Man who bought Mercedes R170 SLK for under $500 reveals total repair costs after he discovers unusual problems

A few weeks ago, we told you about the bright yellow Mercedes R170 SLK picked up for under $500 with broken springs, a stripped interior, and some truly strange modifications.

Back then, it had just limped into viability – brakes working again, heated seat wiring disaster fixed, and a folding roof that still worked despite years of neglect.

It was supposed to be a ‘budget’ build. The kind where you put in just enough work to get it road legal.

Instead, it spiraled into something else entirely, and now the final repair bill has landed.

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How a $500 convertible turned into a project worth thousands

Sam from SPR Autos Mercedes Benz Service & Repairs’ plan was simple: buy the Mercedes for under $500 (£360), give it the bare minimum to pass an MOT (annual safety inspection), and cruise off into the sunset.

The reality? Rust-lipped front brake discs, worn pads, a steering drag link beyond saving, wrong-size tires, blocked washer jets, a gearbox mount that had given up, and an exhaust bracket squeaking for mercy.

Throw in ‘while we’re in there’ jobs – diff oil change, fuel filter swap, a deep underbody clean and stone-chip underseal – and the parts bill just kept climbing.

Some corners were cut, some weren’t: budget tires, yes, but Brembo brakes and a Febi steering damper where it mattered.

Even a potentially dangerous sharp edge on the rusty front wing – the kind of thing that would fail a safety inspection – got a budget-friendly fix with a strip of color-matched duct tape.

By the time it passed its MOT with zero advisories, the numbers were… big. Roughly $2,960 (£2,343) in parts alone.

If a customer had been footing the shop labor bill, tack on another $2,300 and the total rockets past five grand.

The moral – there’s no such thing as a cheap Mercedes

The R170 SLK is now mechanically solid, with fresh brakes, tight steering, and four new tires. 

But the body still tells its own story – rusty front wings, a tired boot lid, and paint that could do with more than a polish.

Could it have been flipped for a profit with just the basics done? Sure. But that wouldn’t have made much of a YouTube series.

And as Sam points out, even a $3,200–$3,850 example would likely still need major mechanical work to be truly sorted.

His’s verdict is blunt: “No such thing as a cheap Mercedes… but at least it’s been fun.”

Now it’s a bright yellow, fully legal cruiser with a story – and a trail of receipts.

For more Mercedes repair videos, subscribe to SPR Autos Mercedes Benz Service & Repairs on YouTube, or watch the full video below:

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