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I Want To Be An AMG!

7K views 40 replies 10 participants last post by  curro101 
#1 ·
So, as much as I've enjoyed my Designo over the last 12 yrs, I've always longed to transform my pre-facelift 2000, to something more akin to the post-facelift Sport. But, I didn't want just that, because it's already been done in the Sport pkg. So, in my quest to be unique, I have acquired all the major parts necessary to make my pre-facelift look like a 32.

This is going to be an ambitious project, but hopefully one that will be complete (aesthetically, anyway, because I am planning mods for increased ponies) by the middle of summer.

Headlights and grill removed...
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Hood Automotive exterior


Old bumper removed...
Vehicle Automotive exterior Bumper Car Motor vehicle


New bumper, headlights and grill installed...
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Hood Grille


Lesson learned here, the bracket(s) and foam are not interchangeable between the two bumpers. Had to order those today, but the main mounts between the two are pretty much the same, I had to modify the plates that hold the screws that mount to the frame, but a few minutes with a table grinder made that work out nicely. MWAHAHAHA...

Note too, I replaced the sideview mirrors with ones that incorporate the blinkers. That was a bit of a task as the "new" connectors had to be sliced into the "old" harness to accommodate the 2 extra wires for the blinkers. And rerouting the wires from the fenders to the mirrors was a feat in and of itself. If anyone tries this, do the passenger side first. It was the most time consuming; making the driver's side a real breeze. But, they look and work great! :grin:

The next step, hopefully the side skirts. This is involving a bit of research so I order the right mounting and cosmetic hardware. But, I have the skirts themselves already.
 
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#5 ·
I'm not going with the 17" AMG double spokes. Several years ago, I made the jump to silver after-market 18" double spokes that looked just like original MB. I'll be changing to a Titanium Gunmetal colored rim for this project.

Kevin, let me know when you are finished with the project ....since I am pretty much right down the street from you I be glad to take it for a spin and give you feedback on the work you did.:wink::wink:
I had forgotten you were here in Phoenix. Where do you live? I'm at N 83rd and W Missouri Avenues in Glendale.
 
#4 ·
Kevin, let me know when you are finished with the project ....since I am pretty much right down the street from you I be glad to take it for a spin and give you feedback on the work you did.:wink::wink:

Honestly who needs a model from the Uk


when you can have a real German Driver.:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
:laugh:

 
#12 ·
Seats, headrests, rollbars and steering wheel have all already been replaced with original MB Designo leather parts ($5500 worth, if anyone is curious), and was handmade from the AMG factory in Stuttgard. I finished that portion of the project about 3 months ago. Though, I had been carrying those parts around the world (literally) since about 2009. The wife was happy to see that stuff leave the master bedroom closet. :laugh:

This pic doesn't do the interior justice. What looks red is really a deep, fresh orange. The steering wheel is reflecting the sun here. :frown: It's the same color as all the other leather.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Car seat Steering wheel


When I replaced the seat covers, I added pneumatic/electric lumbar support in both seats. HUGE improvement over the original Recaro design. Makes long drives far more enjoyable now. :smile:
 
#13 ·
Wow Kevin 5K on the interior I am speechless there is an Interior shop off 91st Ave in Tolleson they do top notch work for less. It is a tiny garage and a swamp cooler I drive by everyday and see the cars and there work they doing. Silly question with all the $$$ you invest to redo the SLK how will you insure it since it is ...pardon the phrase old in the eyes of the insurance company. We all know Phoenix can be a dangerous place for SLK,s.....:grin::grin:
 
#14 ·
I hear you. I wanted the original "designo" embossed in the seats. Seems a high price to pay, I know. I would have considered a shop as you suggest. Problem was, I was in Germany at the time. However, I'm considering releathering the dash parts. I figured I'd check out one of the local shops for that to see if they could match the leather. Can you get me the name of the shop?

As for the insurance, yes, Phoenix is a challenge. Between drivers and environment. I'll get with USAA and see what they can do when I'm finished.
 
#18 ·
Skirts Mounted

Continuing the saga...

This past weekend saw the mounting of the side skirts. I thought I was going to have to drill the 4 20mm holes for the underpining fasteners. I just happened to have a 20mm hole bit from my time in Germany. So, cordless Ryobi and 20mm bit in hand, I partially mounted the skirts and marked off where I would want the fasteners to go. As I attempted to drill, I wasn't getting through the pan. I thought, "What the heck?!" Upon further investigation, I noticed a slight "bump" under the 1/8" rubber undercoating at the 4 spots where the fastener holes would be. In Mercedes' intuitiveness, they had actually drilled the holes for the skirt mounting, but inserted rubber grommet caps, then covered them over with the rubber undercoating. Nice! So, after removing about a 2" strip of undercoating with a box cutter and putty knife so the skirt mounting could sit flush, I was able to get the skirts mounted.

Something else I was able to score, was a dual piped, AMG stamped muffler off a 2001 SLK230 Sport. Apparently, this was the only year MB did this because the part is no longer available by that part number. They [MB] superseded the part number with a single, chromed tail-pipe. That would really anger me if I had the Sport that came with the dual pipe exhaust, yet couldn't get a new one. Because, the opening in the bumper is a double wide opening. But, since I'm adding the AMG bumper (with a double wide opening), I thought I was going to have to cram a 32 muffler in there. But, not now. :wink:
 

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#26 ·
Something else I was able to score, was a dual piped, AMG stamped muffler off a 2001 SLK230 Sport. Apparently, this was the only year MB did this because the part is no longer available by that part number. They [MB] superseded the part number with a single, chromed tail-pipe. That would really anger me if I had the Sport that came with the dual pipe exhaust, yet couldn't get a new one. Because, the opening in the bumper is a double wide opening. But, since I'm adding the AMG bumper (with a double wide opening), I thought I was going to have to cram a 32 muffler in there. But, not now. :wink:
Does anyone know which of these models came with this dual piped AMG stamped muffler? I've always been curious about this because I have a 2001 SLK230 Sport, and the data card confirms it was delivered as such (I'm not the original owner).
However, although the vehicle has the double-wide opening, it has a regular single piped muffler. I suppose the original muffler could have been replaced at some point. Does anyone know if all 2001 SLK230 Sport vehicles came with the dual piped muffler?

Cheers,
Rich
 
#28 ·
New Bumper & Muffler swapped

So, this past weekend saw the replacement of the rear bumper and muffler. Pretty uneventful as far as any "didn't anticipate THAT" moments. Removal of the bumper is pretty straightforward. Remove the trunk lining, which requires relieving the pressure from the vario pump so the trunk brackets can be separated from the latches in order to remove the side trunk panels. Then, a mere 6 bolts (3 ea side) and the cell antenna cable/grommet (if so equipped) removed and pushed through the body hole. I will need to replace the inner wheel well liner aft of the rear tires as the original ones don't fully fill the gap between the body and the fender any longer.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Bumper Tire


Then it was off to the muffler shop for the swap. The drive over took longer than having the old muffler cut off and the new welded in. Got home, and prettied everything up with some high temp, flat black paint.

Automotive exterior Bumper Vehicle Automotive tire Motor vehicle


And...there it is... :grin:

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Mercedes-benz Personal luxury car


I will have to remove the rear bumper again this weekend when my "in-bumper" radio antenna arrives from Germany via Spokane. I didn't put the trunk lining back in yet in anticipation of this addition.

The next thing I'm doing, is replacing the trunk lid with one that has the release above the license instead of the visible push button, just want to further "clean up" the appearance. Hopefully, I can secure one of those this weekend. :wink:
 
#29 ·
#30 ·
LOL...there's a certain level of neato value to a car in the process of modifications, but no, it isn't staying this way. Just getting everything installed before the whole thing gets fresh paint...in Designo C opper, of course. :wink:
 
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#31 ·
Kevin I have to ask what will you tell your insurance company ? Well it is a 32 but really it is not it just looks that way..:grin::grin: Good job so far have you given it any thought how to insure it since you did all the upgrades to it in case you have to do another high speed chase??
 
#33 ·
I haven't decided yet what to do about the insurance co. I once asked them about it being a designo (since that was roughly a $10k upgrade), and got back a "deer in the headlights" response. And, should anything happen to this one, I'm not sure I'll pursue a third "like" it.
 
#35 ·
In-Bumper Antenna

Just an update to the saga...

I installed the in-bumper antenna that was only available to euro spec R170s. I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's reception isn't noticeably less than the quarter panel mounted antenna. I did have to modify the connection to the antenna amp using the existing cable that connects the exterior antenna to the amp. (I wasn't about to try and jump through more hoops for a euro spec amp, plus the cost of these is outrageous.)

I also picked up a 2004 trunk lid so I can get rid of the distracting keyhole/push button trunk release in favor of the latch release and keyhole discreetly located above the license plate. This will make for a much cleaner appearance as those of you with '01-'04 R170s will attest. This one doesn't have the sat antenna, so my body guy will have to fill the hole.

Painting should start in a couple of weeks. I've decided to remove the bumpers and rocker panels and have them painted seperate from the rest of the car while also removing the grill, headlights, taillights and window trims. I want the least amount of taping as possible.
 
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#37 ·
Just an update to the saga...

I installed the in-bumper antenna that was only available to euro spec R170s. I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's reception isn't noticeably less than the quarter panel mounted antenna. I did have to modify the connection to the antenna amp using the existing cable that connects the exterior antenna to the amp. (I wasn't about to try and jump through more hoops for a euro spec amp, plus the cost of these is outrageous.)

I also picked up a 2004 trunk lid so I can get rid of the distracting keyhole/push button trunk release in favor of the latch release and keyhole discreetly located above the license plate. This will make for a much cleaner appearance as those of you with '01-'04 R170s will attest. This one doesn't have the sat antenna, so my body guy will have to fill the hole.

Painting should start in a couple of weeks. I've decided to remove the bumpers and rocker panels and have them painted seperate from the rest of the car while also removing the grill, headlights, taillights and window trims. I want the least amount of taping as possible.
Nope, you're not having any fun at all then, eh?
 
#36 ·
My SLK has the bumper mount antenna too, as do almost all R170s here ( strangely not all), and the reception, when I am away from the city, is far better than my Frankfurt designed hatchback of the same age, with its roof mounted whip antenna. I really like not having any external antenna. Much easier when using a car cover also.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Done...FINALLY!!

Well, I've learned that a lot of sanding is involved with body repair/modification/painting...PHEW!! I'm grateful I got to participate though (it was done in my neighbor's garage, who owned a body shop for 40 yrs), because if I had taken it to a body shop, I wouldn't have been afforded the hands-on opportunity (through helping and guiding) I was this way. Plus, I paid less than half of what I would have paid through a shop and likely wouldn't have received as nice and thorough a job, I'm certain. :nerd:

So, enjoy the rest of the photos! :grin:

Land vehicle Vehicle Hood Car Automotive design
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Luxury vehicle
Automotive exterior Bumper Auto part Vehicle Fender


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Rim Automotive tire
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Convertible
 
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