373 = CL55 AMG

215375 = CL500

Can't assist with the engine number
 

bigasotonuk

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The engine number can only be seen from above, and you will most likely need to remove the engine cover.
I,ll be interested in hearing what MB will say regarding the first six digits of the chassis number, from my understanding when MB took the controlling interest in AMG, in the mid nineties, all subsequent AMG models had their own chassis designation, the last one that did,nt was the C36, which was built on a C280 chassis inc. chassis number (first six digits).
Why they would go backwards? seems very strange to me.
 
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TonyCL

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Ok Gents,

As promised I have got an explanation about all of the above from MB. Apologies for the delay, I have been really busy and it took a while to get the info out of MB since I wasn't the owner of the car. It also took a while to 'crack the case' as I was constantly asking the seller to send me photos of the logbook and other various bits (I really tested his patience! lol) and I was of course relying on the speed with which he replied... I will TRY to keep this as brief as possible!

Firstly thanks to brandwooddixon who was VERY helpful in revealing the location of the VIN which is stamped on the body. Thanks!

THE PROBLEM/ISSUE:
Mercedes CL55 (early non supercharged 2001) was for sale..(I was interested)
VIN number of car began 215375, which is usually CL500 (215373 usually AMG)
VIN decode online (and initially even MB!) confirmed car was a CL500 (I was gutted to say the least as the car looked MINT! and had decent miles on it at a good price!)...

BUT THE LOGBOOK AND ALL OTHER DETAILS (old mot's/handbooks etc) were all AMG
The car itself was also for all intents and purposes an AMG upon viewing (AMG Clocks/Exhausts/Brakes etc) I also rang some of the service stations which had serviced the car previously, some said it was a CL55, some said CL500 ...at this point I was ready to walk away from the sale...

BUT I could just not believe that the car was not an AMG for some reason... and also I was baffled by the fact that the logbook had CL55 AMG...you can normally change minor details on a logbook through DVLA forms but you CANNOT change the make/model details without original manufacturer intervention. However I also can confirm that no details were actually changed on the logbook, DVLA confirmed this (that car was CL55 at first registration with no changes to the details). I also completed a FULL PREMIUM HPI check, which also revealed the car as a Genuine CL55 AMG!...

Anyway, again to try and keep this as brief as possible, MB referred this case to what they call their 'Technical Specialists' instead of giving me an answer over the phone straight away again this time, as I was adamant it was an AMG...and they confirmed (and I got them to send me this in writing!) as follows;

''Dear Mr G*****

We write further to our telephone call of ...(etc etc etc)...

We have contacted our Technical Specialists and we can confirm that the vehicle with Chassis Number WDB215375********, is listed as a Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG.

If we can provide you with any further assistance with this vehicle please do not hesitate to contact us''

ps somebody from MB headquarters in Netherlands also rang me to confirm the above! lol

What then worried me was that the logbook had the engine number as 'unknown'!...But just then I noticed a picture of a datacard inside the cars paperwork which said;
Motor Number: 113986***** etc etc
Notice the engine number!?...AMG! What was worrying me now, was the fact that the card also said CL500! So, once again I called MB and said thanks for your letter, but can you tell me why I have found these details and can you tell me more about the car...

Turns out (just as they previously confirmed) the car is a GENUINE CL55 AMG (with a 215375 chassis no + 113986 engine/gear) but the vehicle was not originally a UK car, and just as in the other thread about this issue (posted previously) car was a 'Special Order Vehicle' ...So my thinking leads me to believe that just as the other post, some early CL55's (particularly any special order vehicles not originally intended for the UK???) shared the 215375 chassis no....but are definately AMG's as MB have confirmed. I'm thinking perhaps since they were early AMG's, any special order, non UK market cars were based directly on the CL500 chassis? Who knows? I don't think everyone at MB does! lol

Their reason for initially telling me it was a CL500??...because somebody didn't update the details on their main system once the car was built with the AMG engine and spec, however after digging deeper with their 'specialists' they tracked the cars production and registration and confirmed it as a CL55

Anyway, Mercedes HQ have now updated things for this car. I just thought I would share this issue with the 215373 / 215375 VINs on CL55's + CL500's with everyone...

Thanks to everyone who tried to help!

Tony
 

Alex Crow

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Sorry to come late to the party - the early CL55AMG was little more than a cosmetic exercise, not having the supercharged engine.
And yes, it does have the same first 3x numbers on the vin as the stock CL500.

This specific question has come up before on the forum.
 
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TonyCL

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Sorry to come late to the party - the early CL55AMG was little more than a cosmetic exercise, not having the supercharged engine.
And yes, it does have the same first 3x numbers on the vin as the stock CL500.

This specific question has come up before on the forum.

Yes Alex, even being new to the mercedes world and using my (somewhat limited) knowledge of the motor world in general, I too believe the early CL55's were nothing more than an 'update' or 'go-between' until the supercharged version was released, therefore some early cars will have a similar VIN designation to the CL500's.
 
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TonyCL

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PERHAPS SOMEONE (MODERATOR/ADMIN?) SHOULD CHANGE THE ORIGINAL NAME OF THIS THREAD?? SO IT IS MORE IN LINE WITH THE ACTUAL ISSUE RESOLVED RATHER THAN WHERE AN ENGINE NUMBER IS??

... I would recommend it to them myself but I'm at a complete loss with reffering things to mods etc! lol..
 

Naraic

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Ermm....did you buy it?
 

Steve@Avantgarde

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If it has the service booklet it will be on the datacard in the back. Or get the chassis number and give it to the dealer to see if it matches that way!
 
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TonyCL

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If it has the service booklet it will be on the datacard in the back. Or get the chassis number and give it to the dealer to see if it matches that way!

If it has the service booklet it will be on the datacard in the back. Or get the chassis number and give it to the dealer to see if it matches that way!

Yes Steve, that is the card in the back of the service booklet that I noticed the Motor (Engine) Number on! it started with 113986. Initially the VIN decode showed a 113960 (I THINK!?) engine number, but it was only until i pushed MB and also noticed the engine number in the actual service booklet that I felt confident that it was a CL55

As this thread has shown, there seems to be some confusion within MB themselves on the use of 215375/215373 chassis numbers as they first said it was a CL500, only when pushed to investigate did they realise and confirm the car is a CL55. AS WITH ANOTHER THREAD ON THIS FORUM, it also seems the car was a non UK (although it is Right Hand Drive) Special Order Vehicle. Seemed to have literally every option apart from a fridge!

Only advice to anyone would be to (if you have the luxury of time) investigate as thoroughly as possible before you buy. But in general, if the car looks and goes like an AMG (exhausts, clocks, brakes, body, wheels etc) and IF THE LOGBOOK SAYS AMG and a FULL HPI reveals its an AMG (with no make/model changes)...It is an AMG! lol... just make sure you go through the process
 

whitenemesis

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Do all AMG engines carry the name of the engineer who assembled it?

Does your engine have a plaque such as below?
2055e9ab.jpg
 

toby1

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Pity we couldn't have the VIN for a decode
 

television

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Do all AMG engines carry the name of the engineer who assembled it?

Does your engine have a plaque such as below?
2055e9ab.jpg

I thought that they all did from about 96-7
 

Alex Crow

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Do all AMG engines carry the name of the engineer who assembled it?

Does your engine have a plaque such as below?
2055e9ab.jpg

Not on this CL55, that is only on the supercharger model (plaque is mounted on the supercharger!).
 

whitenemesis

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So the N/A C63 doesn't have a plaque?

My picture was to illustrate the plaque rather than it's positioning.
 
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TonyCL

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So the N/A C63 doesn't have a plaque?

My picture was to illustrate the plaque rather than it's positioning.

Alex Crow is right, this plaque is from a supercharged version.

These CL55's did not have such a plaque, (although some people do put an ebay AMG plaque on)

However, I do think the N/A 63 AMG's have a plaque now...perhaps someone can confirm??.

It's just these non supercharged CL55's didn't (from years 2000 - 2002 I believe) The supercharged versions of these cam in from 2002 (52) onwards i think
 

whitenemesis

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Alex Crow is right, this plaque is from a supercharged version.

These CL55's did not have such a plaque, (although some people do put an ebay AMG plaque on)

However, I do think the N/A 63 AMG's have a plaque now...perhaps someone can confirm??.

It's just these non supercharged CL55's didn't (from years 2000 - 2002 I believe) The supercharged versions of these cam in from 2002 (52) onwards i think

Sorry, my question was rhetorical, I know the C63 has the plaque as do all AMG built engines. It's the engine that makes the car a true AMG.
 


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