A few new (minor) mods...

**Cold Shot** · 06-05-2008

Spent a few hours washing the SLK today, which is always an opportunity for a few pics. I bought a new dish cleaning, spongy thing for doing the wheels. It took about two hours to clean the inside of the rims without dismounting them. I really liked the results...but man was that a lot of work. I think I have a system now that will shave about 30 minutes off the next attempt.

I have installed the following since my last pics:

-Eurolight clear side markers (with stock clear bulbs)
-AMG valve stem caps
-R170 stubby antenna (with signal boost mod)

The signal boost mod on the antenna was kindly performed by another SLK World member. He did a great job. He will go nameless unless he wishes to identify himself. I now have excellent reception of SmartKey for SmartTop operation. Not fully tested, but well over 100' in all directions. I checked FM signal and all is good. I rarely listen to anything other than Sirius (please Lord...give us XM stations after the merger).

The valve caps were not that expensive after my Mercedes Benz Club of America discount. If they get ripped off...so be it. My car is rather secure most places I take her.

As previously mentioned, I cracked a small part of the lower outer lens of the drivers side Eurolight upon install. After pouring a ton of water on the car today, no moisture formed on the inside. I think it will be OK.

Here are some new pics, and there are others in my new album.

EDIT: Posted in wrong section...Should have been in the R171 General Mods section. My bad.

**Dave54** · 06-05-2008

Looks fantastic. You did a great job with the mods

**-1-** · 06-05-2008

Very nice, your SLK 55 looks great. Two hours on the wheels, sound like torture, but I admire your dedication. Remember, a job worth doing is worth doing well. I have the same three mods on my SLK.

**etyu** · 06-06-2008

That black SLK looks really sharp

The clear side markers and mod R170 Euro Spec antenna looks real smart on the black 55.

Here's what I do/use to clean the wheels (takes about 20-30 minutes for 4 wheels) each time before washing the car body:

Materials:
1. Old cellulose sponge (hand-me-downs from the kitchen). This way the sponge is well-worn but still useful and has less chance of scratching the wheels.

2. Modified long brush tool used to clean the coils from underneath the refrigerator (available at WalMart, Home Depot, Sears, etc for about USD $6). This tool comes originally with a tapered end that's about 1/2" wide and 4" long, the main body has bristles that are 1.5" wide and are soft enough to not cause any scratches. To modify: remove the black rubber end cap by twisting it off, cut at the junction between the 1.5-inch-wide main body and the narrow o.5-inch-wide tapered end with pair of pliers (easily done as the twisted wire is on the soft side), reinsert the black rubber end cap by twisting. It's important to reinsert the black end cap or you'll have a sharp edge that can damage paintwork. This also prevents the remaining bristles from unraveling and coming off. The modified brush is about 8.5 inches long on the bristle part, not counting the wooden handle (which is another 8 inches long) and should work ok for wheels that are 9" deep.

3. Meguair's Wheel Brightener wheel cleaner D-140 (safe for clear coats, factory painted and chrome wheels, non-acid), diluted 1:4 (as recommended by manufacturer) in a spray bottle that has graduations on its side. I bought a gallon from a car detailer supply place for USD $24. This was 20 Jan 2007. Pix below show that I still have 2/3 left today (17 months). I generally use this every 1-2 weeks before each car wash.

Method:
1. Rinse wheels with gentle spray from garden hose to remove most of the accumulated brake dust.
2. Spray the diluted wheel brightener solution from Meguairs unto the wheel including the inner surface (usually one squirt between each spoke aiming from the center and outward towards the inner horizontal surface). This stuff works great on removing brake dust.
3. Gently agitate with the wet but worn (but still usable) cellulose sponge. I start at the hub and lug nuts, and then on each spoke at the vertical surface, then on the innner horizontal surface (the sponge only cleans the outer 2 or 3 inches of the inner horizontal surface of the wheel). I also use a dripping garden hose (noozle is opened very slightly) on one hand to continuously keep the sponge wet (much like lubricant being slowly poured over something that's being worked on in industrial applications) while doing the agitation.
4. Use the modified brush to clean the rest of the inner horizontal wheel surface by inserting in-between spokes and clean with a gentle to-and-fro and sideways motion, dripping garden hose on one hand and the brush on the other.
5. Rinse the entire wheel with a gentle spray from garden hose once the whole wheel is done.

Each 16-spoke OEM wheel takes about 5-6 minutes.

I also sometimes spray Z-6 gloss enancer (other products will also work) unto a clean cloth and treat the wheels (after they've been dried with compressed air and towel).

Hope the above saves you some time in cleaning the wheels. I think it works well to keep the wheels relatively clean without having to remove the wheels to clean the inner surface.

My apologies for the long post.

livefreeordie · 06-06-2008

Car looks great, did you look at a pair of black side marker lights before getting the clear one's???

**-1-** · 06-06-2008

Cleaning the wheels is my least favorite part when washing my cars. I've learned several things, the bigger the wheel, and less spokes, the better. A good brush for reaching tough areas is a must. Dripping water from the rusted rotors makes a mess.

**alroumi** · 06-06-2008

I am Mclovin it, nice reg plates too.

N4PWJ · 06-06-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by alroumi

I am Mclovin it, nice reg plates too.

i see what you did there MO, Superbad...what a movie!!! especially his genitil drawing obsession

.

nice car...black is hard to beat when shined up correctly!

**alroumi** · 06-06-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by N4PWJ

i see what you did there MO, Superbad...what a movie!!! especially his genitil drawing obsession

.

nice car...black is hard to beat when shined up correctly!

Glad you caught it mate,

**SLKCop** · 06-06-2008

Very nice job, Cold Shot. Black is definitely the color! I like the valve stem caps also. Sharp looking.

Mike

**Cold Shot** · 06-06-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by livefreeordie

Car looks great, did you look at a pair of black side marker lights before getting the clear one's???

No, I pretty much knew I wanted clear\silver to compliment the headlights and mirror housings. Maybe if I had black wheels it would have been a consideration for me.

**V8SLK** · 06-07-2008

the stubby antenna and clear lenses (lensi?) look great... probably the best bang for the buck in appearance mods. your car has that tough, but classy look that i really like.

Mighty Joe · 06-07-2008

Black is beautiful!!!

06-05-2008	#3 (permalink)
-1- Don Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia USA Vehicle: SLK 55 ///AMG The MON55TER on the block Posts: 2,167 Country: Thanks: 49 Thanked 43 Times in 31 Posts	Very nice, your SLK 55 looks great. Two hours on the wheels, sound like torture, but I admire your dedication. Remember, a job worth doing is worth doing well. I have the same three mods on my SLK. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *-----------------1-----------------* ---------SLK 55 ///AMG--------- TOP D0WN-URGE 2 DRIVE GOES UP

06-06-2008	#4 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 4,912 Country: Thanks: 314 Thanked 207 Times in 107 Posts	That black SLK looks really sharp The clear side markers and mod R170 Euro Spec antenna looks real smart on the black 55. Here's what I do/use to clean the wheels (takes about 20-30 minutes for 4 wheels) each time before washing the car body: Materials: 1. Old cellulose sponge (hand-me-downs from the kitchen). This way the sponge is well-worn but still useful and has less chance of scratching the wheels. 2. Modified long brush tool used to clean the coils from underneath the refrigerator (available at WalMart, Home Depot, Sears, etc for about USD $6). This tool comes originally with a tapered end that's about 1/2" wide and 4" long, the main body has bristles that are 1.5" wide and are soft enough to not cause any scratches. To modify: remove the black rubber end cap by twisting it off, cut at the junction between the 1.5-inch-wide main body and the narrow o.5-inch-wide tapered end with pair of pliers (easily done as the twisted wire is on the soft side), reinsert the black rubber end cap by twisting. It's important to reinsert the black end cap or you'll have a sharp edge that can damage paintwork. This also prevents the remaining bristles from unraveling and coming off. The modified brush is about 8.5 inches long on the bristle part, not counting the wooden handle (which is another 8 inches long) and should work ok for wheels that are 9" deep. 3. Meguair's Wheel Brightener wheel cleaner D-140 (safe for clear coats, factory painted and chrome wheels, non-acid), diluted 1:4 (as recommended by manufacturer) in a spray bottle that has graduations on its side. I bought a gallon from a car detailer supply place for USD $24. This was 20 Jan 2007. Pix below show that I still have 2/3 left today (17 months). I generally use this every 1-2 weeks before each car wash. Method: 1. Rinse wheels with gentle spray from garden hose to remove most of the accumulated brake dust. 2. Spray the diluted wheel brightener solution from Meguairs unto the wheel including the inner surface (usually one squirt between each spoke aiming from the center and outward towards the inner horizontal surface). This stuff works great on removing brake dust. 3. Gently agitate with the wet but worn (but still usable) cellulose sponge. I start at the hub and lug nuts, and then on each spoke at the vertical surface, then on the innner horizontal surface (the sponge only cleans the outer 2 or 3 inches of the inner horizontal surface of the wheel). I also use a dripping garden hose (noozle is opened very slightly) on one hand to continuously keep the sponge wet (much like lubricant being slowly poured over something that's being worked on in industrial applications) while doing the agitation. 4. Use the modified brush to clean the rest of the inner horizontal wheel surface by inserting in-between spokes and clean with a gentle to-and-fro and sideways motion, dripping garden hose on one hand and the brush on the other. 5. Rinse the entire wheel with a gentle spray from garden hose once the whole wheel is done. Each 16-spoke OEM wheel takes about 5-6 minutes. I also sometimes spray Z-6 gloss enancer (other products will also work) unto a clean cloth and treat the wheels (after they've been dried with compressed air and towel). Hope the above saves you some time in cleaning the wheels. I think it works well to keep the wheels relatively clean without having to remove the wheels to clean the inner surface. My apologies for the long post. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.* EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, HyperWhite license plate lamps ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Scott), bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

06-06-2008	#6 (permalink)
-1- Don Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia USA Vehicle: SLK 55 ///AMG The MON55TER on the block Posts: 2,167 Country: Thanks: 49 Thanked 43 Times in 31 Posts	Cleaning the wheels is my least favorite part when washing my cars. I've learned several things, the bigger the wheel, and less spokes, the better. A good brush for reaching tough areas is a must. Dripping water from the rusted rotors makes a mess. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *-----------------1-----------------* ---------SLK 55 ///AMG--------- TOP D0WN-URGE 2 DRIVE GOES UP

06-06-2008	#7 (permalink)
alroumi Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait Vehicle: 2006 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG Other Toys: 2007 Ebony Jaguar XKR Coupe' and 06 Black Cayenne S Posts: 6,021 Country: Thanks: 229 Thanked 157 Times in 95 Posts	I am Mclovin it, nice reg plates too. __________________ 06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG 06 Porsche Cayenne S 07 Jaguar XKR Coupe' I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

06-07-2008	#12 (permalink)
V8SLK Life is good... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Home of the brave Vehicle: 05 SLK55 AMG Posts: 1,075 Country: Thanks: 47 Thanked 48 Times in 26 Posts	the stubby antenna and clear lenses (lensi?) look great... probably the best bang for the buck in appearance mods. your car has that tough, but classy look that i really like. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Scott

06-05-2008	#2 (permalink)
Dave54 SLK World Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Vehicle: 2009 SLK 350 Posts: 88 Country: Thanks: 47 Thanked 12 Times in 9 Posts	Looks fantastic. You did a great job with the mods

06-06-2008	#5 (permalink)
livefreeordie Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rochester,NH Vehicle: 2002 slk230K 2008 Honda CRV Posts: 126 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	Car looks great, did you look at a pair of black side marker lights before getting the clear one's???

06-06-2008	#10 (permalink)
SLKCop Click it or ticket! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Burleson, Texas Vehicle: Black/Black 2002 SLK-230 Kompressor [6MT] Other Toys: 2007 Toyota Tundra Posts: 302 Country: Thanks: 63 Thanked 74 Times in 43 Posts	Very nice job, Cold Shot. Black is definitely the color! I like the valve stem caps also. Sharp looking. Mike

06-07-2008	#13 (permalink)
Mighty Joe SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta, Ga Vehicle: 2006 SLK55 AMG Posts: 86 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Black is beautiful!!!

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