Mike's Roadster

Projectors Installed

noreply@blogger.com (McGuire) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:23:00 +0000

My left headlamp cracked, so it was perfect time to replace the old, foggy headlamps with an updated look. These projector headlamps were the perfect solution.

It was a fairly straightforward installation. I had to remove the grill to get the old headlamp assembly out, but then it was all smooth sailing. Took about an hour to do the whole thing.

Here's a before and after pic:

Grill Modification

noreply@blogger.com (McGuire) — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:50:00 +0000

In order to personalize my roadster, I decided to add a couple of chrome strips on the front grill. These were available on eBay. I got them for about $10, but shortly afterward I guess they became more popular and last I looked, they were going for about $40. I also painted the mesh portion of the grill from the OEM dark gray to black.

Here's some before pics.

Some photos taken during the process:

And the final product:

Bluetooth Microphone Modification

noreply@blogger.com (McGuire) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:25:00 +0000

The bluetooth microphone used by the Blaupunkt MP57 Hamburg is small, but very conspicuous. For this reason I decided to re-route the microphone from its location near the rearview mirror.

My SLK came pre-wired for hands-free telephone use, so there was already a microphone installed in the upper console where the map lights are located.

I had to remove the sun-visors, then the header piece above the rearview mirror to access the OEM microphone. I simply moved the OEM microphone out of the way, then positioned the bluetooth microhone through the opening into the small cavity which held the EOM mic.
After re-routing the microphone and replacing the trim, the end result is much more attractive and less conspicuous.

SLK Online Forums

noreply@blogger.com (McGuire) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:18:00 +0000

Since the time I purchased my SLK, I've been perusing online forums related to SLKs and Mercedes autos in general.

I've discovered two sites in particular which are of great benefit to any Mercedes owner.

SLK World - http://www.slkworld.com/
BenzWorld - http://www.benzworld.org/

These two sites have helped me greatly in learning more about my SLK and other classes of Mercedes Benz autos. There's information about minor (and major) modifications that can be made to personalize your vehicle as well as information about maintenance and repairs.

More Photos and a Mod

noreply@blogger.com (McGuire) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:57:00 +0000

I decided to add an aftermarket head unit to the SLK. I put in a Blaupunkt MP57 Hamburg. This unit sounds great; plays MP3s and WMA files, has a USB input for more storage, built-in bluetooth capability which uses the car speakers. The external microphone is small, but looks conspicuous. I'll be modifying that soon. Here's some more photos of the exterior and interior.

I Got It!

noreply@blogger.com (McGuire) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:12:00 +0000

Just purchased a black 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK-230 Kompressor roadster. I've always wanted a black roadster; I had envisioned a Porsche (possibly a Boxter) or a Ferrari (Barchetta) or even a Shelby Cobra.

But when I saw this Mercedes, it stopped me in my tracks. I waited a full day before taking it for a drive. After that drive I was convinced. A few short hours later I was the proud owner of a new [to me] Mercedes.

Here's some engine specifications taken from the internet and some photos I took shortly after purchase. The only modification I made prior to these photos was replacing the orange side-marker lights with clear lenses.