Resale? Don't feel so bad

[Vette73]

Just tuned into a rerun of a Barrett Jackson auction from 2015....

A 2005 SMG E63 Mercedes two seat convertible ( I think I got the letters right)
crossed the block....

Car came factory with 605 horsepower......Sticker price new was 180,000 dollars..Car was beautiful with 59,000 miles....

Selling price- 28,000 dollars...

So.....Everyone cheer up...

[Locobob]

Wow that's cheap, kinda wish I had the extra cash and room for a Benz now, those are nice cars.

[rush91]

I watch these auctions a lot as well. It amazes me how the market goes up and down....Like now, 1977 to 1981 Trans Ams are going for stupid prices. I'm not knocking Trans Ams, I owned a white on blue 1979. If one could only predict the future. I wish I owned a 1989 Turbo Trans Am, those are so under-rated it's a joke......
The 2006 / 2007 Ford GTs are now spiking for huge prices, as they should. I think the iconic cars will always hold value, especially for low mileage ones. I'm surprised the LT4 Camaros from about 1998 to 2002, with the Corvette motor, haven't exploded yet. I think our Beast will always hold a very special place, they were iconic between 1990 and 1995. And still are to all of us who know that magic after 3000 RPMs.......

[Hog]

Originally Posted by rush91

I'm surprised the LT4 Camaros from about 1998 to 2002, with the Corvette motor, haven't exploded yet. I think our Beast will always hold a very special place, they were iconic between 1990 and 1995. And still are to all of us who know that magic after 3000 RPMs.......

The 1997 LT4 SS Camaro yopu speak of is a very special car, esp. engine wise. The car gets its 285hp (305hp with SS package cold air intake hood/specific exhaust) LT1 removed and gets the 1996 Grand Sport/Collectors Edition/standard Corvette so long as it was a 96 Vette with the 6 speed LT4 engine in its place. But its not just a standard Vette spec LT4, it had to be a bit special in order to output its advertised 330 sae net hp @ 5800rpm when installed in an F-body. To save money, and avoid a full emission recertification, you will find that all 106 1997 LT4 Camaro SS and 29 1996 Firehawk LT4 cars will carry the OEM 5800rpm rev limiter that all the LT1 F-bodies had, rather than the 6412 rpm rev limit the Corvettes PCM calibration entailed. Chev engineers went with extruded aluminum roller rocker arms with roller fulcrum and roller tips. The first and ONLY OEM GM V8 engine to be a full roller design. There were 2 recalls regarding these rocker arms for the 1996 Corvettes with LT4's. The engineers found that over 5800rpm that the standard stamped steel rockers would exhibit galling, and this wouldn't do with the 6400rpm redline. The rockers are pretty much Crane Gold roller rocker arms with a Chev bowtie on them. These OEM roler rocker arms necessitated a specific LT4 knock module so that the noisy rocke arms ouldnte consfused with engine knock and hence have some ignition timing pulled.
Every 5th of these LT4 powered 1997 F-bodies were chassis dyno tested and every LT4 was engine dyno certified. A standard Vette spec LT4 was disassembled and balanced and blueprinted by SLP(including a torque plate squareup of the block), used specific stainless steel exhaust manifolds that had a visit at Extrudehoned, and fed a specific exhaust assembly.

The Firebird of 1997 stickered at $23,000 with the LT4 Firehawk package adding another $17,023.

The LT4 SS Camaro would tag high 12 second quarter mile ET's , but I'm not so sure about the 109-110 mph spec that I cant remember 100% accurately.

[Vette73]

Originally Posted by Locobob

Wow that's cheap, kinda wish I had the extra cash and room for a Benz now, those are nice cars.

605 horse sounds good but from what I hear the car had traction problems with all that power...Not sure what rear came with the car but I'm sure with the right set up and right tires,the car must haul ***....

Seen many imports over the years going for great prices at these auctions ....

[Mystic ZR-1]

Nice car, but, you think some ZR-1 parts are expensive?

[G8nightman]

Yes Benz's don't hold Value at all you can pick up a 03 CL55 AMG for about 15000 about 550HP Parts aren't all that expensive just have to know where to buy them def not the stealership.
I picked up this 07 cls550 for about 38000 4 years ago its worth about 25000 now they non AMG models lose value alot faster.

[LGAFF]

I just picked up an 05 SL600, Twin Turbo V12, w/52K miles for $21K. Original sticker is $132K....its now tuned with 600hp and 690ftlbs of TQ. Fun car but with sht goes wrong its $$$$..

$2K power/hyd steering pump/Shock Pump

So far in two months of ownership, hyd line went out, and now radiator.

Tuned they run 11.4 on street tires @121-123; with sticky tires 11.0

[Paul Workman]

Ouch!!! Those are some extremely heavy "hits" for those cars! 21/132 = 16% of new after 10-11 years.. By comparison, our cars selling in the $17,000 to $25,000 ± after 20 to 26 years are faring much better, ~ 28 to 33%, if seller is willing to wait/right market, etc., etc...

On the other hand, the cost to fix/maintain those Mercedes and BMWs makes a ZR-1 look cheap!!

[LGAFF]

upper radiator hose on the SL600 $155...one hose

Antifreeze $30 per gallon

Hyd fluid $18 qt for generic.....