Not so much Sport more Grand Tourer

[Jimbo1959]

Active Body Control.
Also known as Another Barsteward Cost.
Very clever hydraulic suspension system loosely based on the Citroen system but with electronic control. At over £500 per strut (£1500 for ECP ones) and over £1000 for the pump it's not cheap to maintain but does an amazing job of sorting body control (and Sport mode stiffens it further).

Thank you very much sir, every day's a school day, lol.

 

[Marky_g]

Is the car airmatic? Swapping to conventional suspension would be a better option? Friend of mine had a CLS 55 that had been converted to KW Coilovers

 

[sonic]

I have the same car & have had the same experience. They are a great long distance high speed autobahn car, but not on rapid twisty roads.

 

[Rotorhead500]

Is the car airmatic? Swapping to conventional suspension would be a better option? Friend of mine had a CLS 55 that had been converted to KW Coilovers

No, passive suspension on those Marky.

 

[kid-jensen]

If your mileage is anything above say, 30,000, the dampers will be well past their best.

The quality of the dampers make way more difference to how a car controls bumps and roll angles than springs do. An underdamped car with stiff spriongs will still be a handful.

Price up a set of new dampers (and even go for stiffer ones if your fillings can take it) and then you'll know if the cost is worth it to you..

Bilstein make two (or more ) different stiffness bolt-on-replacement dampers for most Mercedes, just have a quick look on ebay and go from there.

 

[LostKiwi]

If your mileage is anything above say, 30,000, the dampers will be well past their best.

The quality of the dampers make way more difference to how a car controls bumps and roll angles than springs do. An underdamped car with stiff spriongs will still be a handful.

Price up a set of new dampers (and even go for stiffer ones if your fillings can take it) and then you'll know if the cost is worth it to you..

Bilstein make two (or more ) different stiffness bolt-on-replacement dampers for most Mercedes, just have a quick look on ebay and go from there.

Of if koni do one they're adjustable.

 

[Jimbo1959]

If your mileage is anything above say, 30,000, the dampers will be well past their best.

The quality of the dampers make way more difference to how a car controls bumps and roll angles than springs do. An underdamped car with stiff spriongs will still be a handful.

Price up a set of new dampers (and even go for stiffer ones if your fillings can take it) and then you'll know if the cost is worth it to you..

Bilstein make two (or more ) different stiffness bolt-on-replacement dampers for most Mercedes, just have a quick look on ebay and go from there.

No, mileage is still below 20K despite the car being a '59 plate, and it passed an MOT at the start of the month when I bought it, but, I will investigate the Bilstein offerings.

I will also look into the Koni's too LK.

 

[Rotorhead500]

No, mileage is still below 20K despite the car being a '59 plate, and it passed an MOT at the start of the month when I bought it, but, I will investigate the Bilstein offerings.

I will also look into the Koni's too LK.

I think Eibach and H&R also do kit for MB... May give you a couple more options Jimbo!

 

[Jimbo1959]

I think Eibach and H&R also do kit for MB... May give you a couple more options Jimbo!

Thank you sir I will also check them out too.

I'm afraid the Bilstein and Koni parts only show availability on the standard 231 bhp coupe on my model year.

I think I'll need to phone them during working hours to discuss up rated units, as the long term plan for the car is to get it remapped to 300bhp, so I might as well start upgrading the suspension and then the brakes in preparation.

No point in the extra power without the support services eh?

 

[LostKiwi]

Some Bilsteins are also adjustable. They aren't cheap though.

 

[dbanbery]

I think it’s pertinent to accept that a sport Mercedes isn’t going to handle like an Elise, just like an Elise won’t be the car of choice to drive up and down the motorway.


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[Jimbo1959]

I think it’s pertinent to accept that a sport Mercedes isn’t going to handle like an Elise, just like an Elise won’t be the car of choice to drive up and down the motorway.


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I didn't expect my Sport to handle like an Elise, I did however expect slightly better than it is as standard, if I could achieve even a 20% increase in the handling capability I would be pleased. A 20% deficit in comfort would be more than acceptable as a trade off.

Most of my driving is done on 'A' and 'B' roads, not I admit, the natural habitat of the Merc, however as I ...... mature, and since purchasing the Merc I have come to appreciate the comfort offered and drive accordingly, She Who Must Be Obeyed is very pleased by that aspect of the experience.

Myself, I like a car that will respond to driver input while making progress, I'm not quite ready for, or willing to do the "Driving Miss Daisy" experience. No thank you, lol. There's life in this old dog yet and life is about balance imho, which is something I would like improved on my Coupe.

 

[dbanbery]

I went from a string of Mk4 XR3is to the R129. It cracks on across the twisties well enough I feel. I know what you mean, but there are positives to the drive being less involved. That extra 20% may come at a price I feel.


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[Jimbo1959]

That extra 20% may come at a price I feel.


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My last car was an absolute roller skate, bought purely and simply because it had been voted the best handling sub £15k hatch for God knows how many years. I loved it, it suited me down to a 'T'.

I am, for the men in my family, old. There is no gentle way to put it or, way around it, I'll be sixty next year. My Father died at 46 with heart and circulatory problems, his brother the same at 53. I have three brothers and all have had at least stents put in place to help their heart and circulation, apparently (so the youngest at 51 was told), it's hereditary, we can't escape it. I do my best to live properly since the triple heart bypass three years ago. I've never drank, haven't smoked for 26 years, and try to stay fit.

So, when the opportunity to purchase the Merc came along I went for it, it could be my one and only chance to own a car of that class. Swmbo, who normally wouldn't dream of spending so much on a mere car, gave me quite a hard time over my choice before she finally relented and gave in.

I just want it to be right for me and my taste, so the price, I think will be acceptable and if I don't like it I can always set it back to standard. I'm sure there will be someone who would buy the parts from me, even if I make a slight (or a lot of a) loss.

I'm on my bucket list mate!

 

[bembo449]

Eibachs get my vote , 30mm drop and probably ride quality than the current set up Jim , under 200 quid , its a great starting point for your upgrades

 

[dbanbery]

Burn me as a pariah, but did you try a bmw?


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[JBell]

Set of Koni FSD shocks and H&R Springs, failing that H&R Coilovers use Bilstein shocks

Eibach springs are not as good quality as H&R, I used to sell both

 

[L John]

Not so much Sport more Grand Tourer

It's long way from either IMHO.

 

[McDonald]

These are just not performance cars, certainly mine isn't. It accelerates beautifully in a straight line, but it's just not intended to blaze through the bends. They're lovely lookers and very comfortable, but not racers. These days I'm less inclined to measure my pleasure by hair raising deeds, though I enjoy using the speed to move into spaces and away from the bunching that happens on our highways. I also love driving with the roof down and that makes fast driving seem silly and noisy.

Two nights ago I approached a roundabout behind a Vauxhall saloon car, he pulled away when the traffic cleared but went out of control in ten yards, the whole car crashing through the undergrowth on the roundabout, then veered wildly back onto the tarmac, askew. As I drew alongside him, he wound down his window and apologised profusely - he'd had a coughing fit. No one was hurt, no metal was bent, but it reminded me what dangerous toys we play with.

This evening I stopped at a supermarket, and parked carefully out of the way. I came out to find someone peering at the car and deciding they'd done no damage and preparing to drive away. There was a scuff, nothing bent but paint grazed and the soft centre bumper is also slightly grazed on the offside corner. We exchanged details and the driver apologised three or four times, 'I was just in a bit of a hurry.'

I'm less interested in hurrying just now.

 

[Jimbo1959]

Burn me as a pariah, but did you try a bmw?


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Gathers tinder, sticks and dry moss to start the fire.

Oh you heretic!

Many years ago before BMW got silly expensive I had the opportunity to buy one (3 series) and just could not get comfortable in it, I was mighty p*ssed off as they were considered quite the drivers car at the time.

I could have gone the auto route but in those days and at that age (mine not the car) it was considered a serious Nein!, a real man only drove stick, as our American friends would say and who was I to argue?

I tried several down the years and each one had the same problem, b*gger!

I had an acquaintance who advised me that if I was ever in the market for a Mercedes I must buy an auto as manuals were crap and did not have a good resale value, basically that's how I got to where I am today with the Coupe.