>>a punter's view of a CLK would be an (allegedly) glamorous grannymobile
Oi !!! You're going the right way for a smacked bottom, you are.
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Sorry Mark but it's about the only car my Mum lusts after.
(Although she would think that anything more powerful than a 180 Kompressor and wheels larger than 16" would be 'silly' so I presume you're alright).
If it's got a manual box it's definitely going to be "granny" rather than "continental express" spec though.
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I forgot Mark had bought a Charlie Hungerford wagon. ::snigger::
OP, your question is a valid one. Slush boxes do appeal on this sort of car, but typically to the more mature driver as previously noted. Honest answer? I think this one is as broad as it is long.
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>>I think this one is as broad as it is long.
You'd know with all the pies you eat.
Seriously though I think the mistake with the Merc was the manual gearbox. There must be very few people who want a vehicle like that, with a keep-fit gearbox. Certainly I wouldn't and mine is a go-faster CLK, not simply a slow saloon.
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Have you driven an auto IS200? They are very very slow.
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lol, the CLK was defiently not a granny car,it had AMG Alloys in Black with limo tint windows, but was a pretty slow 200.
Looked a bit too G Thing! for me :)
But i know what you mean by the shape of the car, if its standard with rubbish standard alloys,they do look awful.
I have always had the E46 3 series's as they tend sell well all the year round,just hard to find them cheap without being
full of dodgy extra like no history etc...
Sounds like the auto lexus might be a choice, ive seen an auto one for 3900 in black on a w reg, i thought was mega cheap, seemed like at least a 4695 car to me.
Thx for the advise, think it will prob fall down to how cheap i see one at, i know 3 series bmw's will sell easy with up to 150k on the clock, wonder what the max is for a lexus IS200 is ???? ive seen some really cheap ones with 140/150/160 on the clock, but thought it might have been a step to far :)
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mikepenn
What kind of trader are you - backyard? Or proper trader with plot? Seem to be asking odd questions for a trader. I suspect it wasn't the gearbox that made your CLK difficult to sell, but the limo tint etc. Not many people want to look like a drug dealer (not even drug dealers I guess!).
The business about Mercs not selling without auto is a bit of a myth IMHO. After years and years of selling Mercs I've not had a problem selling one on a manual - so long as condition and history are OK etc. There are not many manual Mercs about, but there is a small 'core' of die-hard manual drivers out there who don't want an auto. The latest 6-speeders are good and make a sensible choice for those who do a lot of motorway work.
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Aprilia,
I'm a bit surprised about that I would have thought that two identical Mercs - one manual and the other auto - the auto would have been easier to sell for the same money.
Certainly a manual BMW or Merc is not the sort of thing that I would buy.
Also, why is a 6-speed a sensible choice on a motorway ? Presumably most of the time on a motorway it doesn't matter what you're driving since there's not going to be a lot of gear changing involved either way.
I'm always surprised that a manual gearbox would be seen acceptable in anything other than an out and out sports car or a vehicle where the engine is so little it can't cope wtih an auto box.
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Aprilia, I'm a bit surprised about that I would have thought that two identical Mercs - one manual and the other auto - the auto would have been easier to sell for the same money.
There are not many manuals about, so those that DO want a manual (the die-hards) don't have much of choice. I guess for every buyer with a preference for a new manual MB there is a matching buyer for his used car??
Certainly a manual BMW or Merc is not the sort of thing that I would buy.
Lots of manual BMW's about - not 7-series, but on the 5- and 3-, and no problems selling those.Also, why is a 6-speed a sensible choice on a motorway ? Presumably most of the time on a motorway it doesn't matter what you're driving since there's not going to be a lot of gear changing involved either way.
Higher top gear so good for cruising and economy.
I'm always surprised that a manual gearbox would be seen acceptable in anything other than an out and out sports car or a vehicle where the engine is so little it can't cope wtih an auto box.
Something like 95% of the market is MTX. They are not all out and out sports cars or low-powered.
My own experience is that a preference for MT Mercedes increases as the car ages. People buying an old W124 seem to prefer a manual - bit more economical and less to go wrong, better for 'workhorse' duties. The auto's tend to at least need a reseal and new reverse clutch at 150k (£1k) whereas the manuals can go on and on to 250-300k+
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huh, well there y'go, you live, you learn.
Can't say I'd want one still, but that's quite enlightening. Thanks.
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i work form home, only been doing it for the past 2 years and tend to stick to cars i know i can sell, CLK was just one off and looking back at it, it did look a bit too ganster stylie!
If you are a trader you must know what its like when you start out, its hard to judge what cars can make heathly profit out of, or just be breaking even.
Some cars you can end up sitting on for a while, while others sell very quickly.
Thx for pointers about the manual gearbox on the mercs, any new info is appricated :)
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Mikepenn
I think the trick is to 'specialise'. The market is now so big and fragmented that if you buy random stuff in the hope of making a profit you will come unstuck. It would take a lifetime to figure out what 'works'.
If you specialise, in some way or other, you learn all about that range/type of cars and their market. You become an expert and can spot the bargains and also the dogs that burn other dealers.
Years ago (when margins were much better) I used to sell 'everything' of a garage forecourt. Subsequently I specialised in Mercedes (this was the era of the W123, W124, W201, W126 etc etc). In recent years I have backed off the Mercs a bit because of so many rust and reliability problems with the later cars - its difficult to sell them with confidence. I now buy/sell some BMW's as well as the Mercs and also, for about the last four years, a few Japanese sportscars - which very very rarely give any cause for concern.
You don't have to specialise by brand though - it could be 'diesel cars'; small automatics; MPV's etc etc. Whatever - you build up the knowledge and experience to make the right buying decisions and make a profit. Wandering along to the auction and trying to 'spot' something that will make a profit for you is a fools game IMHO. Also most run of the mill small cars are selling so high at auction at the moment that it would be hard to add much of a margin on to them if you want a reasonably fast turnaround.
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Hi Aprilia,
I agree, it does amaze me that some cars you can stretch stupid profit out of, for a while when i started out i was dealing in renault clios k reg - p reg shape ones and making between 250-400 on each car, even 500 out of the Auto's.
But as ive found with older cars people still want the car to pretty mint, even at 600 pound they want it to be 100%, so tended to stick with newer cars.
I never go to the auction as you say you end up paying near normal retail price for them, plus the odd one does have some problem that would need sorting, gearbox/engine/electrical problems.
Ive tended not to go near the big powerful sports cars like Impreza evo's type r's 4motion's etc.... as loads of traders in Manchester have had there doors kicked in for them and just take the keys, guessing for robberies :(
But thanks for the info, think ill stick to my bmw's and Golf gti's in future, they tend to sell well :)
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I used to have an IS200 (manual) and the auto always had a bad reputation. Only four gears and rather slow, whereas the manual box was superslick (if not quite as robust as it could be).
For the IS250, it's no contest - the autobox is fabulous.
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