slvrstar

Just got it and installed. Finally. Here are the pics of my new CL grille on my CLK. Check it out. Used a camera phone so pics aren't that clear. check it out. The grille looks pretty good, as promised. It's been painted to match the color of the car. Chrome strips were left chrome to enhance look of grille. Fitting took longer than 5 minutes though. But it's all worth it. Everything fits snuggly. No protruding parts. To get a grille like that follow this link

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class-w208/111131-finally-found-cl-grille-clk-w208.html

myNAMESterry

that grill only loks good on a silver car, unless it's painted all white and put on a white car. nice

slvrstar

Totally, you have to paint and customize it to match the color of your car. And with a little bit of time and money, it could be customized to match any color. Your car will look much better with it than with any other grille out there. If I had a black car, I could've saved some money on painting. Didn't have to paint the fins since they come black, only need to paint the frame.

King320

So wait, is this grille any different from the other CL grilles we've seen on here before? Im not trying to be a jerk or anything, it looks kinda different (possibly because its all silver) but is it the same one that other guys have posted on here before?

Franz

I really like it! Can you post some pictures of bigger size and from the front with more distance. All silver is really very good, the one from austria was not all silver. I have a silver car and it looks me bettre

Franz

Are silver or white the wings? Silver should be great, white really less if the car is not white. I do'nt think it's possible to color them silver.

slvrstar

King, I don't know which one you are referring to but it's the same as the one from "AUSTRIA". It's the one me and other CLK fanatics have been seeking for a long time. Unfortunately no one knew where and how to get it, until now. See earlier thread for distributor information.

For the CLK W208, there are basically 4 grilles. 1) the original factory grille 2) the factory grille with a SMALL mercedes logo CAPPED on the front of the grille 3) the factory grille with a Full size (6.5 inch-CL/SL) mercedes logo CAPPED on the front of the grille or the SHATZ grille 4) this grille from "AUSTRIA" made in Germany by GAP. The other one's are all built from an original platform mercedes grille. This one from GAP is a completely redesigned 2-piece grille. The first piece is the framework (which needs to be painted to match the color of your car. The second piece, the fins are one piece built/integrated with the mercedes logo(one piece-not capped). Check out the grilles on a CL/SL, where the center of the logo is concaved in to it depth perception. This is what makes the grille look so different and better than any other competitors out there. This gives it the CL-SL look that this car so desperately needs to transform the car from a 2-door luxury coupe to a 2 door sports coupe.

slvrstar

Franz, my car is brilliant silver, although the pictures are somewhat distorted due to usage of camera phone. This is the AUSTRIA one from GAP. Unfortunately, no one knew anybody who had one to show and tell until now. I had the whole grille including framework and fins painted brilliant silver so it blends in which the rest of my car. I didnot however paint the chrome strips so it will reflect sunlight and stand out in the crowd. Also, the middle (logo), I left black to give depth perception. As for pictures, All my pictures, are supposed to be in full size, but don't know what happened after I posted them on the website, I guess it was too big so mbworld probably compacted it to fit. To give you better quality than that, I will need to get a digital camera but I think the pictures I've posted so far will give you enough faith to invest in one.

mcmaster

looks good.. would have looked alot better done the way i am selling mine above... with chrome not matched color... i held this upto a friends silver clk and it was amazing.. makes the car look like a piece of candy

slvrstar

you got to be kidding me. If I wanted chrome, I would have kept my factory grille on. Why do you think CL/SL/CLS and all the new sports coupe models do not have chrome around the grille? It's yesterday's fashion. OUTDATED!

mcmaster

Wrong!!! the design philisophy of a w208 requires a frame... to look good... the only reason yours looks half decent is because silver look a little like chrome... try the color match on othe colors... it look like **** i tried it.... the full chrome i am selling would look 100 times better on your car

midget fidger

i like your wheels a lot! also, can you take a close up of the grill right from the side? like in your 3rd picture, but move a lot closer to the car

slvrstar

Wrong!!! design philosophy my ***!!! The design philosophy of the W208 is what comes with the car, all the original manufacture parts? Why then, did you change the grille and probably other parts of your car rather than use the original stock grille? Because you think it looks better for you. Therefore you already contradicted yourself in the "DESIGN PHILOSOPHY" of the W208. Listen, if you want to B**** about who's look better, rather than B.S.ing, put the grille on your car, post your pictures, and we'll see what other members think. Obviously, I think mine looks better, and you think yours look better. That don't mean anything. Up for the Challenge?

midget fidger

take it easy now, dont gotta insult the cars in an effort to sell your grille

midget fidger

I just asked him for pictures like these three in a diff thread...if you can take 3 similar ones, it'd be great for the comparison of the two routes. One close-up from the side, one close-up looking down, and one shot from the front.

slvrstar

Hey midget fidger, I'll try to take a closer picture from the side like I did before, but unfortunately, when I posted the pics, the website compressed my photos and made them small. But I'll try. Hopefully, the website doesn't compress it again.

Yeah, as for my debate with mcmaster, my position is to share my knowledge with members who have been looking for a grille like that for a long time but can't find one or wasn't sure what it would look like if they invested in one, hopefully in the process saving them some money. Mcmaster's position, I guess is trying to sell the grille that he chromed but with no success because it's too expensive. Therefore, he probably feels that by crashing my thread and marketing his grille by putting down mine will get him somewhere. That's why I posted pics for you guys to see the end result of what to expect.

By the way, the pictures above is definitely not the same grille I have on. As you can see in picture #2, the mercedes logo protrudes from the grille. It's "CAPPED" on. You can actually see a space between the cap and the grille. that's not a "GAP" grille. it's probably a shatz grille. By the way, who's car is that?

midget fidger

yeah, it's the schatz grille for $249 that i had on my car. yea, the star was an add-on piece that slipped in and had to be attached. bugged me too much so i sold it back on ebay

hellcat

So these aren't the actual grilles from a CL, despite the thread title? You both seem to be talking about grille's made by an outside company that look like the CL one. Can you not put the actual CL's grille on the CLK? I know my friend did it with his SLK and it only took a bit of moddification to fit, will it not fit on the CLK?

Xking72

Nicest grill for the W208. Looks Amazing!

bs00clk

You can't put the CL grille on a CLK, at least its never been successfully done. The CL grill discussions STARTED with how to get a CL look (frameless) on a CLK without looking like a total aftermarket move. The topic has long been discussed on these and other boards and no one has come up with anything decent. Some of the grills discussed/shown here look good, but they're not really "CL style".

Any modified grills trying to emulate the CL grill have looked crappy in most folks opinion. Autoblz says they have one that will be available sometime in July or August (see b e n z w o r l d. o r g), but they haven't been able to produce it other than one picture.

slvrstar

Actually, I've seen a CL grille been modified and placed on a CLK. It doesn't look good due to the fact that the opening to the CLK is higher/taller than the CL. Therefore, if a CL grille is installed, there is a significant opening between the grille and the opening. This grille made by "GAP", a 2-piece grille, bridges the gap by using a frame without jeopardizing the look CLK drivers strive for - a more aggressive/sporty look to the W208. My opinion, on the construction of the grille is that they actually used a CL grille and fitted it to a frame to bridge the gap. I think, after it's painted and installed on my car, it works and fulfills the look I wanted. As far as the CL grille by AUTOBLZ, I can't comment on it until I see it on a car and hold/have it in my hands to see the construction of it. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of it but I read that AUTOBLZ's been getting some heat on his business dealing though. bs00clk, you know anything about that or why they have such a bad rep in business dealings?

CLK430

awesome writeup....i couldnt have said it any better!! you are right, the CL grille does not belong on the W208s.

Plz ppl, stop putting this hideous grille on your cars...it looks so rediculous!!!

Nasir4dot6

That drop is so clean and the grille mod is definitely a good look!!

slvrstar

Thanks, need better photos though. I guess I can't expect much from a camera phone.