C36 AMG, C43 AMG (W202) 1995 - 2000

C43 Recommended Mods

Old 06-30-2015, 04:05 PM
  #1  
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Benz43new's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
c43
Cool C43 Recommended Mods

Hello, I recently acquired a 1999 C43 AMG and am loving the car. I do have an interest in modding the car but everyone I talk to has different opinions of keeping the car stock or what to do so I thought I'd come to the pros, other owners of the car. Any recommendations would be appreciated and taken into consideration, starting with just some minor mods for now but am open to whatever in the long run. (Probably won't be engine swapping to an E55 anytime soon trying to stay cheap and relatively simple for now, still new to modifications but willing to learn how to do stuff). Pictures would be great too! Thanks
Old 06-30-2015, 06:16 PM
  #2  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
PJmak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,467
Received 371 Likes on 279 Posts
05 c55 silver, 98 Imperial Red C43
Lowering springs and shocks is a start. It really doesny need much to look good.

A decent drop makes the 202 look awesome. Maybe add spacers in the rear if you decide to stick with stock 17s
Old 06-30-2015, 08:24 PM
  #3  
Super Member
 
benzslo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: MN, USA
Posts: 636
Received 29 Likes on 25 Posts
C43 5.4, ML320CDI, Fords
Best money you can spend on the car is proper maintenance and fixing any and all issues. Example is if your mass airflow is on the way out, replacing will do more for the car than anything else. I guarantee I could find some things that would greatly improve it. As far as go fast parts, supercharge or 55 motor or don't waste your time and money.

Get quality tires. Check brakes, service trans, check all steering and suspension.
Old 06-30-2015, 08:51 PM
  #4  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
cm60k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: A.D., U.A.E
Posts: 7,001
Likes: 0
Received 377 Likes on 342 Posts
00 C200 & 00 C55 & 06 SLK55
^+1^,

Also don't forget "CPS sensor/fuel filter/spark plugs/coils"..

ZAYED,,
Old 06-30-2015, 10:06 PM
  #5  
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Benz43new's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
c43
Thanks for the input. When I got the car the guy had just changed all the brakes changed the two back rotors and when getting it safety tested was required to change the front control arms and tie rods (bearings too I believe gunna double check that). Still open to hear suggestions. Thanks again everyone
Old 06-30-2015, 10:41 PM
  #6  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Ausmbtech's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 0
Received 29 Likes on 23 Posts
190D 2.5 (x2), 190E 2.6, W202 C240,W202 C43 (C55), W210 E55, W212 E250CDI
Best grin for buck is to have the resonator (center muffler) removed and replaced with a straight pipe. There is no power in it but it'll give you just enough extra V8 rumble to enjoy without being overbearing.
Old 07-01-2015, 03:53 PM
  #7  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
ECTurboGSX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 1,087
Received 34 Likes on 27 Posts
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
Agreed with what was said above. If you are going to mod, do it right (which usually means $$$). I would tend to think of the car as a C280 that AMG already modded for you. You've got a bigger engine, AMG exhaust, bigger brakes, tighter suspension, upgraded fascias and side skirts, upgraded seats, etc. Take some time to drive it and feel it out, and then only mod it where you need to in order to improve the experience. A grille upgrade can really class up the front end a bit. As was mentioned, the US cars sit a little high, so a suspension upgrade can be a good thing.

There is a thread at the top of this forum with mod links:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c36-amg-c...-mod-list.html
Old 07-02-2015, 10:39 AM
  #8  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Sulaco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: America
Posts: 2,339
Received 170 Likes on 138 Posts
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
TL;DR Buy a 5.4l AMG engine from a 98-02 55 AMG car and do an engine swap and then leave it alone. Save your money, time, and patience.

Honestly everyone's pretty much got it right. I don't know anything about you, the crowd you're with, or your preferred results of owning a C43.

I have a friend who obsesses over my C43's and is constantly bugging me to sell him one because he wants a bad *** V8 AMG Benz to go out and "smoke" people. In my opinion, he's not the right type of person to own a C43, because they just aren't that fast and don't have much potential to be much faster.

Sure, there are a great many "fast" cars out there that really aren't that fast. I mean, a C43 can outrun any factory Ford Mustang GT or Cobra up until about 2003. In 1999 308 HP in a 3300lbs RWD sedan was an impressive number. Today, it's nothing special. A Toyota Camry or Honda Accord with a V6 puts out the same 0-60 times (and with only slightly less HP).

If you want to look into modding a C43, you have several huge roadblocks to consider if you're trying to build a muscled up monster that eats M3's and Mustangs (2004+) for breakfast:

That 4.3 litre engine is damn near running at it's fullest potential. People sometimes are completely unaware of what AMG originally did: take MB cars/engines and tune them to their maximum. That's what they did with the C43 engine. There are very, very few mods you can do to squeeze more power out of this engine. And the ones you can do probably only get you another 10-15 HP at the combined cost of just buying a bigger engine. More on that later.

The automatic transmission. It is what it is. You can't do a damn thing about it, ever. Period. Better get used to it right now.

Running gear. The rear diff has an extremely low gear ratio. I can't remember exactly but it's like 2.33. This may mean nothing to you but that is a very TALL rear end. On the flip side, you get much better mpg on the interstate and your ability to accelerate at high speeds is unmatched by nearly any other car in that class. The M3 was always quicker off the line and up to about 70mph, but at that point the C43's V8, torque, and especially the tall rear end ratio meant that it was just hitting it's stride at 70mph. The few people who have lined up an E36 (or even E46 in some cases) M3 against a C43 and ran long enough to see, the C43 just ran away at higher speeds. This is gearing. The M3 smokes it every day in a drag race, but the C43 will catch it and fly by at some point. The 80-120mph time on a C43 makes it act like it has way more than 300hp but at the cost of the 0-60 time only being 5.9sec (which is slower than what a 300hp car should do). But here's the problem: you can't change that gear ratio. The transmission control module is programmed to handle the shifting (and indirectly the engine) based on calculations from that OE diff ratio. If you change the diff ratio, your TCU can't handle it and the car just won't work right. Undriveable. No one's ever spent the money to custom code some kind of TCU replacement or hack, but it has been investigated.

ECU: all bets are off. Some people say the seat of their pants makes them feel their $500 Eurocharged ECU upgrade gave them another 5hp, and others say it makes no difference. No one's ever dyno tested it (even Eurocharged) to prove anything. I don't believe it. MB ECU's don't take programming or chips well, at least at this age.

There are some super pricey mods you can do that will definitely net you some real gains. Look into Kleemann. You can get supersport cams for maybe another 15hp in the $1500-2000 range. Headers and full 3" exhaust ($2000+) for another 10 hp. Or, my personal favorite, the bespoke Kleemann supercharger kit for another 80+ hp and another 75 ft lbs of torque. New, this kit is $7,500. You can find them used in the 3-5k range if you're lucky. Extremely rare. Bottom line you can spend $10k+ and get it up into the 400hp range and *maybe* stand a chance against a 2014 Mustang GT. But not a 2015 Mustang GT, they are stock with 435 hp and weigh less...

The only real, viable, and economically sound solution is the 5.4 swap. I assume you're unaware. The 4.3l engine in the C43 is the same engine that came in all 55 AMG cars from 98-2002 (E55, CLK55, S55, ML55). Some cars came with a different oil pan, but they are 99% the same engine. If you can find the engine from an E55, it's a direct drop and bolt in replacement. You don't need a new ECU, you don't need a new transmission. There's only an extra water inlet on the back of a head you need to cap and seal. These engines can be found for $1k-3k depending on miles and condition (and sometimes luck) and a decent euro shop can do the engine swap in a day. You instantly have a w202 C55 AMG: 354hp and 385 ft lbs of torque. Never driven one, but the owners of these cars say it becomes an entirely different beast.

But at this age, how many miles does any 43 or 55 AMG engine have on it? Go buy a used Mercedes AMG engine out of a wreck yard or eBay with 100k+ miles on it and tell a shop you want to supercharge it and watch what they say. People generally don't do such invasive power mods on engines with so many miles without some kind of a proper rebuild of the engines. These are alusil engines, so a proper rebuild would cost tens of thousands of dollars (you can just buy a C63 AMG for not much more...)

And if you have cash burning a hole in your pocket, you can still do all those kleemann mods to the 5.4l engine. Back in the late 90's some rich guy bought a new C43 and did exactly that. His brand new C43 (converted to C55 with Kleemann supercharger) ran 11's in the quarter. No idea what ever became of that car.

Of course, the resonator and secondary cat delete open up the classic V8 growl more, and a slight lowering using OE euro parts will give a sexier look but maintain proper stability and handling characteristics. And the OE avantgarde grille (if you can find one) is max level hot.

If you start swapping out rims, doing wraps, ebay HID headlights, sure some people will think it's cool. But some people will also think you're tasteless swine and you're ruining a rare, hand built piece of engineering history

Last edited by Sulaco; 07-02-2015 at 10:51 AM.
Old 07-02-2015, 11:41 PM
  #9  
Super Member
 
nkctb7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver, B.C., CANADA
Posts: 947
Received 25 Likes on 23 Posts
2006 E55 AMG/1996 C36 AMG/1999 C43/55 AMG
Originally Posted by Sulaco
TL;DR Buy a 5.4l AMG engine from a 98-02 55 AMG car and do an engine swap and then leave it alone. Save your money, time, and patience.

Honestly everyone's pretty much got it right. I don't know anything about you, the crowd you're with, or your preferred results of owning a C43.

I have a friend who obsesses over my C43's and is constantly bugging me to sell him one because he wants a bad *** V8 AMG Benz to go out and "smoke" people. In my opinion, he's not the right type of person to own a C43, because they just aren't that fast and don't have much potential to be much faster.

Sure, there are a great many "fast" cars out there that really aren't that fast. I mean, a C43 can outrun any factory Ford Mustang GT or Cobra up until about 2003. In 1999 308 HP in a 3300lbs RWD sedan was an impressive number. Today, it's nothing special. A Toyota Camry or Honda Accord with a V6 puts out the same 0-60 times (and with only slightly less HP).

If you want to look into modding a C43, you have several huge roadblocks to consider if you're trying to build a muscled up monster that eats M3's and Mustangs (2004+) for breakfast:

That 4.3 litre engine is damn near running at it's fullest potential. People sometimes are completely unaware of what AMG originally did: take MB cars/engines and tune them to their maximum. That's what they did with the C43 engine. There are very, very few mods you can do to squeeze more power out of this engine. And the ones you can do probably only get you another 10-15 HP at the combined cost of just buying a bigger engine. More on that later.

The automatic transmission. It is what it is. You can't do a damn thing about it, ever. Period. Better get used to it right now.

Running gear. The rear diff has an extremely low gear ratio. I can't remember exactly but it's like 2.33. This may mean nothing to you but that is a very TALL rear end. On the flip side, you get much better mpg on the interstate and your ability to accelerate at high speeds is unmatched by nearly any other car in that class. The M3 was always quicker off the line and up to about 70mph, but at that point the C43's V8, torque, and especially the tall rear end ratio meant that it was just hitting it's stride at 70mph. The few people who have lined up an E36 (or even E46 in some cases) M3 against a C43 and ran long enough to see, the C43 just ran away at higher speeds. This is gearing. The M3 smokes it every day in a drag race, but the C43 will catch it and fly by at some point. The 80-120mph time on a C43 makes it act like it has way more than 300hp but at the cost of the 0-60 time only being 5.9sec (which is slower than what a 300hp car should do). But here's the problem: you can't change that gear ratio. The transmission control module is programmed to handle the shifting (and indirectly the engine) based on calculations from that OE diff ratio. If you change the diff ratio, your TCU can't handle it and the car just won't work right. Undriveable. No one's ever spent the money to custom code some kind of TCU replacement or hack, but it has been investigated.

ECU: all bets are off. Some people say the seat of their pants makes them feel their $500 Eurocharged ECU upgrade gave them another 5hp, and others say it makes no difference. No one's ever dyno tested it (even Eurocharged) to prove anything. I don't believe it. MB ECU's don't take programming or chips well, at least at this age.

There are some super pricey mods you can do that will definitely net you some real gains. Look into Kleemann. You can get supersport cams for maybe another 15hp in the $1500-2000 range. Headers and full 3" exhaust ($2000+) for another 10 hp. Or, my personal favorite, the bespoke Kleemann supercharger kit for another 80+ hp and another 75 ft lbs of torque. New, this kit is $7,500. You can find them used in the 3-5k range if you're lucky. Extremely rare. Bottom line you can spend $10k+ and get it up into the 400hp range and *maybe* stand a chance against a 2014 Mustang GT. But not a 2015 Mustang GT, they are stock with 435 hp and weigh less...

The only real, viable, and economically sound solution is the 5.4 swap. I assume you're unaware. The 4.3l engine in the C43 is the same engine that came in all 55 AMG cars from 98-2002 (E55, CLK55, S55, ML55). Some cars came with a different oil pan, but they are 99% the same engine. If you can find the engine from an E55, it's a direct drop and bolt in replacement. You don't need a new ECU, you don't need a new transmission. There's only an extra water inlet on the back of a head you need to cap and seal. These engines can be found for $1k-3k depending on miles and condition (and sometimes luck) and a decent euro shop can do the engine swap in a day. You instantly have a w202 C55 AMG: 354hp and 385 ft lbs of torque. Never driven one, but the owners of these cars say it becomes an entirely different beast.

But at this age, how many miles does any 43 or 55 AMG engine have on it? Go buy a used Mercedes AMG engine out of a wreck yard or eBay with 100k+ miles on it and tell a shop you want to supercharge it and watch what they say. People generally don't do such invasive power mods on engines with so many miles without some kind of a proper rebuild of the engines. These are alusil engines, so a proper rebuild would cost tens of thousands of dollars (you can just buy a C63 AMG for not much more...)

And if you have cash burning a hole in your pocket, you can still do all those kleemann mods to the 5.4l engine. Back in the late 90's some rich guy bought a new C43 and did exactly that. His brand new C43 (converted to C55 with Kleemann supercharger) ran 11's in the quarter. No idea what ever became of that car.

Of course, the resonator and secondary cat delete open up the classic V8 growl more, and a slight lowering using OE euro parts will give a sexier look but maintain proper stability and handling characteristics. And the OE avantgarde grille (if you can find one) is max level hot.

If you start swapping out rims, doing wraps, ebay HID headlights, sure some people will think it's cool. But some people will also think you're tasteless swine and you're ruining a rare, hand built piece of engineering history
Very well said, Sulaco!

I had intended on getting as much power as possible after completing a 55 swap. After reading your post, you brought me back to reality regarding all future mods. One thing to consider when investing big $$$ into a car that is sixteen years old, is that it is one accident away from being written off. Gone but not forgotten but, the $$$'s invested certainly will be! The W202 is a beautiful machine and not a race car. Keep it classy and enjoy this classic piece of AMG history

Last edited by nkctb7; 07-03-2015 at 07:18 PM.
Old 07-04-2015, 04:04 PM
  #10  
Super Member
 
99CEEFOURTHREE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: north jersey
Posts: 604
Received 29 Likes on 28 Posts
99 c43,90 mustang gt supercharged convertible,07 acura tl type s, Hummer H3t pickup
Post

Lower it....remove resonator/secondary cat.Install Eisenmann race muffler,good tires and call it a day.I went with Voghtlands and Billy sport shocks with stock pads.It was expensive but boy the way the car rides/handles and sits.. its the way it should've left the factory.The secondary cat removal will give you a little more power,add a custom y pipe and remove Resonator for more rumble.Top it off with the Eisenmann race muffler and its exotic sounding with a few more ponies.Im quite happy Most of all maintain it,it will reward you.

Last edited by 99CEEFOURTHREE; 07-04-2015 at 04:07 PM.
Old 07-05-2015, 01:59 AM
  #11  
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Benz43new's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
c43
Thanks for the help everyone! Especially Sulaco, good read, very informative. I wasn't going to go too crazy on the car like JDM style or something.

Its my first car so still loving it stock but would love to add some minor touches to it. Deleting the resonator seems like a good first step. Have read other posts form the past relating to just using a straight stainless pipe for just a resonator delete and others do that plus a secondary cats delete or making a dual exhaust like I believe I read Speedybenz had done.

Anyways thanks for the posts! Keep 'em coming.
Old 07-05-2015, 02:16 PM
  #12  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
svt ricco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,148
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
1999 C43 AMG
Agreed on the resonator/secondary cat delete... Very cheap, very subtle change to the exhaust note too.
Old 07-05-2015, 03:24 PM
  #13  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Sulaco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: America
Posts: 2,339
Received 170 Likes on 138 Posts
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
can anyone chime in on how much drone is created with the resonator/cat delete? I might actually do it but I don't want to get annoyed on the interstate!
Old 07-05-2015, 05:22 PM
  #14  
Super Member
 
nkctb7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver, B.C., CANADA
Posts: 947
Received 25 Likes on 23 Posts
2006 E55 AMG/1996 C36 AMG/1999 C43/55 AMG
Originally Posted by Sulaco
can anyone chime in on how much drone is created with the resonator/cat delete? I might actually do it but I don't want to get annoyed on the interstate!
+1

I have the Eisenmann race muffler and secondary cats removed. I'm having a Y pipe installed soon but still uncertain about the resonator deletion. I'm with Sulaco as I don't want loud droning on the highway.
Old 07-05-2015, 09:54 PM
  #15  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
ECTurboGSX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 1,087
Received 34 Likes on 27 Posts
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
On a stock exhaust, no excessive drone at all.
Old 07-05-2015, 10:30 PM
  #16  
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Benz43new's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
c43
Hey, sorry to be such a noobie, but could someone explain the differences between exhaust setups for the C43. Ive read so far of resonator and 2nd cats deletes but what difference would having a Y pipe do and what difference would having 100,200, or 300 cell cats do.

Also I've seen a couple posts about dual exhaust setups (example https://mbworld.org/forums/c36-amg-c...system-fs.html )

Still new and learning some stuff about these mods and any info would teach me alot

Thanks
Old 07-05-2015, 11:39 PM
  #17  
Super Member
 
nkctb7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver, B.C., CANADA
Posts: 947
Received 25 Likes on 23 Posts
2006 E55 AMG/1996 C36 AMG/1999 C43/55 AMG
Originally Posted by ECTurboGSX
On a stock exhaust, no excessive drone at all.
Great to hear! Thanks EC!
Old 07-09-2015, 12:32 AM
  #18  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
ECTurboGSX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 1,087
Received 34 Likes on 27 Posts
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
Originally Posted by Benz43new
Hey, sorry to be such a noobie, but could someone explain the differences between exhaust setups for the C43. Ive read so far of resonator and 2nd cats deletes but what difference would having a Y pipe do and what difference would having 100,200, or 300 cell cats do.

Also I've seen a couple posts about dual exhaust setups (example https://mbworld.org/forums/c36-amg-c...system-fs.html )

Still new and learning some stuff about these mods and any info would teach me alot

Thanks
The exhaust leaves each of the two cylinder banks and passes through two catalytic converters (primary and secondary) on each side. After the cats, the exhaust flows into the resonator, which merges the exhaust gasses from the two banks. It leaves the resonator through a single pipe, back to the muffler where it exits the vehicle. So when people delete the resonator, you either have to do a custom dual exhaust or you have to use a Y pipe to replace the resonator. Follow the link below to see some pictures. It wouldn't let me load them on this thread since they are loaded there already:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c36-amg-c...or-delete.html
Old 07-09-2015, 02:24 AM
  #19  
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Benz43new's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
c43
Hey ECTurbo, thanks for the response. I knew how the cats and exhaust system works, my fault, should have worded my question better I guess. Just wanted to know the difference between setups like the y or x split, but I guess it is just personal preference if you want both exhausts on the back left or one on each side.

Thanks for the thread, definitely will take a read into it, came across a couple exhaust threads and not this one yet so any extra info in there would help!

P.S. If I were to get my exhaust with the x split setup I am guessing the stock AMG muffler tips would be obsolete (since its dual on the one side) and was wondering what options are available when the x split would separate the two pipes one on each side and what to do for each muffler tip or would the exhaust shop charge something extra for that.

Thanks again for all the help from everyone
Old 07-09-2015, 09:47 AM
  #20  
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Sulaco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: America
Posts: 2,339
Received 170 Likes on 138 Posts
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
Originally Posted by Benz43new
Hey ECTurbo, thanks for the response. I knew how the cats and exhaust system works, my fault, should have worded my question better I guess. Just wanted to know the difference between setups like the y or x split, but I guess it is just personal preference if you want both exhausts on the back left or one on each side.

Thanks for the thread, definitely will take a read into it, came across a couple exhaust threads and not this one yet so any extra info in there would help!

P.S. If I were to get my exhaust with the x split setup I am guessing the stock AMG muffler tips would be obsolete (since its dual on the one side) and was wondering what options are available when the x split would separate the two pipes one on each side and what to do for each muffler tip or would the exhaust shop charge something extra for that.

Thanks again for all the help from everyone
quite a large amount, due to the fact that the spare tire well is eliminating any possibility to route exhaust to both sides. You can do it, but you have to delete your spare tire well and fabricate a tunnel. Probably easier and cheaper to just cut it out completely and weld in a flat plate, but you'd be giving up a good deal of space.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:
You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: C43 Recommended Mods



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:14 PM.