C36 / C43 AMG faqs...

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

meri_gadi

Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
137
hi there everyone.

im wanting to buy a C36 or a C43 AMG. does any one know there performance figures. also is the C36 supercharged????? not sure.

whats the better car to buy?

thankx

jav
 
I'd go for the C43 .. its got a bigger engine and its a later model I think. Neither are supercharged .
 
meri_gadi said:
im wanting to buy a C36 or a C43 AMG. does any one know there performance figures. also is the C36 supercharged????? not sure.
Both cars are excellent performers, the C43 slightly more so.

The C36 (1995-1997ish) was taken off the production line at MB as a C280 elegance (wood trim, chrome exterior trim) and given the AMG treatment at their factory. It's a 3606cc in-line 6 cylinder with 280bhp and a 0-60 of 6.9 seconds (book figures).

The C43 (1997-2000) was one of the first production-line AMG models and AFAIK it was made alongside other "normal" MB models, it's also a sport trim unlike the C36 so it's faux-carbon interior and no exterior chrome. It's a 4266cc V8 with 306bhp and a 0-60 of 6.5 seconds (book figures again).

Looks-wise, both look like regular, boring MBs to the average on-looker, enthusiasts will note that the C36 has the older, slightly more angular-looking bodykit whereas the C43 has a curvier kit like the other models of the time and more modern models. Naturally it is often preferable to choose a newer car rather than older due to the evolution of the design, the main differences between the cars is that the C36 is a pre-facelift W202 and the C43 is a facelift model, the C43 having optional HID/Xenon headlamps, orthopedic seats, airbags in the doors and a much improved alarm/security system over the C36, simply because it is newer. The C43 also has a more production-line engine so it is easier to get parts for and if anything might be more reliable, the previous generation of engines like the C280/C36 engine has known issues with wiring harness as an example.

Both cars are excellent, I'm sure the members that actually own examples of these cars will pipe up and tell you so! :)
 
Mercedes seem to be fairly moddest with most stats and will also measure their figures under certain conditions.

It it quite likely other sources may measure faster.
 
GrahamC230K said:
Mercedes seem to be fairly moddest with most stats and will also measure their figures under certain conditions.

And sometimes they seem to be way out.

For instance, my 300CE-24v is listed as 0-62 of around 8 seconds. I find this somewhat hard to believe (although not impossible) for a hulking great 6-cylinder motorway cruiser. That being said, it certainly moves when you want it to ;)

I would imagine, Graham, that your supercharged 4 would be more like 8 seconds off the line?

--
Antony
 
meri_gadi said:

Hmmm... Not entirely correct stats. E.g. C43 has a 5 speed automatic, while C36 does have a 4 speed.

Also, why would a C43 with one more ratio, more torque and bhp and only 10 kgs heavier not be faster than a C36?

In any case, the C43 is plenty fast enough, and that is coming from a former 321 bhp BMW M Coupe owner, which Evo tested at 4.3 s to 60 mph ;)
 
Anders, , afraid your wrong there, i have a 5 speed auto in my c36, it came as a 5 spd on all 97 models.
 
Be careful with the C43's. Have been quite a few posts on here and elsewhere with gearbox problems. One guy posted how his gearbox was tempremental and then a few days later i saw that car on ebay with no mention of the box problem!

So be careful..

jay
 
my c36 also had its gearbox replaced!

problems to look for

Gearbox £2000 to replace
wishbones £400 to replace
air con condenser/compressor £400/£300
head gasket leak (common on c36) £800
rattly catalyst £2800

remember these cars will have AMG parts and OEM AMG replacements cost a bomb!

ive found this out the hard way!
 
In addition to above , wiring harness on the C36 breaks up just the same as the other M104 engines. My E36 has had wiring harness and ECU replaced which cost well over £2000. As with all these cars they are probably most satisfying on a company budget because although they are great cars you get great bills as well !
 
c43

ive had my 2000 year c43 for 2 months now and its my first v8 drive all i can say is wow
 
ive had my 2000 year c43 for 2 months now and its my first v8 drive all i can say is wow

You must share the specification,history and some photo's of your C43.
 
c36 amg

:D amazing i type in c36 amg into google, and this is the first post i came across!

i bought my c36 amg in early 2009 with the intention of breaking it to make some money! the last person said wow! about the c43. this car may be older (now 15 years old) and it is still WOW!

wife loved the car and drove it for a year until she got fed up with it. gear box went 3rd and 4th completely gone. over heating due to the viscous and crumbling wiring harness + various relays and wind screen wiper motor going as well transmission flex disc completely disappointing! all what was left was shreds and big clunking noise with a delay when u put it in drive:eek:

but that was the worst this car has probably ever been through! been off the road for 6 months and decided since i got a really good example of a c280 sport 1996 with all good parts and wiring! (since the 96 model didn't suffer the crumbling wiring issue!) i decided it would be good to restore the c36 amg to its former glory :D

so the gearbox was rebuilt last month, viscous coupling and fan was new and put on last week. new flex disc went on. just got road tax on the 1st july 2010 and started driving the car, oh yeh forgot about 3 new coils, iridium sparks and magnecor competition leads.

motor is beautiful! still needs ever so slight vacuum adjustment for the gearbox and the windscreen wiper mechinism and motor was swaped over from my c280 last week which all works good with the exception of the intermitant wipe which will be solved today by swapping the wiper indicator stalk, already swapped the relays!

amazing that the fact that this car is 15 years old but is completely solid! the only signs of rust is from the rear wheel arches from shear power of the rear wheels spinning and throwing chippings up and also the rear spoiler needs attention where it seems to join the boot lid. the car looks in excellent condition for an old car. and feels solid still, i will be putting the 1100k resistor on the coolant temp sensor to make the electric fans work at 92 degrees instead of 105. which means the car will run just as powerful hot as cold! just learnt the other day that mercedes run these motors hot on purpose to get better emissions! :devil: thats why the head gaskets need doing! luckily this ones fine!

going to swap the engine harness over soon from my c280 as the last owner has just used electrical tape in place of the insulation crumbling, cant be good for rf frequency interference!

i dont see how the ecu's on these cars ever go as there is an OVP relay to protect the expensive electronics. the relay will go first. mine is also fine!

the car does vibrate at high speed, yesterday i put a full set of tyres on and discovered that one rear wheel is slightly buckled! not from side to side, but up and down motion. its fine with the speeds upto 80.

this car is now in the best condition its ever been since i have owned it and im enjoying it very much! :)

another thing i will need to do is to replace the carpet in the back since this car must have been running so hot, the exhaust has burnt the carpet! the rocker cover has also deteriorated, so i will have the c280 one shot blasted and powder coated. it looks like the last owner put a new water pump on + a radiator but failed to realise that the viscous coupling was failing.

all in all i think i have a very nice car and the performance is outstanding! probably better than the c43 since its a basic model and doesnt come with all the extras. i read that my version does 0-60 in 5.8 seconds due to it being lighter than the previously quoted 6.5 i think that one had all the electric seats and stuff! theres lots of extras that can come with these cars which all adds weight! the c43 has lots of this stuff standard, quote me if im wrong!

i dont know about the c43 but the pull i get between gear changes on this 4 speed box is absolutely tremendous! :D heck of a kick, i could swear that im driving a racing car! my e36 amg is totally different doesn't even feel fast, but it deceptively is! i understand that this is the same 4 speed box on the Porsche built 500E, so it can take a heck of a kick.

well nuff said here but i am beginning to get very enthusiastic about restoring this beautiful piece of timeless art work that amg have conjured up from the early w202 Mercedes. the way they have engineered all that power at 3500 revs is unbelievably impressive! you could easily be fooled that your driving a V8

like to hear other peoples stories of these now old and classic cars!
 
Welcome back!

Happy to meet you at Santa Pod if you want to test your theory :D

Glad you're enjoying it, I actually look forward to getting up and out on the road in a morning now.
 

Fancy fixing mine? ;)

I have to echo what you say, as I love my C36 to bits, although things are going wrong and it's looking a bit tatty, it still drives like a beast!

(a beast with no aircon or fuel gauge and hardly any lacquer left on the roof and bonnet!)
 
Lol...this post was dug back up!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom