PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Upgrade 83 Mer 500 SEC from 88 Volvo GLE?

crhenkel · #65 08-22-2007, 09:55 AM

Do yourself a favor and keep everything in the car that it came with, at least for a while until you decide if you will keep it or not. The "cool" factor on your new car is it is a Euro car. If you haven't noticed yet, many people are interested in the Euro version over the US due to lots of subtle differences, some not subtle at all. ABS brakes, Air bag, shorter more attractive front and rear bumpers, German style road warning triangle in the trunk ( worth an easy $30-40), fire extinguisher ( very hard to find and not worth losing and not finding one again), Very cool factory adjustable height headlamps ( rotating dial at headlight switch allows driver to adjust height of headlamp beam to account for additional weight in car causing lights to point too high up off road, very cool and only on Euro cars), factory Euro style headlamps ( tons of people swap their US lamps for Euro lamps and you should have the expensive Bosch brand tons of people wont spend the $ for. Not positive, but I would think the exhaust is better flowing than a US car and the engine might even put out better power due to less strick Euro regulations. On some cars the diff between a US version and a Euro car can be 10-20 horrsepower, for free...nothing to laugh at, MB engines are good and hard to get more real horsepower out of them for little money.
In any case, I am glad you went for the car, do some baseline preventitive maintenance and drive it for a while and see what you think you want to fix next, trust me, you will enjoy the car on the road. If you decide to change the stereo to use a cd player, might I recommend at least saving the old stereo to keep the car an original Euro. You might consider a cd changer in the truck, easy and hidden.
Enjoy and good luck.
PS - dealers can get you a new manual for the US versions and maybe the Euro car since you have proof of ownership, sometimes they wont order Euro parts for a non euro car, they only cost about $25. The US version will at least give you a guide you can read.