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Vilukas

New Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2021
Messages
7
Location
Spain
Car
CLK Cabrio 230 Elegance 2001
Hello, nice to be here.

I’m new here and just in the contemplation stage of buying a CLK Cabrio 230 197 Elegance 2001

Are there any particular problems with this car? Anything we should know about when test driving etc?

We are in Spain so the car is left hand drive which is perfect for here.

It’s a 3 owner car all from the same family.

High mileage as all the cars here are. It’s up at 180k (miles)

There is a few on the market but this one is close and looks great.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Many thanks.
 
Welcome. Rust is usually the big issue. Suspect this may not be such an issue in Spain. The mechanical bits are pretty strong as long as they are well maintained.
 
Hi and welcome 👍
 
OK well I guess the next step is to test drive it and see ....
Thanks for the welcome and the advice.
 
MB started galvanising cars from 2003, so rust will be a potential issue on a 2001 car, as GP801 said. Check also under the car, cross member / subframe etc.

As with evety cabrio, check the operation of the roof - it can cost a small fortune to fix if the mechanism fails. Those Stabilus gas struts are expensive...

By '197', do you mean Obsidian Black? If so then it's a good colour, my previous car was Obsidian Black, though it needs constant washing especially in a dusty country.

EDIT - sorry, the 197 is probably related to the M111 2.3L 4-Cyl 16V Supercharged petrol engine producing 197 ps....

Also, I am assuming it's a late A208, rather than an early A209?
 
Last edited:
Yes it will be an A208. The 230 was not available in the 209 and the convertible was introduced in 2003.
 
As already said check the roof and windows operation several times in a row for faultless operation. If the car has been left "top down "for long periods in the sun the trim, dash top and seats may have taken a hammering? a solid regular service history is nice.
 
Thanks for all the great advice.
I bought the car and got a decent discount on the advertised price.
Happy so far, roof works well! It’s been up and down a good few times already.
Went for a drive in the mountains and pushed the car quite hard and it behaved very well.
I would like to check the track rod ends as there seems to be a little play, it may be the rack I suppose (if it is we will live with it!)
The rear view mirror has some slight delamination around the edges so I might look for a new one and the drivers side seat bolster is worn (I’ll get that redone, there is great upholstery place near here that does my motorbike seats)
Has anyone upgraded the stereo to a modern navigation and Bluetooth setup? What is recommended?
Oh and the outside temperature gauge is faulty. Is it a big deal to fix?
Thanks again
 
Couple of pictures
 

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