0ldCh0d

1st transport arrived.
 
Biiiiig bonnet

James Ruppert (former editor of the Autoshite bible Jalopy magazine) wants to organise a banger fest get together...
 

Cor!

I was going to try and blag an upgrade but this thing is pretty well appointed inside.

Being a 2003, I would say it will be the L6 3.2 engine.
Although it appears that I am wrong here, as it has been mentioned that it’s the V6. Doh!
As for the auto box, if it’s the 5 speed 722.6 it is pretty much bombproof. The only real issue with these as they get older is the conductor plate fucking up.
this is obvious because it feels like the gears are slipping & it usually doesn’t change into anything above 3rd gear.
Relatively easy to replace (plenty guides on the Tube of you) but I will say, if replacing the conductor plate, use only genuine Mercedes transmission fluid, as the box is fussy with cheap shite.
Once replaced though, the box will be like new & shift seamlessly.

It’s probably sentimental reasons now, as it’s been sitting there for so long now.
but, I have tried for years to get him to sell it to me, the pictures were taken last year (when I tried again to get him to sell it).
 
 

This has been sitting on one of my mates driveway for at least 15 years now, his Dad will not sell it (I have tried & tried to buy this)  the mileage is genuine also.
 
it’s looking worse for wear now (as you will be able to see)
 

This has been sitting on one of my mates driveway for at least 15 years now, his Dad will not sell it (I have tried & tried to buy this)  the mileage is genuine also.
 
it’s looking worse for wear now (as you will be able to see)
 

Exactly, I agree with you 100% on your comment.
You only hear about the one’s that have FTP’d, yet there are hundreds of thousands of W220’s worldwide & the vast majority of them are running about still. Yes, they will have their problems over time, but so do other manufacturers, there is no such thing as 100%  total reliability with any vehicle.
They are designed to fail or break from time to time, some issues/problems more expensive than others.
 
overall, I am very happy with the big thing, it might be 17 years old now, but it runs & drives like it is new.
Thank you also for you comment, it is a lovely big thing. 

A rusty W220...albeit a pre-facelift model, but rusty as fuck. Bet it still drives well though ?????
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I would love to take this on the Autobahn, I might plan to do that next year sometime. I can only imagine how good the C32 would be on the Autobahn...that would be amazing. 
 
I also agree with you regarding the comfort of a Mercedes, I used to get a sore neck & leg after driving the Audi for a long distance & cramp in my right leg also, however, in the Mercedes, I don’t suffer from any of that after doing a distance in it. I went down to Newcastle on Monday just past there & it was an awesome journey in the Mercedes, I got out in Newcastle feeling as good as I did when I set off. 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

Exactly, I agree with you 100% on your comment.
You only hear about the one’s that have FTP’d, yet there are hundreds of thousands of W220’s worldwide & the vast majority of them are running about still. Yes, they will have their problems over time, but so do other manufacturers, there is no such thing as 100%  total reliability with any vehicle.
They are designed to fail or break from time to time, some issues/problems more expensive than others.
 
overall, I am very happy with the big thing, it might be 17 years old now, but it runs & drives like it is new.
Thank you also for you comment, it is a lovely big thing. 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

Mercedes are like that. If you've only driven a good one for say 20 miles they don't feel anything special, if anything they're a bit dull. They take a fair while to get used to. 
I did 700 miles in one hit in the C32 the other day, other than stopping for fuel we didn't get out of it. Thing is, at the end of the run neither of us had any aches or pain and we walked about 6 miles around Bonn after arriving in Germany. That, to me, is the sign of a very comfortable car.  I used to regularly do 300 mile days in new Škoda Superbs and while they were comfy I'd often get out with a dead leg and sore back. When I drove the XJR to Czech in one hit I felt like I'd been through a mangle, yet ask most folk which is more comfy after 50 miles and most folk will say the Jag. Ask again after 500 miles I reckon most folk would choose the Merc.
Thing with a good Mercedes is the stability. Drive one for a few hundred miles and they're very relaxing, they don't tramline or need constant steering correction as they just go where they're pointed.  Even my shabby old E320 CDI S210 blew the XJR away for comfort on a run to Czech.
The other thing with Mercedes is (W210 onward) they handle far better than most people imagine. People seem to think that because Mercs don't twitch and wriggle all the time they don't handle. Drive a Merc correctly and they're bloody quick but don't feel like they're going fast. It's easy to keep up with a hard driven 5 series in the equivalent Merc, but you get out of the Merc feeling relaxed. 
I'm taking the C32 with me when I move to Germany. It really comes into its own on German roads, whether they're Autobahns or twisties. 
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

Very well said, I couldn’t have put that any better. That’s completely true. 
I thankfully did not buy the car from an auction, it was a private sale & bought from a respectable man, who was only selling it due to his ill health, he said that he would cry when he saw it going away & I genuinely do believe that, I would have aswell if it had been me. 
He had looked after it as it should have been, it has been serviced when it should have been (the service book is testament to this, plus all receipts for any work that has been done to it over the time he has owned it) I certainly didn’t buy it blind, as you say, that would have been a crazy move.
 I can say that I did expect it to cost a bit more to run than my Audi A4 2.0T Quattro that I had up until I bought the Mercedes, but the truth be told, it genuinely has not been a massive expense between the running of them, but I was prepared for that. On a run at 70-80 mph, it averages 28.3 mpg, I only know this because I checked it on the computer display. Yes, it will cost me more to service than the Audi did, but as you say, it was a £100k car back in 2003, & it’s still going to cost that bit more to service it etc even now.
The Mercedes is a sublime driving car, you get out of it after a long distance still feeling as fresh as you did when you set off. I certainly don’t miss my Audi, that’s for sure.
 I have just covered around 100 miles in it today, it’s just one of they car’s that every time you drive it, You love it more.

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

I know I have not posted on here for a long time, but I thought that I would share my new daily wheels...
 
it’s a 2003, 53 (Facelift) S500 L (long wheel base)
just ticked over to 180,364 miles (I got it at 179,220 miles) 
What a car, it is NOT greedy on fuel despite everyone telling me before I got it that it would be, it’s not.
5.0 V8, 306bhp 7 speed Auto.
its seriously lovely, riding on the airmatic suspension.
barely above idle speed at 80mph & for it’s size, it’s seriously quick when it is needed.
Also, the silence inside is amazing, you can barely hear any noise, it’s so silent & insulated from the outside world.
Yes, I know that most people will tell me about the horrors of the W220 Mercedes-Benz S Class, but this is a good one, no rust or rot (early examples up until 2002 were notoriously bad for rot everywhere) the 2003 facelift model onwards were not as bad.
& my one is not blighted with any rot.
 
Here it is, after being fully valeted today.
 

Well bought. It looks majestic!