Is it worth spending money on?

[mymini007]

I have had my CLK320 for about 6 months, I really like it.

Its got 143k on the clock, it starts and runs beautifully, but it has a few issues.

1 Bodywork, the rear arches are starting to blister and around the boot lock has a bubble

2 Air-con not working

3 ABS,ASR,ESP light keeps coming on randomly

4 Will need a service, with ATF etc (obviously this is the same with any car)

5 4 of the 8 speakers need replacing

Is it worth spending the money to get it up to scratch and run it for a few more years, or should I just cut my losses and run it till it dies and buy another (better) example, maybe next summer

 

[The Boss]

difficut choice..

im in same thinking with my slk.

do i or dont i..

i am thinking in many ways, it is worth tidying up, but i would make my final decision on how strong the engine is. the slk engine seems so robust, that i might restore my slk jus on thie reason alone.. maybe colour code the bottom ends of bumper etc...

my slk will need a few 1000 £'s to make as new, but is the car worth this much? not really, but its such a good strong car...

 

[mymini007]

The engine is good, I gave it some beans coming round the A4174 in bristol today, off the light and up to ........60mph (cough) without hesitation, and the stunning sound of the V6 is awesome

 

[EDZ649]

Sometimes it's better the devil you know. You could get rid of it and end up buying a lemon which could cost you more than what the repairs would on the CLK.

 

[bpsorrel]

I think it all comes down to how much you like/want the car! Spending ££££s on an older car can never be "worth" it (unless it's a classic of course!) from a value point of view, but if a car is loved enough and the intention is to keep it long term, then the money is well spent. My S211 needs some paintwork doing and I'm debating how much I'm willing to spend on doing it up, considering I've no idea how long I'll keep it, could only be a few months, or maybe a lot longer if I'm still enjoying owning it. Difficult decision. Your car does look nice in the pics though!

 

[mymini007]

Yes thats what the wife said, what sort of mileage should I be looking at getting out of this, as I dont want to spend £000 on it and then the engine goes pop?

 

[mymini007]

If the car will do 200k then I will keep it, and spend some money on it, and run it for another few years.

 

[Ted]

My view
Its got 143k on the clock, it starts and runs beautifully,
Excellent reason for keeping it.

1 Bodywork, the rear arches are starting to blister and around the boot lock has a bubble
Pretty much the norm for these cars. TBH, as the car is 12-13 years old, I would attempt these myself possibly (yes, I know, I know) tidy up the bootlock rust and put a key scratch protector round it.

2 Air-con not working
Possible expense. Is it worth a £50 regas, and seeing how it goes?

3 ABS,ASR,ESP light keeps coming on randomly
Not unusual. Is it worth fitting a (cheap) brake light switch and seeing if this cures it it usually does.

4 Will need a service, with ATF etc (obviously this is the same with any car)
How about a quote from an Indy? It might be less than you think

5 4 of the 8 speakers need replacing
Great! Opportunity to get some 'bangin' sounds'!

So, If you like the car, and most importantly, you know it, is it worth spending a few hundred getting it up to spec (and adding value should you decide to sell it in the end), or cut your losses and buy something unknown.

My view is it's a keeper.

 

[mymini007]

My view
Its got 143k on the clock, it starts and runs beautifully,
Excellent reason for keeping it.

1 Bodywork, the rear arches are starting to blister and around the boot lock has a bubble
Pretty much the norm for these cars. TBH, as the car is 12-13 years old, I would attempt these myself possibly (yes, I know, I know) tidy up the bootlock rust and put a key scratch protector round it.

2 Air-con not working
Possible expense. Is it worth a £50 regas, and seeing how it goes?

3 ABS,ASR,ESP light keeps coming on randomly
Not unusual. Is it worth fitting a (cheap) brake light switch and seeing if this cures it it usually does.

4 Will need a service, with ATF etc (obviously this is the same with any car)
How about a quote from an Indy? It might be less than you think

5 4 of the 8 speakers need replacing
Great! Opportunity to get some 'bangin' sounds'!

So, If you like the car, and most importantly, you know it, is it worth spending a few hundred getting it up to spec (and adding value should you decide to sell it in the end), or cut your losses and buy something unknown.

My view is it's a keeper.

I had the kwik-fit re-gas on the AC yesterday, and as that didn't fix it it cost £0.00 so, next is a diagnostic, not sure who does those near me, apart from the Main stealer!

I have done a bit of bodywork on my mini in the past but I dont know if it would look good enough on my daily car, thats whats been putting me off doing it.

As for the stereo, I cant wait to have a play and add in some amps and nice speakers, but this is kind of my point, if a 320 is only really good for 150k then do I spend the cash on this one?

 

[mymini007]

Fuel tank is leaking at 35 litres too, forgot to mention that

 

[Grahamcol]

Until you said the fuel was leaking I had made my mind up that if it were mine I'd repair it. Maybe still would actually and even if you did decide to sell it later I think you'd need to get the leak fixed + at least the rust in order to get a decent price. Looks a nice car and as others said "better the devil you know" Also, yes, the warning light thing. Sometimes it's the brake light switch (it was on my C280 V6) and this is a cheap & easy fix which again should be done to try to get the best price if the car is sold. Don't think I'd sell it though!

 

[rossyl]

Go to an Indy, get them to have a look over the car. Get a report and see what needs to be done, it will come with a quote as well. There may be more wrong with it than you think.

On the basis of that i'd make the decision.

At the moment, the bodywork and the Air Con are real issues. The AirCon could be the condensor, or worse the compressor - that'll cost a fair amount. The bodywork is a real pain, as before you know it it racks up a lot.

 

[mymini007]

Well I have Booked it in for an ATF change and general inspection, including the fuel tank, I will then change the oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and coolant, and run it till the MOT in october, and see what comes back, the only advisory last time was the rear discs were pitted, but thats because the previous owner did about 2 miles a week, in it and left it standing for 8 weeks before she sold it.

 

[Grahamcol]

Good point about going to a good Indy. I'd never go anywhere else for the meachanical side of things. In my expeirence it's hard to find a good bodyshop - my other thread a few weeks ago gives some details of a recent mishap and hopefully I've found one now. Summary then is to go to a good Indy reference the mechanicals and find a good body shop for the rusty bits. Good luck

 

[mymini007]

I have booked it in at Tony Cridland, Mobile Mercedes Service Near Castle Combe, he was not sure he could fix the AC though

 

[Vlad]

Re A/C......if you can feel just the faintest difference in air temp when you switch the A/C on then its likely to need only a re-gas....if there is no change in temp when you put the A/C on then I suspect that you will have a holed condensor on the front, which has caused all refridgerant to escape.

Its not the end of the world as you should be able to pick up a new one from the likes of Euro Car Parts for a sensible price.

Engine wise....dont worry about it...as long as its had regular oil changes these engines ae bullet proof. I've been in one with 295,000 on the clock and it felt no different to one with 100,000 on the clock.

 

[mymini007]

Air con has been re-gassed, it works for 5 minutes and then cuts out and wont come back on until I turn the car off.

 

[whitenemesis]

Get it one Star and reset..

 

[mymini007]

Get it one Star and reset..

Ok, so the star thing has been mentioned before, I am in Chippenham and work In Bristol, where can I have this done? I dont really want to have to drive for an hour if poss.

 

[mymini007]

Air con now working, not sure how or why, but turned it on this morning and its working.