09x15 - Mercedes Benz SLK R170

[bunniefuu]

If you like motors that
look good and cost peanuts,

this one presses all the right buttons.

One of the cheapest,
I think, in the country.

But this time, some of
the buttons don't work.

That is a bodeau.

And the pressure is on for my mechanic, Ed,

because he's got next to
no money to spend on parts.

A lovely, cheap car with
loads of things wrong with it.

This is the show where we
turn the clock back on tight,

classic cars and sell them
on, hopefully for a profit.

The SLK was designed to
distill the styling glamour of

the classic Mercedes SL into
a more compact proposition.

The experiment worked.

The SLK is unforgettably
pretty and despite its compact

dimensions and full-size
30 grand selling price,

it was a game-changing motor that nicked
sales from both Audi, BMW and even Porsche.

Because none of them could compete.

They could do this.

Offer a fully-retracting
metal roof with the safety

of a hardtop and the
open-air frills of a roadster.

With a great choice of punchy engines,

many with superchargers, rock-solid build
and that three-pointed star on the bonnet,

this car, now in its third generation,

has never stopped being a winner.

Now, it ain't hard finding a
first-generation Mercedes SLK.

You can just type one
into any search engine,

look through the free ads or even
in your local newsagent's window.

And when you do find one,
you're going to be spoilt for choice

because you can find
different engine sizes,

different colours, different mileages.

But what's really
difficult is rooting out a

bargain and that's
the bit I'm interested in.

Scratchy cars coming around three grand,

good ones are as much as six.

But I only want a bargain so I'm
limiting my budget to two and a half grand.

The SLK was born in 96

but later models have
better engines and more kit.

So I'm looking around 2,000 onwards.

Now, I found a company that seems
to be a clearinghouse for cheap cars.

They've got their own auction page.

And guess what?

They've got a Mercedes
SLK that seems to fit the bill.

It's silver, it's MOT in tax and
it's the 200 compressor spec.

The only problem they say
is that the roof doesn't operate

and that's sort of the point
of an SLK convertible, isn't it?

The auction though,
it shuts in just an hour.

Now, I reckon two grand
is cheap for that motor

so what I'm going to do is put a maximum
bid of 2,100 pounds and see how I get on.

If I don't win it, no stress.

But if I do win it, that'll
be one cheap car.

This place says it's your
responsibility to view before you buy it.

And that would be fine if
I had the time but I don't

so I'll let the numbers
make the decision for me.

Well, I can't believe it.

I've just won that car at a
very cheap 2,010 pounds.

I am a tiny bit nervous.

that I've just bought a
car that I've never seen

but I suppose we'd
better go and take a look.

The SLK is in Chester which is a hefty
four-hour journey from the workshop.

And as soon as I hit
the road, I get the jitters.

Now, I'm a bit nervous about this SLK.

I'm on the way to go and see
because I'm not actually going to look.

I'm going to collect it.

Unless this car's been misrepresented,

I've just bought this car
and I've bought it blind

and that's something I never normally do

but this car was cheap
and I just couldn't resist it.

But have I made a mistake?

Well, let's see.

It's time to find out if
I've bagged a bargain

or somebody's wanted
rid of the SLK for a reason.

Hello, mate. You're Simon?

Yeah, hi, mate. How are you?

I'm all right, mate.
Yeah, nice to meet you.

Very good.

What a place you've got here.

I could spend all day walking
round your stock. It's great.

We have a good variety of
stock, as you can see, Mike.

It's, yeah, interesting pitch.

Okay, well, this is the little
car that I've come to see,

the one that I've won online, the Mercedes.

Tell me about it.

It's just come in part X.

against a Audi TT
convertible we had on site.

Nice, genuine car.

Well, it looks great,
doesn't it, on the face of it.

Unfortunately, straight
away, this headlamp's got

water inside so that would
definitely need changing.

But down the sides, it's actually
a really straight car, isn't it?

Nice round the back as well.

That's a bit of a shame, isn't it?

It's got a pitted exhaust
pipe so that'll need changing.

These wheels, what's going on here, Simon?

They're horrible, aren't they?

They're not standard wheels, so, yeah,

possibly have a look
against some standard ones.

All right to look inside?

Yeah, I think.

Okay, looks lovely in here, doesn't it?

Very nice indeed.

It's got this lovely turned
aluminium dashboard.

The radio's missing.

So a stereo would need to be put in?

Yeah, it's unfortunate,
that's the way it's come in,

but you can pick one
up, I'm sure, secondhand.

All right, to fire it up?

Yeah, feel free.

That sounds all right, doesn't it?

Very nice indeed.

Yeah, very nice indeed.

Well, look, this roof is
flashing away inside the car,

so while I'm here, I
might as well give it a try.

Foot on the brake, hit the button.

Absolutely nothing.

No, dead as a dodo.

All right, well, let's have
a look under the bonnet.

Right.

Oh, look at that, that's
a bit of a shame, isn't it?

It's gone rusty there on
the wing and on the bonnet,

so that's two panels that are
going to need a bit of paint.

Absolutely typical of this modeler car.

If you have a look down here,
Mike, it's even started to go there.

On the front wing?

Yeah.

Yeah, on the wheel arch as well.

Okay, well, let's get under
this bonnet and have a look.

And there you go.

Very nice, bright little engine,

and it's got the supercharged engine,

so 165 brake horsepower
in a car this light.

It should go, right?

Okay, well, I suppose the
only thing left for me to do

is to get it out of here, hit
the road, and see if it's all right.

That's how we go.

Now, the name SLK comes from the German for

Sporty, Light and Short,
which is Sportik, Lights and Kurt.

I know my German isn't that
good, and that really says it all.

It really is sporty and
lovely to throw about.

The engine, wow, look at that!

Oh, it picks the car up
to speed really nicely.

Now, this compressor engine is
well known for its low-down grunt,

and it feels more like
a two and a half litre V6

rather than the little two
litre that's underneath,

and it delivers it fantastically.

through this silky smooth
automatic gearbox,

but Mercedes are very,
very famous for building.

Now, if I were to moan about something,

it would be that under hard acceleration,

yeah, there it is, there's a slight
Rumble coming from the throttle.

It could be just one of those things,

but it's definitely something
that needs to be checked.

And you know what I always say,

that in a car that's sporty and
quick, you need good brakes.

And although this car does
gradually come to a stop like this,

the pedal travel is a little bit too much.

This seems to be lacking
in fluid or something.

Whatever it is, it needs to be looked at.

But the biggest pain of all,
especially on a day like today

when the sun is trying to burst
through the clouds, is this, the roof.

Not being able to open it
is taking away a big part

of what makes this car
attractive in the first place.

Okay, now this little motor
is rough around the edges.

It's scruffy and it's totally unloved.

But do you know what, underneath it all,

I reckon there's a lovely
little car desperate to get out.

And at 2,000 pounds, I reckon
this motor is worth a punt.

In fact, I'm going to prove

that you don't need to spend
a lot of money to make money.

So what do you think?

I actually like it, yeah.

It gets down the road quite nicely.

It's exactly what I'd
expect out of a little SLK.

So delighted, actually.

Yeah, this is a weird one, this, because
the money's already in your bank account.

So hold that at your hand.

I just bought myself an SLK.

Making money on a cheap
car like this is a proper

challenge and there's
a lot riding on that roof.

If it's a cheap fix, we're halfway there.

If it's not, well, we
could even make a loss.

MUSIC.

The Mercedes SLK is a Jewel of a motor,

especially when it costs just two grand.

You got yourself a deal.

But this car isn't the best of breed.

It's got some rust, the roof doesn't work.

That is a dildo.

It grumbles and the brakes
aren't working properly.

So I'm off to see how Ed
feels about these little issues.

It'll be over the moon, won't he?

Well, it's about 250 miles back
to the workshop from Cheshire

and it's given me time to think
about some sums in this car

because I've got this car
so cheap, just over £2,000.

And when you think about it, that's the
kind of money you'd expect to pay for one

that's been written off
by an insurance company.

This car's never even been in a crash

which makes it one of the
cheapest, I think, in the country.

Now, all of that is good news.

But the bad news is
that if you look at other

SLKs out there on the
market that are for sale,

they seem to go for about
£3,500, maybe up to £4,000.

That means I have to
give Ed a really strict

budget on what he can
work with on this motor.

So I reckon he can't spend any
more between £800 and £1,000.

That way we can earn some
big bucks at the other end.

HORN HONKS.

Eh?

So you got me the
perfect hairdresser's car.

Well, I know you're a fan
of German engineering,

so look what I got you.

Well, to be fair, they
are quite solid cars.

They're quite classy and quite
popular and it's the compressor model,

which means it's fitted with
that lovely supercharger system,

so we haven't had one
of those in the workshop.

I'm quite chuffed about that.

I'm really pleased you're pleased.

And do you know what?

When you find I only give
just a shade over £2,000 for it,

it was cheap as well,
handles like a go-kart,

goes like a steam train.

It's a beauty.

But... It's always a
but with you, isn't it?

Oh, with your cars?

Yeah, you are right.

No, there are a few little problems,

namely little rust spots all over the car.

I mean, there's one
over there on the bonnet

and on the wing, down
here on the front of the wing.

They just need a bit of attention.

OK, well, I'm sure that
wouldn't be too hard to

sort out, but those wheels
need to be changed.

They look like they come off a
CLK rather than one of these.

You're right, the wheels
do need to be changed,

but hold your horses,
don't jump the g*n

because I haven't finished
on the bodywork yet.

The headlamp, that's
had a hole in it in the

past, it's let in water,
it changed that.

And down the back it's pretty nasty as well

because the exhaust pipe
at the back, that's all rusty,

but then that will sort the
bodywork out and it'll be lovely.

OK, so what about the interior then?

Come and have a look.

I mean, there's a couple of things.

It's missing a radio and the
dashboard lights up like a disco.

It's got a few warning lights on it.

The main problem is the roof.

The metal folding roof that folds away into
the boot, it unfortunately doesn't work.

So this car is all about the
wind in the hair experience

and you've managed to buy one
that doesn't have that experience?

Correct, yes.

But I reckon it's nothing
more than a broken wire

and it'll be re-attached by
you and it'll be fine again.

Sure it will be.

Why don't you fire her up,
have a listen to the engine.

There you go, what do you think of that?

That looks pretty tiny, pretty
honest, yeah, it looks all right.

It's good, I'll tell you.

It's a nice, strong engine,
but there is a slight Rumble.

Maybe it's just me being paranoid,
but I think there's a Rumble.

It could be something or
it might be nothing at all.

Or it could be the bottom end.

Don't say that.

You're not allowed to say
those words around me.

It's not the bottom end.

But whatever it is, it needs investigating.

Plus, as I say, this engine is quick.

Yeah.

So the more faster you go,
the more you have to press

on the brake pedal and
the brake travel is quite long.

But I reckon that's just a serviceable thing
and you'll get through it quite quickly.

So you're saying you've got a lovely, cheap
car with loads of things wrong with it,

especially when you
consider this is a Mercedes

so the parts could be
quite expensive as well.

We can put it like that, yeah.

But, right, this car was cheap

and I know we can earn a profit out of
it, but only if we get it in the workshop,

turned around and out of the workshop.

and you really don't spend
any more than 800 quid.

Then why didn't you say it?

It sounds easy.
Let's get it in the workshop.

The Mercedes SLK may be
small, but it's definitely mighty.

It's a pack full of loads
of engineering and quality,

which is why, when it
was new, it cost £30,000.

And that might be why Mike is so chuffed

he managed to scoop this
little chap for just £2,000.

Now, he's given me rather a tight
budget within which to get it all working,

but rather than feeling like a bargain,
it feels much more like a real worry

because any one of the jobs on the
to-do list has the potential to break us.

The SLK needs an extremely
thorough once-over in the workshop.

Mike's heard a grumble in the engine
and those unexplained noises worry me.

So I'm getting all scientific
with an automotive stethoscope

to try and work out where
the rumbles are coming from.

First of all, we've got
the power steering pump.

You can hear a nice
mechanical kind of whine there.

That's OK, that's fine.

And then... there's that.

Can you hear the scream on that? It's mad.

And the problem is that is the
compressor or the supercharger

and, of course, that is
what this car is all about.

So, unfortunately, it's a bit drastic,

but because those parts aren't
really going to be serviceable,

I'm going to have to get
Mike to go out and find a

second-hand one because
the brand-new ones are £1,000.

So that is in Mike's court.

So, straightaway, we
have a potential catastrophe

unless Mike can find
a cheap compressor.

On to the other potential
nightmare, the broken roof.

Mercedes called this system the Vario roof
and it's the main selling point of the SLK.

It's electrically operated and is
essentially just a folding hard stop.

But the benefits of that are pretty clear.

You get the comfort, the
warmth and the security of

a hard top while you get
the same wind in your hair,

fun factor of a soft top.

Unfortunately, this one is kaput.

The roof has two components
that are known to fail,

a control unit and a hydraulic pump.

But I can see the rear windows are locked
open and they usually close with the roof

so there may also be
a simple electrical fault.

Visually, there's nothing obvious.

The only thing left for
me to check is the relay.

But because this car is so
packed for little safety devices

to stop you opening the roof with
the doors open or the boot open,

of course, you can't just
sit in the car nice and easily,

flick the switch and check the relay.

I need to check it off the car.

An electrical probe only
costs about 30 pounds.

It's ideal for checking
flow of current through

a switch or even the
whole wiring circuit.

So what I'm going to do is just connect
this probe across the low-current coil,

the idea being that once I
put some power through here,

of course, it would normally
energise the solenoid,

which would actually
then connect up the switch,

which takes the
high-current side of the relay.

So there should be a little bit of a click.

I could hear as that switch is
thrown and there is nothing going on.

So this relay is completely dead,
which is actually really good news

because it means there's
something wrong with this relay.

So if I replace the relay,

hopefully we'll get a bit of a
result and maybe the roof will work.

As luck would have it, I have
exactly the right relay in the workshop.

So here it goes, moment of truth.

Just turn on the ignition.

and then the light has come on and
then gone off again, which is a good start.

So here we go.

There are noises.

That's fantastic.

So the relay was a lovely, cheap fix.

Something's going on here.

Look at that.

It does seem very, very slow, though.

So the boot is actually opening,
but it's taking an absolute age.

In fact, it's just beyond tediously slow.

I think maybe we've got a
problem with the hydraulic pump.

Maybe that's why there's too much load.

It's actually broken the relay.

So unfortunately, we are
going to need to sort this out.

Maybe we need a new hydraulic pump.

I need to expose the pump,

which means removing most of the boot's
interior and suddenly you can see why garage

is likely to spend about 400 pounds
on labor to swap out the pump.

They are rare-ish,

but I found a used replacement on an
Internet auction site for about 120 pounds.

It's cheap, but does it actually work?

As you can see,

I've got quite a few
hydraulic pipes to swap over.

And as it turns out,
they are actually labeled.

They've got little numbers
on each of the pipes

and also on the manifold
on each of the pumps.

But it's going to be quicker and simpler.

if I just take one at a time,

one from the old pump,

put it into the new pump there,

and that way I know
they're all in the right place.

Because you can imagine the carnage

if the roof tries to operate
everything out of sequence.

It'd be a nightmare.

If you buy a used pump,

make sure it's got sufficient
hydraulic fluid in it like ours,

as filling it can be a bit of a faff and
it's supposed to require a dealer visit.

It's time to reassemble
the boot and find out

whether replacing the
pump will solve our problem.

There is no guarantee, of course,

that another element
in the chain hasn't failed.

Success!

To have got this vario roof working
for just £125 is a fantastic result.

Mike gave me £800 to play with, so let's
hope there's just enough left in the kitty

to get this SLK back to best.

New Mercedes-Benz parts
are notoriously expensive.

Now, you can find what
you want by shopping around

online, but I like that
face-to-face confrontation.

That way you can always
drive yourself a better deal.

So I've come up north to a
specialist firm that break down

Mercedes cars for parts because
they said they can help me.

This operation has more
than 300 broken cars on site.

and ships all over the world.

Our car definitely needs a new compressor,

a supercharger, but that's not all.

Hello, Max, how you doing? I'm Mike.

Spent you on the phone.

I'm the guy with the little SLK.

Now, I needed a supercharger for it.

Could you help me?

Yeah, I've got that off already for you.

Fantastic.

OK, what's this come off?

A 2002 model.

It's only done 44,000 miles.

Good running vehicle and it
comes with three months guarantee.

And just to reaffirm the price of this,

it was a couple of hundred quid, wasn't it?

Yeah, 200 pound plus of ERT.

OK, which does sound like a
lot of money for one of these,

but when you think a new one
will be over a thousand pounds,

it's not bad at all, is it?

OK, well, I've got to have it,

but when I spoke to you on the
phone, I only needed the supercharger,

but now, as it turns out, I need
a couple of other bits off the car.

Have you still got it?

Yeah, I've still got the
car around the back.

Do you want to come and have a look?

Love to.

If you're thinking of buying
bits off a damaged car,

the condition of parts does vary.

I like getting in front of the metal

to assess whether the
bits are up to the standard.

Wow, it looks like it's had
a bit of a whack, doesn't it?

It's lost the wing and everything.

Yeah.

Well, it's a pretty sturdy car.

I mean, the c*ck's still intact.

As you can see, the airbags have gone off,

so they would have
walked away from this one.

Good.

OK, so lots of bits on this car
are still salvageable, aren't they?

Yeah.

Right, well, I do need a couple of bits.

I need one of these.

Look at that.

That headlamp's in good order.

I need a headlamp.

Mine's got a little hole in it.

Yeah, that's not a problem.

And the wheels, they're much better
than the ones that I've got on mine,

and the tyres look fairly
decent as well, don't they?

Yeah, the vehicle's only done 44,000 miles,

so it's probably on
its second set of tyres.

OK, and all four wheels
are square on this car?

Yeah.

I'll probably have the wheels
off of it as well, and tyres.

That's not a problem.

And I need a radio.

Yeah, I've got a stereo for it.

So that's quite a shopping
list for me, isn't it, because I've

got the supercharger I spoke to
you about earlier, the headlamp,

wheels and tyres, and the stereo.

So how much is all that going to come to?

£500.

£500 for these second-hand parts?

You pay £400 for a set of tyres like
that, they've got good tread on them.

Well, that's the kind
of figure I had in mind.

£400 for the lot.

I can go as low as £450.

You can always go lower.

You can.

Come on, £400? I've come a long way.

All right, cos you're a new
customer, you've got a deal.

Top lad.

Since I ambushed the guys with my requests,

they've agreed to pull the
bits off of me while I wait.

So I'm saving on shipping.

It all helps.

Now, what did I say about a bit of
human contact could win you a better deal?

I'm absolutely delighted
with that deal that I

just had, because I've
got a car full of Booty.

And I know all we need to do
is get it back to the workshop

for Ed to screw onto that little SLK,
and I reckon we could earn a profit.

Right, let's get it back to the workshop.

I've bought what is probably
the cheapest SLK in the

country, and it'll need to
be cheap when we sell.

So we'll only make a profit if we
stick to a minuscule parts kitty of £800,

and the car is far from being finished.

Mike noticed that the brake pedal
on this SLK has excessive travel.

Now, on a sporty car like this, if it
can't inspire confidence under braking,

then it's never going to sell.

Worse than that, of
course, it could be extremely

dangerous, so I need to
attend to this job sharpish.

What we've got here is excessive
travel from the brake pedal.

It feels less positive than
it should at the biting point.

First stop is to check whether
there are any leaks from the

braking system, as that could
explain a loss of pressure.

No problem so far.

I've been having a really good look at
the braking system underneath the car,

and I can't find any sign of any
leaks except for this bit just here.

These two little joining
pieces, but on closer inspection,

it would seem they're
not actually leaking

themselves, just the
fluid is collecting on them

because it's been running down
from further up the brake lines,

which suggests the next thing you
have to do is have a look under the bonnet.

Now, the reason I'm in
this part of the engine bay

is because this is where all
the brake parts are on this car,

and the first thing I'm going
to look at is the ABS pump.

I can't see anything
wrong with it on the outside.

There's no leaks anywhere,
which is a good thing

because these things are
already expensive to change.

The next thing to look at is the servo,

and I can't actually see
any problems with that either.

So now looking at the brake pipes themselves
coming out of the master cylinder.

Again, the top two here seem
okay, and all the switches seem fine.

There's no leaks through any of those,

so none of those seem to have failed.

Underneath, right down the bottom,
the pipes seem just a little bit wet,

and that looks like it's
coming from the flange

between the master
cylinder and the servo,

which rather suggests that there's
something wrong with that master cylinder.

So it looks like I need to take
it off and have a closer look.

I remove the brake fluid from
the reservoir with a vacuum.

I then unplug the electrical connections

and disconnect the hydraulic pipes.

Then the whole unit unbolts.

Well, this is our master
cylinder, and going by the

amount of fluid that's actually
coming out the back of it,

there's clearly something
very wrong with it.

Now, as you'd imagine, you
put your foot on the brake.

That operates the servo.

The other side of the servo
then pushes on this tube

here, like so, and on the
end of that rod is a piston,

which of course then pushes the
fluid around the car to the four corners,

clamping the calipers on
the disc, stopping the car.

Now, let's have a little
look if I can get this out.

You can see inside there, we've
got two little kind of seals here.

The rear seal stops the fluid coming
out the back of the master cylinder.

The front seal is the all-important
one that does all that work.

Now, if either of these are perished,

you've got a few issues.

Obviously, the rear one's
perished, then fluid's leaking out.

If the front one's perished anyway,

then of course you don't
get a full braking efficiency.

So it'll push some
of the fluid, but not all

of it, which gives you
that extended pedal.

So unfortunately,

clearly there's something
wrong with our master

cylinder, and the best
thing to do is to replace it.

Mike has found me a used but
very good condition replacement.

I wouldn't usually recommend
a used master cylinder,

but at 50 pounds, it's less
than half the price of a new one,

and the supplier can
vouch for its condition.

It comes from an identical model
and slots quickly back in place.

It's now time to fill up the
reservoir with brake fluid.

I'm going to be putting in DOT 4.

It's actually quite a
good thing I'm doing this

because it should be part of
your regular servicing regime.

With the reservoir topped up to the
brim, it's now time to bleed the system,

and it's always best
practice to start at the

furthest point away
from the master cylinder.

It's also really good to
get somebody to give

you a hand, so I'll
be getting Paul along.

Bleeding the brakes means
any air in the system is purged,

so I'll go through each
caliper, draw the fluid through,

and make sure the pedal is firm.

And when I'm satisfied there's no air left,

I lock each bleed nipple.

Well, here it goes.

A rock-solid pedal, and it
only cost me 50 pounds,

so I'm happy, and I know Mike will be.

Ed, how you doing, mate? You all right?

Wow, the roof's off our little SLK.
Brilliant.

Well, it turned out it was just a
hydraulic pump that needed to be sorted,

so that's now done, so it
goes up and down beautifully.

But better than that, I've
also sorted out the brakes,

and now it stops as well as
it looks with the roof down.

So what have you been up to?

Well, I've been busy myself.

Not only you, sunshine.

Look at me.

I've been out,

and I've done a bit of shopping for us.

I've got this lovely set
of modern wheels for it.

That's pretty cool.

It's going to transform the car
because these old things are horrible.

That's going to look
really sweet on the car.

It's doing very good.

It might give it a little bit

of a sort of wash and brush-up, perhaps.

Yes, and I've also been out
getting some other stuff as well.

This is the bit.

that's going to put music into your ears.

Wow.

Look at that.

It's an original stereo.

Original stereo for the car.

Very nice, isn't it?

That's very good, isn't it?

Fantastic.

I've also got you this,
a nice big present.

It's like Christmas, isn't it?

Is it soap?

It's not soap on a rope.

No, it's a headlamp.

Brilliant.

And the last thing
I got was this,

which is a little bit heavy.

Oh, look at that.

It's a supercharger.

Supercharger for the car.

Awesome.

Because your phone
called the other day.

It needs changing,

and I managed to find another one.

I've got all this stuff
from the same place

at a really good deal,
which means we're still

on target to earn big
bucks out of our little SLK.

Well done, that man.

Mike's really chuffed because he's managed
to get hold of a secondhand supercharger.

It's really cheap.

It's a fraction of the
cost of a brand new one.

Just a matter of fitting it,

which, of course, unfortunately,
isn't a quick or easy job.

The compressor lives
deep in the engine bay

between the air intake
and the inlet manifold.

So to get to it, I have
to remove the trim

panel and the air box,
and then it's accessible.

The supercharger is bolted to the
engine underneath this manifold here,

but it's, of course, driven by a
belt, which goes around the crank

and alternator and idler
gear and a tensioner.

I need to remove that
belt to make it easier to

actually get the
supercharger out of the car.

It might look like a nightmare

to remove the belt,

but Mercedes uses
spring-loaded tensioner.

So I just have to back that off,

and the pulley will loosen
and allow me to move the belt.

Another little surprise is that
the belt is in a terrible state,

so that'll need to be replaced when
the compressor goes back together.

It just takes a bit of
careful wrangling to get

the compressor out of
the car and onto the bench.

This is the supercharger,

or compressor,
from our Mercedes,

and you can see straight
away it's quite a cool bit of kit.

It's actually what's called
an air screw compressor.

You can see these little rotors in
here, these veins that mesh together.

Obviously, if you
imagine it spinning along,

it looks kind of groovy,
but if you slow it down a

little bit, you can see
there's this little V shape.

Now, if you follow that through,
it's kind of like the air pockets

getting squished up there,
rather like you would an

orange pit, perhaps,
between your thumb and finger.

And of course, that's just squishing
the air up there, which means it ends up

sucking it from there and blowing it
into the engine in rather just the same way

as a turbo kind of puts loads of
extra air and fuel into the engine.

This does exactly the
same thing, but of course,

unlike a turbo, because
it's running all of the time,

there is no lag, so you get
those bigger bangs all the time.

We've identified a
Rumble from this unit,

and although I've
already got a replacement,

I'd like to know where
that noise is coming from.

So let's take a look.

So the belt drives the pulley,

which of course in turn is
spinning those little pegs on there.

They actually locate into this little
coupling device, and that helps drive

the cogs around, which of
course those rotors are attached to.

Now the cogs sit on
some shafts, and those

shafts are supported
by a pair of bearings,

which nestle in this
little oil well here.

Now the thing is, a bit of a problem,
you can see there's a little bit of wear

on the top of the rotors
there, and of course that's

been caused because the
bearings have started to fail.

They're kind of rattling around
a little bit, and of course that

tight tolerance there means
it's slapping around on the sides.

So if it's left to its own devices,
it's going to rattle around.

It could end up jamming, which
of course would actually see solid.

It could snap the belt.

All kinds of carnage would
ensue, and unfortunately,

it's not really a user
serviceable part.

So the best solution is actually
to replace the whole thing.

Our new compressor
is now in place, and I

must remember to deal
with that perished belt.

Now we know that the original belt
on these pulleys is going to have to go

because clearly it's very shredded
and not going to last very long.

So we're going to get rid
of that, but of course that

means we actually have
access right now to the rear belt.

So it's worth having a quick look
to see what kind of condition it's in.

And as it happens, it is
actually quite perished and

cracked, so it makes
sense to change that as well.

But of course,

because it's going around
an awful lot of pulleys,

it also makes sense
to make a little sketch

just to make sure you
remember how it goes back.

Just the replacement
of the belts on this car

would set you back
around 60 to 100 pounds.

And my estimate

for saved labor chargers on this job
runs to around 300 pounds in total.

If you then throw in the cost-saving
of a used part over a new one,

the saving rises to
around 1,500 pounds.

If I hadn't done all
this work myself,

we'd be selling at a loss.

The second-hand compressor
that Mike bought that I've just fitted

does have a warranty, but just for my own
peace of mind and personal satisfaction,

I thought I'd have another
little listen with a stethoscope.

So much quieter than before.

You can actually hear
a slight kind of clicking.

That's actually

the gears meshing.

So it's pretty cool.

Basically, problem solved.

The result.

We're working.

on a Mercedes SLK.

It was cheap
because it had engine,

bodywork, electrical,

and hydraulic gremlins,

which we've been
chipping away at.

Our goal is to make a profit on
a car that only costs two grand.

The SLK is almost there.

Mechanically, everything is sorted,
but it could look a little bit tidier.

So now it's time to try and
Polish some more value

into our Mercedes and
try and get it to sparkle.

Mike proudly supplied
this new headlight,

and the least I
can do is install it.

The SLK is logically
screwed together,

and I need to remove the grille
and unbolt the unit from the back,

disconnect the electrics,

and the new one
can take its place.

The SLK is littered
with tiny rust patches.

A trip to the body shop is expensive,
and one clever way around this is to call

on the services of a
mobile body specialist.

He arrives in a Van and
attacks the various blemishes.

Dave strips the rust back,

applies primer and filler,

and then sprays to an edge.

For around 150 pounds,

this is a fraction of
body shop prices.

and gets rid of the
SLK's shameful corrosion.

Oh, look at that.

It's great stuff.

Looks like new, and it
took less than a morning.

The second-hand radio
and CD player is an original

Mercedes unit and is
good value at 35 pounds.

The exhaust trim gets
swapped over for a better

salvaged unit, also
costing just 35 pounds.

I'm on the trail of any tiny detail that
could derail a purchase, and one of the dash

warning lights is giving
me a bit of a headache.

Now, I've got a bit of a problem
with this warning light here.

It tends to come on.

just after you've started driving.

It won't go off again until you
actually turn the engine off.

Now, it's actually for the brake
assist and electronic stability program,

so the car is trying to tell
me there is something wrong.

The only real way I can find out
exactly what it is is by plugging something

into the diagnostic port, but
your standard off-the-shelf reader

won't really give you much more than
that kind of light there, so what I need

is the expert with the
right kind of gizmo.

I don't like spending
money on this, but I

don't have a choice,
and Michael, for only £60,

offers a mobile service
tailored to troubleshoot

all manner of electronic faults.

Plugging in his
Mercedes issue laptop,

he discovers the SLK

does have a problem.

This capital F in your
electronic stability program

is going to be the
reason why the light's on.

Brilliant, okay, so
now we need to know.

exactly what is
causing that fault then.

Well, if we go into that fault,

we can see what it
actually is, and you can

see that it's your lateral
acceleration center.

Which is excellent to know.

The question is then,
where is that on the car?

Well, the lateral acceleration

sensor is behind the gear lever.

I can show you
a picture of that.

Oh, look at that.

That's fantastic.

So there it is.

Okay, so all I have to
do is order one of those,

and then take that
apart and swap it out.

Well, actually, you're in luck because
I've got one of those in my Van.

Fantastic, you're a star.

Brilliant, okay, well,
if you go and get that,

I'll start taking it apart.

Michael supplies me
with a sensor for £75,

for which I have to remove
the center console to locate.

It comes as a complete
unit and slides on like a relay.

All together, clearing up this
problem sets me back £135.

And one final touch,

the wheels that Mike found.

I've given them a
steam clean and a Polish,

and you'd never guess
they're ten years old.

The Mercedes might
have cost two grand,

but all of a sudden it feels like a
car that could cost several times that.

We're there.

I think it's now fair

to say that our Mercedes
has finally won back

that glamour factor that
it was so sorely missing,

and now actually feels worthy
of that mighty three-pointed star.

What attracted me to this car in
the first place was its low sticker price.

But the closer
you get to the SLK,

you can appreciate
its high quality,

its smart design
and its timeless looks.

It's a testament to its maker and
also a testament to Mr Edward China,

who's proved that even
when the money is meagre,

the job will be done.

This car was a trade-in,

sold by a dealer who
specialises in repossessions.

At two grand,

it was too good to miss.

One of the cheapest,

I think, in the country.

The broken roof was a big
risk here, and Ed played it cool,

swapping out a hydraulic pump,

which got the roof
working exactly as it should.

Success.

The brakes were underperforming,

and the master cylinder
was swapped over,

and the problem was solved.

Ed played detective
with the supercharger, or

compressor, and found
it to be on its way out.

But with some smart dealing,

I got us a new one for a
quarter of the retail price.

You can always go lower.

You can.

And then the remaining kitty went
on fresh detailing and problem solving

to see this car onto the
forecourt with nothing wanting.

What does it owe?

The bundle of spares
came in at £400.

Ed spent £120 on
a new roof pump,

£50 on a brake cylinder,

and the bill for sorting out the warning
light, exhaust and paint came to £320.

I gave Ed £800 to spend,

and we crept just
over that figure.

All in, the SLK owes
us less than three grand.

Great stuff.

Ed, how you doing, buddy?

You all right?

I'm all right, sir.

Wow!

Look at the SLK!

Well, it looks brand new.

Well, thank you, sir.

It has been a fair amount
of work, and although

you can't see everything
that I've had to do,

there were lots of
things that had to be done

because there was so
much wrong with the car.

Was it a challenge?

It really was, particularly
because you only gave me

enough budget for one
item, let alone six or seven.

Well, I'm eternally grateful
for that, and so is my wallet,

but you've done
a great job, mate.

What say me and you
get out and grab some air?

Bring it on, mate.

What could be further from the smell
of workshop fumes than the beautiful,

great British landscape
here in the Brecon Beacons?

And the SLK is finally
ready to sample it.

So come on in, Ed,

where's the ribbon
and the scissors?

Are you saying this
is a hairdresser's car?

No, I'm saying we should
celebrate the ceremonial.

opening of the roof properly.

Because it's the first
time we've done it.

Because it's the first time.

Fair enough. I think we should
just put it down and go for a drive.

Cool.

Look at that.

Trains on.

Well, Ed, there is no.

mistaking the pleasure
of driving an open top car.

Every time I get behind the
wheel of a car with no roof, I think,

why aren't all cars
made this way?

Or we could put it another way,
what other car can you think of?

You get so much quality
and so much punch.

But what do we pay
for it, what, three grand?

I know, it's ridiculous
value for money, isn't it?

It is awesome.

What does it feel like?

Well, I'll tell you
what it feels like.

It feels fantastic.

It's sitting on the road.

really nicely.

The brakes are progressive.

There's no nasty noises coming from
the engine, but it's the finer details, Ed.

Things like the wheels and
polishing off those rough edges.

You've made this
car, well, feel like new.

So why are we hearing?

Well, I wanted to come to the
Brecon's, mate, not only because it's

absolutely beautiful here, but this is
one of the UK's finest driving roads.

This is where magazines come and
do their photo shoots and test their cars.

Plus, it's a chance for us to put this car
for its places, see what it can really do,

and have that wind
in the hair experience.

Well, it is rather wonderful here.

I'm actually loving
the countryside,

and we both agree that
this car is ready to go.

But of course, there are lots of other
SLKs out there like this one on the market.

So how are we going
to do with the money?

I know what you mean,

yeah, the SLK marketplace.

is pretty crowded, but Ed,
I'm so confident about our car.

It's so good.

I reckon it'll stand
out in any advert.

So I'm going to charge me on.

I'm going to go for 3,800 pounds.

We could possibly take

a couple of hundred pounds
less than that, but I wanted to prove

that we can earn money without
actually spending a lot of money.

Well, good luck with that, sir.

You don't need luck, sunshine.

You just need my brewer.

And as it turned out,

luck wasn't that far away.

I was worried about our SLK,
because if you want to sell one,

you're competing with thousands of
others out there online at the same time.

But you know what?

I needn't have worried,

because when w*r got out that me and
Ed were working on an affordable Mercedes,

the phone lit up.

Now this guy behind me, Bill,

he's hot to trot.

He's come down,
and I've said to him,

don't bother turning up, mate, unless
you've got 3,800 pounds in your pocket,

because I don't want to
entertain any silly offers.

So let's see if I can turn what is a
very good car into some good cash.

So then, Bill, what do you think?

Yeah, it's a nice car.

12-year-old, nice old.

Well, I'm really pleased
with the way it turned out.

I think it's a fantastic motor,

particularly for the money,

because we've advertised it
very cheaply at 3,800 pounds.

Yeah, yeah, nice car,

but not at 3,800.

You are Scottish, and I gather
you're going to be a little bit canny here,

so come on then,
what are you thinking?

Oh, 3,500.

3,500 pounds.

It's a good offer, but
it's just not good enough.

I'll tell you what,

I'll let you have the car for
3,650, and for that, it's a bargain.

Yes?

Top work.

You just bought yourself an SLK.

Thank you very much, mate.

At that sale price,

we've carved more than 600 pounds
in profit, which is a very healthy return.

It's all down to strong deals,

hard work, and, of course,

a bit of luck.

We took a massive
risk on this SLK.

If one of the jobs
got out of control,

I wouldn't be standing here
now grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Bill has won himself a fantastic
motor that should give him years of fun.

If you want to see more cars
being turned around by me and Ed,

then join us again soon
on Wheel of Dealers.

Ta-la!