lotuselite

Hi. Just bought a Jan 2001 registered S500 with 62k on the clock. The car seems to be all standard issue externally apart from the grill and badge - please comment on these 2 items.

Also noticed that there is no turn indicator lamp on the front bumper. Is this something that was added on later models?

I am in the UK.

Skylaw

The grille and badge have been replaced. The grille on your car has an aftermarket "sport" version, similar to styles used on the Mercedes sports cars. The raised hood ornament that would be repetitive of the star in the grille has been replaced by a flat button emblem, as used on the sports cars.

The turn signal lamps are in the headlight unit itself, and in the strip on the mirrors. There is a side marker lamp in the bumper in U.S. versions, but they may not be present in all Euro versions.

See https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...25#post1632025 for a few photos of both the original equipment grille and hood ornament, and U.S. side marker lights.

lotuselite

Thank you, Skylaw.

I have seen all the pictures here of modded cars and part of me is tempted. But I am inclined to try and return to original spec. I am thinking of leaving the grill as it is, and replacing the star emblem on the bonnet. Would that look mixed up?

Decisions, decisions.

whoover

It's how it looks to you that matters, but many people think that two stars, a small one perched on a large one, is one star too many in the front view that would result. Restraint is an important design element for Mercedes.

mugsy415

BE HAPPY YOU DONT HAVE A NASTY YELLOW SIDEMARKER. yoU SAVED SOME MONEY INTO CLEARING IT OUT LIKE I DID OR PAINTING OVER IT TO MATCH THE COLOR OF THE CAR!