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I have attached some photos of the finished product.
C63 AMG Seat installed in a 2005 C230 Refinished cup holder trim ring
I also refinished the trim ring on my cup holder. I would like to find a replacement chromed-plastic trim ring, but for now painting it black looks much better than the discolored plastic.
The OEM Bi-Xenons are pricey and you will need to pay someone with the Star System to activate them. I found a set on Car-Parts.com for a fairly reasonable price, but I had to replace the plastic covers.
nice! i looked at swapping my seats as well but i have the ash interior, dont think they made amg seats in that color for the w203.
Black seems to be the most common color for C class interiors. It appears that a few C55 AMG W203’s had ash interiors- https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c...erior-c55.html. I assume it is a rare (but attractive) color. I expect that finding a used set of ash C55 seats in good condition at a reasonable price would be difficult.
I was scrounging some parts from a C230 with a seized engine when I found my seats. Someone had traded the C63 seats for the C230 seats because they found the C230 seats more comfortable. The stock C230 seats are very good seats, but I think C55 and C63 seats are a step up if you have the right body type.
you are correct sir. i would like to swap out my OEM ash seats for the full power ones that came with amg's or had the option. it is very difficult to find ash seats period, let alone ones that are in good condition or at a decent price.
If you haven't fixed the IR door sensors for the 'summer mode'
you just got to. One of the best and mostly unknown features of the car,
open and close the windows from outside with they key.
Sensors have cold solder joints and can be easily fixed, look around here or on
benzworld.
I fixed it today - one year and nine months after you suggested it. I may not be fast, but I am persistent.
Thanks for the suggestion.
This has been a joy to read through. I am just north of you in Woodbridge. What pick a part did you go to? I just went to Fredericksburg and Stafford to get a new antenna for my coupe. I like the Stafford lot much better. Now that the antenna is swapped, I will look to replace the head unit with a Apple CarPlay unit.
if you ever decide to swap out wheels...let me know. Would also love to know more about the steering wheel swap as the coupe wheel is like piloting a 50 foot sailboat. Also very interested in that digital climate control unit.
This car will end up being my daughters, so trying to bring some updated features to it.
I haven’t had much luck with the pick-a-parts. I have had more luck with sellers on the forum, Car-Parts.com and EBay. I also found someone near my work who is parting out a 2005 C230 sports sedan with a blown engine. He sold me the folding rear seats and some rear deck speakers that I am planning to install. That same car was also indirectly the source for my C63 AMG seats. The owner of the C63 had swapped the seats for the C230’s seats because he found the C63 seats too confining.
I am not planning to sell my wheels, but if you are interested in a set of 2005 C230 sports sedan wheels the car I’ve been scavenging has them. I am not sure the wheels on my car were there when it was new. I have the window sticker and it doesn’t mention AMG wheels as included. I think those wheels are more common on CLK’s.
The parts car also has the 3-spoke steering wheel, but I haven’t looked at it closely to assess its condition. Before you swap a steering wheel, make sure you get one which had the Takata air bag replaced under the recall. The swap itself is not complicated. You can read about the process here: https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...eplacement.htm
It takes about 60 foot pounds of torque to attach and remove the wheel and you will need a helper unless you are a lot stronger than me.
I scavenged more parts from the same car that donated the fold down rear seats and installed the 3-inch rear speakers and subwoofer from the Harman Kardon system that was available as an option on our cars in 2005 and some other years.
Here are a few photos if you don't want to check out the thread: Aftermarket amp installed in OEM location behind the passenger-side rear wheel
Speakers installed in the rear deck. The subwoofer and the driver's side 3-inch speaker are in one enclosure. The passenger side 3-inch is in a dedicated holder.
It's not a "competition level" system, but it does provide more spacious sound and better base response.
Did you add/swap in the OEM rear deck with folding seats indicating pop ups too?
I have not add the folding seat pop ups yet. Although I have thought about it and may still do it. My reasons for not doing it last weekend were:
1. The donor car rear deck had faded to a purple color. If I wanted to use it, I would have had to buy it and then re-dye it black.
2. When I removed the folding seats, the seller helped me and he disconnected the pop ups. Because I didn't remove them I didn't know exactly how to re-attach them. I was concerned that if I cut holes in my deck and couldn't make the pop ups works I would have had to live with a cosmetically-challenged rear deck.
3. It would be cool to have it exactly like the OEM installation, but to be honest, it wouldn't be missed.
4. I wanted to spend some time working on my rear sun shade. Unfortunately, it is still balky.
5. I probably can resolve issues 1 and 2, but it would have taken time and I wanted to complete the project before the work week started. I'm a very slow worker and I didn't finish until 10:00 p.m.
6. I still haven't tackled the TPMS project.
I'm considering a trip back to the donor car to buy the rear padding and possibly the rear deck. If I do that, I will install the rear pop ups when I work on the sunshade again.
By the way, do you know whether the Harman Kardon system has a speaker under the front grill? If it does I may grab it when I scavenge more parts. Of course I'll need to figure out how to power it.
I am slightly past my 3-year anniversary with the car. I also passed the 250,000 kilometer mark (155,000 miles) of which 43,000 miles were under my ownership. I rewarded the car by installing the complimentary high-mileage badge from Mercedes.
High mileage badge with aftermarket grill The badge is enameled metal and it has a quality look and feel
I like the look of the front end with the aftermarket grill and xenon headlights compared to the OEM grill and halogen headlights. I think the xenon headlights and aftermarket grill make the car visually lighter and provide a bit of "pop" when set against the black paint. I understand that it is a matter of taste, but I find the OEM "slat" grill a little dowdy.
The question I asked myself after 3 years is "Would you do it again?" My answer (today) is "Yes." The car has had its share of maintenance and repair issues. Fortunately, these have been balanced by the fun I had with the seat, sound system and headlight upgrades. I also enjoy driving the car and I think it looks good considering that it is 16-years old.
Very nice, and congrats! I mistakenly thought you had to reach 200,000 miles and not just 155,000 kilometers in order to be eligible. I will have to order mine as well next time I visit the dealership. Should make my original slat grille a little more visually appealing.
I have attached the form if you need it. You will be required to have the dealer confirm your mileage. After you complete that step you have the option of emailing or snail mailing the completed form to Mercedes.
A minor issue that bothered me since I bought the car was a damaged front bumper: Damaged paint and trim
I had previously touched up the paint, but the chromed plastic trim continued to deteriorate. Fortunately, I was able to find a decent piece of trim on a car that the owner is parting out. Damaged and replacement trim comparison
I completed some more touch up work and installed the replacement trim. The results aren't perfect, but the defect is much less obvious now.
I think my car is a good "5 footer." It has numerous paint flaws, but from a few feet a way it looks alright.
I feel like that is all we can expect out of 16 year old cars that are used. I just hauled a few hundred pounds of bagged gravel in mine. Brought our first baby home in it...now driving two of them and all their gear to dance. When my youngest was learning to ride a bike...she hit it a few times...but she was okay. The one filled rock chip is from hauling to Kentucky to make a friends’ wedding... 5 foot is okay with me having these stories!
Strips look great! A lot of itty clips, well done!
I have attached the form if you need it. You will be required to have the dealer confirm your mileage. After you complete that step you have the option of emailing or snail mailing the completed form to Mercedes.
Now I'm wondering if I can get this badge in Europe.
My car just made it to 526.000km this week
The used Kenwood DNX 6180 that I installed soon after I bought the car stopped working. I replaced it with a Kenwood Excelon DMX907S
The unit offers some enhancements over the DNX 6180 which I purchased used and may be a 10-year old model. The most significant upgrade is the Apple Car Play and Android Auto capability. I have an iPhone and I have found the wireless Car Play makes the car feel more up-to-date.
I was able to add a Mercedes boot screen
Cleaner look and larger screen than the unit I replaced.
09-25-2018, 11:53 PM
