I swear I didn't really want another one of these....But I do have a history with them. Many of you will remember that I had an extremely mint 2001 SLK320 (3.2L V6) in Firemist red that I owned and loved for 9 years (2010-2019). I sold it when Firm Jr came along in favor of the XKR; which frankly is a little more family friendly and a LOT more car. Can't say that I don't occasionally miss the little roadster though, it's tiny dimensions and classic MB interior. My brother also owned an early example, 98 SLK230 (2.3L Kompressor) that he daily drove year round for 4-5 years before it's life was cut short at ~230K by a transport truck - his car was a little ragged, but it protected him well and he walked away from a pretty horrific looking accident.
Anyway, I needed indoor storage for the Trans Am this winter, so I reached out to an old friend who is renting an old farm property on the edge of town. He was happy to store the T/A for me, so I went by to make arrangements and noticed this little 2002 SLK230 Kompressor sitting inside the shop. I asked if it was his and he told me it belonged to the landlord who was the original owner, but had recently bought herself a newer model (actually a really well spec'd E-class Cab) and has asked him to try and sell the SLK, but he wasn't having much luck.
That got my wheels spinning, so I made an offer that everyone could live with and now I have another SLK. It's a win for everyone really; I get a new project, my buddy gets the spot in his shop back and a little commission in his pocket, and the owner gets a price she's happy with for her old car. Sometimes things just work out nicely I guess...
Anyway, it's a one-owner summer driven only car. Full service history from MB from new right until current, and she hasn't been shy about doing ALL of the recommended maintenance including stuff people rarely do like brake fluids, coolant flushes, etc. It's totally rust free top to bottom, and with the exception of one taillight (super common...the circuit board/bulb holder is a terrible design) everything works great including the top and A/C. No warning lights - which is pretty impressive for an R170 SLK.
It needs tires bad (low tread and big cracks in the sidewalls), and maybe brakes as it's been sitting a lot recently. It also need a good detail big-time, the interior is pretty gross, and the black paint is crying for a proper paint correction. Engine bay is surprisingly clean, seats are in great shape (aside from being really dirty), but the interior paint on the console is chipping badly - this happens to every R170 SLK and the paint is available on eBay to fix it, so that'll be on my list for sure.
I am not sure what I'll do with it....It was cheap enough that I am not too worried about it, and it's not worth much resale either, so iunno. I pick it up next weekend, for now I am gunna scrub the interior and store it for the winter. If gas prices remain as high as they are it might be a nice fuel miser to have around for errands
Thread on my previous SLK320 if anyone wants the reminder:
https://www.autos.ca/forum/index.php?topic=94650.0Some poor (my buddy took them, so blame him) photos of the new unit
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