OWNER sheward

[sheward]

Hi everyone.
Here are some pictures of my 2nd and current 1992 500E.
This forum as well as 500 ecstasy.com and the contributing members has allowed a much greater experience in owning and personalizing a fantastic automobile. Thanks to all.

The car is original with exception of
18x9 wheels
H&R springs and Kmac bushings
Bilstein sport shocks
Ecode Hella lights

 

[Russell R Coe]

WOW great looking car. Those wheels are classic on the 500E

They are exactly what I eventually want to put on my car. If possible could you give the part number for these wheels, and where you purchased them if you don't mind? Did you need different wheel studs?

Russell Coe

California

 

[chappardababbar]

Great combo. Thanks for sharing.

Rumour has it silver cars are quicker

 

[Aki]

Very nice! Looks very low, what size spring pads?

 

[gerryvz]

Love the car. I've also run those same wheels for the past 3-4 years. Love 'em.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[sheward]

russell r coe
thanks. wheels were purchased at Butler Tire in Atlanta by previous owner. I'm having a set of Lorinsers stripped and refinished currently. They look very similar but they will be staggered. I will post part no.s at that time. I'm sure there are others here that will know as well as they are fairly common.
No special wheel bolts needed for direct bolt up.

chappardabbar
thanks for saying that for me. I knew it!

aki
I'm running H&R springs with 3 bumps in rear and 2 bumps in front.
I would like the car a bit higher in the rear but do not like using sls system to do so. Strickly visual as i have no ride issues.

gerryvz
the longer i own the car the more i like the look of a stock /conservative wheel. that's the direction i'm headed with the lorinsers which will be brilliant silver.
If only i could get a set of those 8 holers you have...

 

[sheward]

aki

Really like those Carllsons as well!

 

[sheward]

some more pictures showing revised ride height, grill, return to amber corners, and wheels.
I'm hoping to make progress on some custom rotor hats and mount my silver arrow brakes this winter.

administrators: feel free to combine the two existing owner threads for sheward

 

[036]

Looks wonderful. Lovely car...

 

[sheward]

Thanks 036.

drew

 

[500AMM]

WOW great looking car. Those wheels are classic on the 500E

They are exactly what I eventually want to put on my car. If possible could you give the part number for these wheels, and where you purchased them if you don't mind? Did you need different wheel studs?

Russell Coe

California

Drew - your car looks great! It's nice to see you're keeping the two tone color when staying stock with it. The 18" 8-hole RIALs as Gerry had some time back, would probably be great on it too.

Russel, here are the P/Ns on the AMG monoII I previously had on my Limited;
HWA 129 401 01 02, 8"x18 ET31
HWA 210 401 02 02, 9"x18 ET35

Cheers
-arnt-

 

[gerryvz]

The 18" 8-hole RIALs as Gerry had some time back, would probably be great on it too.

And still have -- it's what's on my car now for the past 18 months or so.....

 

[sheward]

Thanks for the comment and posting those part no.s, Arnt. There was a time i was commited to matching the lowers.....not any more. Being a certifiable wheel junkie i have been lusting after Gerrys rials since i found out he had them.

drew

 

[gerryvz]

I know I've balked before on this ... but everything can be had for a price.... Mine have minor scuffs and scrapes. I wouldn't sell them until they were totally refurbished to perfection, including center caps. That's probably $500 I'd have to put into them to get them repainted / curb rash ground out, and clear coated. I paid $1,200 + shipping for them back in 2003....Robin500E scored them for me in the Netherlands and shipped them to me.

 

[sheward]

As hard to find as they are here in the states that kind of money for a refinished set sounds appropriate. Having recently bought a refinished set of Carlsson 1/16s that popped up, I can't ask you to decide....right now

drew

 

[sheward]

I completed a brake upgrade and spring pad change just before Christmas.

Brakes are willwood superlight calipers with 355mm 2pc rotors in front and Mercedes Silver Arrow 300mm setup in the rear. I added stainless braided brake lines all around. Brake pads are Porterfield R4S. Spring pads went from 2 bump to 3 in the rear and from 2 bump to 4 in front. I used the SLS system to raise the rear a bit more additionally. The brake installation required the same trimming/adjusting of the splash shields that others here have done with the Silver Arrow setup. I'll post my impressions after I've put some miles on the setup and tried things out at speed. The holidays and the weather have kept me from the anticipated fun.

drew

 

[Trae]

Looks great Drew.

Hope you don't get thrown through the windshield when you apply those monster brakes!

 

[Glen]

Very cool, Drew. Where did you source the Wilwood setup?

 

[sheward]

I bought the Wilwood setup from Rocketeer. You may remember him from the 500Ecstacy days. He was a dealer for Revolution Brake and had these on his own car. He still drops by here occasionally.

drew

 

[Glen]

That's right, I remember him. He has/had the Brumos car with staggered Renntech monolites, right?

 

[sheward]

You're thinking of "toy collector" here in Atlanta. He had/has the Brumos car. I saw him briefly a couple years ago at Road Atlanta here. Rocketeer is based on the west coast.

drew

 

[Glen]

Ah, ok. It's hard to keep track of all the cars...

 

[sheward]

I have been using the SLS adjustment for years to set the ride height of my car. At some point,due to the difficulty of accessing the rod, I began removing the lower rod end on the turnbuckle from the SLS pump and rotating it, vs. the rod. This can result in few threads left engaged. Failing to get a lock nut tight last year on the way to Amelia Island the rod component of the turnbuckle came loose and was lost. A piece of stiff wire had to be used as a replacement to get me home. I recently installed a new turnbuckle assembly and just returned from a 1,200 mile trip. Hours of 80 - 90+mph driving and my car is sitting, and driving, just how I like it. At some future point I intend to try some H&R 400E/E420 springs in the rear instead of my current H&R setup. I would like to hear from someone who has driven both stock springs with bigger sway bars and the H&R setup with stock bars as my car has for comparison.

drew

 

[Glen]

My silver car has the Feind Stage 1 rear bar which would help with the adjustment rod issue. Since there is no bracket index you can rotate the bracket to the desired position with the rod adjusted shorter and set ride at your desired point. Can't really comment on spring choice as I don't have H&Rs.

 

[jhodg5ck]

I like the non SLS springs...they're more aggressive, coupled with the rear bar from Feind es muy bueno!!

Jono

 

[sheward]

My silver car has the Feind Stage 1 rear bar which would help with the adjustment rod issue. Since there is no bracket index you can rotate the bracket to the desired position with the rod adjusted shorter and set ride at your desired point. Can't really comment on spring choice as I don't have H&Rs.

What i'm really wanting is to have the car sit where it is and have the SLS in it's neutral position as designed. It was my adjustment technique that led to the loosening event. The car tends to sit back down over time as well. I have been anticipating feedback from you Glen on the rear bar. Are you planning on replacing the front bar as well? If so, maybe one of your friends rides on H&Rs and would describe and compare one setup vs the other.

drew

 

[jhodg5ck]

You can do that with the 420 springs. They're going to require some slight modification..but its not bad.

H&R's are stiffer..they do add some harshness but its by no means uncomfortable.

We'll be adding a front bar to the track car when it comes available

Jono

 

[Glen]

What i'm really wanting is to have the car sit where it is and have the SLS in it's neutral position as designed. It was my adjustment technique that led to the loosening event. The car tends to sit back down over time as well. I have been anticipating feedback from you Glen on the rear bar. Are you planning on replacing the front bar as well? If so, maybe one of your friends rides on H&Rs and would describe and compare one setup vs the other.

drew

I think DW SD has H&R's, try PM'ing him or I can ask him the next time I see him. Then again, his car came that way so he may not be able to compare directly. My car is running on stock springs, trimmed 1/2 coil up front, 1 coil in the back. Bilstein Sport fronts and stock SLS in back.

re: sway bars. Like I mentioned, the Feind rear bar with no index for the SLS bracket would solve your problem as the bracket can be rotated to any position. You can then shorten the rod so the threads have plenty of engagement and yet still set the SLS exactly where you want it. I don't plan to get a Stage II front bar from Feind as I think it's too large for my needs as a street car. Depending on how the car feels once I dial in alignment settings, I may look for a W124 limo front bar, or not...we'll see.

 

[sheward]

You can do that with the 420 springs. They're going to require some slight modification..but its not bad.

H&R's are stiffer..they do add some harshness but its by no means uncomfortable.

We'll be adding a front bar to the track car when it comes available

Jono

I still recall our previous discussion about this and in fact want to acquire the E420 rears. I do like the ride the H&Rs deliver and I intend to get the ride height locked in without help from the SLS. I'm fine with the front.

drew

 

[8899]

I'll post my impressions after I've put some miles on the setup and tried things out at speed.

How are the new brakes?

 

[sheward]

I really can't say much yet. Everything is new front to rear and all the driving since has been long distance. I'm still bedding them in. My 88 yr old mom was with me throughout the last trip but i'm looking forward to trying things out soon. So far so good.

drew

 

[gsxr]

I don't plan to get a Stage II front bar from Feind as I think it's too large for my needs as a street car. Depending on how the car feels once I dial in alignment settings, I may look for a W124 limo front bar, or not...we'll see.

Limo front bar will not fit with an M119 engine... you'd need to bump up to a custom 30mm bar if you want to knock it up a notch in front. Is the Fiend front bar 30mm or 32mm?

 

[Glen]

Limo front bar will not fit with an M119 engine... you'd need to bump up to a custom 30mm bar if you want to knock it up a notch in front. Is the Fiend front bar 30mm or 32mm?

Thanks Dave. I forgot the V8 front bars are shaped differently. I believe the Feind front bar will 32mm.

 

[gsxr]

OK, 32mm is same as RENNtech. Assuming the ends are turned down to 22mm, you can use the factory R129 bushings up front with the teflon liners. They are as stiff as poly, the orange stuff would be a downgrade IMO. If you are trying to avoid understeer, 32mm miiiight be too much. I'm curious to hear what you think after driving the car some more.

 

[jhodg5ck]

The Brumos car had cut springs. The H&R's made a big difference FWIW. That coupled with a set of Sports and its Wunderbar!

Jono