Hello all,

I have been following these forums for many years. I was registered under a different name 4 or 5 years ago, but I ended up buying a volvo instead and havent posted since.

I am currently looking to replace my Volvo 940 with a w202 C230k.

I have been looking at specific cars for the past few weeks, and most of them have been junk.

Finally yesterday i looked at what seemed to be a decent example. A 2000 C230K Classic, interior looks like its never been sat in, paint is flawless, <50k, Runs great, shifts smooth, 17" AMG's etc.

There are however 3 issues that keep me from buying this car.

It was hit in the front, from what I understand, it was not serious. The bumper + headlights were replaced. The airbags deployed, and the entire dash was replaced(with a more upscale dash, wood trim etc). Apparently none of the steel was damaged (I could not see any obvious repairs to the hood or fenders). However, the windshield was shattered and replaced. This sounds to me like there might be frame damage? Or could the windshield shatter from the shock of the collison?

I was very careful to test the tranny, it seemed to function perfectly during driving. I revved it a little while in neutral to listen to the engine, and at 3k RPM it switched itself into reverse. At least thats what it indicated on the dash. In fact I felt a slight change in resistance on my foot which was on the brake, but upon releasing, the car did not actually move in reverse. I repeated this a few times, and the result was the same. I'm aware that the 722.6 is not exactly the most durable transmission around, so I'm a little worried about this behaviour, although otherwise it seems to function flawlessly.

The PO freely admitted that he has been using 87 octane since he got the car (2 years, 15k miles ago). I wonder if this could have caused any damage or extra wear on the engine. Obviously the computer retards the timing automatically, but I wonder if a supercharged engine could have sustained any damage from prolonged use of low octane fuel.


Thats about it. This car looked and drove perfectly. Oil changed every 4k, had a few nice upgrades and made a great impression overall.

I am not that experienced in buying cars, so I am looking for advice, are these serious issues, or should I go for it? I am not really in a hurry, so I can continue to look (for a couple months), however not many 2000 c230's in good shape pop up in my area. I am willing to spend what it takes to buy a nice example, but there is simply a lack of them available, so I'm tempted to go for this one. I was extremely impressed by the cosmetics (looked brand new). And other then the issues I mentioned, it seemed to drive great.

Thanks.

I'd pass.

Crash,
Transmission- really didn't understand what you were describing.