jchochla

For sure not a good idea. They will look terrible. You should of gotten the lighting package. Since you work at a dealer you should order the headlights and have one of your fellow technicians install it for you if you can. You'll be 10x more impressed.

So I'm from michgan. My cousins leased a 2011 E350 4M. They talked mercedes into doing renntech on their car. They explained to Mercedes Benz that it will boost the cars value in 3 years if the dealer went to sell it when there lease was done. Specifically it would boost the value 5k-7k. So Mercedes Benz ended up paying for renntech for them.

I was amazed when they told me this. I'm planning on leaseing either a black or white C300 4M coupe in June (it's a little ways away, but...). I want to get it renntech tuned. Probably ECU, exhaust and chipped(possibly).

Good luck with your new C. As always, keep up posted!

Trek1200

What about the set up looks so bad?

victort

it's not that it looks bad. Halogen housings are not meant for HID. too much scatter blinding anyone in front of you. nothing is more irritating than driving in front of a car at night that blinds you

Trek1200

Well damn. I know this isnt the thread, but any suggestions, outside of ordering $3000 headlamp units?

victort

retrofit IF you really want HIDs

AdidasC230

I work for MB to and know that the lease or purch on a 250 w/ options vs a base 350 (which has the options a 250 would decked out) at employee price is quite cheap either way

So I still am with above, why get a 250 VS a 350 if the price wasn't a matter? If you where going to then put more money into it anyways? If you like the body kit couldn't you simply have bought the 350 and put the kit on?

I am all for your choice, think its awesome, can't wait to see what they do.

I may have to stop by and take a look if I'm down that way. My dealer is a Renntech dealer

Trek1200

Didn't want a base 350. I'm not having to throw a bunch of loot at the project because the car was already near the store, so I saved a bunch on shipping. Besides its just different. The potential is fantastic on the car and it'll be years before someone makes a forced induction kit for the V6.

Trek1200

Well shoot. What I may do is get the setup and try it out and if it looks THAT bad just put them on a customers car. I'll take some pics once I get them and let you see what they really look like.

jchochla

Good idea. Youll never know till you try.

kevink2

Good points, but not sure that "It comes down to price" when you have completed your mods at Renntech.

For performance comparison from MBUSA.com:

C350 ___ 302 hp & 273 ft-lbs with 0-60 in 5.9 secs
C250-T _ 201 hp & 229 ft-lbs with 0-60 in 7.1 secs.

With mods, I can see matching torque. But 100 more hp is a harder climb, that would require a larger turbo. However, most don't always run wide open to redline, so torque spec governs what you most commonly feel.

Is it a C250 sport ? I assumed so:

Getting MSRP from MBusa.com, that price difference is $5775, and does not include an extra $2500 prem-1 pkg to get heated seats on the C250.

"The block is the same as the M271" Anyone know how much hp & tq an oem blown M271 can produce?? ( for bottom end power capacity estimate)

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Trek1200

Its the overall cost of ownership im more concerned with (insurance, fuel economy, etc). Im getting some assistance money wise with the mods, so thats not adding to the cost in any significant way.

jchochla

Are you yourself paying for renntech or is it going through Mercedes Benz?

Trek1200

Dealership is stepping up to see what the possibilities are, plus Renntech needed a testbed, so theres help there too.

jchochla

Well in glad to hear that they'll help you out with it. I just got home from my MB dealer, and just asked them out of curiosity it there a Renntech Dealer, and they said YES! Never knew that. They told me that they've had 2 customers do Renntech. They sent out the ECU to renntech and got them retuned and a chip put in. But the dealer installs the chip.

jchochla

My cousins got there's done at a dealer in MI, but farther away than the one in the previous post.

Trek1200

Very cool! Which dealer do you use?

jchochla

Mercedes Benz in St. Clair Shores, Mi

nlpamg

I have an M271 2005 C230K and I've followed a lot of people's "build" threads. The car will never be fast, but it's decent for what it is. The major mods have just been a pulley, headers and a tune. I forgot who it was, and if I recall correctly, he got about 225 to the wheels with a pulley, headers, exhaust and tune.

Since the M271EVO is not supercharged, I'm hoping a downpipe and a tune should be sufficient to give the M271EVO some additional potency.

Either way, the price has to be low. Renntech did their pulley for about $700 for the M271, so I assume whatever they do now should be below $2k for it to be feasible.

AdidasC230

Oh ok just wondering, I like that your trying. Are you going to pick it up in person? Ill grab lunch with you on me, we can chat MB

Trek1200

Im betting the tune will yield considerably more than 225, my guess is closer to 250 or so and the price will probably be around 1500-1900, if I had to guess. It going to be a few years until someone does a turbo swap, just for warranty purposes, but once that happens, im sure the power output will be almost comically high. Look at what Honda tuners can squeeze out of their four bangers.

Trek1200

Yeah it should be cool. Its my first foray into the world of (professional) tuners. I was i could pick it up in person, but im having it shipped, thats a stack of miles to put on a lease if i dont have to. Shipping is only 350 or so, plus i dont have to pay for gas.

LandSeaAir

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't ECU same thing as chipped?

jchochla

Your correct. Because at the moment, renntech doesn't have a chip. But they are working ECU remapping for Trek1200. I know my buddy that's has a Lancer Evo, He got his ECU remapped and a chip put in. It depends if Renntech comes out with A chip.

kevink2

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kevink2

Thanks for the reply.

Where is the intercooler on the C230K, under the SC (blower)? Is it the Air/Water type?

With a turbo, you can get more efficency (thermal) air boosting vs an eaton type SC (the Whipple SC was designed to improve that efficency, but it's got a screaming bearing sound that is nasty). And you may be able to increase the efficency of the intercooler, vs the oem C230K's.

Both systems have parasitic losses, pulley torque for the SC, and backpressure to impede exhaust flow in the turbo. But the back pressure can be reduced by upgrading $$$ the turbo. Least expensive is "boring out" the OEM housing for larger wheels, and modifying the internal WG for less restriction to flow.

MB and GM have gone with the Eaton type for a silent power boost across all rpm's ... effectively creating a larger motor. And if they use a vacuum bypass, through the IC, they should still get the great gas milage of the smaller base engine size.

I wish this site hosted spreadsheets, as I developed one for turbos. I guess there is a calculator online somewhere.

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