Hi, I'm hoping to learn about the pros and cons of crossfire ownership. I have a '68 El Camino now and thinking of selling and looking for a crossfire. So, parts availability for the Elky is nearly unlimited. I suspect that is not the case with the crossfires. Also wondering about how difficult it is to find someone to work on them if I'm not able or willing to do so. Lots to learn!!

 

Parts are not hard to find if you need engine parts, filters, hoses, etc as so much is shared with the SLK320 and other 3.2L Mercedes-powered vehicles. Chassis (brakes, rotors, flex discs, etc.) are also shared with the '320 and are not an issue - but body parts and some interior parts are hard to find and often, you are at "Pick a part" or some salvage yard when it comes to such items.

As to finding someone to work on it, I think that, in a way, we overblow that 'crisis'. If you stay the hell away from Chrysler dealers, things are not so bad. Any competent shop can do brakes and fluids (if you provide the fluids, otherwise, expect the shop to screw that up).

If you run into electrical/electronic issues, well, the only reason other dealers can fix those issues is due to good factory support - the Crossfire is without factory support and dealers are helpless, so such problems can cost thousands at any dealer or shop - but the assembled brain trust here can usually handle any issue that comes up. Again, it is best to ask here before you take the car anywhere for anything beyond oil changes or brake jobs.

If you simply are not interested in working on the car yourself, and depend on those you must pay for service, the car is going to cost you a lot to maintain - but, say, a Nissan Ultima would also cost you a lot so who cares?

Speaking of oil changes, the Crossfire is the first car (that is CAR) in 42 years of driving that I can change the oil on without jacking the car up. I have a 2 1/2 gallon low profile drain pan I use - and filter changes are done from the top (unlike any car I've owned). Alternator replacement is also easy, as is changing the water pump, idler, belt tensioner, valve/breather cover seals, etc. This is due to the conventional rear wheel drive arrangement.

I see the Crossfire as a fun sporty option that lends itself well to the "shade tree" mechanic (and, I barely have the skills to be called a "shade tree" mechanic, yet, I do almost all the work on my car). Again, if your answer to any issue is "take it to the dealer", do not buy a Crossfire, go buy a current-production vehicle that the dealer can call the manufacturer and get help. Maintaining a Crossfire takes experience, specific knowledge, patience and insight that most dealer service department employees simply do not have. Dealer "techs" these days are the 'bottom of the heap' and are paid and treated poorly, they are not interested in your unsupported unicorn car.

 

Also, and Independent European shop that services Mercedes can repairs the mechanicals and electrical issues that may come up. They are way underpriced and a blast to drive, especially the SRT-6 supercharged models.

 

While I agree with the overall feedback from pizzaguy, it is worth mentioning that the Crossfire was built using the R170 Mercedes-Benz chassis for the model series SLK320 / SLK32 AMG. So if you can locate a good Mercedes-Benz independent service shop, they will be able to perform any of the maintenance, routine or major, that would be associated with the R170 chassis - including electrical issues associated with the chassis. There are several owners that go that route.

Pizzaguy also states that any competent shop can do brakes & fluid changes. The key is finding a competent shop, which is getting harder & harder to find. Most of these service centers have "dime a dozen" service techs that rotate out every couple of months.

For anything that come up out of the ordinary, where you are uncomfortable performing the repair(s) yourself, I would still search this Forum to find a fix that another owner has shared, print that off, and take it to your service tech to read so they don't waste any time diagnosing the issue & running up your bill!

 

Way back in the 1990's, the shop I took my company truck to was owned by an old-time mechanic (who had quite a good grasp of electronics).

He predicted what we see today, way back then. "Quick oil change" shops and "tire centers" were popping up all over. He saw how this was taking a lot of income from real shops, and that it would drive down profits for real shops - and wages would fall as well. Wages fell. The incentive to learn how to do MORE than mount tires or change oil was fading - and with it, the passion of millions of "mechanics" and "techs". Go talk to the guys at quick lubes or tire centers - they will tell you, the pay sucks and many work without ANY benefits. They don't give a damn about your car, and there is no reason for them to care, it's just a crappy job that puts food on the table today.

Today, quick lube and tire centers are staffed by those who cant find other work, or who are in school for preparation for other careers. The real savvy guy (like who I once went to see) is dying off. And there is little incentive to take his place.

 

I appreciate all the replies received so far. I am capable of doing some work/repairs, but not as interested in doing so as I was years back.

So, it sounds like mechanical part availability is not an issue other than cost of parts being expensive? More of an issue would be body and interior trim parts. My take on that then is to buy a nice car and not a fixer upper. Prices I've seen so far seem fairly affordable. Does anyone have a feel for future price appreciation? Not looking to make money, just interested in enjoying the car for a while and not taking a big loss on selling in the future,

 

My perspective is that the Crossfire will most likely not appreciate much going forward. There will always be the "cream puff" out there that will demand a very high price, but these are very scarce. I also don't see the depreciation of the car becoming more significant going forward. Used car prices seem to have stabilized somewhat based on what I see in the marketplace.

My suggestion to you is to follow your thought process above. Insure the car with someone like Hagerty where you can stipulate a guaranteed replacement value if a major loss occurs. (Note: And nearly all insurance carriers total these cars for sorts of mishaps due to lack of replacement parts.) Just realize that a firm like Hagerty may want you to limit the mileage driven every year to reduce their risk & minimize their exposure.

 

Case in Point: Several months back I purchased a couple of tires for my 2006 F150 STX 4x4 (flareside bed - I just had to say that ). Had these mounted on the front. Didn't buy a premium tire, but bought a tire that had good reviews by others (assuming they knew what they were talking about) and met my current driving habits for that vehicle. Tires were mounted, balanced & installed. In & out in an hour. Anyway, these tires have an asymmetric tread pattern, which means the "outside" of the tire is clearly marked for correct mounting. Guess what - one day a couple of weeks back when I was checking tire pressures, I discovered that both tires were mounted incorrectly on the wheels. (Note: Shame on me for not checking before I left tire shop.) Called the shop (unnamed at this point), told them what I found & wanted to bring my truck in for them to dismount, remount & balance the tires. Both the Store & Shop Managers thought I was crazy as that specific tire didn't require that. Told them to go look at one in their inventory & I would be there in about 30 minutes to have them do the work. When I got there there were naturally many attempts to get my forgiveness. Store & Shop Managers didn't even know that specific tire had an asymmetric tread pattern, considering its price point.

 

If you buy a reasonable example, expect to pay $8000 to $10,000 for a car with 40,000 to 60,000 miles. You can drive it to 100,000 without much risk of spending a LOT on upkeep. They will be enjoyable miles and you will get $4000 to $5000 (maybe) for it by then. If $5000 is a 'big loss' to you, and if enjoying the car for years is not worth that price, forget the Crossfire.

My SE cost me $9000 with 28000 miles in 2015. If I tried to sell it today, I question if I could get over $7000 for it. BUT, I've driven it 28,000 miles and had tremendous enjoyment doing so - if I could only get $3500 for it today, that would be fine by me.

Of course, it does not matter what I can get for it, I won't sell it, my kids will be dealing with THAT issue...... In fact, I think I'll get me one of those SRT Roadster thingies to go with it.

 

Welcome! New Member as well after buying a 04 base in November of 2020.... By far the best/worst thing I have found out about the crossfire so far is that honestly with the Mercedes support this car is extremely customizable/modifiable.... I went from owning an awesome car to saying okay screw it I'm getting a donor CLK 55 AMG and doing an engine swap and turning this thing into a show car in like no time flat! There seems to be a lot of support with companies making grilles, racing suspensions, aero kits/diffusers and I even found someone that makes a big wing that seems to be a direct replacement of the original base wing!

So take a deep breath getting into this car because if you do make the purchase and get one you may get bit by the same "all in" bug I did! I got bit by that all in bug and already bought and have been planning out my mods/journey on making my 04 into an awesome project/show car! lol

 

So, good for you! I tend to be more cautious with the mods/improvements I make always keeping in mind if the value of the car increases proportionately with the associated cost. I really need to get over that ;-). Best of luck to you.

 

Way back in 2010, a guy from Texas managed to put a V8 in a Crossfire coupe. This was an early conversion and he could not make the starter engage with the key, so there was a hidden starter button under the sea. The car had vastly upgraded brakes and would stop as well as it would accelerate. He took me for a ride in it at the Dragon that fall. The car was amazing. He had paid around $10,000 for it a few years before and put $3500 in the brakes (parts only, did it with his own labor) and again, he put a low miles Mercedes V8 in it.

Not two years later, he offered it for sale. It sold for around $10,000 (and I almost bought it). You will NEVER get the money out of the car that you spend on mods. The story of Howard Carter's super-awesome-modded SRT Roadster is an even better example of that fact. If the money is important to you, don't spend it on mods.

 

I would agree with both of your points on the money. Where I am incredibly lucky is that my grandfather owns a body shop and has done all of a dodge dealership's new car paint work since the 90's! He's now 73 years old and this will probably be our last/final project car together! The car is black and will be painted all over black with the color orange from the dodge Trucks (2018 model, it's called ignition orange) going down the hood/top and back as a stripe. Kinda like the white and gray liberty crossfire on youtube. The inside will also be painted black/orange honey comb to match. So Yeah the money is an issue for some and admittedly I'm a single software developer so putting the money into it isn't nearly as big of an issue for me as the reward I'll get for doing the sanding/prep/interrior work with my grandpa one last time. I'll post a link to my old cardomain page with our other project we did and his car as well. (1992 olds cutlass ciera and a 1970 Olds Cutlass S coupe).

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...tml#post954469

 

Nice to have that kind of talent available at no cost to you. Back in the day, I painted a few cars, but a long time ago and that was when we were spraying laquer.

Do you have any idea of the reliability or lack there of for the turbocharger and related controls? The SRT-6s are interesting, but I don't want to go that route if I'm asking for a lot of additional expense to maintain it. Thanks

 

The SRT6 has a supercharger, not a turbocharger.
The have proven quite reliable, the I/C pump occasionally needs replacing.
All non-SRT6's are Naturally Aspirated ( NA )

 

My advice is to start with the best reasonably priced example you can find. Mechanical parts don’t seem to be too expensive or hard to find but interior parts which are exclusive to the crossfire along with some exterior trim/body pieces can be harder to find and command hefty price tags. I bought a 2004 Limited with 36,000 miles four $4200 but it was missing a couple of pieces, had been neglected and had a mouse living in it when we brought it home on a trailer. I’ve been able to source most of the parts I’ve needed with the help of forum members, salvage yards or eBay. There are still a couple of interior pieces that I have not been able to find or could not justify the cost of and depending on how nice you want your car to be these things can add up quickly. Paying a little more upfront for a nicer specimen can pay off in the long run especially if you can’t do all the work yourself.

 

I'm beginning to think that you are correct. Buying a fixer-upper could present a lot of problems finding parts. I have a '68 El Camino that I'd sell to buy the crossfire and I should be able to get about 15K for it, so that should get me a pretty nice car from what I've seen. Still not committed to this idea yet, but leaning that way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts