THOUGHT ID SHARE THIS WITH YOU GUYS IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRILL OF A C43 YOU'LL SEE TWO SQUARES BLOCKING THE AIR INTAKES IN THE GRILL YOU CAN REMOVE THE GRILL AND CAREFULLY CLEAN THE THE SLOTS UP TO ALLOW UNRESTRICTED FLOW TO YOUR INTAKE. ONE DISADVANTAGE IS YOU'LL SUCK UP ALL KINDS OF BUGS AND SUCH SO YOU HAVE TO CLEAN YOUR AIR FILTERS ALOT , ABOUT ONCE A WEEK WITH A SHOP VAC. YOU CAN EXPECT TO PICK UP ABOUT 2 TENTHS IN THE QUARTER, NO LIE. 60 FT TIMES WONT CHANGE MUCH BUT AS YOU GET TOWARDS THE END OF THE QUARTER YOU'LL FEEL THE DIFFERENCE. wATER DOSENT SEEM TO HAVE ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT , DROVE IN A RAIN STORM PIKED UP NO WATER. ALSO, TO THE TECHS OUT THERE IS IT POSSIBLE TO PROGRAM A C43 COMPUTER WITH E55 DATA OR SWAP THE TWO COMPUTERS I BET IF YOU COULD SEE THE FUEL CURVES AND TIMING CURVE THE E55 DATA IS MORE AGGRESSIVE. JUST MY TWO CENTS THE RAM AIR DEAL DOES WORK BUT TAKES ALOT OF TIME TO DO A GOOD JOB AND MAKE IT LOOK FACTORY I USED A HACK SAW BLADE AND A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT SIZE FILES CAME OUT LOOKING FACTORY.

My car has a removable cover on the drivers side? what year is your car? I always take the cover off for autocross or "fun runs" and then put it back. I figured i wasn't loosing out to much with half the increase. When you say 2/10's - is that with a Gtech, timing slip, or seat of the pants?

As for reprogramming - AMG put in the max aggressive program for our cars - you just need to access it by driving hard for a little while. The proof of this is that the aftermarket chips that do exist just remove the top speed limiter.

Anyway, Since we're both in NY, perhaps i'll come to saratoga for some side by side runs?


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Noah
1999 C43
4Noah

I've been checking out the E55 intake and it also looks like a restricted a flow. Looks like with some modifications, these could be cleaned up also to help air flow and gain some HP.
Gary

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http://clubs.snap.com/mercedesbenze55registry/index.lhtml
00 AMG E55
96 DCM Impala SS
94 ZR-1
81 Corvette Cpe

I USUALLY RUN AT LEBANON VALLEY SPEED WAY SO THATS WHERE THE 2/10THS CAME FROM MY GRILL HAD TO SOLID BLOCKS IN THE GRILL ITS A 99. IS THE RIGHT SIDE YOUR TALKING ABOUT FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR OR FROM THE DRIVERS POSITION? RIGHT NOW I HAVE A FACTORY GRILL BACK IN THE CAR GAVE MY OTHER TO A FRIEND WHO WANTED TO TRY IT OUT BEFORE HE WENT AND CHANGED HIS. I DONT KNOW IF YOUVE SEEN SIMILAR RESULTS BY PULLING OUT THE BLOCK BUT IT SEEMS THAT IT WOULD BE ALMOST AS EFFECTIVE. AT SPEED THE BLOCKS DO BECOME A HINDERENCE TO AIRFLOW THE RAM AIR EFFECT SEEMS TO REALLY HELP OUT AS SPPED GOES UP. IF ANYONE OUT THERE IS LISTENING WANT TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK JUST MANUFACTURE THESE THINGS IT WOULD BE JUST AS EFFECTIVE ON ANY C CLASS OR ANY OTHER MODEL WITH THE BLOCK INSTALLED, JUST ONE WARNING DONT GO FLYING THROUGH PUDDLES OR SOMETHING FOOLISH LIKE THAT YOU'LL HYDRAULIC THE HEAD (READ AS $$$$). SO IF YOU DO MODIFY YOU CAR LIKE THIS USE COMMON SENSE AND YOU SHOULD HAVE NO PROBOLEMS.

You nailed my biggest concern with the hydro-lock issue. That is why i drive with the shield in place. I will take photos this weekend and post them so you see what i'm talking about.

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Noah
1999 C43
4Noah