Modifications

[RicaSLK]

Hi all, I am Jake, Rica's husband, and, those of you that have seen it I drive that "Japanese shopping trolley" . With that in mind, I am sure you have guessed that I do like to tinker wth my cars, then, give them a blast up the 1/4 mile.

Looking at the factory figures (I know, disaster), but, 15.5 secs is not really that inspiring for a stock SLK320, neither is the 6.5 to 60mph. So, is there a modding path that people take with these cars (exhaust, induction, ecu, injectors, fuel pumps etc), or are they considered sacred and should be driven, not butcherd? .

Don't get me wrong, I love the car, it really is a fantastic ride, smooth, and, the exhaust gives a lovely note at 4K rpms, I actually enjoy driving it more than the Skyline, I just wish it were a little quicker.

Cheers all,

Jake

 

[pammy]

Hi Jake - welcome, you might want to register yourself so we don't get mixed up with who we're chatting to

Basically it's your car so of course you do what you want to it. What you need to bear in mind is the effect on any resale value. Modded merc's generally don't pull back what's been changed. Certain mod's might make it more saleable or might have the opposite effect Only real class mod's from AMG, Brabus etc are likely to be worth doing from a car value perspective. In which case - hope you've got deep pockets that are full to the brim

It all depends what you want to acheive, the biggest bit of advice would be get whatever you get done done well.

Personally I find the 320 perfect as it is for general running around and having fun . It also depends how much more you want to put in it and also the kind of image you want to portray.

I can't say there is a general performance mod for the 320, some ppl will have done different things, but I would say live with it a bit longer first. It's a lovely engine with a very sweet note. It is meant to be a refined car - not butchered

 

[SimonsMerc]

The best upgrade for an SLK 320 is to sell it and get one with a bigger engine. You could consider the new SLK350 (I have heard good things but not driven one yet), or of course an SLK55AMG.

Personally I love the SLK320. It's such a smooth drive, it has exactly as much power as you want in an two seater roadster, and it cruises comfortably. I have heard people compare it to say the Porsche Boxster 3.2S; personally I think that's a bad comparison. Not because of the difference in engine power or handling, but because they are totally different kinds of cars. The SLK is a refined cruiser - I could drive all the way to Poland with it and still be happy. The boxster - superb for going out for a fast drive, ideally on a track somewhere, but not sure I could drive 28 hours straight and still be smiling

Bear in mind though that I don't own any of these cars, I've just driven ones that belong to my friends and test driven a couple through dealers. Wish I could afford one!

-simon