Dilemma.....Restore my 2001 Mercedes CLK 430 V8 or Buy Ford Focus ST 2.5t

[0ldCh0d]

Hi All,  Apologies, This may ramble on a-bit. & no, i have not been drinking.

 

As most people who are regulars of this parish will know, I am a serial three pointed star licker. 

Now, as with most things like Life, family, work etc,  I am like most, pushed for getting the time to actually get around to doing things that I want to do with my stored cars. 

 

I currently have tucked away, a very nice old 2003 Rover 75 CDTi, Which has a borked alternator & has had since it was put away in 2015,

 

I very nearly got this sorted earlier this year, then something else came up & sorting it out never happened, 

So it currently still sits in the garage awaiting to see daylight again.

 

But, this is not what I want to get off my chest, What I would like is, advice on what I should do regarding My 2001 CLK 430.

 

It has, like the Rover, been stored up since 2015, & I always, always planned to get it properly sorted out, mechanically &

cosmetically. 

 

It is a lovely looking old thing, with genuine factory fitted AMG front/rear bumpers/side skirts & the staggered AMG alloy wheels. & the sound of that V8.....Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it. & it is NOT hanging with rust as most W208 CLKS are now.

 

However, in the preceding 2 years since, I find myself still no further forward with the car/s, Yet my life has changed a-lot, Mrs OC is currently due our son in March 2018, & life in general is good.

 

But, I have this mad,mad itch to scratch with a MK2 Focus ST 2.5T. But if I do that..the Mercedes will sit for longer, as I cannot go buy an ST & also restore the Mercedes.

 

One or the other I am afraid.

 

So....What would you do if this was you?

 

Sort/spend the money on the Mercedes, Or Buy an ST Focus.

 

I NEED to do one of these come January.  My Heart say's Mercedes, My Head say's ST Focus...

 

 

As an aside Listen to this....  

 

[Six-cylinder]

Mercedes for me.

[Junkman]

no, i have not been drinking.

That's obviously a major contributor to the dilemma.

[0ldCh0d]

That's obviously a major contributor to the dilemma.

 

lol....I will keep that in mind Junkman 

[D Spares & Tyres]

Merc definitely, no contest

[sierraman]

Focus, good powerful and useable car if you can live with the thirst and the possibility of it disappearing during the night.

[SiC]

Aint those Ford engines suffering from a head gasket issue causing them to burn coolant?

That's the newer ecoboost unit on the latest Focus RS. The MK2 focus 2.5t is the Volvo 5pot unit.

 

I'd personally get rid of the Rover (derv and I'm biased because I don't rate them...), store the Merc in there and get a Focus. Once bored of the Focus, fix the Merc and use that.

[DVee8]

A workmate bought a ST1,57 plate 28k miles orange 3 door.

The week before christmas he put his Land Rover Discovery in for it. A,because the LR was very slow and B, because the got 23 mpg.

So he got the ST,the first night he was showing it to me, taking it easy-ish he was getting 16.8mpg as the week went on he got it up to 19.4.

It also went back in for the engine management and airbag light's on.

 

But it is a nice car. strange spec,air con,trip,computer but no clock.Big heavy doors.

[Slartibartfast]

My vote goes to the Merc.

[Dirk Diggler]

I'd buy a cheap S40 with the same engine as the focus and with the money saved be closer to fixing the Merc

 

I don't really know the UK market but I've seen plenty of s40's over the last 12 months from €1500-2500 and haven't seen a Focus for less than 5k; maybe the numbers are a little different there

[Wack]

My most favourite car ever was a Subaru Impreza WRX hatch, real fun to drive , just walking up to it put a smile on my face.

 

The merc and the focus are chalk and cheese, for a car you'll enjoy driving I'd go st

[Split_Pin]

I was not aware of your Mercedes passion but since you asked, here is the way I see it.

 

Buying another car will not solve the problem of having no time to properly sort the existing car. When your son is born, for at least the first 9 months, car stuff will inevitably take a back seat. If you bought the Focus and it then required work, you would have yet another non working car.

 

You obviously love your CLK. In my mind, it would make sense to let it sit for just a bit longer and then when your son is above the age of requiring constant nursing you should have a little time back to yourself.

 

My own experience was that I let my shite bothering take a back seat until that time and then I got right back on it!

 

*Some, none or all opinions may vary

[fordperv]

The merc for me as well, its correct wheel drive with 8 cylinders

[SiC]

The Merc may have 8 cylinders, but the ST makes just as good noises. Plus it'll not only utterly out handle the Merc but be much more fun too. The Merc is more of a cruiser but the Focus is more of a drivers car. Also a 5door Focus will not only be easier to get kids in and out, does the Merc have Isofix mounts? Because the Focus will.

 

I'm sounding a bit Pistonheads esq, but the Focus is likely to be the much better car for your current situation and is (tbh) the better car. Just don't get rid of the Merc!

[New POD]

When Mrs New POD was expecting our first born, I sold my mk2 fiesta car derived van with rear side , and windows and a GL interior, and bought a nearly new mk2 cavalier 1.6GL. 

I also sold a mini clubman with a months MOT and a mini 850 with 12 months MOT, because being sensible was required.

 

25 years on, I think my advise to you is : 

 

Sell all the cars you own at a loss and buy a nearly new Kia Cee'd.

[Wack]

When Mrs New POD was expecting our first born, I sold my mk2 fiesta car derived van with rear side , and windows and a GL interior, and bought a nearly new mk2 cavalier 1.6GL. 

I also sold a mini clubman with a months MOT and a mini 850 with 12 months MOT, because being sensible was required.

 

25 years on, I think my advise to you is : 

 

Sell all the cars you own at a loss and buy a nearly new Kia Cee'd.

You forgot to sign it bitter and twisted.

[D Spares & Tyres]

With the Merc you may look like a drug dealer but the Focus will make you look like a drug user ☺

[Hendry]

Personally id get a Focus, and id do it now while the values are as they are, they may still seem expensive, and they probably are, but IMO they are at the bottom of their depreciation/value curve and once OSF hits which it will, they will be extortionate again. 

 

By then you will struggle to justify the cost and will regret not buying one when you had the chance, and in my book, better to regret the things you do do than the things you dont.

 

PS get at least an ST2, the ST1 spec is shocking in a 306 Rallye kinda way, ie its the top dog, highest spec (on prefacelift mk2 Focus) but has an interior spec like a Focus Studio, billy basic. Never seen the appeal of a fast, good looking car which was good to drive but piloting it from a boggo povvo spec cabin. 

[Royale80]

Brothers had a ST2 for about 6 years. Absolutely fantastic car to drive. The amount of torque the 5 pot produces is immense and the sound superb. He,s got some sort of code reader thingy bought off the ST club which can alter the engine map. Its putting out 280bhp. Its been putting this out for years with little effect on mpg-its always averaged 22mpg around the doors.

[LessThanEqual]

Volvo C30 is the thinking man's Focus ST.

[Bren]

How much does the merc need?

My SD1 has been off the road seven years - it took much more work than I ever anticipated.

Life is perhaps too short to have something languishing in the garage. If it has been sitting a while get rid and buy the focus.

[Asimo]

Roffle the dead Rover, £1 a pop just to get rid.

Buy a CLK V8 that works for Focus ST money.

Strip dead CLK for spares and store them in the space vacated by the dead Rover.

[Wack]

Brothers had a ST2 for about 6 years. Absolutely fantastic car to drive. The amount of torque the 5 pot produces is immense and the sound superb. He,s got some sort of code reader thingy bought off the ST club which can alter the engine map. Its putting out 280bhp. Its been putting this out for years with little effect on mpg-its always averaged 22mpg around the doors.

 

My impreza had a fuel computer that always read 22mpg , a mate said that's just a sticker to make you feel better

[tooSavvy]

Hendry:

..and in my book, better to regret the things you do do than the things you dont..

 

I regret my first marriage - and regret NOT listening to advice about her beforehand

 

Still - All in the Past!

 

 

TS

[dollywobbler]

This is Autoshite. Sell the Merc and buy a Suzuki Baleno.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Merc all the way for me.

 

However, I know from personal experience that sometimes you just have to scratch an itch, no matter how short lived it is.

[paulplom]

I have a 2002 c70 t-5 for sale. Same engine and manual. 250hp. Just over 100k. £1500. Spend the rest getting the merc fixed then sell the convertible for a profit in the summer.

[Jams]

From some one who’s owned one st2 in blue! Superchip remap that I done in Tesco car park! Hand held Jobbie from demond tweeks! It was bloody fast!!

 

There getting leggy now if it’s not had the belt done or a block “mod” the stop it shitting it’s self and it’s incredible cheap don’t bother mate

 

Merc sounds a beast and you obviously know the car! If times a problem send it into a local trusted garage get them to sort anything

[Dan the van]

Merc all the way.Just bare in mind that ALL Merc coupes and cabrios become highly desirable with time.Just look at the values of the 90's ones,nothing decent under 10k.CLK's are rock bottom now and can only go one way.Awsome engine,used to get 30mpg on a run in mine despite the odd full bore blast.Look after it and in 10 years it'll be worth 5x current value.I'd love another.

[barrett]

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