Hi,
I think it's time for me to present to you my pride and joy. When she came to my hands 3 years ago she looked like this.

Strangely I do not have a single pic of the interior, so I post one found on the net.

The specs were not impressive. The car was a basic midnight blue w203 c200 kompressor with the 2.0 liter engine boasting 163ps and 240kg.m of torque. (oh gosh I did hate that interior)

 

then things changed....

I was not at all happy with the Mercedes chice of puttin 205-55/16 tyres to a rwd with 163ps. In Greece roads are slippery and you need all the traction you can get.

So I went 17'' with a set of 8x17 Amg Replicas and a set of Contis sc3.
I was also dissapointed with the performance of the headlights (my previous car was equipped with factory xenons)
So I installed a pair of black depos, but I regretted that later so I replaced them with the clear lense items from the facelift w203 (of course with an hid system added).
I was also not impressed with the Braking performance, so a set of 345mm rotors from a c32 found their place behind my wheels.
I ahve also changed the front grille to an Avantgarde item

 

the handling was also an issue....
I ve tride different solutions.
Bilsteins B6's with avantgarde springs (too bouncy)
Bisltein B6's with OEM sprigs (harsh ride, too soft on turning)
And finally Bilstein PSS (B14). That's perfect for me.

Horsepower is like a drug. You always want more. The 163 oem horsepower was more than enough from me... well for 9 months!!!!
On MArch 2009 after reading all the relevant posts in Benzworld I proceeded and ended up with a 23cm crank pulley, a custom FMIC, a K&N filter and an AMG muffler while on the way the middel silencer lost its position and is restin in my garage. Here is the first dyno after the FMIC. (it's a rolling road dyno)

 

Whats an FMIC ?

 

However, there were stiil things to come.
The headlights turned again to depos (not black this time), the grille was changed to a more agressive style, the rear lights were replaced with a more handsome set and there is also a new dyno run with a 197,6whp figure on a DYNAPACK dyno.

There are now also OEM Adharaz Wheels bought new to replaxe the replicas and restore the original offset and handling of the car

@c230comp : FMIC=Front mount InterCooler

 

As I mentioned on the first post I really hate the prefacelift interior- no matter the headunit....
After 12 months of planning and searching for parts....
After endless hours of web surfing
After sarcastic comments from wolrdwide famous benz gurus,people that are supposed to know more than me....
With the help of Chris the Swede,
With the help and support of Mbclub.gr member "Papalos" (the greek Star Diag God)....,

My w203 is one of the first and maybe the only M111 engine, manual shift with a fully working facelift dashboard...
The cost did nto exceed 1200 euros, the clk63 amg cluster works as a charm and only thing left to do is the odometer fix (next week).
Only drawback the fact that Star Diag cannot "see" the Comand but thaat would have been the case with any crappy after market unit.

 

My blue dream earning her money
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgkjsXPCl7Y



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6UMG5ML0g

 

Looks like you've put in the work! Looks nice!

 

Was the cluster bought new or used? I've read that it has to be new or have less than a 1000 mi on it for it to be programmed. Is this true?

 

How many miles you got on it?

 

If you can find someone with the right tools it does not matter whether is new is used.
My car has approx 90.000miles

 

Nice work, but you are not the only one to upgrade from DB2 to MOST bus, and
replace the dash etc.
Checkout HKirov's work....2002 Coupe to CLC.
And a couple others, NLBenz did a few.
There's a DIY around here somewhere with the whole interior torn apart.

 

No of course I am not the only one. Actually hkirov's bodywork is my dream project (if I remember his engine is m111).
But during the project I ve heard too many negative comments. For example on mbguru I was told that the whole project would cost me over 5000, that I should never do that on a m111, especially manual, and at the end I should end up having to even change engine and transmition. Of course nothing of that happened.

 

Care to elaborate more on this? I want to do this in the future, but nobody's said how it can be done with a used cluster...

 

+1. If Steve and Sunil haven't been able to do it, I highly doubt it can be done.

Any plans on updating the steering wheel too? That would really complete the look.

 

mad props for the time and effort spent

 

The whole project has some limits. Aiming beyond them complicates unnecessarily the whole procedure and sends the cost out of budget(in My opinion). The limits are set by the "ecu" with the strange name ezs.
Ezs control unit communicates with the oem electronic equipment, with the cluster, and stores the odometer information.
Ezs is the door through which the star diagnosis "sees" the comand and it's components. Ezs constantly "speaks" with the Cluster and They confirm each others mileage.
Performing the task of facelifting brIngs some issues. The 209 facelift cluster stores the mileage information on a different line of code; different to the prefacelift cluster. So the prefacelift ezs reads and translates wrong data. The 209 cluster itself searches a 209 facelift ezs, and by searches I mean that the 209 ezs stores the mileage data on a different line of code.
There start the problems. The right solution would be to change the ezs. No one
guarantees that the facelift ezs, though solving all of the pro lems, will communicate with the ECU of the Engine , with the Airbag modules etc. This Solution is Not cheap and is a Great pain in you-know-where.
The other solution is giving cluster and ezs to an odometer specialist and have them communicate using his electronic equipment ( don't know much details). That solves the mileage Problem . Of course there is still no comand diagnosis, but don't forget that the car is mow facelifted with a comand ntg. Of course it would be great to be able tO do it, but diagnosis would not be a choice with an aftermarket unit that would not look THIS good.

Finally I would like to mention that the whole project was done by me with the random help of a couple of friends,and that this was my first ever DIY project.

As for the steerIng wheel is in the plan, but I would love an r171 final edition item instead of the clc.

 

As far as the cluster is concerned let me clarify the following:
1. I bought the clk 63 cluster from eBay. It was stated as new. I cannot confirm that. I put it on and as expected there was now mileage displayed. Only "----------".
5 months (about 10.000km) later I had the cluster coded with a friend's Das.
He returned the cluster to the as new condition. Same thing can be done with the ezs. I suspect that the clue that the cluster has to be new refers to those who want to put it in and finish without coding.
I would also like to mention that I have full functionality of the cluster (remaing fuel also ) and full functionality of the steering wheel controls.

 

.

 

I think he elicited a negative reaction from people on this board for whatever reason. In the end, obviously the guy pulled off something no one
else has attempted. He hangs out on benzworld these day.
My 1st encounter was a post about modifying the MAF which worked out very well.
Post pics of your engine compartment!!!!

 

pics of engine compartment here:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post4619277

 

I don't see anything except an engine that needs to be cleaned yuk!
Pulley? Header? Pics of both?
Do they actually exist?

 

check again

 

Nice work there! Will the AMG cluster work on an '05? Is it plug -n- play?

 

Sorry, but that engine bay pic only shows that your cleaning skills are as bad as mine.