CLK55 AMG, CLK63 AMG (W208, W209) 2000 - 2010 (Two Generations)

NARDO's build thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 05:26 AM
  #1  
NardoNZ's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
CLK55 AMG
NARDO's build thread

Hi guys, I'm Michael from New Zealand and I've been surfing on this forum for a while now and been an active member since januari. I work in sales at a Mercedes-Benz dealership and absolutely crazy about the brand. Never really given any info on my own car, mainly because importing it into New Zealand has been hell so far. It's nearly impossible to find the CLK AMG's here, and this time I didn't want to settle for anything less than an AMG. I know myself, I'll always be building my cars to AMG spec, so its easier just to start (almost) at the top.

I'll be updating this thread as often as I can with plenty of pics and hope you guys can and will assist in my build.

Here you see my car when I bought it in the UK:





This is when my cars first arrived off the boat, as you can see the bumper got ripped off by the idiot that drove it off the ship:





I got my insurance to pay out for a CLK63 bumper, an upgrade that I had in mind for a while

work in progress:


Bumper fitted, no mesh on the sides yet



Much needed tail light upgrade:


so thats what my car looks like ATM. I'm getting some surface rust cleared at the moment, which will take about 3 weeks but I rather have it done right. I'm getting them to take everything off and sandblast it all. It's not needed as they said, but I'm having it done anyway. As of import laws here I'm not able to import it as a normal vehicle due to emission regulations, but as a special interest vehicle I still managed to sort it. I needed to prove the next things though: It must be a coupe or a cabriolet, it must be a high performance vehicle, It cannot be made in amounts of more than 20.000 annually and it must be nominated as a future classic by one of the major US or AUS magazines. I needed to comply with 3 out of those 4 and prove it. HELL I tell you!!! But I managed the only trade off is that I MUST keep the car for 4 years.. I'm not allowed to do a change of ownership. which I'm fine with after a lot of thinking, it was that or parting out the car

When the car arrived I got a ful service done on the engine, rocker covers were leaking, did transmission flush and seals, new spark plugs, some bushings here and there, just to have it all done.

here are some upgrades I bought already in addition to the already fitted 3fin grille and the taillights which you can see in the previous pics:

NEW WHEELS! C63 19'' upgrade wheels, absolutely LOVE them!


KW coilovers: used but in very good condition, and CHEAP!


Dynavin headunit, my COMAND is old and useless in New Zealand, so I find this a great upgrade!


Got a LOT more on my list for the future, including (but not limited to):

Brake upgrade
Headlight darkening (not black just darker and not chrome)
Swaybars
CF lip
CF Diffuser
E63 Steering wheel with decent aluminium paddles
Eurotech ECU+TCU tune
Quad exhaust
suede or black rooflining
real Carbon Fibre dash and door panels

Dreaming about:
Supercharger
BS wide body kit in matte silver

Last edited by NardoNZ; Jun 27, 2012 at 05:31 AM.
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 06:07 AM
  #2  
cm60k's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,053
Likes: 398
From: A.D., U.A.E
2000 (W202 C200) & 2000 (W202 C55)
BeautiFUL car with a great tune-up, very nice bumper,, like a black Rims as well,,

Enjoy every SECOND.......

ZAYED,,
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 06:21 AM
  #3  
NardoNZ's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
CLK55 AMG
Originally Posted by cm60k
BeautiFUL car with a great tune-up, very nice bumper,, like a black Rims as well,,

Enjoy every SECOND.......

ZAYED,,
Holy crap! you drive a W210 E60 AND a W202 C55?

thanks for your kind words... dont think the black wheels are wrong on the car, but too small, I'm sure my new wheels will look awesome!
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 07:14 AM
  #4  
cm60k's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,053
Likes: 398
From: A.D., U.A.E
2000 (W202 C200) & 2000 (W202 C55)
Sure,, Black wheels with silver car, always gives a nice combination with a sporty shape......

ZAYED,,
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 07:25 AM
  #5  
cm60k's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,053
Likes: 398
From: A.D., U.A.E
2000 (W202 C200) & 2000 (W202 C55)
Also Your CLK55 looks soo clean & deserve to be a BRIDE,,

don’t forget to give a Brake Calipers freshy colour like "Red or light shiny green",, im sure it well be a wonderFUL with your new Wheels.......

ZAYED,,
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 10:16 AM
  #6  
lowpost's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,247
Likes: 31
From: Oakland
2018 E43 | 2017 GLS450 | 2004 CLK 500
Looks nice! I like the 63 bumper without the mesh - looks mean. What are the offsets on those c63 wheels?
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 11:35 AM
  #7  
togaclk55's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 1
From: Bay Area, CA
CLK55
Looks good man. Guess I'll be seeing you around here for a while
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 12:25 PM
  #8  
SL55_Forever's Avatar
Super Member
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 649
Likes: 2
From: Las Vegas
3-pointed star
Subscibing... your build looks nice. Any plans for turbo/supercharging the engine?
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 12:30 PM
  #9  
DRBC43AMG's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,889
Likes: 323
From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
Nice and clean car and some great mods planned. Pity the KW suspension was not cleaned beforehand by the seller....
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 01:10 PM
  #10  
Kevwood's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,748
Likes: 0
From: A Canadian in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
'05 C200K SS, '05 Kleemann CLK500K, '08 Hummer H3 & '92 Z34 5sp (track car in Canada)
Awesome, another build thread It's great watching these transformations. My advice, quit dreaming about a supercharger - doooooooooooo it
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 01:40 PM
  #11  
cm60k's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,053
Likes: 398
From: A.D., U.A.E
2000 (W202 C200) & 2000 (W202 C55)
Originally Posted by Kevwood
Awesome, another build thread It's great watching these transformations. My advice, quit dreaming about a supercharger - doooooooooooo it
+1....,

one of the BEST idea.......

ZAYED,,
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 01:43 PM
  #12  
Kevwood's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,748
Likes: 0
From: A Canadian in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
'05 C200K SS, '05 Kleemann CLK500K, '08 Hummer H3 & '92 Z34 5sp (track car in Canada)
Originally Posted by cm60k
+1....,

one of the BEST idea.......

ZAYED,,
Hey Z, good to see you! I'm getting my car back this weekend finally, we should meet up sometime. The last time I saw your C was at Team Speed, I'd love to see it out on the street now
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 02:15 PM
  #13  
cm60k's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,053
Likes: 398
From: A.D., U.A.E
2000 (W202 C200) & 2000 (W202 C55)
Originally Posted by Kevwood
Hey Z, good to see you! I'm getting my car back this weekend finally, we should meet up sometime. The last time I saw your C was at Team Speed, I'd love to see it out on the street now
Thankss Kevin,, pleasure to see you of course,,

your car is AMAZING,, you have a great touch in it........

ZAYED,,
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 02:19 PM
  #14  
discoduck's Avatar
Super Member
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
W209 55
63 bumper is such a nice upgrade
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 03:35 PM
  #15  
togaclk55's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 1
From: Bay Area, CA
CLK55
Originally Posted by discoduck
63 bumper is such a nice upgrade
Group buy lol?
Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 05:29 PM
  #16  
NardoNZ's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
CLK55 AMG
Originally Posted by lowpost
Looks nice! I like the 63 bumper without the mesh - looks mean. What are the offsets on those c63 wheels?
I'm not a fan of the bumper like this. it has been a struggle deciding wether i wanted to go with universal mesh, no fogs and use LED DRL's, but in the end i decided to go OEM. so as soon as I got my car back the fogs and mesh covers will go in. The wheels are 19x8,5 ET35 and 19x9,5 ET37 made for older model Benz's.

Originally Posted by Kevwood
Awesome, another build thread It's great watching these transformations. My advice, quit dreaming about a supercharger - doooooooooooo it
Need to save first, also this is my most powerful car ever, the previous quickest car was a Supra TT,(we love pics, so see my last supra below) which was years ago, so I'm good for a while at least. If I can pick up a good deal I will get one though

Originally Posted by togaclk55
Looks good man. Guess I'll be seeing you around here for a while
Yup, i'm in it for at least 4 years!

my 4th and last supra:



Reply
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 06:57 PM
  #17  
BRIZZOK84's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Lake Oswego
2003 CLK55AMG
The project is moving along well. Keep us all up-data on the progress.
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 06:55 AM
  #18  
NardoNZ's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
CLK55 AMG
GOT MY WHEELS ON! i'm so excited it looks AWESOME! what do you guys think?
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 09:30 AM
  #19  
DRBC43AMG's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,889
Likes: 323
From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
Looks great
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 09:50 AM
  #20  
Np55's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne, Australia
04 W211 E55 AMG
That looks absolutely sexy.. I've got my clk cabriolet with the 63 bumper as well and my dad has those same rims on his e550 cabriolet and I've always wanted to see what these rims would look like on the clk.. Very nice
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 10:18 AM
  #21  
togaclk55's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 1
From: Bay Area, CA
CLK55
Well done
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 10:45 AM
  #22  
cm60k's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,053
Likes: 398
From: A.D., U.A.E
2000 (W202 C200) & 2000 (W202 C55)
Very Nice Rims,, completely compromise with a car........

ZAYED,,
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 06:07 PM
  #23  
Richard75's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Paris, France
CLK55 AMG (W208)
Congrats ! Looks awesome especially with those new wheels on
Reply
Old Jul 17, 2012 | 09:27 PM
  #24  
NardoNZ's Avatar
Thread Starter
Super Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
CLK55 AMG
thanks guys! means a lot...
Reply
Old Jul 18, 2012 | 10:52 AM
  #25  
elijah's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,700
Likes: 4
From: EURO Style
Euro Cars Only
Nice upgrades!! The wheels looks amazing
Reply


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:24 PM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE