Hello folks! I have registered at mbworld.org right after I found out that there are many Mercedes enthusiasts in this website.

I own CLK430 convertible, but I would be also willing to add something for my car. I am willing to spend about $2000 for now without the rims/tires. Do anyone know where I can take my cars to upgrade in southern california region? I have no knowledge at all where to take my car and install what I need to.

What would you guys recommend to do first with $2000? It is black/black 2000 CLK430 Convertible and do not want to change the body kit. I like Lorinser, Brabus, etc., but I do not want to waste my money on that part, because stock AMG kit looks OK to me.

So, please advise me what will make my stock CLK430 conv. look great with $2000 (w/o rim, w/o bodykit).

Is there any good stores in southern california? please name me the site if there is any.

Thank you so much!

 

Well it all depends upon what type of mods you are thinking about, as well as what options you have already.

For 2 grand I would suggest the following:

Exterior
- Chrome headlamp rings (can be bought on ebay, installed by hand)

Interior
- Illuminated door sills (bough & installed at the dealer)
- Cell phone kit with voice recognition features (also at the dealer)

You can also spend the money on upgrading lowering the car, improving suspension, etc.

 

With a budget of $2,000... you definitely can't do rims or body kits, at least not authentic stuff anyways... but since that isn't your scene... lets see...

I say, dump all that into getting a kick-a$$ sound system... cause the stock Bose stuff is pretty weak

Or, if you're not into that stuff, then try the following:

Chrome Headlight Rims - $50 on ebay
6000K+ HID Headlights (if you don't already have Xenon) - $700
H&R with Bilstein Sport (for a better handling car) - $850
Change out that Shift Knob inside - $100
Flat Mercedes Emblem - $50
Chrome ShiftPlate & Gate - $50 on ebay
Eisenmann Race Exhaust - $550 + install

Take your pick... juggle them around, you have a variety of stuff to work with... this is just a short list of things you can do...

 

I say spend it all at Evosport!

What do you want to do with your car? You can do some performance and a complete suspension upgrade for ~$2,000. You can get Lorinser spoilers painted and installed for under $1,000. A flat-hoold MB emblem and prepainted sidemarkers are a must (to replace the orange sidemarkers). But then again, maybe none of these are of interest to you. Depending on what you are looking for, you can either get a lot, or very little for $2,000. I or many other forum members can help you out if you have a direction as to what you wanted to upgrade.

Thanks

Ben

 

I say please use meaningful subject titles

 

Thank you for your reply!! I do have bird's eye steering wheels and a shift knob already. I have ordered chrome ring headlight right now with side markers saying "AMG" I also ordered the AMG emblem on the trunk. That's about it.

I have a question on XENON HEADLIGHT. I do not understand why dealer retails them for $1450 when I can just change the bulb at around $50.00. I am about to change my headlight to xenon but have no idea what to buy. What is the difference between OEM xenon and just changing the bulb for $50.00??

ANYONE RECOMMEND ME TO BUY THIS ITEM FROM EBAY (xenon)?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1871076682

How about this eisenmann exhaust system?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...870954911&rd=1


I am kinda embarrassed that I asked you guys if I can do something on my car with $2000, when actually there is not that much to do with that money. I am not into this stuff and have no idea how much each upgrade cost me. But, I now realized that I must need much more than that.

 

I just want to show you guys my STOCK CLK430 convertible and give me some advice what will make my car a better look.

By the way, this is SO FUN and EXCITING STUFF where I can get all helps from nice people!

 

Too original huh?

 

...Because for the $50, you are just getting a blue/white color bulb, and not a true HID system. A real xenon light kit can cost you from $350 and up depending on the color spectrum you want and who/where the balblast is made.

A decent kit with German Hella balblast at 7K will bre around $500 installed. Where as a Korean made kit at 5K will only cost you $350 installed.

Nice car by the way.

 

avoid this xenon system or any other OEM xenon system offered on ebay... they are nothing compared to the 6000K+ aftermarket system

besides, this is one that is meant for a Lexus using 9006 bulbs, which will not fit a Mercedes, which requires H7 bulbs

 

thank you for your reply.... but ... where can i get a right xenon light? Can I just change the bulbs? Do I have to spend $1000 for xenon? I don't want to spend that much.. i am too poor

 

....if you are determined to get some Xenons, contact someone that really knows what they are talking about. You might try:

hid4less.com or hidsource.com

although my experience is that hid4less is more sales oriented then customer oriented. It is my opinion that if you want the brightest available, in other words... optically best, stay with 4300K. You could get a higher Kelvin but most honest people in the know would tell you that it actually degrades vision...some say by almost 35% when going above 6000K.

as far as getting Hyperwhite bulbs......that is best left for the ricer domain. For your fogs, they would be OK. Might try PIAA super plasma....suppose to be the whitest....I think a little pink and nothing like true HID's. Don't be fooled by cars like the Audi that show blue some times....that is nothing more then a projector inside the lens and not a higher Kelvin rating......I know a couple of companys are working on them for the Mercedes that would offer the same cast.

 

for $2k, get the sound system!!!


b

 

your car looks lowered, or it just because its 4:51 AM and I want to sleep.... Is it lowered..... for that price, retrofit a COMAND system and you'll have change left-over.. its fun too

 

Steph is right, i installed a 7k kit on my car and visibility has droped. i wish i had gone with a lower kit...

 

Here is a pic of it, sorry for the poor quality...

 

I think you need to decide what YOU want to do with the car.

-There is no point upgrading the sound system if you don't use it all that much or are into audio.

-There is no point lowering with springs and replacing shocks if you prefer the soft squishy ride that it has now (or your spouse does).

-No point to get Comand if you aren't going/planning to use it. Or if you live in the sticks and it only has the major roadways for your area.

other items like xenon headlamps are always good because it just makes it easier on you.

What YOU need to decide is what you think the car will look good. Some people like a really low car, some like 18/19" rims, some want a suspension that can handle hard driving, some like a combination of the above. Some prefer pure audio and will take up the entire trunk with audio gear to satisfy that desire. So, its really what you want to do. $2000 won't go far in the big mod category, but it can do you a lot of small things (headlamp rings, shiftgate, etc, etc).

Also, forget that AMG badge. Either you have an AMG car or you don't. Fake badged cars are just for posers. You're misrepresenting at that point and when someone has you at the line, you'll be smoked. You can always decline the offer, but don't be something you aren't - it's cheesy and lame.

 

I say you need to buy the exhaust since I'm the one selling it No one jumped on the opportunity to buy it on ebay, but if you want it let me know by emailing me m3jeremy@hotmail.com

Jeremy

 

don't mean to make waves, and this topic has been discussed before... but the point is, it isn't misrepresentation when the body kit and the rims are ///AMG.

It would be most misrepresentative if they went all out and changed the muffler, center cluster, etc... to really try to make a fake ///AMG

In either case, its a matter of taste. If the badge makes you happy, go for it. Don't worry about what others think.

 

Yes, I agree that it has been discussed. It's quite simple actually. It's only a problem to those who are trying to assimilate to a group that ins't is where the debate arises.

I think in the purist sense of badging - you leave it up to the manufacturer. If you have AMG wheels, they are badged AMG. The body kit isn't, but thats another story, but that doesn't make the car "AMG". Your choice to stick the AMG badge on their is your advertisement of such (that you have some AMG parts), but by no means is it an AMG.

My take is this, AMG badges their car the way THEY see fit. It's the tuners perogative and their decision to make, NOT ours. As much as we would like it to be that way, anything after the fact, whether you replaced the whole damn engine or not, isn't really an AMG. It's got AMG parts, hell it might be entirely AMG parts and have more AMG parts than an AMG car, but it still isn't an AMG.

You want to know why ? AMG doesn't call it an AMG. If the manufacturer/tuner doesn't call it an AMG, then it just plain isn't.

It's really simple at that point. I know a lot of people would like to believe that they have AMG's or other tuners like Brabus, Kleemann, RennTech, et al, and many want to be associated with it, but if they don't call that car a Kleemann, it just aint. Period. They'll sell you the badge, but that's your decision to call that car something.

-If I buy a ton of computer parts, put it together and use a Compaq keyboard and monitor, it doesn't make it a Compaq.

-If I put Titleist grips on my lookalike putter, it doesn't make it a Scotty Cameron putter.

-If you use some West Coast Chopper parts on a harley, it doesn't make it a Jesse James bike.

The only way a car is actually what signifies it is if the designator recognizes it as that. Anyone can draw it as they see fit, but to the actual designator, anything else is just mis-representing.

 

I was going to buy command system from eBay but when I asked dealer, the command system will not work unless it originally came with the car. If Command system works, I will definitely buy it... but dealer told me that it won't work.

 

Don't believe the Dealer.....I have to agree with Funky...retrofitting one is just a lot of fun.

 

it is never impossible... just sometimes more trouble than its worth... lots of people on the forum have installed COMAND and have made it work flawlessly... check with the Audio & Electronics forum

 

are you saying that it will work?

then, should I buy this one from ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1871463825

 

you need several parts from Mercedes in order to make it work, and it requires a good amount of wiring to be done in your car: which mean, taking apart lots of the stuff in your car.

Have you considered aftermarket DVD Navigation systems? Those are much faster than the CD based ones that are currently on MBs, and the one you are asking about.