installed a new grill from Bekkers on the c280

[LeftCoastBias]

meg picked out a new grill from bekkers that better matches the sport package trim on her mercedes.

it looks great, i think.

ordered it from tony- real smooth deal, got here in just a few days and we were good to go!


here's some pics of the install (the first time around, my buddy tim and i forgot to place the hood latch the first time, and the second time we put it in the wrong slot!)


pictures courtesy of kim's younger brother (tim's girlfriend).


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0557.jpg


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0565.jpg


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0572.jpg


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0575.jpg


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0577.jpg


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0578.jpg


http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/albums/album22/IMG_0579.jpg


more pics found here: http://www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/album22

[sacc230]

looks pretty good mane

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by sacc230
looks pretty good mane

thanks! she likes it a lot. i think it looks good, too.


knowing my modding habits, it's only going to get worse for my wallet and better looking for the car. :(

[jnolte]

clear corners

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by jnolte
clear corners

and lowering springs/shocks
sway bars
18" (maybe monoblocks?)


...as a start. http://www.tehdriven.com/forum/images/smilies/custom/devillook.gif

[sacc230]

___________________________________________
Originally posted by LeftCoastBias
[B]and lowering springs/shocks
sway bars
18" (maybe monoblocks?)
____________________________________________

thats gonna look sick!!

one q how much did the grille cost?

[c55m8o]

Is that a carbon fibre look? I recall someone wrote once no grill had a carbon fibre look w/o modding. It that a new option or did you mod it?

[sacc230]

its a new option i think

[EveryDayHustlin]

You can find the carbon grille at www.bekkers.com it looks really good i'm glad I got to see it up close and personal, great work on the step by step and pics! That grille totally changed the look of the front of the car good job.

P.S. Its listed for $159 on their site Part #202-74223 thats w/o shipping I believe.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by EveryDayHustlin
You can find the carbon grille at www.bekkers.com it looks really good i'm glad I got to see it up close and personal, great work on the step by step and pics! That grille totally changed the look of the front of the car good job.

P.S. Its listed for $159 on their site Part #202-74223 thats w/o shipping I believe.

tell them LCB sent you; ask for tony.


i'm sure he'll knock something off the price ;)












yes, it's a CF look grill from bekkers... i can't remember how much i spent on it, it was over a month ago- i just didn't get to installing it for awhile.

[LeftCoastBias]

this is a long ways off... but i gotta decide if i'm going to go with an amg bumper/side skirts kit or brabus...


or maybe you guys have other suggestions? i should start a seperate thread...




...i like the "understated" look. modded, but not bling.



...a good example is my 190- i want to make the c280 look as nice as the 190 without being over the top.

www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/190e

[Proven Guilty]

Originally posted by LeftCoastBias
this is a long ways off... but i gotta decide if i'm going to go with an amg bumper/side skirts kit or brabus...


or maybe you guys have other suggestions? i should start a seperate thread...




...i like the "understated" look. modded, but not bling.



...a good example is my 190- i want to make the c280 look as nice as the 190 without being over the top.

www.leftcoastbias.com/gallery/190e

san diego, ca? you have a PM.. heh

[rollinrealbig]

Nice very nice, love the car color!

so its a CF "look" ? I think I may need a new grill soon ... Real CF would be sick.

you guys think its worth trying an over-lay on my "S600 style" ebay grill ? looks the same as bekkers grill.

Im CF hungry and my CF spoiler is about to come in on the 10th. :cool:

[Denlasoul]

Originally posted by LeftCoastBias
tell them LCB sent you; ask for tony.
i'm sure he'll knock something off the price ;)
If you told him I sent you, he would have given you a better price. ;)

[EveryDayHustlin]

If you told him I sent you, he would have given you a better price.

I'll remember you said that cause i'm bout to call them and order this grille soon :cool:

[JRE320]

Originally posted by LeftCoastBias
thanks! she likes it a lot. i think it looks good, too.


knowing my modding habits, it's only going to get worse for my wallet and better looking for the car. :(

There's no turning back now. Your hook into modding.
It's worse than a drug on the street when you started modding. :D ;)

[Proven Guilty]

that's a great price considering it includes a new grille frame

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by Denlasoul
If you told him I sent you, he would have given you a better price. ;)

lol i really really doubt i could have gotten a better deal than i did. ;)



i know i'm a n00b as far as club202 is concerned... but you'll be surprised how far my reaches go in other auto worlds :p

[EveryDayHustlin]

Ordered mine got a good deal not sure if it was the best I could get but 147.00 shipped and I wasnt complaining I was going to pay full price on the site so anything is better than nothing, Delt with Tony real easy guy to deal with. Now i'm just awaiting the grille, must say i'm pretty stoked after seeing LCB's pics.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by EveryDayHustlin
Ordered mine got a good deal not sure if it was the best I could get but 147.00 shipped and I wasnt complaining I was going to pay full price on the site so anything is better than nothing, Delt with Tony real easy guy to deal with. Now i'm just awaiting the grille, must say i'm pretty stoked after seeing LCB's pics.

once installed, it looks great.

if our w202 was a bit more modded, it would be even more noticable, but it is still worlds above the stock grill.

and if you have the stock/oem CF trim from the sport package- it plays off each other perfectly! looks like it was meant to be that way stock.

[rollinrealbig]

you guys are lucky you get the frame and the insert, us ebayers just get an insert. :(

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by rollinrealbig
you guys are lucky you get the frame and the insert, us ebayers just get an insert. :(

my w201 is the same way... just because ebay's pretty much the only place to really find mods for a car that old.

[Denlasoul]

Hey LCB-

Did you use the bekkers screw tab holders when you mounted the grille? For my grille that I ordered, the tab holders were weak so I popped off my OEM ones and used em.

Oh yeah, welcome!

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by Denlasoul
Hey LCB-

Did you use the bekkers screw tab holders when you mounted the grille? For my grille that I ordered, the tab holders were weak so I popped off my OEM ones and used em.

Oh yeah, welcome!

yeah, i used the holders that came with the grill- they were fine.


if i notice any weirdness, i can go back to the stock ones- and i'll post back to let you know. but so far, i think they're going to hold just fine.



and thanks for the welcome!

[Polestar]

you guys are lucky you get the frame and the insert, us ebayers just get an insert.

It's not luck, it's paying more to get more. What does an Ebay insert cost-$50-$80? Bekkers charges around $150; there's your frame.

BTW love the pics of the install. Good pics make most posts so much better.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by Denlasoul
Hey LCB-

Did you use the bekkers screw tab holders when you mounted the grille? For my grille that I ordered, the tab holders were weak so I popped off my OEM ones and used em.

Oh yeah, welcome!


hey den- did you have any problems with your hood latch hanging out like a dog wagging it's tongue?

i dont know what to do about mine, it just shoots out and sticks out obnoxiously.

[Denlasoul]

Originally posted by LeftCoastBias
hey den- did you have any problems with your hood latch hanging out like a dog wagging it's tongue?

i dont know what to do about mine, it just shoots out and sticks out obnoxiously.
From your pictures, looks like you are putting the latch on the third row of the grille, is that so?

I took a look at mine, and the only things I can think of that may cause the puller to stick out is: 1) broken spring 2) your latch is sticking and not creating any tension for the puller to go back to the correct position.

Can you snap a good pic of the underside of the grille and hood latch? Maybe I can spot something.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by Denlasoul
From your pictures, looks like you are putting the latch on the third row of the grille, is that so?

I took a look at mine, and the only things I can think of that may cause the puller to stick out is: 1) broken spring 2) your latch is sticking and not creating any tension for the puller to go back to the correct position.

Can you snap a good pic of the underside of the grille and hood latch? Maybe I can spot something.

the latch is in the second row of slats- the first row has the grooves for it, but it was at an angle where you could not pull it out - so i had to use my fingers to manually release the hood; and re-install the grill. (design flaw)



i'll try to grab a pic tomorrow- it's overcast here and the sun is too far gone for you to get a decent shot without lots of flash shining back at you.


i wonder how rediculously hard it will be to find a new spring if that's the culpret lol.

[fintail]

Any new pics of the grille and the latch issue?

I ordered this grille and it arrived today. As luck would have it the one I received has a crack in the center vertical part, below the second slat. The plastic insert doesn't line up with the chrome properly all the way across either, so it seems to be a manufacturing issue - the box was undamaged. Now I am sure I'll get to wait another 8 days due to the wonders of UPS. I hope this isn't a bad omen...

[EveryDayHustlin]

Originally posted by fintail
Any new pics of the grille and the latch issue?

I ordered this grille and it arrived today. As luck would have it the one I received has a crack in the center vertical part, below the second slat. The plastic insert doesn't line up with the chrome properly all the way across either, so it seems to be a manufacturing issue - the box was undamaged. Now I am sure I'll get to wait another 8 days due to the wonders of UPS. I hope this isn't a bad omen...

Thats funny man cause I ordered the same grille and got it damaged just about the same as yours was. I was pretty pissed since I was assured good quality and got crap, plus I got a great deal on it by calling direct and mentioning club202 and a few of the guys from the site..... now awaiting the next one (sigh) least they let me keep the broken one for free. I hope I dont have to go through a third, just goes to show you how cheap these are probably made. At the momeny i'm not happy, and if the second one is as poor as the first i'm just gunna say screw it. Maybe its a curse for us in Northwesterners. =P

-Matt

P.S. Heres a few Pics of the broken one.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/ilovekacey/Matt_sgrille007-copy.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/ilovekacey/Matt_sgrille003-copy.jpg

[jnolte]

just about as low quality as that "CF" screen print, too bad it wasent real cf that would be awesome.

[EveryDayHustlin]

Yeah its too bad really... you would think that people would make quality products for a car like mercedes.

[OzC36]

I bought mine from this mob. Cheap, good and functional.

http://motors.search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&from=R10&satitle=mercedes+grille&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&fmmk=&fmmd=&fylo=&fyhi=&mppfqy=mercedes+grille&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP%2FPostal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&seller=1&sass=redcometm3&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search&fgtp=

[fintail]

Maybe there is a defective batch of them or something? What a strange coincidence...mine was cracked just like that, but on the center post. Also, one of the chrome tabs on the side was bent at an odd angle. I emailed Bekkers yesterday evening, no reply yet - I am going to call in a bit. I too will give it one more shot, then just move on. I like the mult-slat look, and I'd like this to work.

[EveryDayHustlin]

Heres what I did that got the best results fin. Call Bekkers Directly at 1-800-624-5410 and ask for Anthony (or Tony) at x33 hes the one that hooked me up and is easy to deal with. He might want some pics of the broken pieces but if this is a wide spread problem recently for them maybe another phone call will get someones ass in gear and the quality of the product might improve. Hope it works out for the both of us as of right now i'm not satisfied, Good luck - Matt

[fintail]

I just called him...he wants a couple pics, which I will get later today. Seemed nice enough, I hope that's a good sign. I'll suggest they do an inspection before they ship another.

[LeftCoastBias]

tony's my boy- just tell him that LCB sent you and he'll take care of you, and any issues from their manufactorers.



oh and to update you, it was the spring on my latch. i'll get pics this weekend (hopefully) for you.


the spring was catching on a tiny bit of plastic, so i took a straight-edge razor and trimmed the plastic about a quarter inch (or less) to allow the spring to move freely.


NO MORE LATCH ISSUE! (it looked like a dog with it's tongue hanging out)

[fintail]

I talked to him Friday, he said he'd send a new one Monday. I sent pics, but apparently they never arrived, so I sent them again. I am going to call tomorrow just to be sure. I hope this time it works better. I was really put off by the center vertical bar alignment on the one I received, not to mention the crack.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by fintail
I talked to him Friday, he said he'd send a new one Monday. I sent pics, but apparently they never arrived, so I sent them again. I am going to call tomorrow just to be sure. I hope this time it works better. I was really put off by the center vertical bar alignment on the one I received, not to mention the crack.
yeah, that sucks.

but as long as he takes care of it, you should be ok.




i hope for his sake, he can get a refund from the manufacturor.

[fintail]

They received my email and are shipping a new unit today. He said he'll wait til it arrives, have me inspect it, and then ship the old one or both back should the new one also have issues. He said they'd be making a claim to the manufacturer. So I guess that's as good as one can hope for.

[unHookt]

keep us posted cuz I just had a piece of heavy metal come through my grill on the way home on I-80 yesterday evening!

[fintail]

I got my new grille today. Easy install, not even any problems with the hood latch. The new one is pretty decent, maybe 85% of OEM quality, but I am very picky, so to many people I am sure it looks perfect. I am happy with it.

I am pretty sure it is actually from a different batch or supplier than the broken one - the plastic insert is of a different design.

Here it is on the car - crappy pic in a garage, but it shows how it fits:

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/853/newgrillefn0.jpg

And now I have the old one with the pile of junk on top of my TV cabinet. I can't put a MB grille out of sight

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/1544/grilletvmx8.jpg

[EveryDayHustlin]

so much better, that looks perfect on your car it blends really good with the silver!

[fintail]

Yeah, I think it looks good with the color. It fits better than I expected too...I had low hopes after the broken fiasco. So, what to do next...

[Dubbin']

Uhh.. Just wondering. Where you in a parking lot when you put that in..?

[fintail]

Nope, I was in a garage.

[Dubbin']

Originally posted by fintail
Nope, I was in a garage.

Ahh.. You live in bellevue! Me too!
I wasn't talking about you. The 2 doods in the first picture look like their in a parking lot..

[fintail]

Yep I'm in in Bellevue. There are a few local people who post here. There was a small gtg at factoria last Sunday.

And yeah those pics look like a parking lot or some kind of driver training lot.

[Dubbin']

Originally posted by fintail
Yep I'm in in Bellevue. There are a few local people who post here. There was a small gtg at factoria last Sunday.

And yeah those pics look like a parking lot or some kind of driver training lot.

Yeah. I was at that get together.. Late though. We showed up around 3:30..

[fintail]

Ah OK, didn't know who I was talking to. We'll all have to do it again sometime...maybe I'll see you around.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally posted by Dubbin'
Uhh.. Just wondering. Where you in a parking lot when you put that in..?

actually we were at the auto-cross for the san diego BMWCCA; in the parking lot of qualcom stadium.


i have a few bmw's, too. and my buddy (with the shorter darker hair) was running that day.

he actually came in first in his class after putting some work in on the w202!