ELENI

I was looking for opinions on purchasing MONOBLOCKS for my 99 clk430. I currently have the stock 5 spoke amgs that came with the 430. I have been wanting to change those for the monoblocks. I preferably wanted 18" chrome AMG MONOBLOCKS. But, I just received a great deal / offer for a pair of 17" Polished AMG MONOBLOCKS which came off of a CLK55. They only have 3000 miles on them and are in mint like new condition.

My wallet tells me to go for it but my heart tells me to hold out for a pair of 18" Chromes.

Does anyone have any advice?

CLK_Ivan

I'd hold out for the 18's... Maybe even look at some of the replica's.

btw, I just saw the Italian Job tonight, good flick and there was a black 840/850ci in it. Very sharp car! How do you like yours?

ELENI

I love it. I love my CLK also, but I have never seen so many heads turn as when my 850 goes by. Definitely an attention getter and a totally fun ride.

I think I will hold out for 18's on the AMG's. I'd rather be happy than have to settle.

Ahmed

you're not gona believe this but its true..

I got these rims from London. The whole set of four wheels cost me 465 pounds sterling. They include 2 wheels 18x9 for the rear and 2 wheels 18x8.5 for the front.

i love them and they are replicas of the SL design AMG monoblocks 2 piece wheels.

by the way.. 465 pounds sterling is equivilant to $800

Now thats a bargain ha?!!!

ELENI

They are sharp looking rims and definitely a great price. From what I noticed, searching on ebay and other websites the replicas go for less but not that much less.

If I could find a deal like yours Ahmed, I would consider the replicas. To try and keep the price reasonable I've been searching for used wheels.

The great deal I found was for a set of 17" AMG Monoblocks (not chrome) that came off of a CLK55. In like new condition for $700. I was also able to save on shipping because they were only an hour drive away. But, I passed them up because I had my heart set on the 18" chrome AMG Monoblocks.

I still have my fingers crossed though.

allenjdmb

they are not hard to find in the US and not all that expensive. Go to nrauto.com, bekkers.com, or rialwheels.com. All these guys have that brand. I think they are reasonable quality from what I have seen, but of course not the quality of the OE AMG stuff. I think you can buy a set of 4 of those in 18" for around $1200US. BTW, a pair of those really ain't gonna look too great. You're gonna need 4 for the full effect...

mmgrad

Definitely go with what you like... do not settle...

how did the 850 treat you? i hear they are a handful to maintain outside warranty...

ELENI

Yeah I think I will hold out for the AMG Monoblocks. I always liked the way they looked on the CLK. I definitely want atleast an 18" rim preferably Chrome.

The 850 is definitely one of my most favorite cars (besides my clk). To be honest it never gave us any trouble. We've had it for a little over a year now. Any major money spent on it was just for modifications. We considered selling it to get a CL500 but at the last minute I didn't have the heart to part with it. It is too much of a rare car and too beautiful to let it go.

CLK_Ivan

Thanks for the pic! I love the "blacked out" look. IMO the 850 looks best in black. Are the windows tinted?

If I only had a 3 car garage (and the cash to fill it)..........

ELENI

Thanks. It is definitely a very fun car. Yes the windows are tinted. I am not sure what kind of tint but it is almost like a very dark blue. It looks alot better in person.

I wish we had more space too. We have a 2 car garage and a driveway for 2 more cars. We are packed at the moment.

Ahmed

You guys are not gonna believe this, but my friend's 99 CLK320 just went in for the 80,000 km service and the dealers informed him that all 4 of his AMG 17 inch alloys were damaged. Two rear ones have a crack from the inside. The 2 front ones are bent!

Whats even more funny is that they claim this is NOT A DEFECT and want to charge him for any replacements! Unfortunately, this customer works for a wheel manufacturing company that produces wheels for many major wheel brands! He's already contacted the head of the german auto standard body looking after the QC of these equipment for DaimlerChrysler and they issued a certificate stating that it is..... A MANUFACTURING DEFECT! The dealer is whippppped!

now thats funny, the customer has no asked for an upgrade to 18 inch FREE OF CHARGE!

ELENI

Wow that's great, good for him. I wonder if I should be so lucky. I'm not too crazy about my local MB dealership though. But, finding out that I could maybe get a new set of rims would be worth making the trip.

It should be considered a manufacturers defect, considering how much it costs to upgrade to a set of AMG rims at the time of a new car purchase. You would think that at that price there would be a lifetime gaurantee.... wishful thinking.

allenjdmb

lesee..4 years and 50k miles worth of exposure? I don't think so..