New Project...JDM AMG CE! - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

duxthe1 · #31 11-22-2024, 09:26 PM

Wheels installed and its officially a driver! Even with a stock 3.2 module installed, this thing F-n rips. It makes me REALLY want to leave the 3.69 gearing in it

With just the slightest power braking it will break traction. It's been a ton of work and a fair bit of expense to get to this point but it is so gratifying to have it immediately be so fun to drive.

duxthe1 · #32 12-12-2024, 01:37 AM

Another milestone today, temporary registration! Its now road legal and has some miles under it. The gearing is confirmed way too low, but damn is it FUN. The front struts are non-existent and the wheels can still rub the fenders with the wheel turned and struts bottomed out. The odometer is broken and the speedo doesn't match the gearing. The articulating wiper doesn't articulate. The motor mounts from the donor car are not damping ANYTHING. The blower didn't last the evening but the dual zone climate control was tits while it worked. Headlight aim is way off.

The alignment is pretty close. The brakes feel good despite sitting for an extended period. The exhaust sounds good but is quite unobtrusive without a hint of droning. It starts instantly and runs strong. The car overall feels solid and fast. Struts and motor mounts will transform the driving experience. May have to wait past the holidays.

duxthe1 · #33 Yesterday, 04:49 PM

I've got a few hundred miles on the CE now. Watching the fuel gauge, it seems mostly accurate, though I didn't run it down to the reserve. It'll need to prove its trustworthiness first. This necessitated fixing the odometer. Out the cluster came and then apart. The speedo isn't too difficult to get apart, though a bit fiddley. I repositioned the out of place gears and regained the functionality. Back together with the needle positioned to be a bit more accurate. With the odo functional I could compare it against gps and determine that it is 10.8% off. This would correspond to the speedo being accurate for 3.29/3.27 gearing. I once sold a 3.27 diff, kicking myself now.

The two things really detracting from the driving experience is the flat motor mounts and the completely whooped front struts. Since I sold the goofy 19" wheels that came with the car I went ahead and splurged for the Bilstein B8 struts. These are the sport tuned struts specifically for lowered cars. I also ordered in strut mounts considering the amount of cracking in these. I was hopeful that the mounts would arrive in time to do them with the struts at the same time. You cant always get what you want. I would have normally waited but the original struts were just too far gone to keep driving the car. Any bump or dip in the road surface felt like the full weight of the car slamming solid into the rims, enough to be worried that I may have already damaged the new wheels or blown out a sidewall.

The struts are of course night and day different. The damping is firm but not harsh. The car does feel more nimble, though I haven't really pushed it hard. My confidence is way up with it. Engine mounts will likley arrive at the same time as the strut mounts so I'm looking forward to both improvements in the near future.