This 1998 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG is one of just 579 examples produced for the US market that year and one of just over 1,100 examples produced in total for the United States. This W202 AMG sedan was purchased by the seller in 2011 with 139k miles on the odometer and has undergone significant cosmetic and mechanical refurbishment under current ownership. The C43 has been finished in Silver Arrow Metallic (777) over a Graphite/Anthracite AMG Exclusive Leather (581) interior, and power comes from a swapped 5.4-liter AMG M113 V8 paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. Equipment includes heated and 10-way power-adjustable and heated sport seats, 17” AMG Monoblock wheels, H&R sport springs, xenon headlamps, a rain-sensing wiper, heated windscreen washer system, and a sunroof. Included records show complete documentation of the 5.4L engine swap with thorough rebuild details and notes regarding the donor engine, complete service history under current ownership, and a complete parts list purchased and installed by the seller. This C43 is now offered by the current owner with thorough documentation, three keys, manufacturer’s literature, an included Carfax report, and a clean Georgia title.
The exterior is finished in Silver Arrow Metallic (777) with the original color noted as Brilliant Silver Metallic. The body features a sculpted AMG body kit with more aggressive styling on the front spoiler, side skirts and rear apron. Additional features included xenon headlights with a headlamp wiper delete, fog lights, a rain-sensing wiper, and a power tilting and sliding sunroof. Detailed photos of the exterior can be seen in the gallery below. A small blemish in the paint is noted on the left portion of the decklid along with a small crack in the paint on the rear bumper.
Factory staggered 17” AMG Monoblock wheels are finished in silver with machined lips and show nicely with a blemish in the lip of the front right wheel near the valve stem. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires measuring 225/45 up front and 245/40 out back with 2015 date codes up front and 2022 date codes in the rear. The car has been fitted with H&R springs to minimize wheel gap and body roll.
The interior is trimmed in Graphite/Anthracite AMG Exclusive Leather (581) with a matching steering wheel and door panels. Burl walnut trim accents the dashboard, doors, and center console. Amenities include power-adjustable and heated front seats, automatic climate control, auto-dimming mirrors, and a Bose stereo system. The seller notes the right front seat pneumatic system as having a leak. The original Becker head unit has been replaced with a Continental head unit featuring amber backlighting and bluetooth capabilities. The glass has been tinted with ceramic tint featuring UV blocking and heat reduction technology. The cabin is pre-wired for Passport Radar detectors and has been professionally lined with Dynamat for noise insulation.
White AMG instrument dials include a 160-mph speedometer and a 7k-rpm tachometer along with gauges for temperature and fuel level. Digital readouts display the time and outside temperature while the digital odometer shows just over 178k miles on the chassis. All pixels and backlighting function as intended and can be seen in the gallery.
The original AMG-tuned 4.3-liter M113 V8 has been replaced with a rebuilt 5.4L AMG M113 V8 from a 2001 E55 AMG (WDBJF74J71B293804) with 129k miles at the time of swap. This engine was factory rated for 354 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. The engine was installed by the owner who is a certified Mercedes-Benz Master Technician in 2013, and complete documentation shows details regarding the engine rebuild, ported heads, install, and all related parts. In addition, documentation shows service history under the current owner's care through MB repair orders. The Carfax shows 38 service history records through its most recent entry in May 2016 after which the seller continued maintaining the car in a home garage and shop.
This C43 is now offered by the current owner with thorough documentation, three keys, manufacturer’s literature, an included Carfax report, and a clean Georgia title. Additional videos showing a walk around and driving video are included below.
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15 Comments
$9,367 bid placed by @DrivenManMotors
@Parker567Dad thank you! I really enjoyed building it. Once I sell a few more from my fleet I will be ready to build the next cool car!
Very cool build!
@lowphat88 ME 2.0
One more question... Is the ECU ME2.0 or ME2.8?
$8,500 bid placed by @lowphat88
@Amgjunkie Thank you!
@lowphat88 yes the two tone interior is still in my possession. The transmission in the car had a factory reman installed right before I bought it. It has been serviced regularly since my ownership. AC system is in good working order. All the vacuum elements behind the dash were also replaced. I also have a black suede headliner and sunroof shade in great shape that will go along with the sale.
Congratulations on the quality of your build and for choosing the perfect platform in which to drop that 55. Three questions, I noticed in the caffeine & octane video that the car had the two-tone interior back when the video was made but that it no longer appears to sport that package. Do you have the two-tone interior available? Is the transmission currently in the car original to the car or did the engine swap include a carryover of the donor vehicle's transmission? Is the A/C system in proper working order? Thanks for taking the time to reply and good luck with this awesome auction.
$8,000 bid placed by @privatej
I have known the seller professionally for more than 8 years. He worked on my AMG cars at RBM. I can attest to the integrity and honesty about his workmanship. He absolutely only does things the proper, Mercedes-Benz way, with only Mercedes-Benz parts. This is an opportunity for someone to take advantage of hours and hours of quality work. It will not disappoint.
$6,150 bid placed by @Blackfin
$5,900 bid placed by @vaderade
I’ve gotten a few PMs asking if this is the car from Caffeine and Octane’s video of my AMG collection, so in case anyone else is interested - yes, this is the car from that video. The hatshelf and doors have dynamat installed, with all four doors having 2 layers (inner and outer). With this, road noise is reduced and sound quality of the Bose sound system is enhanced. The doors feel like they belong to a W140 chassis.
@cavanok it was not a down to the frame respray, but all exterior pieces (hard parts and trim) were removed for the respray. All trim, rubber seals, gaskets, headlights, fog lights, tail lights, door handles, windshield etc were replaced when it went back together. The shocks were not replaced during the spring install simply because there were no leaks, the ride quality was there, and when the springs were installed I replaced the spring buffers with larger ones. I wanted the stiffness of the springs with a slightly lower stance without compromising overall ride quality. Everything was done using OEM parts.
Any details on the repaint and how extensive? Shock upgrade with spring upgrade (curious on mileage for both). Thx
$4,000 bid placed by @cavanok
$3,750 bid placed by @Caller09
@MManf it surely does and especially if you turn off ESP!
Bet this absolutely rips....Dare we ask for a slightly more brisk driving video?
Thorough and Complete are words that aptly describe this car. This is a great example of a very practical and powerful sleeper of a car. Should make an excellent driver’s car!!!
$3,500 bid placed by @Erald24
Hello all, this was a very fun build for me and I’m hoping it will find a good home. Good luck everyone!
$1,111 bid placed by @ChompSticks
$250 bid placed by @BlueDevilBill