wmak8

Have you had a 4-wheel alignment yet? I had the same problems with some 18" AMG rims on a '99 SL500 and the rims and tires were the same as the optional sport package cars. Called the dealer and they told me to get an alignment. It actually stopped the tires from rubbing the fender. Apparently if your camber is off, it may be causing the rubbing. Don't know if it'll work in your case but it might be worth a try if you haven't tried it yet.

dmike67

No, I havent tried that wmak8. But I will definitely have them check that out next time its in for repairs, servicing, etc. Interesting--Thanks for the advice!

NJP17

the rubbing is coming from the corners of the bumper use a dremel and shave the inside of the bumper corners off. i had 20x10 lowenharts on the rear of mine and it was lowered 2" after i shaved it off no rubbing at all. if you need a picture to understand what im talking about. let me know and ill take one.

-nick

NJP17

oh i also had 275/35 on mine

dmike67

Nick, could you please post a pic for me and show me what you shaved to get those Lowenharts from rubbing. Very nice wheels BTW. I would appreciate it. Thanks Oh, what the hell is a dremel ???

NJP17

dremel is a tool. i will get some pics tommorow and post it for you.

Mmmm

Interesting Mods

What do the 20" inch wheels tyres etc,
do to the ride quality of the car ?
The steering and handling ?
Any problems with high speed stability aqua planning etc ?

Thanks

dmike67

To be honest, I bought the car with around 4K miles and it already had 20s on there (OZ wheels, not the one I have on there now) so I have no "point of comparison." But Im prettt happy with the feel/ride, but again I dont know how it felt with the original wheels. 20s are going to cause a little stiffer ride, but the look is worth it TO ME, but maybe not to others. One other factor is that replacing the tires is not cheap either.

Mmmm

Thanks

sportlichE430

What year is your S? 430 or 500?

Yeah, I've noticed a lot of rebadging on MBs from Miami. Was your ebay purchase a good experience?

IMHO chrome LM5s wheels '03 lights work well on a silver MB like yours, but look kind of NBA and cheesy on black S's.

PS: there's nothing for Ralph to point his laser on your ride. I think the older version Lorinser side skirts like you have are nicer than their current model, too.

dmike67

Im sure Ralph would find something-a slight blemish, dirt on the exhaust pipes--something It is a 2000 S500. And I did get it from Miami-so you are dead on !!! Like someone should be ashamed of a S500 or it wasnt good enough -- totally ridiculous. I did not buy the car on EBay, but I bought my girlfriend a Sienna on EBay and it was a great experience-no problems. I totally agree with you on the SideSkirts--the DTM style are too extravagant. Im not a big fan of black cars only cause they are so hard to keep clean and tend to show swirl marks/blemishes real easy. If I had my druthers and could get a FREE paint job I would go with the pearl white color like you see on the Cadillacs (the pearl white, not the pearl beige color). I think that color would look breathtaking on a "S". Nothing goes better than Pearl and Chrome. Maybe one day. Thank You for the nice comments

Jaeger

Hi dMike, your car looks great, especially the side skirts! I have a dumb question. How did you paint the grille? Does the paint flake off? Thanks!

dmike67

I had a local body shop paint the grill. The frame on the grille came unpainted so it had to be painted, however I also painted the inside part above each chrome strip that was black plastic as well. It really gives it a bright and clean look. I have not had any chipping problems yet, but I was warned by the body shop that paint usually doesnt adhere to that black plastic very well. But the frame of the grille should be fine indefinitely. Thanks for the compliment Jaeger.

dmike67

Here is a better pic of the grille. I kind of felt like my last post didnt make any sense the way I was desribing where it was painted.

Jaeger

Thanks. I painted the wire mesh grille on my Jag XJR black and it looked really aggressive. However, I needed to frequently retouch the paint. I wonder whether a blacked out grille on a black s-class would look good.

dmike67

Actually, whats funny or ironic its not really funny but when I took the pic to show a better view of the grill I noticed a small bubble under the paint about the size of a pea. So I might be doing some touching up soon. I have seen a pic of a black CLK with the entire grille "blacked out" and it definitely gives it a mean and aggressive look if thats what you are looking for. I liked it. Good Luck Jaeger.