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I got the car bug sometime around '95. This lead to abandoning the family indoctrination of "Ford is life" and picking up a bright green 93 Honda Del Sol. It gave me the bug. How do I make it faster? How can it handle better? And wow - sweet! Neon lights under the car!.
This lead to a plethora of Honda/Acura purchases over the next 20 years, lots of autocrossing and track days, and several motor swaps, clutch replacements, header installs, port and polishes, reflahses, adding nitrous, adding boost, over the years.
My S2000 was far-and-away my favorite of the bunch. Keeping a sensible (mildly modded) Acura touring sedan for a daily driver while tinkering was also a must, and after buying what is essentially the same Acura vehicle, 4 or 5 times over 10 years, as the new model is basically the same motor as the old model, with some different sheet metal and newer tech in the cabin, I got the itch a few years ago to move on to bigger things.
Sold my SH-AWD TL, and picked up a '13 C63 AMG sedan. Brilliant. Rocket. Needed nothing except rear tires....often.
It was too much. I was driving more for work, and the car was horrid on gas, and useless in weather. I had to concede it, for practicality, and knowing the driving a lot phase would pass, leased a 16 W204 C300. By and by, it's a nice enough car, but them screwing everyone on the Apple-infotainment connectivity not working as advertised, and being, in my-opinion, not quite up to what MB should hold as a standard in build quality and materials, it left me wanting more.
I'd had my eye on the CLS platform for years. Now, as a CPO vehicle, they were well within reach, but I didn't want to go all in on another AMG vehicle. I settled on a low mileage 550, and dropped the coin on Renntech exhaust and ECU, installed at the dealer. I debadged, added the Renntech logo and a subtle German tribute, and had the windows done. With the go-fast add ons, I self-installed K&N filters (the Renntech ones were like $300?). I have baseline "before Renntech goodies and air-filters" dyno pulls on paper.
I've since scored some 20" VF-103 Vorsteiners (INSANELY LIGHT!) wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sports, and done a cleanup on brakes, that frankly, MB should be embarrassed on the appearance of, after very low miles.
I'm interested in possibly piecing together a Bang & Olufsen upgrade to the stereo, though parts seem VERY scarce, and maybe diving into doing the newer Comand upgrade, as I geek-it for a living, and this is in my wheel-house.
Welcome to MBWorld. Grats on the CLS pickup! Yeah those brakes are in bad condition, but should be fairly easy to restore with a simple paint or powder coat job.
Let us know if we can help you out with any lighting upgrades. We have plug and play white LED/HID lighting
10-12-2016, 07:46 AM
