christopherj

Guys - new to this forum - wanted some opinions...

I have a pewter 05' clk500 - 17,000mi and would like to put a few grand into it.

Not so interested in any expensive performance upgrades, but would consider something relatively modest to bump HP a bit if it exists. I do drive it pretty aggressively.

In regard to looks - You guys have some bad *** rides, but I'm in my 30's, this is my daily driver, and I cant look like Fast and Furious going down the highway. Right now the car is totally stock and I love it, but I would like it to stand out.

Any suggestions?

Supafly

i think the best way to make it stand out...is to drop its height a little bit, and throw some nice rims on it...

our cars have a pretty high ***, so dropping its height will definately give it a more agressive look.

BrianKim

You can always get a cheap ecu tune from speedtuningusa.com or one from powerchip which is what i would opt for... Will run you around 600 for the powerchip one... And since u have the 500 im guessing u might have the amg rims?... Those are nice if you ask me :].... Hahahha but yeah overall performance wise you would just be wasting your money... Just get some springs and drop the car a bit... It won't be too aggressive but yeah it should suffice... And the ride quality wont be sacrificed either... So yeah a drop is what most people do starting out... And im guessing u also have the rear spoiler? if not i would get that also... Gives the car a bit of a sporty look... Hrmmm... Myself i have an exhaust... Bodykit... And other random things throughout the entire car hahaha... But yeah PM me if u have any quesitons

ItalianStallion

SpeedtuningUSA chip was 3 benji's and I saw a decent gain. Best bang for the buck (besides a good old bottle of spray).

christopherj

Thanks guys,

Yeah, I have the rear spoiler and clear front turn indicators, w plain 5 spoke amg rims. I like the regular amg twin spoke that the 55's come with, but dont really like the ones with the rivets all the way round. A set of clk 18" OEM twin spokes w/new zeros sold on ebay last month for 1700 and I didn't buy em like a dumbass. When you say drop I assume you mean coilovers, but specifically what kind/brand and what should I expect to spend? I agree that with the 4"+ of space around the fender wells a drop would be first. Also, ItalStal, what kind of HP boost did you you see with that chip? The single exhaust kinda looks cheesy to me, but is there any way to get a cheap convert to dual (even if only a rear pipe split) without getting a whole new bumper?

JrZkidd

coilovers no, from seeing what other people have and what i intend on doing myself very soon looks like H&R springs and Bilstein shocks is the way to go.

Supafly

you can always just get decent springs and good shocks to pair it up..

Brabus, H&R , Eibach are some decent brands.

coilovers are pointless unless you like to raise and lower your car often.

MARK CUMMINS

Install a set of Bixenons..if the car does not have them

Comand/Nav

I Pod kit

Blue tooth kit

Voice control

MBENZNL.com can get them for you and install if needed

christopherj

Will check out the H&R/Bilstein combo. From what I read on this site that looks like my best bet. Have the bluetooth,ipod,phone, all the other interior mods/addons I need. Just trying to make it look a little sportier. Xenons do look cool, even when they're not on, but that pale high temp light they put out bothers me for some reason when i drive long distances at night. My range rover has them.

SoCalCLK

They guys have given you pretty good upgrade suggestions so far. Suspension and rims are the best. I would consider an AMG exhaust to complement the AMG body kit you car already has. After that, you're done!

BrianKim

Get a Brabus Front Bumper and REAL Brabus Rims :].... As for coilovers it really wont be necessary for someone that wont want to literally have their car on the floor.... Myself i have my rear tire tucked in a little bit and the front is half a finger... Looks really clean and it gets lower as you get in the car so yeah looks even better :].... As for springs i used Eibach... The ride quality was great... As for the shocks you wont need it... Trust me hahaha.... People say it wears down the shock that much faster but i didn't experience any of that... Now i have coilovers which are great... Kind of took away the feel of a benz but hey im a teen so i like it like that :].... Hrmm as for the dual exhaust set-up you would have to cut up your rear bumper... If your planning to never sell your car then go for it but once its cut its gone so becareful on that... And i can prob speak for ItallionStallion.... I've talked to him before about the tune and he says its pretty noticeable but hey maybe they just raise peoples throttle response :P... You never really know for sure what your getting with MB Performance Parts hahaha... But yeah if you want something that will rumble and is controllable at a touch of a button go buy a electric cut-out... quicktimeperformance.com has one... Ill try and post up some pics for you... Trust me a lowered clk with a bodykit is a slick looking car.... TRUST ME :]... Peace

christopherj

Thanks,

Of all the cars, yours looks the sharpest, but still not too overdone. I don't want to change the car too much. Plan on keeping it another year or two and getting either a CL55 or C63. Worlds apart, but I can't decide. I'll take the CLK back to stock before I sell. This car is a little too small on the inside, but fun to drive.

FEGELEIN

If you have the same ride height as my 550, I would leave that, if not lower it. I would simply slap on a nice set of wheels, you just have the typical AMG flat 5 star right?

christopherj

For now it looks like I'll do the powerchip - seems like a pretty cheap/easy 20HP or so. I'm looking for some 18"CLK55 twin spokes - don't really like the aftermarket stuff. But if I go w/Eibachs to drop the car 1" or so do I REALLY need the new shocks or can i just keep stock if I'm happy w/the handling and ride now. I've heard they'll go in 6 months, other say no. New Orleans roads are s**t, but I only drive maybe 20 miles a day. If I WILL have to replace the struts anyway later, why not put the bilsteins on now and just reinstall the stock stuff when I sell the car? Coming out of my Lexus the car already rides like a go cart to me. Don't want it any tighter. Also, I'd like the tires about a finger under the fender, not in the well (with the 18s). Will the Eibachs do that or should I go HR? So many choices so little time...

Thx to everyone who posted

CJ

BrianKim

I've read up on the H&Rs and it seems that they lower it a little bit more than the eibachs... Hrmm im tryin to remember how much my car with the springs... i think i had like 2 fingers in the back and 3 in the front hahaha... Still pretty bad if you ask me... And as for the struts just get em later.... Hrmm as a reference the springs should cost about like 140? or so... ANd install shouldnt be more then a 100 dollars... Deal around... Find a good shop... And since your gonna sell your car later dont do the dual exhaust setup!... Dont do nething that cant be reversed hahaha ;D... Thanks for the comment on my car if that was for me that is hahaha... Hrmmm you should get the CL by the way :]... Its grrrreat hahaha... Feels solid when you drive hahaha... Like a tank... Anyways pics coming soon just for you ... Take care

FEGELEIN

The 18" twin spoke is what I have, are those the rims you mean? Is your ride height the same as my 550? If so IMO it's low enough, lower looks F & F, like you didn't want. If it's not as high, just springs will do

christopherj

Yeah, the rims you have are the ones I am looking for. Hopefully someone will upgarde rims on their new clk and want to sell theirs. I currently have 17 flat stars. Can't tell from your photo (black car,black tires,shadows), but I'm pretty sure my ride height right now is higher than yours - stock clk500. I will upload a photo if I can ever figure out how, but just look at any mag photo and there you have it. My guess is 4 inches under fender in front and 2.5 in the rear. That may change slightly with the 18's, so I'll wait to lower until I see it on the other rims.

BTW - I want to see a photo of that Shelby when you get it