Faults:

Door Trim lifting from rear door.

New hazard warning lamp switch required.

New water pump when first got the car.

New rear shocks.

New rear Brake shoes.

New timing chain is now needed.

Worn piston rings (too expensive to replace)

General Comments:

I bought this car very cheaply and expected a few problems.

If buying one of these fine cars though, it is important to remember the following (I found out the hard way)

Always buy a standard car with history - They do not drive right with lowered suspension or engine mods, and big wheels etc.

The car should always start cleanly and the idle should be steady at all engine temperatures - If the throttle is blipped and the engine bogs down after the revs have dropped the idle valve on the injection system is faulty, and at around £250 sterling to replace is very expensive.

Forget what people say about the engines being rattly - Yes, the engines are a bit tappety, but remember this is a Merc - The engine should run quietly and only a slight top end rattle should be heard - anything else means the car has had a hard life.

Make sure the timing chain and its tensioner are not noisy - when worn they make a hissing noise that emmits from the front of the car and to change it is ususally an "engine out" job.

Check for oil consumption - a hard driven one will have worn its piston rings and suffer leakage in the engine (mine has) - To put this into perspective a new set of Cosworth forged pistons and rings will set you back £635 added to the cost of rebuilding the engine.

Although better than most - a lot of these cars are now over 15years old and have begun to rust - the most common areas are under the plastic wheel arches and body kit - run your finger under the arches to check for rust.

In the UK the car did get a bit of a reputation for being a "gangster's" car in the 90s and make sure the car is straight and not stolen etc. The car should have 2 master keys that operate all locks on the car. If one key does one thing the other another something is not right.

My personal choice would be to go for a standard late model 2.5-16 in "blue- black" or "Almandine" red. It is a fantastic car to drive and a real piece of Merc history - Buy carefully and you will have yourself a beautifully responsive, practical and economical alternative to a BMW M3. Buy badly though, and you will have one big headache - not to mention a completely empty wallet!

Faults:

Rear shock absorber,£150 each.

Hydraulic pipes for the suspension corroded.

Front spring.

Two engine mounts £80.

Front and rear discs.

Exhaust £850 for full system.

LSD & ABS sensors renewed £80.

Timing chain (my choice, but needed) £250.

Full handbrake system £150

Two tyres £130 each.

I'm sure to have left something out.

General Comments:

Although this seems like a lot of money to spend maintaining my car you've got to remember that this car has been around for 14 years and had 130,000 hard driven miles, things are bound to go wrong.

It's not the quickest car off the lights, certainly not as fast as my 5 Turbo I had, but get past 60mph and it goes and goes hitting 145+MPH(so I'm told officer).It definitely gives you smiles per miles.

They can be a bit of a handful in wet, (as I found out the first day I bought it) a little bit too much acceleration on a roundabout or bend and you'll be going sideways.

The engines on the 2.3 and 2.5 both sound noisy, a rattle hear and there, so don't let this put you off buying one.

The body work on mine is in excellent condition, no rust, dents or scratches the paint work still has a deep shine and I think its original. To the untrained eye this car could be mistaken for being quarter its age.

They are a well built car made to last and bomb proof. Buy one now before they become a classic, you can't loose.