My G55 Journey.
Also started an Instagram Account: shiann_builds
Post #1: Intro
Post #10:
Center Console Tear Down
Vinyl Wrapping Wood Parts
Repairing/Refinishing AC Vents
Post #12:
Center Console Finished and all Back Together
Post #20:
JW Speaker 8700 Evo J2 Installation and Night Pictures
Post #24:
Removing Brush Guard Hardware and Brackets
Post #26:
Removing Rear Seat Headrests
Blown Subwoofer, Audio System Plans
Post #28:
Kicker 6.75" Subwoofer Install
Rear Bench Step by Step Removal
Amplifier Plans
OE Amplifier Wiring Diagram
Steering Wheel Leather Wrap Kit
Post #34:
Rear Door Speaker Dimensions
Rear Cargo Speaker Dimensions
Rockford Fosgate Amplifier Placement
Cutting OE Amp Wiring Harness
Driving Rear Door Speakers as a Separate Channel
Ordering Polk Speakers for Rear Door and Cargo Locations
Post #37:
Wiring up Axxess ASWC-1 (Steering Wheel Controls)
Adding Sound Damping Material to the Doors
Post #39:
Cleaning up Single DIN Head Unit Wiring
Post #46:
Planning Front Speaker Upgrades
Vinyl Wrapped Door Adjuster Switch Panel
Designing/3D Printing/Installing Speakers and Custom Speaker Adapters Rear Doors and Cargo Locations
Remounting Subwoofer
Sound Damping the Subwoofer Enclosure
Plasti-dipping Turn Signal Guards
Future Amplifier Plans
Sound System Overhaul Price Breakdown
Post #53:
Custom Stainless Steel Hardware for Brush Guard - Part Numbers and Links
Post #54:
Stereo Wiring Clean Up, Amplifiers + DSP Installation and Wiring
DSP Tuning
OE Center Speaker Specs
911 Motorsports Front License Plate Bracket Install
Plasti-dipped Front Turn Signal and Rear Tail Light Guards in Matte Black
Post #58:
Amplifier+DSP Wiring Clean Up
Current System Setup Overview
Post #60:
Amplifier Recommendations and Ideal Setup Discussion
Post #69:
Starting Headliner Teardown (abandoned)
Broken Glove Box Hinge
Post #72:
Replacing all Brush Guard Hardware with Stainless Steel
E-Brake Leather Boot Repair
Post #82:
Installing the Brush Guard and Brackets
Planning to remove the Quick Release Bolt
Post #84:
Plasti-dipping the Brush Guard Matte Black
Post #101:
Cargo Area Organization Planning - 3D Modeling of Shelf and Future Overlanding Part Planning
Post #103:
FINALLY REGISTERED! First Time Driving the G Legally - no thanks to NJ DMV
Post #104:
Glove Box Hinge Repair Design
Rear Cargo Area Organization Planning #2
Post #106:
Glove Box Hinge Repair Design #1 - Testing the Designed Parts
Post #110:
Purchased Fox 2.0 Shocks
Post #114:
3D Modeling Fox 2.0 Adjustable Reservoir for a Future Project
Post #119:
Process of Purchasing a New Key + Fob from Mercedes and P/Ns
Post #120:
Documenting Exterior Body Rust and Clear Coat Failure
Post #124:
Glove Box Hinge Repair Design #2 - Adding Springs
Post #129:
Designing/3D Printing a copy of Icon's W463 Side Marker Covers - Test fit
Post #134:
Documenting Karl @ GWagenAccessories's Modification of the Center Switch Blanks for use
Post #135:
Installing Glove Box Hinge Repair Design #2 on My Glove Box
Post #137:
Designing, 3D Printing, and Installing Load Resistors for the JW Speaker LED Headlights
Problems with ECU Cutting Power at Night.
Post #138:
Glove Box Hinge Repair Design #3
Replacing Cargo Door Hinge Seals
Replacing Cargo Area Lights with LEDs
Purchasing Polk MM6502 Components for Front Speakers
Fox 2.0 Adjustable Shock Future Project - Control from Inside the Cabin with a Dial
Post #148:
First Long Drive after Fox 2.0 Installation - First Impressions
Post #153:
Fox 2.0 Adjustable Installation with G63 Springs - Issues and Tips
Post #157:
Oil Drain Bolt Hackery
Oil Dip Stick Seal Small Leak
Post #159:
Wrapping/Sewing Steering Wheel with Leather Kit
Post #160:
Installing Fox 2.0 Steering Damper Step-by-Step
Post #184:
Installing Front Tweeters and Door Speakers (Polk MM6502) Step-by-Step DIY
Installing Sound Damping Material in the Front Doors
Designing/3D Printing/Installing Front Door Speakers with Custom Speaker Adapters
Custom Map Pocket Washers for Broken Bosses
Installing BFG KO2's in 285/60R18
Post #185:
Driving some Offroad Trails with ClubWagen Members - First test of Fox 2.0's and BFG KO2's
Post #187:
Timelapse of the Trial Ride
Post #197:
100k Miles!
New House, Lots of Snow
Roadtrip down to Florida
Installing Vantop H610 Rear View Mirror LCD + Dashcam
Fully Loaded for Roadtrip
Hauling 1200lbs of Tile
Hauling a Snowblower
More Deep Snow Pictures and Driving Video
Boomco Rear Tire Cover Review
Readjusting the Cargo Door
Post #201:
Transporting a Large Cabinet - Cargo Area Size Limitations
Post #225:
Documenting Condition of all Suspension Ball Joints/Bushings
Fox 2.0 Shock Reservoir Leaking
Removing the Silver AMG Waist Trim
Post #230:
Fox 2.0 Rebuild Parts Ordered with Longer Lines
Post #231:
Oil Change, Filter change, Engine Additives, Rotating and Cleaning the Wheels
Post #234 and #235:
Fixing the Contour Seat Air Bladders - Retrofit with Air Shims DIY
Post #242:
Replacing Front Panhard Bar Bushings
Documenting Swivel Ball Seal Leak
Post #247:
Replacing the Serpentine Tensioner, Parts Mixup from FCPEuro
Replacing Air and Cabin Filters, Greasing Swivel *****,
Post #250:
Replacing Rear Brake Pads and Rotors, Idler Pulley, Serpentine Belt
Post #257:
Checking CV Boots
Greasing Swivel ***** More
Post #259:
Ordered Radius Arm Caster Correction Bushings, Arm to Chassis Bushings, new Front Sway Bar Bushings, and Drag Link
Post #265:
Repairing Headlight Wiring
Assembling/Installing New LED Headlight Load Resistor Setup
Installing LED Side Market Bulbs and Turn Signals
Swivel Ball Leaking Greasy mess
Compounding and Polishing 2 test panels on the G using a Random Orbital
Post #266:
Repairing Wiring for Rear View Camera
Future Reverse/Rear Fog Light Project with Diode Dynamics SS3 Pods
Attempting to Replace the Drag Link
Post #275:
Broken Throttle Pedal! Temp Fix
Post #277:
Replacing Throttle Pedal and front Drag Link
Post #288:
Adding Shim Washers to Rear Fox Shock Lower Mounts
Replacing Rear Panhard Bar Bushings
Post #291:
Removing Radius Arm Bushings
Removing Sway Bar Bushings
Repainting Radius Arms, Sway Bar, and Endlinks
Post #295:
Replacing front Diff Fluid with Amsoil
Replacing Front Swivel Ball Seals with Split Type
Regreasing Swivel *****
Installing New Swaybar and Endlink Bushings
Installing Caster Correction Eccentric Radius Arm Bushings
Installing everything back into the G
Post #297:
Quick Step-by-step to replacing the Swivel ball Seals with the Split Type
Post #309:
Replacing Steering Arm
String Alignment Fail
Straight shotting a 1200 mile roadtrip down to Florida.
Post #325:
Alignment try #2 fail. String Alignment Success!
Post #326:
First wash in a long time and some pretty pictures.
Post #327:
Rear Door Handle Failure
Rear Window regulator failure - Tearing it apart and patching it back together.
Post #332:
Replacing the Rear Driver Window Cable/Track system
Adding Sound Deadening to the Door Skins
Replacing the Puddle Light with LED Fixtures
Repairing stuck door buttons.
Post #340:
Replacing Steering Shat Boot
Replacing Fox 2.0 Front Top Shock Mounting Bushings with correct parts from Fox
Gluing/Sanding Side Air Vents/Tweeter Cover Repair
Post #343:
Replacing Siren - Dying Battery
Post #344:
Diagnosing Intermittent Cylinder Misfire
Post #345:
Reinstalling Passenger Vent!
Custom Vent Mounted Cell Phone Holder/Wireless Charger Design Concept.
Post #346:
Mounting Custom Vent Cell Phone Holder/Wireless Charger Attempt 1
Post #347:
Beach Driving!
Buying newer G55 Wheels!
Post #349:
125k miles!
Driver Side Vent Finally Reinstalled after 2 years!
Turn Signal Cages Removed and Holes Plugged
Polishing front fender wings
G550 Springs Purchased! Hopefully for a softer ride.
Post #352:
Replacing Rear Step Grip Tape
Checking Paint Thickness around the G
Post #353:
ORC Floor Liners to replace Weather-Tech Floor Liners
Post #354:
Burst Fuel Return Hose - Repair Process
Post #356:
Cleaning the G Finally! Purchasing H&R Wheel Spacers.
Post #362:
Hybrid Ceramic Water Beading. Swapping Wheels to the black AMG set.
Post #365:
Transporting a Peloton Tread (treadmill) and some light "offroading"
Post #366:
Refinishing/Painting Center Caps
Fixing Inner Door Handle Cable Holder with 3D Printed replacement brackets
Quick Cargo Shelf - Dimensions and easy assembly
Post #368:
Cracked Valve Stem Rubber - Flat Tire Replacement in a parking lot
Packing the cargo area completely full for East Coast road trip - 4 adults + 1 child
Post #374:
Replacing Reverse Light/Rear Fog Light with Diode Dynamics SSC2 Sport Pod lights - Dramatic Improvement
Post #375:
Secondary Air Injection Pump CEL - Diagnose and Replacement
Post #381:
Building a set of Headlight Load Resistors with Fans for myself
Factory Stereo Wiring Speaker Wire Output Identification
31mm H&R Wheel Spacer Install
More problems with Fox 2.0 Shocks - Rear this time.
Post #385:
Adding load resistors to front Side Markers - LED Bulbs - Fixes the BoW on Dash
Mounting newly built headlight load resistors into fenders
Finishing design/Installation of switch panel for rear CD Changer location - 12V outlet, USB Power, custom applications.
Post #368:
Redoing wiring harness for Diode Dynamics SSC2 Sport Pods for Reverse and Rear Fog lights - Added load resistor so rear fogs work and replaced factory spade connectors with waterproof barrel plugs.
Post #392:
Iteration 3 on Front Fog light brackets for Diode Dynamics SSC2 Pro Fog light pods - Almost ready!
3D Printed Contour Seat Adjustment switch caps!
Post #396:
Front Fog Light Installation - Final Parts and Semi-custom wiring harness
Post #397:
Front Fog Light Output Video and Rear Mud Flaps Installation
Post #398:
Changing Front Brake Pads DIY - Weird issue of calipers not floating correctly
Post #409:
Transfer Case Stuck in Neutral!! - Diagnosing and fixing by replacing the transfer case motor
New Prototypes for inner door handle cable holders - stronger design
Building Rear Cargo Area Drawer System/Organizer
Post #411:
Replacing Front Door Lock Actuator
Cleaning/Replacing O-Rings on door handle button
Installing new design proto inner door handle cable holder brackets
Installing new LED Tail Lights - iJDMTOY W463a style
Post #414:
Fully loading up the G with a tail gate storage platform
Using STAR/Xentry to fix the transfer case motor recalibration
Using STAR/Xentry to remove the Navigation system to allow changing the clock from the instrument cluster
Post #424:
Free oil change returns/warranty from FCPEuro
Installing low profile Wireless Android Auto Screen for Navigation/Audio Control.
3D Scanner Purchase!
Hi All,
Super excited that I finally get to post in this forum as an owner! I've been on the lookout for an early G55k for a year or so now after lusting after one the first time I saw it at the NY Auto Show in 2005.
Saw forum member DGI looking to part with his, got the approval from the wife, then the bank, and now I'm a proud owner of a low mile 2005 G55k, clean history, 3 owner, very well maintained truck!
Huge thank you to DGI for taking such good care of the car, performing a lot of the needed maintenance in his half year+ of ownership, and being super patient with me during the whole purchase process.
Some background on me, I'm a Mechanical Engineer living in Brooklyn NY and Central NJ, working in consumer product design. I worked on a lot of automotive related projects during college and lead 2 FSAE teams. I've wrenched on my own cars for the past 15 years doing everything from oil changes, paint corrections, timing belts/water pumps, full engine rebuilds and everything in between. Started working on my parents' Toyota's, then had an Acura Integra for several years in high school through college (still have it), worked designing FSAE cars and rebuilding GSX-R600 engines in college (still have the rolling chassis), and switched over to an S60T5 6-speed for the past 10 years, and now onto truck life. I can see myself keeping this truck for a long time to come.
Can't wait to get back to the truck and start digging into what else needs to be fixed, cleaned, upgraded, etc. I have lots of plans for what I want to do with the truck and I hope to document and share everything with everyone on here.
The truck is going to sit for a few weeks as the NJ DMV is closed indefinitely and everyone quarantined and WFH for the next month, but as I make progress on the truck, I'll share here.
Glad to be here and hope to contribute as much as DGI did, for everything I do with the truck, from adventures, to modifications, repairs, and everything in between.
Cheers!
Last edited by shiann; Dec 9, 2023 at 09:43 PM.
Looking forward to following your process and posting mine when I get there!
Looking forward to following your process and posting mine when I get there!
Last edited by shiann; Mar 23, 2020 at 11:01 AM. Reason: multiquote
Been busy reading and researching a lot about repairs and upgrades for the truck.
1. Oil Change - Ordered the oil change kit along with a bunch of detailing supplies to compound and polish the exterior of the truck.
FCPEuro Mercedes Oil Change Kit 5W-40
2. Headliner Repair - got enough sound deadening for the roof for now, but will eventually do the doors, floor, and rear areas.
3. Steering Wheel Repair - Leather Steering Wheel wrap for a nicer, thicker grip, as well as covering the shiny wood trim that's seen better days.
4. Under body rust repair
5. Matte Black Plastidip - Plan is to cover some of exterior chrome items and see how it looks (brush guard, spare tire carrier ring, light cages, emblems, etc) and eventually paint/powdercoat it if the look is what I want.
6. Raptor Bedliner - Plan is to coat the side steps to remove the chrome, and maybe line some of the underbody areas
7. Windshield Repair Kit - Filling a chip in the windshield to avoid it spreading.
8. LED Headlights to replace the Halogens - JW Speaker 8700 Evolution J2 with Mounting Rings and H4 to H13 adapter harnesses.
9. Installing Rear view LCD + Front/Rear Dashcam moved over from my current car
10. Repairing cracked CCU vents and repainting flat black (all 3 need to be refinished)
11. Wrapping shiny wood trim in faux matte carbon fiber vinyl - Can always replace this with glossy black, aluminum look, or paint it in the future.
12. Custom wiring in some extra USB-C plugs and Lighting cables for phones/iPad (kid's entertainment)
13. May install Bilstein G500/550 shocks that came with the truck - still not sure. P/N B46-1635 and B46-1636
14. Complete interior cleaning and repairing the small broken things. Cleaning and conditioning the seats.
15. Full exterior detail. (wash, clay, compound, polish, seal)
16. Reapplying 3M Clear Bra to some high impact areas
17. Documenting any other rusted body areas and create a plan to reduce/fix
18. Documenting any rusted hardware and ordering SS replacements.
That should be enough to keep me busy for a while. Parts will be trickling in over the next 2-3 weeks so I will update as I make progress and dig into the truck.
Any comments, questions, feedback would be appreciated!
Last edited by shiann; Apr 13, 2020 at 03:59 PM.
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I never knew about the leather wrap kit, added that to my G55 build spreadsheet... also think I found an 05 but it's in Denver... so I'll need to keep searching or do a roadtrip (if I'm able with the shutdowns).
Couple notes from my experience... With the bedliner, make sure that the bottom of the truck is bone dry wherever you apply it, as it will hold moisture and cause some real headaches down the road.
For plasti-dip, it's great, but you will really need to scuff those parts up, and it's super tempermental... I'd almost recommend going with paint to be honest, and just have the shop that does the powdercoating remove it when you cross that bridge.
I did the full front brushbar, ladder and misc pieces on my last land rover build and it cost me approx $600 at a really nice medium gloss.
Excited to see where you take this.
-Ian
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
I never knew about the leather wrap kit, added that to my G55 build spreadsheet... also think I found an 05 but it's in Denver... so I'll need to keep searching or do a roadtrip (if I'm able with the shutdowns).
Couple notes from my experience... With the bedliner, make sure that the bottom of the truck is bone dry wherever you apply it, as it will hold moisture and cause some real headaches down the road.
For plasti-dip, it's great, but you will really need to scuff those parts up, and it's super tempermental... I'd almost recommend going with paint to be honest, and just have the shop that does the powdercoating remove it when you cross that bridge.
I did the full front brushbar, ladder and misc pieces on my last land rover build and it cost me approx $600 at a really nice medium gloss.
Excited to see where you take this.
-Ian
I've never done required rust-proofing on a car besides an Integra I had way back in the day, so I'll be taking it slow, section by section, on a very hot and dry series of days.
As for the Plastidip, it'll all be temporary. I've had good success in the past with careful cleaning and prep without having to scuff up parts, but we'll see how it goes. I'll probably end up just painting all the chrome pieces myself as I've gotten pretty good at that over the years. May powdercoat the smaller pieces myself but the Bull Bar is definitely too large for DIY.
Hope you're able to get your truck soon so we can bounce more ideas around!
One of the first thing I knew I wanted to do was get rid of the wood trim everywhere. Several options for this, but I decided to vinyl wrap it in matte carbon fiber as I enjoyed the look of it in my other cars and the process wasn't that difficult, although time consuming.
Starting with the center stack, I removed everything and started cleaning decades of dust, dirt, dead bugs, etc from behind the trim and behind the center AC vent/speaker grill.
The center AC vent/speaker grill piece has seen better days, so the plan is to completely strip it of the rubberized coating, and repaint flat black or use flat black plasti-dip to keep it rubbery.
All the center stack wood trim cleaned and control modules removed, ready to vinyl wrap.
For the vinyl carbon fiber matte wrap, I used leftover I purchased for a previous car.
isn't 100% realistic, but looks pretty good overall. Best part is that this is a wrap and can be removed without any damage to the wood trim parts.
Overall, the process and results were as I expected, time consuming and frustrating at times, but pretty good overall with a few small mistakes here and there in areas that are hard to see.
Here are the 3 main center stack pieces together. The hardest part to wrap was definitely the area around the little sliding storage compartment on the gear selector surround waterfall piece as the compartment is not removable and you have to fold under the edge.
Last 2 pieces of the center stack area. Shift knob was also a challenge as I couldn't separate the leather section from the bottom plastic, but overall it came out pretty good. No one will ever look too closely at these anyway so I can live with the small mistakes.
Center AC Vent/Speaker Grill part with cracks super glued, sanded smooth, and all of the rubberized coating sanded off. Cleaned off and ready for paint.
After a few coats of flat black. Not sure I'm completely happy with it. Has a slight texture from heavy spraying. I'll let it dry overnight and see how it looks in the morning. I can always re-sand and respray it again or cover it with plasti-dip for the texture. The eventual plan is to also redo both side AC Vents in the same manner as they are both also flaking and cracked/broken.
Lightly sanded and cleaned the grill before painting flat black also. The foam layer sandwiched between the grill and Center AC Vent/Speaker Grill was falling apart so badly that it fell to dust in my hands. I'm on the fence about replacing this foam material or just reinstalling as is.
That's all for now. Plan is to reinstall tomorrow as long as the Center AC Vent/Speaker Grill finish looks good.
Next is to repair/redo both the driver's and passenger's vents as well.
When the door cards (all 4) are off, plan is to do the following:
1. Wrap the wood grain panels in the same matte carbon fiber vinyl
2. Butyl Sound deadening for all the doors
3. Closed Cell Foam Sound Deadening over the Butyl for all the doors
4. Clean and re-lube all the locking and window mechanisms
5. Paint the door handles in matte black and a matte automotive clear coat. I'm not a fan of the straight plastic look so will be painting all of the black plastic parts around the truck. It may be better to powder coat these for durability, but painting them for now should be fine and I can look for powder coating shops in the future when the world isn't so crazy.
Any comments/suggestions/feedback is always appreciated!
Last edited by shiann; Apr 10, 2020 at 02:20 AM.
I think the carbon fiber looks great, but maybe a bit too modern for my taste... but great look and makes me want to learn how to do vinyl wrapping because it looks like the best route to go.
Also amazing job on the AC surround, half of the 05 models I've been looking at are super rough right there, as well as the knobs full of gunk.
Looking forward to future progress!
-Ian
I think the carbon fiber looks great, but maybe a bit too modern for my taste... but great look and makes me want to learn how to do vinyl wrapping because it looks like the best route to go.
Also amazing job on the AC surround, half of the 05 models I've been looking at are super rough right there, as well as the knobs full of gunk.
Looking forward to future progress!
-Ian
After putting the central stack back together, I do agree that the carbon fiber pattern does seems a little out of place/too modern given the older interior. I think I'll leave it for now, but maybe in the future will change it to another vinyl pattern and/or refinish the pieces in some other manner.
The matte black spray paint gave the finish a uniform finish (better than the peeling, pitted, and discolored finish previously), but it seems a little bit too dull for interior trim. Also the surface shows small nicks and scratches really badly. I'm going to experiment with different/more durable finishes for the side vents when I refinish those and redo the center one at a later date.
But for now, this looks 100% better than the before pictures!
Slightly annoyed that the gear selector surround piece 'weave' direction is opposite. I can't decide whether I'm fine with it breaking up the pattern, or annoyed that it's not all uniform.
Closeup of the center ac vent/speaker grill and top wrapped center console. If you look carefully you can already see some scratches/nicks on the matte black finish.
Closeup of the coin tray/gear selector area. All the different parts came out pretty good and work well together.
Any comments/questions/suggestions welcome!
Last edited by shiann; Apr 10, 2020 at 09:57 PM.
What if you make that center shift area one solid color like black ? Not everything has to match completely 👌,.
BTW, great quality job you did.
Miss living in NYC with my 95 Range Rover Classic. But the west coast gives so many opportunities to get out there and just live a bit.... excited about the PNW... whenever that actually happens and hoping to have a nice rig to make it even better.
So far so good man! I think I have everything to get into the vinyl world, aside from the vinyl.... maybe something to take up during quarantine.
Miss living in NYC with my 95 Range Rover Classic. But the west coast gives so many opportunities to get out there and just live a bit.... excited about the PNW... whenever that actually happens and hoping to have a nice rig to make it even better.
So far so good man! I think I have everything to get into the vinyl world, aside from the vinyl.... maybe something to take up during quarantine.
Hang in there man, and def try to get out more than you think you need to... that helps!
Miss living in NYC with my 95 Range Rover Classic. But the west coast gives so many opportunities to get out there and just live a bit.... excited about the PNW... whenever that actually happens and hoping to have a nice rig to make it even better.
So far so good man! I think I have everything to get into the vinyl world, aside from the vinyl.... maybe something to take up during quarantine.
Last edited by shiann; Apr 11, 2020 at 12:39 AM.
I do have dreams of taking a month or 2 off next time I switch jobs and just driving around the country. Hit up overlanding trails all over Utah, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, trekking up to the Canadian Rockies and Banff, spending a snow season just being a snowboarding bum... Pretty much everything all over the west coast. Maybe one day that will happen but just have to convince the wife and pad the bank account.
I felt the same about NYC until I moved pretty far out to Southern Brooklyn. Pace of life, population density, friendliness, "space", "affordable" rent, fresh air, etc - all so much better than living in Manhattan, Jersey City, or Williamsburg (my journey around the boroughs for ~10 years). Still have to commute back to Dumbo and sometimes venture into Manhattan for work and/or drinks (when leaving the house was still a thing), but it is worth it. I'm torn between being close to the city or further out in the suburbs. Easy access to everything and lots to do in the city at any time is a definite plus, but lack of space and definitely no garage is terrible for a car person, or anyone that likes to actually do stuff with their hands.
That is one of my dream vacations as well go along the different coasts. I want to explore alot of Texas as well in the G. This time right now seems perfect if things weren't as scary but one day.
Sorry to clutter your thread. Really like the CF wrap you did and like me and another member were talking in PM we have so many G owners in NYC area we were thinking of doing a meet once everything goes a little normal and weather is a bit nicer. I think it will be really cool .....
Used to do it with the C63 guys and the M5 guys a while back when I was with those cars and its always a good time to see some cool rides, get some food and hang out with other enthusiasts
That is one of my dream vacations as well go along the different coasts. I want to explore alot of Texas as well in the G. This time right now seems perfect if things weren't as scary but one day.
Sorry to clutter your thread. Really like the CF wrap you did and like me and another member were talking in PM we have so many G owners in NYC area we were thinking of doing a meet once everything goes a little normal and weather is a bit nicer. I think it will be really cool .....
Used to do it with the C63 guys and the M5 guys a while back when I was with those cars and its always a good time to see some cool rides, get some food and hang out with other enthusiasts
I went with the JW Speaker 8700 Evolution J2 replacement LED housing for several reasons.
1. JW Speaker is known to make quality parts and stand behind with solid warranties
2. These were made for the jeep community so they sell a lot of them
3. Price was pretty good (~$400) compared to Bi-Xenon retrofits I have done in the past that involved a ton of custom work and lots of time (E55 bi-xenons into Integra light housings, and TRS D2S bi-xenons into S60R light housings)
4. Basically plug and play with minimal 'custom' work
5. Light output is the standard for LED lights
6. Went with the J2's over the Evolution 2's with the H4 connector because the set of J2's were ~$100 less. The difference between the 2 is minimal and I can put that $100 towards other things.
7. I liked the design better than the truck-light design and better light output
8. I decided to not go with the Morimoto Sealed 7 2.0 (even though I've had great experience with their products in the past) because of DOT approval, better warranty, and they were also actually cheaper (~$400 for JW's vs ~$500 for Morimoto's)
First, one last look at the 2005 halogens behind the brush guard. I honestly REALLY like this look as it is period correct and classic, but the light output just isn't good enough by today's standard.
Next, I had to figure out how to remove the Bush Guard without having the custom Mercedes tool. Took some thinking and trial-and-error but 2 Allen keys and a screw driver later, It came off without an issue. Took maybe 30 minutes to figure this out. I'm actually wondering if I like the front end better without the brush guard. I can't decide, but removed it for some repairs and to plasti-dipping matte black.
Has anyone had issues with the OEM brush guard being installed off-center? The mounting brackets on my bumper are off and crooked. On the passenger's side, the bracket touches the edge of the fog light surround, whereas on the driver's side, there is 3/4" gap. I noticed this the other day with the entire brush guard being off and it really annoyed me. I'll try to play around with the brackets to see if I can make it better but maybe the dealer who installed it just did a poor job?
Not sure how many years this impacts, but the 2005 has a smog pump behind the driver's side headlight bucket. This thing is pretty large and there isn't much room to move it, so installing any lights that are longer than the stock halogen setup will be very tight.
They worked well overall. Had to drill holes for the OEM screw locations on the headlight bucket. Took maybe 5 minutes to figure out where to drill the holes, and actually drill them.
I kept the OEM DRL/city light bulb in there and zip tied it out of the way so it wouldn't dangle around. This was to not have an error code on the dash. Not sure if this will work out for the long term, but can always be changed in the future.
I also used these adapter harnesses to make the JW Speakers plug and play to the OEM wiring harness. Worked exactly as expected.
After mounting the light, reused the OEM rubber gasket around the light and put the shroud back on. Looks very modern and slightly out of place on the classic boxy lines of the truck.
Here you can compare the stock halogens vs the JW Speakers, both with low beam on during the day.
Here's an "in between" picture of the mounting ring and the headlight installed. 3 screws for mounting the ring to the headlight bucket, 3 screws and a rubber gasket for mounting the JW Speaker light housing to the adapter ring. Really can't get much simpler than this.
Install finished on both sides. Total time including figuring out how to remove the brush guard was about 1-1.5 hours.
Here's a shot of the stock halogens low beam at night. Shot in manual mode, f/8, 0.25s, ISO3200.
Not bad for halogens, but definitely not up to par with today's headlights.
Here's a shot of the JW Speakers low beam at night. Shot in manual mode, f/8, 0.25s, ISO3200.
Leaps and bounds better. Still need to aim them but pretty good overall. High beams also just aren't comparable at all.
And there you have it. I would highly recommend this upgrade from the stock 2005 halogen setup. Light output is so much better, total cost was <$500, installation was a breeze.
I'll probably continue to add on more lights in the form of pods and/or light bars. Have not figured that out yet but will look into it later in the summer.
Next up, the truck definitely needs a good wash, detail, clay, compound, polish, and seal. Will also be applying 3m clear bra to high impact areas, and will ceramic coat the whole thing later.
Any comments/questions/suggestions welcome!
Last edited by shiann; Apr 16, 2020 at 10:58 AM.
The goal of removing all of this was to paint all the chrome bits black, along with the brush guard. Second reason was to investigate why the whole brush guard assembly was off-centered, roughly 1/4-1/2 inches towards the passanger side. The brush guard brackets were also not vertical, and the hardware used was all rusted.
Everything came off pretty smoothly with some creative wobble joints to remove the 4 19mm nuts holding the top of the brush guard brackets on. The truck seems to be random in having standard or metric hardware. The plan is to replace all the terribly rusted hardware with new Stainless Steel units with proper locking hardware and vibration washers/gaskets where needed. Fog lights also came out so I can measure to retrofit some LED pods driving light pods in there.
Below is the front of the truck with all the hardware and fog lights removed. You can see that whoever did the install of the brush guard (probably the dealership in Florida with the first owner) drilled the holes completely off-center, like, not even close to centered. There is some wiggle room for the brackets that I'll have to play with but this is pretty annoying. There is also a good amount of rust around the passenger side fog light cutout that will have to be taken care of, along with some pretty obvious paint work done in the past on the center grill (silver/black paint transition is not very crisp when looking up close)
I'll have to look much closer all around the car for paint work or weird damage when I get time to do a proper wash, clay, compound, polish, and seal.
Taped off the brush guard mounting holes and the fog light openings for now since it's going to rain for the next week or so. That will give me time to source some Stainless Steel hardware as well as paint the chrome bits black. I'm debating whether or no to use plasti-dip or just go with a satin black with a satin clear coat on top. I'll have to experiment with different parts to find the finish that I like over the course of the next week.
Also removed the additional chrome bumper bar and slatted skid plate. I'll paint them the same way but not exactly sure I want to keep these pieces as they look like they're 100% show/bling and the combo weighs like 50lbs.
That's it for today. Headliner should be here tomorrow so I will be digging into that also this week. Also received butyl sound deadener and also some closed cell foam to use on top of the butyl. Plan is to start insulating the roof when the headliner comes out, and also the door skins when the door cards come off. More to come...
Any comments/questions/suggestions welcome!
Great work!
Keep us posted on how the headliner goes, I really want black alcantara like my E63 I've only seen a handful of the trucks I've been looking for that have black.
If you do ditch the stock fog lights, please hold on to them for me, if I get the truck I want I always like having a spare set on hand since I'm batting 100 for smashing fog lights on all my trucks.











