Frank Castle

First off I wanted to say thanks to all for having this forum. Last year I bought my first MB and fell in love with it. It was sort of forced on me but thankful for it. I needed a car fast and found what I thought was a super deal on a 95 C220. It looked great. I lurked on the forums some and discovered the grill tweak was an easy fix.

Well a deer killed that C220. It was not bad but the insurance morons thought it was best to total it out. I loved that car and I'd say was the only car ever I could say that about. I prefer the W202 look SO I had to have another! I came inches away from a 99 C43 but it was sold. I wish I had more time to replace the car. I settled for a 98 C280 sport. Wow- nice little upgrades inside. It handles a lot better and the extra muscle on the highway is fun and functional. I love it even more! Not quite an AMG but a happy medium.

Anywhoo...My question is this. I would like to replace the grill with the S600 type again. This time I do not want the after market. It was a good price but i could see its flaws in the chrome and future break down of it with short time. I want to try and find a S600 grill from a Mercedes Graveyard. SO what year S600 grill would I be looking for. I want the avante garde type not the star. (again thanks to the forums for changing my mind on that) after looking hard and listening, I agree the sports grill is not for this car) SO am I looking for the S600 from the same years as W202 ere or are there other years included in the plug n play grille fit?

Pics of course to come. I need to have it waxed up and photo worthy! Less than a week and I have windows dark and kept the chrome 17" ten spokes. FYI 17" rims fit better on the C280 vs C220 for some reason? The C220 rubbed hard in reverse.

xvvvz

What you need is the w210 grille insert and you cut it down (make sure to get the right one from the right year). That is what MB did to create the S600-like grille for the w202 that they sold as an option in Europe and that you could order here through the dealer for a while for $400. Here is a thread I put up that should help you out with part numbers, a .pdf download link and some things I learned cutting it down. You should be able to get this insert pretty cheap from a junkyard. I got mine for $15 off of Craigslist.

http://www.club202.com/forums/showth...ghlight=grille

Frank Castle

Thank you, I'll check into this. What year should I be looking for? Same year as mine? "98"?

xvvvz

Go by the part number I cite in that thread versus model year. That way you know you have the right one for sure.

xvvvz

Unfortunately, I am not sure what model year used that part number. You can ask in the w210 forum. I believe this is referred to the "facelift" grille that was introduced toward the end of the w210 production run. It was the standard grille though, not a special upgrade. Again, confirm the part number before you buy. It is stamped on the back side in one of the lower corners. Easy to spot.

Frank Castle

I found an S600 pre-cut insert on Ebay. Fairly easy to swap out. Minor dremel needed on the inside on one area to be able to slip the retaining clip back. No big deal at all. $65.00 great deal as far as I am concerned. I had an after market prior that supplied the entire frame and grille complete. $105.00 upgrade well worth it but the after market frame had a slight bubble effect on corners where the chrome was. It was due to flake off in time. Agreed: the insert is the way to go.

Also- noticed it had grayish fins, but turned flat black with Armour all.

Would love to see what carbon fiber looks like. I have the trim on the door and inside. I added CF license frame and thought it may look OK with the "theme" ...I was on the fence if it'd look cheesy.

Also went for some clear corners while I was there. MAN glad I did. Looks great. Thanks 202!!!!

vincesgfv

thinking change my to this



it not oem but it look sporty. kinda like my sl

xvvvz

Fugly and very wanna-be in my opinion!

YNVDIZW124

w210 is better...

w202305

Frank Castle

Finally got some pics of the S600 grill insert. It came cut to fit with minimal effort to put in. The white side markers pop right in also for noticable difference.

Wish there were some more quick and painle$$ mods like these.

Thinking of tinting windshield some...

YNVDIZW124

That looks clean...way better than the other choices since it looks more mercedes.

Frank Castle

Thanks I like the way it came out a lot. I was "ify" on the white markers but man I was glad I did it as soon as I put em on. I will get rid of the yellow bulbs inside the markers cause you can see them some.

Found this info vs an LED retro swap.

Sylvania 1157AST bulbs. They burn amber when on, and almost disappear (blue chrome ball) when off. They are not the correct bulb for your application — the original 2357A bulbs are 32 candlepower on low beam, and the 1157A (any variant including -ST) is only 24. But they'll still perform a great deal better than any "LED bulb".