My understanding is he is no longer with Speedriven and is a large cause of most of my delays as well as the car being sent back missing components I instructed them to install. He took the info, charged me but never passed the info to the guys actually building the car. New guy is MUCH more helpful and Marcin has been staying on top of the car.

I am upset its not back in my hands but it was the first car on their in house dyno and they needed to confirm readings before proceeding since like all dynos its numbers are slightly different that the dyno he is used to using.

 

Glad he is gone. Don't miss his posts at all.

 

It ran fine. Ran like a beast actually and my friends following me to the shop were blown away by its sound and how quickly it lept away with me only using 1/4 throttle. Trans shifted very well too even that one time I gave it half throttle. All the issues were just parts not installed that Jo didnt pass on to the install team and then some paint blemishes that they have since corrected. There was some miscommunication as to if the car was going to run pump or 100 octane fuel so it was sent with a 93 tune but they are correcting that knowing that left 150+ hp on the table. I have confidence it will be corrected properly. Marcin has kept me up to date with whats happening and yes, I have been very patient. This patience is at an end though so if its not on a truck fully tuned by Tuesday so I get it Wed then that patience will run out and I will once again contact my lawyer but speaking with them I expect the car to be here Wed.

Also of note there is a HUGE software difference on pre 2012 cars vs mine so even though its the same trans (kinda) there is quite a bit different not only internally as well as in the way its controlled. That in itself was a big issue to overcome.

I build Mustangs and LS cars for a living and we see similar issues as the cars change but not at the level that MB changes them. Also since most cars we work with are manuals we dont have the trans software issues to work with. When the Dodge 8 speeds first came out it was quite a PITA to change the software.

 

It's not the first time we have seen their projects go on far too long. Just hope it produces the results you seek. We have yet to see any real proof the cars run as intended. I sincerely hope your car is everything yout wanted.

 

Laser your a real trooper hanging in there!!

I hope you do get what you paid for. But not to be "that guy" again why is it myself and others warned of the software issues when we're not even the ones that self proclaim they specialize in Merc v12s and now there just realizing it? Even if your talking to Marcin he is blowing smoke on the issues, the fact is they don't know how to tune around it, period! He is telling you the internals are different in the transmission and that's a flat out lie. I've had then apart since 2003 600s thru my 12 and pervious 08 and 06. The internals are the same, the TCU is different along with the ECU but it is also in fact the same since 2007. So a decade they've been out with that software. It's easy to flash them to a small degree but pushing the computers no one to my knowledge has figured them out yet.

I just want you to know the facts and not buy the smoke and mirrors. Also it doesn't matter if a dyno is brand new or 20 years old. There no reason EVER you'd have to compare numbers to another dyno so long as your checking air full etc the dyno is irrelevant and just a tuning tool.

 

It was Jo who had sent me a pic many months ago with all the trans internal parts and claimed many did not work with my trans. Being as I have never been in one and am not a trans guy, I simply had to take it at face value.
The software though I do know about and I was told it took someone from he middel east to crack the coding and has done several newer cars and wrote the code for mine. I have yet to really play with it but so far it seems to work as it should. I wont know until the car gets back.

As for the dyno the concern was theirs read 27hp lower than the dyno they normally use. He initially thought it was a fuel issue or something but checking the car it was not pulling timing and boost was at the same levels. They then yanked my car off and threw one of their own on there and it too read nearly 30 under what it read on the other dyno so they drove it straight over to the other dyno and all the sudden it read what the car normally sees. So they wanted to verify that the lower number was just due to dyno variance and not car issues. I am fine with that. I use several dyno shops and know whos reads low and whos reads high. Never have found two machines that read the same for whatever reasons they have.

So at this point I am awaiting final tuning tomorrow and expect to have the car back Wed. If its not here by then I will have to bring my lawyer back into it. I am done waiting and my patience has been pushed as far as I am willing to let it be pushed. At the same time last time I gave them an ultimatum the car arrived with scratches and missing components. I do not wish for a repeat of this. I have owned the car nearly a year now and only had it in my possession 3 weeks. I just want my car back so I can play with it and am really at my witts end with it.
I just want a fast and comfortable big *** car like what I paid for.

 

Clutch pack material and setups are different across some OEM Nag1's.

 

Curious as to the results when the car is fully tuned. Just read about the guy being let go and parts not being installed because of his f up. Crazy!

I'm rooting for you man and can't help but be upset for you at the same time. There's no denying this has sort of shattered your whole expectations with the car and spending big bucks on it

 

Did you ever receive any dyno graphs while they originally had tuned it or from them this go around? I know the first time they gave you BS saying it was winter or it would break free on the dyno. But did they ever provide you with one? I hope they did actually get with the right guys over seas to get it tuned, but I would be entirely shocked and owe SD a big apology if they had a full dyno pull that showed over 725whp. I have never seen anyone get the ecus to that level even with all the time / effort I had put into my 65. The W215 no problem but w216 no way.

 

Nope. No idea. I ask. I get nothing.

 

Hoping everything works out for you..........

 

Any updates?

 

Im guessing they have money issues and used youd 20,000 as a loan....There are several complaints that they do not ansewer or return calls....get your car back asap....Something is going on .....There are no excuses that can be given....You are 1 of many with same complaints...gl.......your post saved me from getting involved with them ...ty

 

Did you ever get an update from the Schmucks at Speedriven? Or are they still buying time so they can eclipse having your car for one year, truly this build is a 6 week deal even with some issues. The hardware is hardware. I do hope it's back in your possession and you've just been busy enjoying it!

 

Update as of 2/6/17

And the tuning continues! Its all done save for Marcin (Owner of SpeeDriven) wanting the turbos to come in more linear and eliminate the spikes thus less stress on the drive-train and keep from roasting the tires. He has also got the turbos to spool quicker. The cars sensitive coils seem to really like the ACES IV fuel additive and are treating it as 100 octane fuel so she is running very healthy! With any luck she will be back by this weekend. He said its done now but wants to get the turbo spool perfect. She is well on her way ( well already is) to being the most powerful W216 made. I am getting very excited and anxious! Shes my baby! Its their first car on their new in house dyno that reads about 27hp lower than the previous dyno but the car seems to be putting down some solid numbers which will remain a secret for a bit with only a few people knowing. Its been 8 long months but I think it will be well worth it when shes back in my hands. Just have to get some custom 18" rear wheels made so I can get some real drag radials under her. Already at half throttle it will roast the street tires at 120MPH! lol #lifelonggoals!

 

That's phenomenal news if it all delivers as promised. Have you gotten any dyno runs? I mean even if "there dyno reads 27hp low" that should be negligible with what they should be putting down. I'm not sure why any of it would be kept quiet as they would have people beating down there doors to get work done if they have a proven set up. But as to date there's not been any information to back up any of the w215 w220 r230 builds as I know a few of there customers over the past decade that never had a car that was as promised and track times that were bested by practically tune only cars.

I hope you understand I mean no disrespect to you, and commend all you've down with them in good faith. I just am finally ready for SD to back up 1 build / vehicle ever at this point. If you've been in the AMG scene awhile you'd know they've promised super chargers / turbo kits / stand alone / and taken so many people money without one car putting down a respectable track time.

 

I am not releasing the numbers yet because I want to compare what they tell me against my two local dynos. I will take those 3 numbers and give the average as that seems the best way to give a proper number. I have access to a dozen dynos and know which read low and which read high. I have 5 that all read within a couple HP of each other so will use two of them.

 

Great news and look forward to hearing the numbers!

 

Cool!

 

Now that's the way to go, thanks for being so transparent! Awesome, I hope that thing does smack down 850rwhp. It would be a true monster with 1000+ rwtq.

 

Very good to hear you sounding up-beat about your car at last.


Nick

 

It sounds like there has been some progress, hopefully it gets through the gears, not just a dyno pull. Did they ever install a LSD? I can't imagine much traction without one. You will be wasting your time, just spinning your wheels, kinda like the saying. Any other drive train upgrades? Wider drag radials and a sticky track will be all it takes to start shattering everything from tranny, rear, axles etc.

 

What size rears do you need made? I can help with that.

 

Car has the built trans and the custom LSD. Car makes it through the gears just fine on the road.

 

I want the smallest diameter wheel I can fit to get the tallest drag radial I can get in the widest size that can fit that has the exact same diameter as the OEM 20" tire so he ESP does not freak out. I would prefer a wheel that looks as close as possible to the OEM wheel but that's the smallest of requirements. Diameter matching and brake clearing are the biggest concerns. Right now the Contis it has just go up in a haze at half throttle at 120 MPH and I need some hook for TX2K17 to be competitive.