Skip to content
Jon Summers

Jon Summers

A Motoring Almanac

  • Home
  • Bio
    • My Fleet
  • Motorsport History
    • Academia
  • Podcast
  • YouTube
  • Road Tested
  • Travel
  • Toggle search form

Alea Jacta Est: the coming of the E55, and the departure of the Stinky Subaru

Posted on August 30, 2017 By Jon Summers No Comments on Alea Jacta Est: the coming of the E55, and the departure of the Stinky Subaru



So said Caesar, crossing the Rubicon. By crossing this tributary of the Tiber, Caesar had committed an act of war; he was massively out numbered by Pompey, and looked unlikely to win the coming civil war. But he rolled the dice anyway – and today, we know him because of it.

What does this have to do with a 2002 Mercedes-Benz E55? A good deal, if you’ve just bought a 130k example sans the complication of any service history in the shop having its broken transmission replaced. A process costing more than the purchase price. Like Caesar, this is something of a die roll.

But what a motor; 3000 to 6000 rpm is mighty.

In a limited acquaintance, I have realized that AMG cars are not like M cars. This is a limo with a hotrod motor.

With a rather off-putting pull to the right. When I attempted to have the alignment/tracking done, they told me I need new tie rods. I’ve sourced these, and am presently awaiting thier arrival

It also needs new headlights. In a way, this is a pet peeve; on a drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco overnight, crossing Death Valley I was badly caught out by a bend after a long straight stretch. I realized the Bullitt car out runs it’s headlights at anything much above freeway speeds. We did not leave the road, yet although the incident was over five years ago it still looms large in the mind! Which explains why I want the best lights I can get for the E55, without detracting too much from its “just a tired old Mercedes” ambience.

It needs rear tyres soon, and by the time I have done them, I will have spent as much on the tired ancillaries, the knackered tie rods and the sun-trashed lights, as I did on the whole replacement (used) transmission! The same transmission as found in the Mercedes SLR $300k supercar.

The headliner is collapsing at the back and above the passenger door.

I was able to significantly reduce the size of the dent in one of the fenders by hand, reaching inside the wheel arch. It still looks wrinkled from any angle. Hand fabrication by Jon Summers ;-P

Did I mention that positively Wagnerian motor?

722 miles since acquired.


Stinky Subaru

It came and went, leaving only oil stains and this film behind

110hp, but torquer than the Honda, and noticeably more charismatic because of it. Cornered enthusiastically. Very slow. Took a long time to get tags, persistently attracting attention from law enforcement very tiring.

Covered around 600 miles; developed the right knack to get key out of the ignition (I hadn’t done this when I shot the little film) ; never quite dealt with stink; developed other issues causing me to donate it, ironically to be salvage auctioned at exactly the same yard from whence it came.

It was acquired as part of my Copart Learning, a yet-to-be published Dickensian epic where I utterly fail to make any money flipping salvaged cars, but learn plenty having fun indulging a childhood carguy fantasy of poking around in salvage yards, buying cars, and returning them to road worthiness: in a very real sense, bringing them back from the dead.

Like the Fox Mustang, and the Honda, my mistake was getting such a ropey example. The handling is charismatic, but it needs a turbo, needs to be a WRX. I never loved this Subaru, so off to the knackers yard with it.

My Fleet Tags:1992 Subaru Impreza, 2002 Mercedes Benz E55 AMG, E55, Mercedes AMG, Mercedes Benz E55, New transmission in AMG, Oil leak, Subaru, Subaru Impreza, W210 E55

Post navigation

Previous Post: From the Archives: Bangernomics, or the Arrival of the 1996 Honda Civic
Next Post: From the Archives: 2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG

Related Posts

2002 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG: 2200 miles in 10 days; reckon that has bedded in the new trans! My Fleet
An Odyssey in Orange County: Giant Red GMC Part 2 My Fleet
Scuderia Mugshots Part 5 – ’91 Ford Econoline Van My Fleet
A Giant Red GMC, the Fall Guy and Fangio: Part 1 My Fleet
The Free Motorcycle My Fleet
The Dream is Dead: the Econoline Van Leaves My Fleet

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Newsletter Sign-Up


Recent Posts

  • EP40: Go Out and Enjoy The Open Road While You Still Can
  • Summer Listening: Revisit the Motoring Historian & other MPN podcasts!
  • Crossover Episode: Pete Lyons’ Life Story
  • EP39: The Software Defined Car: The Death of Freedom
  • EP38: Best of the Bay Part 5 – ‘25 Toyota Camry, Range Rover, “decontented” Lucid Air – “That thing is SICK!”

Sponsored By

SAH
IMRRC

Support the IMRRC

Categories

  • Academia
  • Motorsport History
  • My Fleet
  • Podcast
  • Road Tested
  • Travel

RSS More MPN Podcast Episodes!

  • Life at Speed: Hurley Haywood (Pitstop Mini-sode) July 3, 2025 International Motor Racing Research Center
  • Evening With A Legend: Hurley Haywood July 1, 2025 ACO USA
  • Screen to Speed No.50: Phoebe Nongrum June 30, 2025 INIT eSports
  • Drive Thru News #58 - The Le Mans 3-peat! June 24, 2025 Gran Touring Motorsports
  • Understanding the stakes involved in Ferrari Concours Judging June 20, 2025 The Ferrari Marketplace
  • The Legend of the Ford GT40 (Preston Lerner) June 17, 2025 International Motor Racing Research Center
  • From Showroom to Le Mans: The Ferrari Journey June 13, 2025 The Ferrari Marketplace
  • Evening With A Legend: Jordan Taylor June 10, 2025 ACO USA
  • NHRA's newest phenom: Jordan DaCosta June 3, 2025 Gran Touring Motorsports
  • Ferrari's Finest: A Journey Through Special Editions May 30, 2025 The Ferrari Marketplace

Recent Comments

  • Martin Sanborne 7 on Flawed Icons of Americana: 2013 Chevrolet Corvette
  • Designing Emotion, Formula 1 & Ferrari - Exotic Car Marketplace on EP16: Designing Emotion, Formula 1 & Ferrari
  • The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage – Allentown, USA - Automuseums on Driving a 1933 Marmon V16
  • Corey on Copart: I Wasted My Time And Money, So You Don’t Have To
  • Jon Summers on Imola Part 2: Summers on Spanish TV ?

Copyright © 2008-Present, Jon Summers.

Powered by PressBook Grid Dark theme