Bought the C55 AMG, Now mods
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 54
Likes: 1
From: Moorestown, NJ
Capri Blue 2005 c55 AMG
I'm 22 years old, and a service advisor for Honda lol, yeah everyone has looked at me somewhat funny.
The money thing isn't the issue, I make good money. However, I just can't really see spending the $1,500 for headers and a tune for 30 hp maybe. Just doesn't seem practical to me. I don't view these cars as race cars. My camaro was a racecar. I went 11.56 @ 121 in that lol. But wasn't very streetable. Slowly that turned into my weekend car, then my car show/cruise car, then to wanting to sell because I don't drive it.
This car I want to maintain stock driveability, sound very good, be quick, and that's about it.
I was looking into HID fog lights and LED drive lights. Also looking at LED license plate bulbs. Just looking for a good place to get those from.
The sound system in these cars I think is very limited. I don't think that the volume is loud enough IMO. Now that may be the "22 year old kid" in me, but I do like my music louder than what the stock system puts out. I don't like hard knocking bass, but high crisp highs, and a nice thump.
I got a vehicle that does not have navigation, but from what I'm browsing through is that the COMMAND NAV can be installed relatively cheap into a non nav car. Is this correct?
***Cliff notes
Looking for better sound out of the system
Looking for HID fog lights/ LED license plate bulbs, and drive lights.
Looking for Nav options.
The money thing isn't the issue, I make good money. However, I just can't really see spending the $1,500 for headers and a tune for 30 hp maybe. Just doesn't seem practical to me. I don't view these cars as race cars. My camaro was a racecar. I went 11.56 @ 121 in that lol. But wasn't very streetable. Slowly that turned into my weekend car, then my car show/cruise car, then to wanting to sell because I don't drive it.
This car I want to maintain stock driveability, sound very good, be quick, and that's about it.
I was looking into HID fog lights and LED drive lights. Also looking at LED license plate bulbs. Just looking for a good place to get those from.
The sound system in these cars I think is very limited. I don't think that the volume is loud enough IMO. Now that may be the "22 year old kid" in me, but I do like my music louder than what the stock system puts out. I don't like hard knocking bass, but high crisp highs, and a nice thump.
I got a vehicle that does not have navigation, but from what I'm browsing through is that the COMMAND NAV can be installed relatively cheap into a non nav car. Is this correct?
***Cliff notes
Looking for better sound out of the system
Looking for HID fog lights/ LED license plate bulbs, and drive lights.
Looking for Nav options.
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Joined: Oct 2006
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02 C32 AMG
The money thing isn't the issue, I make good money. However, I just can't really see spending the $1,500 for headers and a tune for 30 hp maybe. Just doesn't seem practical to me. I don't view these cars as race cars. My camaro was a racecar. I went 11.56 @ 121 in that lol. But wasn't very streetable. Slowly that turned into my weekend car, then my car show/cruise car, then to wanting to sell because I don't drive it.
I got a vehicle that does not have navigation, but from what I'm browsing through is that the COMMAND NAV can be installed relatively cheap into a non nav car. Is this correct?
yes, parts are expensive for this car. 1500 for headers sounds almost low to me. sounds like the price of mild steel shorties. with MBs, you really gotta pay to play because we don't have the same aftermarket performance part support that lots of other car manufacturer's have like GM.
like in your example, my exroommate has an LS1 camaro. He got SS LTs, catback, lid, y-pipe all for less than a grand combined. how much were my shorties? 600, and i got a clearance deal on it (i believe his SS LTs AND y-pipe was 600 shipped). how much was my pulley? like 800....there just
A) arent as many of our cars around
B) for all those that are around, less people mod them than others
less people, less cars, less demand, less supply --> greater cost
i laughed when my buddy just called me to tell me he is picking up a mild cam for like 500 or 600 bucks.....ours are like 1500 on a GB or more regularly. for the amount of money i've dropped into my car, i could have probably had a similarly trapping LS1 camaro - definitely enough money to cover full bolt ons, cam, and nitrous easy.
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AMG
Headers + pulley = $1699, that's fairly reasonable considering the market. ECU tune should usually be saved for last, on a stock car it doesn't do much of anything.
All good points JT, although my OEM euro nav has grown on me a bit
.
All good points JT, although my OEM euro nav has grown on me a bit
.
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02 C32 AMG
haha.....my mom used to have the COMMAND NAV on her 2002 S500. I was able to navigate it but it wasn't great and no one else could figure it out. And the NAV in her Lexus now is so much better. The handsfree NAV in the TLs is sick too
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PLAID
Even better, get a portable unit, Garmin Nuvi with the 5.5 inch widescreen and add Trapster POIs for it and you have a great unit that tells you where all of the speed and redlight cameras are as well!! The Comand cant do that and neither can Euro nav or Alpine!! I love mine and Trapster is best of all, FREE!!! I updated my 1 year old Garmin for less than $30.00 last night and updated the Trapster for free!!! The Update Discs for Comand are almost $200.00
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AMG
i think that is hella reasonable for a C55. CHEAP, i'd call it lol.
haha.....my mom used to have the COMMAND NAV on her 2002 S500. I was able to navigate it but it wasn't great and no one else could figure it out. And the NAV in her Lexus now is so much better. The handsfree NAV in the TLs is sick too
haha.....my mom used to have the COMMAND NAV on her 2002 S500. I was able to navigate it but it wasn't great and no one else could figure it out. And the NAV in her Lexus now is so much better. The handsfree NAV in the TLs is sick too
Some of these new aftermarket 7" Nav units though are amazing, built in everything (blue tooth, DVD, divx, memory card, USB expansion slot, etc etc etc). Just stay away from the Pioneer ones, they are MS Windows based and take forever to load (shocker
).
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From: Philadelphia, PA
2008 A8L, 2002 996TT X50, 2009 X5
COMMAND NAV sucks. don't go with the mercedes nav. get an aftermarket one. any of them are better.
yes, parts are expensive for this car. 1500 for headers sounds almost low to me. sounds like the price of mild steel shorties. with MBs, you really gotta pay to play because we don't have the same aftermarket performance part support that lots of other car manufacturer's have like GM.
yes, parts are expensive for this car. 1500 for headers sounds almost low to me. sounds like the price of mild steel shorties. with MBs, you really gotta pay to play because we don't have the same aftermarket performance part support that lots of other car manufacturer's have like GM.
The C55 DVD-based COMAND is quite a bit nicer than the CD-based system in the C32; but I agree, neither's very impressive vs. what's available in the aftermarket in 2009.
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I thought Hondas were so reliable
that they didn't need service advisors??? 
I know my two Accords, except for oil changes, have never been in the shop (even for timing belts) and one has well over 100K and the other has over 40 K. I will give you this, they are boring, BUT reliable lil suckers (and the Accord V-6 is decently quick too).
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none
Another two bit songbird named Carly Simon to go with your boyhood obsession with Stevie Knicks
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Joined: Jul 2005
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From: New York City
C55 ///AMG, 535xi
22 year old with a C55...tsk tsk tsk.
I'm 23
well welcome to the C55 club!
i do suggest the secondary cat+res delete, I had that done the moment i picked up the car, i love the sound!
I'm 23
well welcome to the C55 club!
i do suggest the secondary cat+res delete, I had that done the moment i picked up the car, i love the sound!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 54
Likes: 1
From: Moorestown, NJ
Capri Blue 2005 c55 AMG
Hey Advans, I will be doing that soon . I like the look of your c55 . And comparably young in age I'm sure we're a black ball in the group.
However, yes I'm an advisor at Honda. And yes even a Honda needs fixing sometimes. But they are reliable little suckers.
My goals for the car thus far are as follows
HID fog lights
LED Drive bulbs.
LED License plate bulbs.
Resonator delete.
Possibly deleting the secondary cats. Does this cause any CEL????
Possible sound system. Not sure on what.
. I like the look of your c55 . And comparably young in age I'm sure we're a black ball in the group. However, yes I'm an advisor at Honda. And yes even a Honda needs fixing sometimes
. But they are reliable little suckers.My goals for the car thus far are as follows
HID fog lights
LED Drive bulbs.
LED License plate bulbs.
Resonator delete.
Possibly deleting the secondary cats. Does this cause any CEL????
Possible sound system. Not sure on what.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 54
Likes: 1
From: Moorestown, NJ
Capri Blue 2005 c55 AMG
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Boyhood, no, this has been going on for years!! I just never grew up
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,424
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From: New York City
C55 ///AMG, 535xi
Hey Advans, I will be doing that soon . I like the look of your c55 . And comparably young in age I'm sure we're a black ball in the group.
However, yes I'm an advisor at Honda. And yes even a Honda needs fixing sometimes. But they are reliable little suckers.
My goals for the car thus far are as follows
HID fog lights
LED Drive bulbs.
LED License plate bulbs.
Resonator delete.
Possibly deleting the secondary cats. Does this cause any CEL????
Possible sound system. Not sure on what.
. I like the look of your c55 . And comparably young in age I'm sure we're a black ball in the group. However, yes I'm an advisor at Honda. And yes even a Honda needs fixing sometimes
. But they are reliable little suckers.My goals for the car thus far are as follows
HID fog lights
LED Drive bulbs.
LED License plate bulbs.
Resonator delete.
Possibly deleting the secondary cats. Does this cause any CEL????
Possible sound system. Not sure on what.
Thanks!
I have a set of Error Free LED drive bulbs for sale, its new.
My C55 looks way different from picture in my sig. I got new wheels, new grill, blacked badges, new tails, currently working on new Bi-xenons, designed and am fabricating a new.... (let's keep it on a DL till I finish!
) yes, it's been done on E55s but not on a C55 yet.)From my past experience, Hondas are not reliable! my ex gf had a 2003 Honda Accord LX 4 cyl, her cylinders blew out of place at 36,000 miles, 3.5 years. The car had over heating issues at 2 years, around 25k miles, brought it to the dealers multiple times, constant CEL at times, got that fixed. it was horrible.
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From: Seattle, WA
C55
