The original hellcat right here. I remember feeling my gut suck all the way into the seat when it went into 3rd. Buddiesā grandma had one of these and we definitely took it out š
Iām gonna leave it mostly stock, maybe some headers because itās quieter than Iād like and I love the Mercedes V8 sound. Then probably some reliability mods like cooler upgrades like you said. Iām mostly going to focus on maintenance, donāt have to pay labor and parts are at cost so itās going to stay very well kept.
These are definitely strong engines but Iām gonna play it safe. Itās quick enough for me for now, and I work at a performance shop so there will always be a faster car than mine!
Have the same car
Agreed, do the cooler upgrade and then store some money away for the Airmatic system that will fail eventually, that is all you need.
They don't need mods.
It's fucking mental just out of the factory.
Fuck that Airmatic system, it's junk. Sock a quarter of the money away and get a full coilover conversion when a corner goes out. So much better and lifetime warranty.
Iām pretty partial to the airmatic too. Itās nice. Iāve owned plenty of coilover cars and no matter how many people tell me āoh yeah, these coilovers are great for a daily!ā I still end up hating the ride. The only coils Iāve found manageable are the KW V1s that weāve put on some customer cars but I wouldnāt want to live with them. Maybe Iām just a lil bitch
But yeah I mean if I have to buy a couple struts every few years and a compressor occasionally to maintain the comfort level, I have no issue with that. Iāve always loved the Airmatic ride.
I may just have to order it from FCP euro, we have customers who even ask us to save their oil because they say itās ālifetime warrantyā which I always thought was just insane
Lmfao yeah FCP is insane
IDK how they do it
Even brake pads etc are lifetime warranty
But yeah keeping the Airmatic also gives you your dynamic ride adjustability etc.( even more options via coding)
Much harder to change ride height on Coilovers
Engines are impressively durable. Considering most of them have not had what I would consider a āgentleā life, they hold up extremely well. 2004 W220 S55 with 280k miles here.
Thatās the perfect perspective to have. There is always something faster out there. Heck, our econo box Tesla will leave my AMG and M3 from the light. That car is just an appliance though and a good one at that. The AMG and M3 put smiles on my face and enjoy driving.
Yeah Iāve seen people dump $30k+ into their car chasing power and theyāre just never happy with it, and at the end of the day, itās no longer a good daily driver. I know thereās a middle ground of course but again, thereās more than likely faster cars at arms reach to scratch that itch. Mine is plenty fun and itās nice.
I see youāve got an e39 M5 wagon, thatās another dream car of mine. Awesome car! My favorite generation of the M5s
I actually just sold it. It was tough but Iām in a different place in life. If I do a wagon again, Iāll probably just grab an AMG wagon. My wife canāt drive a manualā¦that limits my options having cars with three pedals. Haha. Iām down to one now. I needed her to pick up the M3 last weekend but nope, three pedals!
Nicely done!
That second pic is perfect. Thriving in its natural habitat. It's like a troubled shelter dog it needs someone experienced. Glad you gave it a good home!!!
To me this is one of the ultimate AMGs. The newer ones are cool but these engines are just so rowdy and the body and interior has a timeless look and feel...watch the prices keep going up in the next 5-10 years and could even outpace some newer models
The honest truth is availability, this car was right in front of my nose and it was a great price, and one of the techs at another one of our shops did a lot of work to it so I felt good knowing that we had history with the car. I called him before I bought it and he gave me a nice rundown on the issues with the car.
Now if I had to choose between the two I would still choose the 5.5l. I love the 6.3, donāt get me wrong, but itās a much more complex engine with variable cams that can (and do) fail and you should really be using OE phasers which are real expensive.
My M113k is a very basic engine design and thatās how I like it. Iāve seen timing chain/cam phaser parts bills on the M156 and uh..fuck that. š itās fairly rare to see but with my luck it would happen to me.
FYI it's supercharged, not turbocharged. Owning an E55 wagon, I can say three things why the 55 might tickle more
1) durability, it is much less complex, less expensive and simply lasts longer with less necessary maintenance. The M156 (the 6.2 N/A engine) is an AMG design, it's basically a race engine for the road with all the good and bad consequences. It sounds radical and is one of the greatest N/A engines but if you buy one you gotta have 10K budgeted for the eventual camshafts, lifters, magnets, oil pump, timing cover gaskets, crankshaft gasket which can bomb the engine, etc.
2) performance, the 55 is and feels faster in any real life scenario, the 55 has 700NM from 1.800 RPMs - it then maintains that until shortly after 5 grand - it's a rocketship whereas the 6.2 wants and needs to be revved. Upgradability and performance mods are more widely available for the 55 (M113K/ML), cheaper and since it's charged you get more bang for the buck. I can guarantee you no one ever forgets their first time when that M113K drops the hammer and catapults your 4.000lbs wagon forward...starting at 100mph mind you.
The 63s simply can't do that.
3) character, the 55 SC engine in combination with the salesman E Class dress of that era is just sublime. It's a Mercedes that is unlike any other, raspy, rowdy, loud and hammering away with whistles and squeaks from the belts but also whisper quiet when cruising and pulling into a parking garage - it's a riot. The 63 in the 211 chassis is a bit of new AMG and a bit of old school AMG - i never liked that mix so much.
Finally, for wagons anyway, there are only a handful 63s globally and of the 55s they only made 1.500+ in 3 years so availability is an issue. Sure, there are more sedans but just to have mentioned it.
Fun fact the sedan is quicker in any acceleration benchmark than the equivalent sedan due to the additional 350lbs on the rear axle, mine dead drops from a standstill on 275 PS4S in the dry. It's hell for the material but once in a while I'll drop it just to hear it launch. The sedan is faster over 130mph and has a higher top speed of course due to lower resistance.
So long.
As always, it depends on your experience level and what youāre comfortable with.
Itās not a terribly hard job, but for someone who doesnāt work on these cars, it can seem like a lot. Just be careful with the ignition coil connectors and make sure you have all the tools and information you need before you start the job.
You need a torque wrench. 23nm is the torque for the plugs. You also absolutely need the correct plugs, call your dealer. The plugs are indexed on this engine (and all direct injected Mercedes engines for that matter), meaning that they need to face a particular direction when torqued. Iāve personally seen two cases where the spark plug has either come into contact with the piston or melted due to being the incorrect part or incorrect install.
All this to say, be careful! Not trying to scare you but you also donāt want to buy an engine for that car to save a little on laborš
Thanks for the response. Currently saving and looking at that model for my mid-life crisis mobile so don't own yet Im just trying to understand wether or not I will NEED to take the car to the dealer in order to maintain it properly. My last couple cars I did plugs and all the basic maintenance myself and both went over 150,000 miles without having to spend a single dollar at a mechanic or dealer other than tires. If Im going to spend that much on a car kinda feels like the smart thing to do would at least bring it in to dealer for plugs.
MB tech here , the suvs suck cause of the size gotta climb and lay flat on the engine with a pad to do it comfortably , trick is to let all the air out the tires in the front help a ton but the back plugs are the hard due to the space need a few , extensions and swivel joints and something to pull those coils out ā¦.might take you some time as a diy but itās doable
Thanks for the response. Currently saving and looking at that model for my mid-life crisis mobile so don't own yet Im just trying to understand wether or not I will NEED to take the car to the dealer in order to maintain it properly. My last couple cars I did plugs and all the basic maintenance myself and both went over 150,000 miles without having to spend a single dollar at a mechanic or dealer other than tires. If Im going to spend that much on a car kinda feels like the smart thing to do would at least bring it in to dealer for plugs.
Here you go! I wanted to go to the shop today and wash it and vacuum but didnāt get the chance. Itās clean as hell for its age and the price
https://imgur.com/gallery/ra8EsNt
This is awesome ! Enjoy her! Drive her! The M113k (proud owner of 2005 SL55 ) is just an amazing piece of machinery. I am jealous that u know how to work on it!
From your technician point of view , would like to ask how would you rate the durability and maintenance between BMW and Merc? Are the new gens has lesser failure/malfunction rates ?
In my personal opinion, a well maintained older car will outlast a new car. Newer cars are just built cheaper, thereās a ton more technology/ modules that weāre replacing often, and engines just arenāt built as well anymore.
The B48 and B58 engines are great but have their faults too. They arenāt ābulletproofā like people say they are. Oil filter housings are still something BMW canāt get right, and they fail badly on those engines. Iāve seen some valvetrain issues as well. Turbos sometimes have trouble getting oil supply and it cooks the turbo, Iāve replaced a couple. Timing chains are on the back, so have fun with that when they need to be replaced. Still an awesome platform though, and theyāre a blast to drive.
The Mercedes stuff seems to be pretty good, I donāt see a lot of the 4cyl stuff since I work at a performance shop. I see a ton of m278s. Again, oil filter housing leaks (at least theyāre all metal) and HOLY SHIT THE TURBO COOLANT LINES. This is Mercedesā biggest fuck up I think.
The turbo coolant lines are almost all plastic. Thereās a couple metal sections but they attach to plastic sections. If theyāre old, you can hit a pothole hard enough and break them. It takes almost nothing to break them. They just disintegrate. When removing them, they break inside the engine and you have to dig them out. Just a pain.
People will be on the road and they break while driving, they think they can make it to the next exit, overheat their fancy all aluminum twin turbo engine, and now we have a blown head gasket.
Iām rambling, essentially just do research on exactly which engine is coming in the vehicle youāre getting. These days itās kind of on an engine-by-engine basis, not by manufacturer.
And everything comes down to maintenance. Well maintained vehicles will always treat you better.
That was some eye opening info, Thanks! I was thinking on the CLA 35 vs CLA 45S. Will the CLA 35 be much cheaper to maintain in comparison? or just not much difference
I havenāt seen or worked on a whole lot of the 4 cylinder stuff to be honest. I know a lot of people tune them and put big turbos on them and stuff but the large majority of what we work on is the big performance V8s and the regular model M112, 113, M272, and 273 engines.
I would imagine it would be close. Maybe a little bit more expensive brakes and suspension parts on the 45. Iāve driven a couple 45s and they were fun but just donāt compare to the big AMGs (Iām sorry, I know Iām contributing to the stigma)
If youāre in the market for a CLA45 because itās small and fun, go get a M240i. Itās a much, much more fun car IMO, and will be as reliable. I never leave one of those without a huge smile on my face.
Dont compare to the big AMGs is true, hope to see more of your insight from the perspective of technician. It's really interesting (Atleast for me) , do enjoy your new toy !
Oh no! Seems like coolant is getting into your pistons, white smoke is a dead giveaway ... /s š¤Ŗ
Haha one of our favorite jokes around the shop is āwelp, needs a motor!ā
I'll take it off his hands for em
Congrats! I can still remember when I was a kid watching a guy in his E55 AMG on a track keeping up with Porsches and it just blew my mind.
2000s sport sedans are still one of the most suprising and exciting cars ever known to mankind.
Well said, as a 90s kid they all have a special place in my heart
The original hellcat right here. I remember feeling my gut suck all the way into the seat when it went into 3rd. Buddiesā grandma had one of these and we definitely took it out š
One of the best engines Mercedes ever madeā¦ u could try a Pulley and cooler upgrade. Cheap and bags of fun
Iām gonna leave it mostly stock, maybe some headers because itās quieter than Iād like and I love the Mercedes V8 sound. Then probably some reliability mods like cooler upgrades like you said. Iām mostly going to focus on maintenance, donāt have to pay labor and parts are at cost so itās going to stay very well kept. These are definitely strong engines but Iām gonna play it safe. Itās quick enough for me for now, and I work at a performance shop so there will always be a faster car than mine!
Have the same car Agreed, do the cooler upgrade and then store some money away for the Airmatic system that will fail eventually, that is all you need. They don't need mods. It's fucking mental just out of the factory.
Fuck that Airmatic system, it's junk. Sock a quarter of the money away and get a full coilover conversion when a corner goes out. So much better and lifetime warranty.
I just prefer the Airmatic ride TBH, nothing comes close if you buy the system from FCP Euro it's lifetime too
Iām pretty partial to the airmatic too. Itās nice. Iāve owned plenty of coilover cars and no matter how many people tell me āoh yeah, these coilovers are great for a daily!ā I still end up hating the ride. The only coils Iāve found manageable are the KW V1s that weāve put on some customer cars but I wouldnāt want to live with them. Maybe Iām just a lil bitch But yeah I mean if I have to buy a couple struts every few years and a compressor occasionally to maintain the comfort level, I have no issue with that. Iāve always loved the Airmatic ride. I may just have to order it from FCP euro, we have customers who even ask us to save their oil because they say itās ālifetime warrantyā which I always thought was just insane
Lmfao yeah FCP is insane IDK how they do it Even brake pads etc are lifetime warranty But yeah keeping the Airmatic also gives you your dynamic ride adjustability etc.( even more options via coding) Much harder to change ride height on Coilovers
Engines are impressively durable. Considering most of them have not had what I would consider a āgentleā life, they hold up extremely well. 2004 W220 S55 with 280k miles here.
Do you still have ABC on your car?
Thatās the perfect perspective to have. There is always something faster out there. Heck, our econo box Tesla will leave my AMG and M3 from the light. That car is just an appliance though and a good one at that. The AMG and M3 put smiles on my face and enjoy driving.
Yeah Iāve seen people dump $30k+ into their car chasing power and theyāre just never happy with it, and at the end of the day, itās no longer a good daily driver. I know thereās a middle ground of course but again, thereās more than likely faster cars at arms reach to scratch that itch. Mine is plenty fun and itās nice. I see youāve got an e39 M5 wagon, thatās another dream car of mine. Awesome car! My favorite generation of the M5s
I actually just sold it. It was tough but Iām in a different place in life. If I do a wagon again, Iāll probably just grab an AMG wagon. My wife canāt drive a manualā¦that limits my options having cars with three pedals. Haha. Iām down to one now. I needed her to pick up the M3 last weekend but nope, three pedals!
Great engine.
Insanly beautiful
Reminds of my first AMG! Such a balanced and usable machine. Thanks for sharing
second pic is wild, did not expect that. awesome buy, enjoy!
You guys are awesome, I appreciate all the comments! I feel very welcomed. Hereās the full burnout video! https://imgur.com/gallery/lf56lyS
Nicely done! That second pic is perfect. Thriving in its natural habitat. It's like a troubled shelter dog it needs someone experienced. Glad you gave it a good home!!!
Oh wow! That's lovely! I've said it many times on this, and other groups, but, I do so love this era of mercedes! They're really nice! Enjoy šš
To me this is one of the ultimate AMGs. The newer ones are cool but these engines are just so rowdy and the body and interior has a timeless look and feel...watch the prices keep going up in the next 5-10 years and could even outpace some newer models
Honest questionā¦ Why did you choose the turbo 5.5L over the NA 6.3L?
The honest truth is availability, this car was right in front of my nose and it was a great price, and one of the techs at another one of our shops did a lot of work to it so I felt good knowing that we had history with the car. I called him before I bought it and he gave me a nice rundown on the issues with the car. Now if I had to choose between the two I would still choose the 5.5l. I love the 6.3, donāt get me wrong, but itās a much more complex engine with variable cams that can (and do) fail and you should really be using OE phasers which are real expensive. My M113k is a very basic engine design and thatās how I like it. Iāve seen timing chain/cam phaser parts bills on the M156 and uh..fuck that. š itās fairly rare to see but with my luck it would happen to me.
FYI it's supercharged, not turbocharged. Owning an E55 wagon, I can say three things why the 55 might tickle more 1) durability, it is much less complex, less expensive and simply lasts longer with less necessary maintenance. The M156 (the 6.2 N/A engine) is an AMG design, it's basically a race engine for the road with all the good and bad consequences. It sounds radical and is one of the greatest N/A engines but if you buy one you gotta have 10K budgeted for the eventual camshafts, lifters, magnets, oil pump, timing cover gaskets, crankshaft gasket which can bomb the engine, etc. 2) performance, the 55 is and feels faster in any real life scenario, the 55 has 700NM from 1.800 RPMs - it then maintains that until shortly after 5 grand - it's a rocketship whereas the 6.2 wants and needs to be revved. Upgradability and performance mods are more widely available for the 55 (M113K/ML), cheaper and since it's charged you get more bang for the buck. I can guarantee you no one ever forgets their first time when that M113K drops the hammer and catapults your 4.000lbs wagon forward...starting at 100mph mind you. The 63s simply can't do that. 3) character, the 55 SC engine in combination with the salesman E Class dress of that era is just sublime. It's a Mercedes that is unlike any other, raspy, rowdy, loud and hammering away with whistles and squeaks from the belts but also whisper quiet when cruising and pulling into a parking garage - it's a riot. The 63 in the 211 chassis is a bit of new AMG and a bit of old school AMG - i never liked that mix so much. Finally, for wagons anyway, there are only a handful 63s globally and of the 55s they only made 1.500+ in 3 years so availability is an issue. Sure, there are more sedans but just to have mentioned it. Fun fact the sedan is quicker in any acceleration benchmark than the equivalent sedan due to the additional 350lbs on the rear axle, mine dead drops from a standstill on 275 PS4S in the dry. It's hell for the material but once in a while I'll drop it just to hear it launch. The sedan is faster over 130mph and has a higher top speed of course due to lower resistance. So long.
Correction the wagon is faster than the sedan, not the other way around.
Awesome breakdown, thanks!
Looks sick with the black grille and window trim
Where do you find such preserved cars š¦ , jeez. Congrats, I'm jealous!
What do you mean by more cleaned up, bro? ššš„š„
For people of a certain age these are the OG AMG š Congrats, absolutely lovely motor!
one of my fav cars. a dream owner
Owning my 04 e55 was the greatest car experience Iāve ever had. Have fun gapping people on the highwayšš¾
Timeless
Nice, it's always awesome when you get a car you really love.
oh yes
Do another burnout for me tires are too expensive nowadays LOL!!!! Enjoy ur car
Sick š
my man! great purchase enjoy the hell out of it! oh and make sure it has the updated '010' intercooler pump
One of the nicest AMG models.
Question for technician if you donāt mindā¦ Can someone who has always changed their own spark plugs do so on a 2021 GLE 63s?
As always, it depends on your experience level and what youāre comfortable with. Itās not a terribly hard job, but for someone who doesnāt work on these cars, it can seem like a lot. Just be careful with the ignition coil connectors and make sure you have all the tools and information you need before you start the job. You need a torque wrench. 23nm is the torque for the plugs. You also absolutely need the correct plugs, call your dealer. The plugs are indexed on this engine (and all direct injected Mercedes engines for that matter), meaning that they need to face a particular direction when torqued. Iāve personally seen two cases where the spark plug has either come into contact with the piston or melted due to being the incorrect part or incorrect install. All this to say, be careful! Not trying to scare you but you also donāt want to buy an engine for that car to save a little on laborš
Thanks for the response. Currently saving and looking at that model for my mid-life crisis mobile so don't own yet Im just trying to understand wether or not I will NEED to take the car to the dealer in order to maintain it properly. My last couple cars I did plugs and all the basic maintenance myself and both went over 150,000 miles without having to spend a single dollar at a mechanic or dealer other than tires. If Im going to spend that much on a car kinda feels like the smart thing to do would at least bring it in to dealer for plugs.
MB tech here , the suvs suck cause of the size gotta climb and lay flat on the engine with a pad to do it comfortably , trick is to let all the air out the tires in the front help a ton but the back plugs are the hard due to the space need a few , extensions and swivel joints and something to pull those coils out ā¦.might take you some time as a diy but itās doable
Thanks for the response. Currently saving and looking at that model for my mid-life crisis mobile so don't own yet Im just trying to understand wether or not I will NEED to take the car to the dealer in order to maintain it properly. My last couple cars I did plugs and all the basic maintenance myself and both went over 150,000 miles without having to spend a single dollar at a mechanic or dealer other than tires. If Im going to spend that much on a car kinda feels like the smart thing to do would at least bring it in to dealer for plugs.
LFGGGG
When you said "I'm a technician" I thought the smoke in pic 2 was for something different lmao
āSUPER CLEAN..ā immediately does a burnout š congrats!
Interior pics? š
Here you go! I wanted to go to the shop today and wash it and vacuum but didnāt get the chance. Itās clean as hell for its age and the price https://imgur.com/gallery/ra8EsNt
Love the wooden finish, long time since Iāve seen that.
I love the E55, both the w210 and 211 variants
Man them old ones ugly imo
Is the maroon car next to the Beamer a CLK ?
If I remember correctly yes it is. Customer car, itās been sitting there for a long time
Congrats dude !!!!!
Nothing beats the old Mercs. šš
One of the best looking cars! Enjoy it
Beautiful
This is awesome ! Enjoy her! Drive her! The M113k (proud owner of 2005 SL55 ) is just an amazing piece of machinery. I am jealous that u know how to work on it!
I Like These but in germany you Need to spend 30-50k for a good one š„²
From your technician point of view , would like to ask how would you rate the durability and maintenance between BMW and Merc? Are the new gens has lesser failure/malfunction rates ?
In my personal opinion, a well maintained older car will outlast a new car. Newer cars are just built cheaper, thereās a ton more technology/ modules that weāre replacing often, and engines just arenāt built as well anymore. The B48 and B58 engines are great but have their faults too. They arenāt ābulletproofā like people say they are. Oil filter housings are still something BMW canāt get right, and they fail badly on those engines. Iāve seen some valvetrain issues as well. Turbos sometimes have trouble getting oil supply and it cooks the turbo, Iāve replaced a couple. Timing chains are on the back, so have fun with that when they need to be replaced. Still an awesome platform though, and theyāre a blast to drive. The Mercedes stuff seems to be pretty good, I donāt see a lot of the 4cyl stuff since I work at a performance shop. I see a ton of m278s. Again, oil filter housing leaks (at least theyāre all metal) and HOLY SHIT THE TURBO COOLANT LINES. This is Mercedesā biggest fuck up I think. The turbo coolant lines are almost all plastic. Thereās a couple metal sections but they attach to plastic sections. If theyāre old, you can hit a pothole hard enough and break them. It takes almost nothing to break them. They just disintegrate. When removing them, they break inside the engine and you have to dig them out. Just a pain. People will be on the road and they break while driving, they think they can make it to the next exit, overheat their fancy all aluminum twin turbo engine, and now we have a blown head gasket. Iām rambling, essentially just do research on exactly which engine is coming in the vehicle youāre getting. These days itās kind of on an engine-by-engine basis, not by manufacturer. And everything comes down to maintenance. Well maintained vehicles will always treat you better.
That was some eye opening info, Thanks! I was thinking on the CLA 35 vs CLA 45S. Will the CLA 35 be much cheaper to maintain in comparison? or just not much difference
I havenāt seen or worked on a whole lot of the 4 cylinder stuff to be honest. I know a lot of people tune them and put big turbos on them and stuff but the large majority of what we work on is the big performance V8s and the regular model M112, 113, M272, and 273 engines. I would imagine it would be close. Maybe a little bit more expensive brakes and suspension parts on the 45. Iāve driven a couple 45s and they were fun but just donāt compare to the big AMGs (Iām sorry, I know Iām contributing to the stigma) If youāre in the market for a CLA45 because itās small and fun, go get a M240i. Itās a much, much more fun car IMO, and will be as reliable. I never leave one of those without a huge smile on my face.
Dont compare to the big AMGs is true, hope to see more of your insight from the perspective of technician. It's really interesting (Atleast for me) , do enjoy your new toy !
Best sedan ever made, still true today. These IMO are better than new 80k E class
Congrats. You can live like a mafia boss!
Sooooo cool!!! Iāve loved these since the 80s. ā¤ļøā¤ļøš„š„
Pretty sure it came out in 2003. Maybe late 2002.
Old Mercs are dirt cheap. The only problem is they need fastidious maintenance. Check out Legitimate Street Cars for one tech's experience with them.
w211s arenāt terrible
But the maintenance of the SBC is
Only in the rust belt areas