jmillar82

Hi guys,

I put a deposit down on my first ever brand new car! Fully optioned white C200 (first in Australia to be built with the 360 degree camera) so I'm very excited!! I'll be getting it in August.

I'm just trying to figure out whether I should do any aftermarket modifications to the car. I've been through all 60 pages of the Photos thread. I've decided I'll be getting the car de-badged as I think it looks a lot cleaner.

The only other things I like are the rear spoiler and the front diamond grill. With the front diamond grill, is this something which is standard on the C450 and C63 only?

I'm not sure whether either of these mods are worth the trouble and cost though. Also I don't want to come across as though I'm trying to make the car look like something it isn't (ie a better model).

Thoughts?

Does anyone have before/after pictures of a front grill mod and/or a rear spoiler mod on a white C200? Also with the rear spoiler I'm not sure whether I like black or carbon.

The black mirrors seem like a good touch too...

Any other "must haves" for a C200 I should look into?

Cheers

Shadwell

Does it have AMG sports kit?
Burmester?
Vision pack?
Night package (black in place of chrome).


If you let folks know, then any additions will be pertinent to your starting point.
e.g a recommendation for springs is moot if you already have AMG sports springs etc.


One thing right away will be the apparent lack of grunt (if this matters to you).
Hence saving a $1000 to get a good tune will take it toward c250 level.. which although not fast is nippy at least.


Also suggest you get some Iron-X, a clay bar kit, a light polish, and a sealant of your choice... because even new it will have fall out and debris in the paint, and white only evr looks good when its glass smooth woth a glossy sealant over the top..
check out Autogeekonline forum a ton of info... Waxit, ZAS, Carcare products and Detailers paradise all Ozzie vendors for non Over the counter products..
(Enjoy the white, its a PITA to keep looking good).. but rewarding when you do..

jmillar82

Hi mate, it's fully optioned so it has the AMG kit, Vision, COMAND and Seat packages.

What's the difference between the C200 and C250 engines? I notice they're the same size but the C250 puts out more power.

Cheers

kleinebin

I have a C250 with all the features. My wishlist was: Diamond Grill, Red brake callipers and double exhaust wingtips which come in Black.


I got the OEM Diamond Grill installed at my dealer. The eBay version isn't precisely accurate but if that doesn't matter to you it's only $165USD but you can buy mine which I never used and I can ship it Australia Post overnight. The OEM part cost $1200 plus install.

Personally, I think a spoiler ruins the lines of the car, but again that's personal choice.


Still deciding on the brake callipers. Saw a Commodore and even a Jeep with red ones and wondering whether they will date. You also have to give up your car for 3 days if it's done professionally.

Shadwell

In short more power and torque....
Figuratively about 30hp... And 50Nm or so.....
Hence an ECU makes a big difference to the roll on ie the torque...

If you have the cash call willal racing.. 2k..
If not perhaps a piggy back 1k (take your pick)...

Oh and I genuinely hope yours is a good one and you have no rattles or electrical glitches...

jmillar82

rattles/electrical glitches?? I wasn't aware of any issues?

I've already lost a few points recently and I need my license for work so it's unlikely that I'll really want/need any more power. Also I have a motorbike with the same amount of power as this car and it weighs 160kg if I ever feel the need to go fast :P

Shadwell

Have a read through many of the posts here re some peoples "challenges" with their vehicles, many would be dealt with at factory by now... Many still seem to raise their heads... It's good to know about so you know what to look out for...

Re speed yeah, licence is fine but my ZX-10r and most bikes before it make fast cars arbitrary..

All the best.

jmillar82

Thanks, will do.

Will definitely have to look at cleaning processes and products - my current car gets cleaned maybe once every 3 months but won't be the case with my new car, especially being white!!

Is there anything wrong with using the drive through car washes? I would probably get my car cleaned at local shopping centre every week or 2nd week, and possibly doing a drive through car wash if I don't have time to leave it at the car wash place for an hour or so.

Is there anything I should do when I get it to protect it?

Cheers

Shadwell

THERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH DRIVE THROUGH WASHES..
Those with brushes scratch the hell out of paint.. One pass is enough to swirl your paint.... If you care don't use them..
You sound like you want to look after it, so please read the how to guides on autogeek online... It's a huge resource of info on correct practice and invaluable for getting queries answered..
Note those guys are very keen though..
Also note keeping them pristine is a lot of fun and therapeutic too.. Don't be surprised if you get into it ����

Summary .. If you can't be careful or absolutely minimise the likelihood of scratches then don't touch the paint... Wait until you can and do it right...

Eg I wash with a foam cannon and jet wash then use a leaf blower to dry then a spray detailer to dry then a spray wax to top up wax and sealants weekly..
I often use spray detailer mid week to get the dust off... I often do 750kms a week so it gets dirty quickly...

All the best.

jmillar82

Oh man

I'll do some reading on autogeek online.

Cheers

ravneetg

No drive through washes.
Read on auto geek and pick your process.
I use a Opti No Rinse wash and then Zaino Clear Sealant to seal. Then in between I use a spray detailer to wipe off the light dust.

Here is the car after latest Sealant coat.

Shadwell

Do you also have light orange peel runing the crisp edge of your reflections?
I am soon to wet sand (well velvet pad and compound actually cos it leaves a much cleaner surface ahead of compounding..) the whole car to flat the paint, being a hard single stage white I want get the surface properly smooth to get the gloss..
All the product in the world isn't gonna get the crisp reflections i want to see..
a def case of when clean isn't enough....

jmillar82

Thanks guys. I'm on autogeek online and they're really into their clean cars aren't they!!! It's all a bit much for me, but I did have a couple suggestions that could work for me.

One person suggested I go to a detailer when I buy the car and get a a coating on it, and then just clean it using a 'spray n wash'.

I'm guessing the coating just make it easier to clean moving forward? Has anyone done this?

Also, by 'spray n wash'/'touchless car wash' I'm guessing they might mean places where you can use a hose to spray the foam wash onto the car, then a high pressure hose to wash/rinse it rather than doing it by hand? Is this a better method than doing it by hand and also better than getting it cleaned at a local car wash by hand?

What are your suggestions regarding keeping the wheels clean? I notice that dirty wheels make a huge difference to the appearance of a car, and the Mercedes' wheels seem to get dirty a lot quicker than my current car.

Also, suggestions for keeping inside the car clean (car mats, leather seats)? I assume a local car wash is okay for this?

Cheers!!

Shadwell

All the answers to your questions are in autogeek...
Yes they're keen as many are pro detailers... So they find what works and more importantly what doesn't.
Coatings, yes good, a little more exepensive, require great paint condition before application to get best visuals, require care, scratching and swirling still takes place and fixing is more work than traditional sealant and wax... , low maintenance option...

Wheels; Maguiars mirror bright and wheel woollies. Spray wax afterwards. Optimum car wax. All cheap and effective. Iron-X or similar falls out remover to get properly clean.

Interior, a microfibre with dilute APC all purpose cleaner... Meguiars APC basically works very well... And that's what you want...

Until you get into it more or want to do correction that's really all you need..

Do touchless or 2 bucket method yourself so as not to scratch the crap out I f your car... And keep your stuff clean... Wash mitts and microfibre clothes....

jmillar82

Thanks, what's touchless and 2 bucket method??

Cheers

Shadwell

Touchless; using a foam cannon, allow to dwell, then a jet wash to rinse / remove... Then use a leaf blower to dry.... In my case I then mist some optimum no rinse and use microfibre cloths (lots of them) to remove any remaining water to prevent water spots..
The last step obviously involves contact.. But it's minimal and if done correctly with enough spray and always presenting a clean face if the MF cloths then it's pretty safe....

2 BM, one bucket for soap solution and one for rinse... Idea is any crap picked up goes into rinse bucket and drops out.. Then fresh solution picked up each time.... Wash normally top to bottom, if you drop the mitt use another ... Etc...

Often folks foam, then rinse then foam again then 2bm... It depends how dirty the car was to start with....

In the end it's all about minimising risk of scratches... And that's just working clean and common sense....

Hop that helps.

jmillar82

Thanks mate.

Do you have your own foam cannon and high pressure hose or do you go to one of those car wash places where you can pay to use theirs?

Do you have a coating on your car like Optimum Pro Pus etc?

I was thinking of getting a coating on mine when I get the car, then I could probably use foam cannon + high pressure hose once a week, and then a wheel cleaner for the wheels. Do you think this would suffice?

Also, is it absolutely necessary to dry with a leaf blower?

Cheers

Shadwell

None of this is necessary...
Every little more you do will just help maintain swirl free paint for longer..

For mine yes I have a regular pressure washer and you buy the foam cannon attachment specific to your type of washer (as the connectors are different by brand).

Leaf blower not necessary, again just gets rid of most water and the water in the nooks and crannies.... If not your thing then super plush microfibre towels work well.. Always best to lay on, let them absorb the move to next panel...

Dragging a house hold towell will swirl paint, the nap in the towell is coarse and effectively a mild abrasive...

Wheel cleaner and for example a wheel Wilkie brush work great, weekly even regular car wash and a good wheel brush will be fine.. If the dirt is light...

When washed a quick spray wax like optimum car wax will be the quickest and easiest way to get that great shine and protection with minimal effort.

Coatings.... Are great but need an investment up front (perfectly corrected paint before application), and as I said some specific maintenance products... Eg car pro cQuartz and then after washing carpro reload... It's the coating euivalant of the stay wax...

IF you get a good / bad scratch on a coated finish most times to make right you need to polish the panel back and re apply the coating to panel.. They generally resist very light swirls better than the paint hence they are popular... They also resist uv and acids and chemicals etc.. So the periodic waxing is redundant...
IMO they are great for those that want a good looking finish with little effort..
Those that want a perfect finish and use the cars a lot perhaps (arguably) not so much...

It's down to you at the end of the day.

Quack

Agreed, I got the dealer to spray mine gloss black, they charged me £80 for it.




I also got the dealer to spray the wheels gloss black. It cost £40 a wheel, so £160 total.
It was a bit of a punt but I'm incredibly happy with how it turned out.
I'm very biased, but I think my car stands out a lot more than any other C class I've seen in my area.

My next step is to vinyl wrap the grill, the window trim and the chrome lip in black.

They're my suggestions, good luck not going insane whilst you wait for delivery, it drove me completely mad.