Pretty sure it didn't come like this from the factory, someone repainted it, but the side exhaust and bumpers don't look original. I had the impression only the AMG models have the side exhaust and body kits, did someone just add the kit to mine? May just be my lack of knowledge but I figured this would be a good place to ask. I also want to repaint it soon, what should I expect to pay for a good paint job? Just going solid black or a dark gray.
Will upload photo soon

 

Yes someone put the G63 bumper, grille and fender flares on. Additionally they added 2013+ style mirrors and 2009+ headlights. Likely all aftermarket, which is fine. This is very common, many people upgrade the older G’s to look like a more modern 2013+ G63.

Paint costs will vary widely depending on your location but can get extremely pricey. You might go to the lastvin website and find your original color code and bring it back to factory. That would help with resale value.

Hope that helps, if you have any more questions I’m happy to give them a shot.

 

thank you for the information, I plan on finding a decent place around Dallas TX to repaint it black which was the factory color. Its on 24s but I want to downsize to 20x8.5s because the 24s sometimes rub if you turn hard on an incline. Is mygermanride.com the best place to find replacement parts or are there better sites out there for odds and ends? Debating trading up for a 2014 AMG but I may just keep mine and overhaul it, I hear the 5 speeds hold up better in the long run and I've never really had any trouble with mine apart from a light or two going out and some work on the front end, which I suspect may be from the wheels. Driven across the country twice and use it as a daily so it seems to hold up pretty well.

 

How's the carfax on the truck? Sometimes these facelifts are done because there was an accident that made it cheaper to slap on the aftermarket parts.

Just something to look into for peace of mind going into the future.

Good luck w the work. We're all here to help however we can.

 

No accidents, just had one report of unspecified damage which I'm almost positive is where something scratched the hood and roof, but that should be a relatively simple fix. If I go to 20x8.5 wheels should that fix my clearance with turning sharply? I don't think they adjusted the height of the vehicle at all, I'd prefer to avoid going back to 18s if possible but I do not want to put spacers on it. I also got a quote to get it back to the factory black for around 6,000 at a reputable place I've known for a long time, guy has worked on some stuff a lot nicer than the wagon so I have faith there. Last thing on my to do list after the wheels and paint will be to update the radio and speakers, I'd like to be able to connect my phone to it for music. It has the old school Bluetooth box in the middle console and I can see its signal I just don't think it will work with newer phones, at least that's what the dealer told me and I haven't been able to get it to work myself. I'll post updates here as I get the project moving along, thanks for all of the info so far, it can be a little intimidating buying one after hearing about how unique maintaining/upgrading one can be, but it is by far the favorite of the vehicles I've been around.

 

Check out this write up I did to install bluetooth wireless AUX into my 2008 G55.

https://mbworld.org/forums/g-class-w...ml#post8198654

Re: the wheels. You either want off-road wheels. 18"s or you want 20"s. There's no both. Check my thread, I have the G55 18's which I love, they are a different color than most. You can see in my build thread the difference 18"s w off-road tires add without a lift, vs w a lift.

In my opinion if you go off-road tires, you need the lift. If you don't want to lift the truck just stay w the larger rim and maybe go for something that's a bit more agressive than a street tire if you're purely going for a look.

 

You can adjust the steering stop bolts to limit your steering angle if you're rubbing at the limit. You'll have to know where and how you're rubbing to know how to fix it. Going down to 20's with a 32" tire will probably be your best bet. There are several threads in the forum about wheel size, tire choices, etc for a more aggressive all terrain tire with either 20" or 18" wheels. The choice will be yours. Wheel spacers may also help as they'll increase the turning arc of the wheels, but if possible, just find wheels with the correct offset so you can avoid spacers (extra weight and cost)

That's a pretty good price for a full repaint considering the size of the G, and also the amount of prep that has to be done (basically disassembling the entire exterior of the truck. The factory black is just a pretty flat and boring black. You may decide you want something that is a little more unique so choose your color wisely. You can't really go wrong with a black or dark grey color though. Adding in any metallic will be your preference.

For upgrading the sound system, if you can get away with just using the bluetooth adapter that almostordinary pointed to above, that would be the easiest solution. Switching the headunit out is a chore since it is linked to the amp via fiber, so you'll need a fiber decoder or you'll need to also replace the amplifier with a custom setup. There are plug and play wire harnesses for most head units, but nothing for amp replacements, so it will have to all be custom. Also, there are no speaker adapters that will work with the OEM speaker locations to aftermarket speakers, so any upgrades here will have to have custom adapters (like I designed and 3D printed). It's a slippery slope and will add up very quickly!

Suspension upgrades are also pretty common to make the ride more comfortable, but maintenance should of course take priority over mods. Depending on miles and prior service, you may be due for things like bushings, swivel seals, engine/gearbox/tc/transmission oil changes, etc.

Welcome and best of luck with your adventure with the G!

 

Could you please recommend a reputable after-market supplier for the G63 bumper and grille; and also the 2013+ style mirrors and 2009+ headlights? Thank you.

 

55tech for headlight DRL covers. These are the ones to get. You can also get the G 63 grill from them.

as far as Bumper I would go with ones made in Taiwan. You can find them on eBay.

i’m not so sure on the best headlights as my car didn’t need them.

 

What offset do you guys recommend for a set of 20x8.5? Also its harder than I thought it would be to find wheels that are for the 130mm bolts. Been digging through some old posts and maybe I just skimmed over them but I didn't find anything about offset for 20s

 

And you can take those headlights apart and change the bulbs right? please don't tell me its 900 for a set whenever one goes out, I haven't dug into the back of mine to look but one marker light on the bottom of the headlight went out and I need to fix that, it'll drive me crazy

 

I just put G63 replica wheels on they are 20 by 9.5 and have a 48mm offset. I had Nitto Ridge Grapplers 275/55/20 mounted. I have 17mm spacers in the front and 20mm in the rear.
Have no problems with rubbing on anything.

 

I wouldn't mess with the steering - I'd go for the spacers personally. OP already has the wider G63 flares and even with chunkier tires, I don't think they're going to go past the edge of the flares.

 

Yes. I just replaced the bulbs on mine with some Phillips bulbs. Good color temperature, but not as bright as I hoped. I'd say they are 10-20% brighter than stock:

You have to remove the plastic shroud surrounding the headlight assembly - there are three or four screws holding it in place. Then you have to remove the headlight assembly entirely - again three or four screws hold it in place. You need a philips and hex screwdriver. Once you get the assembly out, gently remove the power cable plugged into the assembly. Place the headlight assembly lens down on a clean, soft surface (I put four clean microfiber cloths down then placed the assembly on it) and remove the large circular cap on the back by twisting (forget if it is clockwise or anti-clockwise but there should be instructions on the piece). Once the cap is off, you can remove the bulb assembly. IIRC, the G uses bulbs with the ballasts attached (it looks like a silver cube with a power connector) so order bulbs that have an integrated ballast. The bulb assembly screws in 90 or so degrees. At this point, put on clean latex gloves to prevent any oil on your hand from getting on the components. Gently rotate until you determine which way it comes out then remove the assembly. Once you remove the bulb assembly, take the bulb out. With a new pair of gloves, take the new bulb out of its packaging and fit it on the bulb assembly. Repeat the aforementioned steps to get the bulb and headlight assembly back in place.

Two problems I encountered. a.) make sure you don't pull on the wires that lead to the turn signals. They run right next to the headlight assembly. I made this mistake and accidentally pulled the wire right out of the signal housing. It was only after I reassembled the headlight and started to drive did I realize what I did. Getting the aires back into the turn signal housing wasn't a problem, but taking the entire headlamp assembly out again was a major PITA. b.) make sure you remember to reinstall the parking lamp bulb assembly. It's small and easy to forget. I forgot to do that on my passenger side headlight assembly, but I don't feel like taking it out again to fix it