Hi

I have a 1995 C280 with a Universal Hi-Performance Muffler. I have stock 15X7 rims on there and wanted to fit stock 98 SLK rims on there. Will they fit on without any problems. Is there anything I need to know. Also, how I can I make my car faster without speding much money. (I'm in college and don't have much to spend) Someone told me I could change the final drive gear ratios and increase acceleration 0-60 times. Is a K&M air filter worth it? Please advise. thanks

Troy

Hi Troy,
Your C280 should be able to take the SLK rims with no problem. As long as you run the 17x7.5 with 225/45/17 in front and the 17x8.5 with 245/40/17 in rear you should be okay. Or for the 16" SLK rims stick with the 225/50/16 size used and you should be fine. There are many good tires made in those sizes. Let me know what your priorities are in a tire and I'll give you specific brand recommendations.

As far as other mods...not much you can do to make your car ALOT faster for not much money. Leave the diff alone, yes it will give you some performance gains but it will also cause some headaches in doing. A 75-100HP NOS kit should give you great power (abeing in spurts) for under $1K. Not to mention it can be installed and uninstalled pretty easily vs the many hours of labor for engine work, cams, superchargers, turbo chargers, etc. Search the Shop Forum for references to K&N's. In my experience they add a bit of sound but really don't do that much for performance. You are just as well to stick with a clean OE (Mann for example) filter.

However, you may be able to get some minor gains for very little to no cost if you know what you are doing. Add some resistance to the coolant temp sensor and the intake air temp sensor. That might buy you some additional HP.

Hope this helps...Lee

Having just driven a 1999 C280 for 2 days (180 miles) The best thing you can do is upgrade the wheels and suspension. Man you have to be carefull not to scrape your elbow in the hard left turns. That car NEEDS a sport package. If you upgrade your suspension and tires the car will feel faster, be faster in the turns, and be a whole lot more fun. That is the cheapest way to go. I would say you don't need wider rear wheels but you should go with 17x7.5 wheels and 225/45R17's all around on a GOOD summer tire. Keep your OEM wheels for winter. Then get yourself to an autocross and enjoy the car.

I agree with just getting a new OEM filter. I have yet to see dyno proof for the K&N but have seen proof for a Clean OEM.


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Noah
1999 C43
http://4Noah.homepage.com