I am considering the purchase of a '02 C320 'avantgarde' < what is the advantgarde label reflect ?>

Anyway I am in Acapulco & came across a interesting deal. The vehicle is amoured to level 3. Nice option to have in Mex these days if it comes with the vehicle at no extra cost. Wondering if due to the amour the suspension, all components & tires will have problems ?

I do know that the shock mounts need to be changed right away. Help would be appreciated on this point.

Also interested to get general opinions on the C320 '02. 80,00 kilometer / approx 49,500 miles

Please let me know asap, need to decide in next few days.

Thanks

A couple of questions:

Where was the car driven? There is a world of difference between driving in Mexico City (D.F) and elsewhere in the country. Each situation poses different issues.

Does the car have maintenance records and is maintenance up to date?

What firm did the armor work, and can you get a receipt for the work done? There are firms that beef up car suspenstion to handle the extra weight, but I wouldn't count on it unless you know it was specifically done.

In general, my experience with a non-armored car in Mexico is that you should estimate the mileage as double what you read (or more) to take in to account the driving conditions in Mexico.

Regards
John

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John Gillespie
1988 560sec - 192k miles
2006 CLK500 - 40K miles
1995 E300 - 202k miles