mike vee

disregard

tydog07

I would put spacers on to push the rears out, but that's just my opinion. And I think I'm miss understanding something, are those fake AMG wheels?

mike vee

yea i'm going to do spacers soon.

yep, they are replica wheels. quite common and accepted among BMW, VW, audi and Mercedes enthusiasts

sunny_j

what size tires are you running?

mike vee

245 35 and 275 30 rear

tydog07

Damn...Now I wish I didn't spend $3,600 on mine. I can't tell the difference.

mike vee

the ones that are very legit looking and also have AMG on them are hard to find but worth the search. Ive seen some that say EMG hahaha. the ones i got are really good quality. one rim has a small spot with questionable finish (i.e. runny looking paint) but it's hardly noticeable and beyond that they are flawless. i had paid about 3500 for my 18" AMGs on my w210 so i am familiar with real AMGs and these still greatly satisfy me.

tydog07

I just re-reading this thread and saw that you used lowering links, what are those and do they have any advantage over lowering springs?

RDSBENZ

Looks good. I like the clean look.

Let me know if you are interested on an OEM AMG body kits (front & rear). I'm thinking of doing an E63 Conversion soon.





rdsbenz

mike vee

thanks. you know what.. normally i would be interested but i have the sport package which has just a TAD bit of a dressed up front bumper over the base model, and i am actually enjoying it greatly now that the car is dropped, i like how it's all silver and doesnt have that big black grill. (not to detract from your car...it looks sick) i was thinking of doing a front lip though.

I think in a year or two im just going to do the complete 09 conversion. im content for now.

RDSBENZ

I love the sport package. Mine looks like yours before the conversion.

Here's how it looks before the conversion:




You don't need to change the rear bumper if you want to put tips. Here's what I did:




I hope these helps.

Rdsbenz

mike vee

it helps a lot! how did you do those tips???! All I plan to do for now is to paint the roof black (maybe...still trying to decide if that's cheesy or will ruin the heritage of the car down the road...planning on keeping this forever), E63 back lip and having tips was high on the list as well...since the dual exhaust is already there. Can I do it with just the dual tips? you kinda live near me...you looking to make some money??? haha

your car looks better with the kit for sure though....your rims match it more than the stock setup. I Think I can pull off these wheels with the stock look pretty well.

RDSBENZ

Too bad I already sold those tips. I had AAA Muffler Shop In La Cienega do those tips. He charges a lot but they do a good job. They did the bumpers too. If you are going to spend over $500-$600 for the job, might as well buy an E55 Mufflers with AMG tips. You'll get the sound & performance almost close to an E55 since your car is already 8 cylinders. I thought I saw one listed here in the classifieds.

Here's how my mufflers looked like before I bought the E55 AMG mufflers.


Your wheels look good with the Sport package. Clean & Classy. If you can find a front lip, that will make it complete.

I'm not sure about the painting the roof black. I'm debating if I should do it. I see a couple of guys who did it and it looked good. I'm not sure. . . hmm. I'll probably do it later on.

sunny_j

rdscklasse, where did you get the 19" e63 wheels from?

RDSBENZ

Try this guy.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/19-Me...Q5fAccessories

anthony85

I see that your car is dropped nice and in the description of your car I see it says lowered links or so..... Does that mean your 350 has air suspension? I'm just starting to learn about mercedes....

RDSBENZ

Airmatics same with Mike Vee's.

anthony85

OH ok.... So i'm guessing you guys have a module for this like I'm use to seeing for the lexus ls430's and audi a8's. I have heard from other people that the struts on the air equipped benz's can be very costly to replace are the ones on the e-classes outrageously expensive to replace???

RDSBENZ

That's what I heard.

"If you want to play, you got to pay"

RDSBENZ

Mike. You also might wanna have your alignment checked. I didn't align mine because I like the tuck look and it helps with the rubbing. My tires didn't last 10K miles because of the camber & toe out of spec. I think the dealer has a camber bolt that they can use for the fronts and camber kit for the rears. I was suppose to go today to the dealer to get it done. I'll probably get it fixed sometime this week.

tydog07

Wait, does that mean that lowering links are the same thing as air suspension? Sorry, but I'm trying to learn this as well.

ruffrob

Damn nice rims,guy,Good Luck with them ,only with the roads where I live ,I'll be getting 17 inchers. The poster who said his wheels were from Power Wheels Pro has some great taste and I will definitely be getting my next set from there.

http://www.powerwheelspro.com/shop/p...roducts_id=203

mike vee

thanks a lot RD - I appreciate all the help. I like the tucking too and I'm running General tires which don't cost that much....so if i gotta spend 300 every 10K then so be it...that's a little more than once a year for me.

Ty - links are one method of lowering the air suspension. a module is another. programming the STAR system from the dealer or other place that has the equipment is another. (if anyone is interested i know a place that does STAR lowering for 600)

Nevergoingback

I bought a W210 (01 E430) about 4 years ago and from the moment I turned the key I knew I would never again drive anything but a Mercedes. About a year ago I upgraded to a W211 (05 E500 w AMG package) and now its time to do some mods.

I got the "AMG" (not really AMG but has some nice upgrades) thinking it would make me happy, but in retrospect I should have just gotten a stock E500 since I am going to be replacing everything anyway....Current set up is 18" AMG staggered rims and tires (About to be for sale if anybody is intereseted!). It looks OK but IMHO 18's are just too small for a car like this. Plus the gap between the tire and the fender is big enough to set up a tent and spend the weekend.

Mike Vee's pics have inspired me to get this done since his car looks classy and he didn't spend a ton of money doing it. Based on Mike's results I am thinking I will also go with staggered 19's and a drop. What does a drop like that cost? Anybody have a good suggestion on where to get it done in the Los Angeles area?

I took my car in to wheel wherehouse in Anaheim and they were pushing 20's without a drop over 19's with a drop. Anybody have an opinion on this?

Second issue is the sound system. Planned to keep it stock (at least in appearance) since the steering wheel and dash integration is a nice feature and I thought "this is too nice of a car to go messing with things", so I tried to integrate an amp with two 12" JL Audio subs into the factory system using high low level converters and keeping everything else stock.

It made me happy for about a week, but now I realize I need to get serious. Center channel is way too bright. Would be great for a home theater but for car audio it sounds like a PA system, plus the navigation is totally cave man. Anybody have a good rec for a nice aftermarket head unit with nav? Do I need to "port" my trunk to get decent bass? (somebody at a stereo shop told me that Benz trunk is so air tight that sound doesn't get through to cabin) Or am I just suffering from high/low level conversion and integration with factory system that will be fixed once I get an aftermarket head unit?

Sorry for dropping a book on you guys, but I need guidance in a bad way

mike vee

I too had a w210. It was a 2 year from lease 00-02; a 98 e430, 18 inch AMGs and a dropped. MINT condition back/grey. When I had to turn in that lease I had lost my job and couldn't get another Benz. I was honestly DEVASTATED and even had dreams about the car hahaha. I love, love, love Mercedes, the car, the history, the enthusiasts, etc.. and finally this February I bough my e500 and I just feel so lucky to have one again. To say I'm **** about this car would be a grave understatement hahaha. She is beautiful and in 100% mint condition with only 33K when I got her (38K now.)

Anyway in the Los Angeles area I would recommend F1 motor sports the airmatic link lowering. They did a good job on mine and didn't mind a few free adjustments either. It was 400 dollars.

As far as 19s vs 20s....ahhhh. Man I don't know. Since my **** is SLAMMED (still rides f***ing great due to the airmatic) I think the 19s work very well..it sits perfectly and looks complete (almost, light tint and an e63 spoiler will complete this phase of modding) But I'd be lying if I didn't sometimes look at the car and wish they were just a TAD bigger. BUT, all in all I'm glad I don't have that SUPER small profile 20" tire either because that's just a pain in the ***. IF you have the AMG sport package I think 19s and slammed will look freaking amazing. Just look at my car and imagine how much sicker it would look with that meshed out front bumper and the tips in the back...WOO!