Of course. Easy enough to go for a R171 or a BMW. But they don't look like the Crossfire.

My goal is a V8 Crossfire with redone suspension. But if the steering will hold it all back, no point in spending the money. But I'm hoping there is a way. Maybe it has not been done before because the cars are not worth much at the moment nobody wants to put more money in that they won't get back. But I'm ok with that. Unless it is prohibitively expensive, I might want to do it. Specially if it can be done with Mercedes parts. My "backyard" is full of Mercedes parts cars.

 

I hope you do do it! That way we can potentially follow your lead if it proves to be reasonable to accomplish. For my part, I am going to skip the V8 and wait for the Mr. Fusion mod LOL!

 

What's the Mr.Fusion mod?

 

I think that’s the one where he buys a different model of car because there was no way to change the sluggish steering on his existing car

good luck with the change up. Please keep us apprised.

There is a V8swap currently underway on the forum (cheapest V8 swap). There have been many successful v8swaps complete by several members. It’s going to cost you a more than a few bucks but it would be a fun ride

BTW these cars are all getting older. Many of the repairs are becoming more costly than the value of the car. So it becomes a case of I luv this car and will open my wallet or that’s crazy and I’m going to move on to something else.

 

Let me guess, you live in a trailer in a wreckers yard?😜

 

https://tenor.com/view/hello-mcfly-gif-11271548

 

I guess you are talking about body repairs?

Because mechanically it's basically 100% Mercedes. I know they say the car is 80% Mercedes. But I guess the other 20% must be the body and trim. Because mechanically as far as I can tell, it's 100% Mercedes for all intents and purposes. Mercedes used parts are widely available. They made a lot of R170s and even that shared with other Mercedes. Then there is the fact Mercedes supports their cars and you can get brand new parts even for classic Mercedes directly from Mercedes.

So are you speaking of body panels? That I can see becoming hard to find and therefore expensive. I doubt Chrysler even still offers them.

 

Nope. At the moment I live in Germany, where it is as easy to find Mercedes parts cars lying about as is finding a Chevy back in the U.S.
Mercedes is very accessible here. They are taxis.

 

The irony is, McFly's left arm and Biff's right arm are in a perfect position for an elbow to the jaw by McFly. What lack of guts won't do to you. Or maybe McFly was just an orthodox and not very confident in his southpaw skills. LOL.

 

Oh really good to know, I wasn’t aware of the MB and Chrysler relationship

No, I’m talking about the car electrical and mechanical. Lots of comments here about how much items cost and a cheaper way to do it.

The only advice I would offer is don’t lose your keys and hope the SKREEM doesn’t fail. All the MB PARTS in the world will not help you if these go

before they were unavailable, key fobs were in the 500-700 range.


when these cars are now being purchased for 3-7k there is less chance if someone spending 1500-2000 for any repairs

 

Did you take offense with my Mercedes percentage comment? Because I was obviously not thinking you didn't know about it. If you own the car, you better do. I was just analyzing what you said based on the info available to try to understand what you actually meant. Call it thinking out loud if you want.

The key fob is a common problem with any old car. Try losing one from a 90's Alfa Romeo. Very costly.

But the key fob from the Crossfire looks identical to the SLK so even that is probably a Mercedes part. If you can get a hold of an used SLK one, I bet you could get it reprogrammed for the Crossfire for cheaper than it would cost a new one. I did this once. Found the correct used key fob on ebay, took it to the dealership and had it reprogrammed for my car. It's been a while but I remember it was several hundred less than buying a new one.

When you say you are talking about the car's electrical and mechanical, what mechanical parts are not Mercedes? I would have thought the electrics are also the same, when the engine being the same, the loom will be too and even switch gear is the same. Is the SKREEM module a Chrysler part then?

Because honestly, it looks like they literally just reskinned the R170. From what I can tell anything deeper than the body panels is Mercedes. Open the hood and even the engine bay is the same. Meaning the body work surrounding the engine. Is there a known list of non Mercedes parts anywhere, apart from the visually obvious?

 

I found it very interesting how some of the car related media of the day reviewed the same steering for the SLK320. From Motortrend in 2001:

"The V-6 finally fulfills the original promise of the SLK, blending quickness with refinement and a wonderful high-revving engine note. This can be coupled with a seamless six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic with Touch Shift. Meanwhile, completing the package is a well-controlled suspension and responsive steering that provides good feedback and a precision feel."

 

You have not been here a year and you are talking to someone who has been here six years and converted an NA Crossfire to a full spec SRT6. Read his signature.
I think we can say he knows what the part situation is, he was pulling your leg in his first comment

 

I would think if anyone could do it, do it well and where money is no object...it would be Jay Leno. Jay you out there?

 

.


Still don't know what the problem is (if there is one)… Shouldn't this post be moved to the general discussion forum?


.

 

i couldnt agree more with the following quotation:

so, its good to hear that its not just me who thinks steering is good too.....
i have driven a variety of vehicles, and i find the crossie great in every sense (including steering), so cant understand that could be complains about this.

a philosopher said that the human being is an enigma....

 

You're mental, it's all in your head. Ask yourself, evaluate for yourself, how does the steering actually feel?
Can anyone tell the difference between a rack&pinion or steering box simply by driving the car without knowing what's under there? I think not.
Both systems can be tuned to be fast or slow (lock to lock) and for a level of grip feedback, and other factors, by the OE's when a car is at the design stage, and then refined either way, during testing.
Basically all Mercedes up to that vintage (around 2004) had a steering box though they did start to transition to rack&pinion on some models right around 2005.
Do you think an 2004 S500 and a 2004 SLK (Crossfire) would have the same steering feel, both having steering boxes? How about a late model FRS and a late model F150 (both rack&pinion), would they feel the same?
I think the Crossfire steering is just fine, nothing wrong with at all, based on how my car drives. If I think it's not so good, based on anything else, I guess it's not good.

 

Hey I am new around here and don't even own a Crossfire....yet. However, I consider myself a bit of a car guy, have driven lots of different cars, owned a few and for the last twenty years have been firmly ensconced in the world of Miatas. Currently driving a Mazda 3, Toyota Camry and Toyota RAV4 (my wife's)

This weekend I test drove my first Crossfire. It was at a dealer, one owner, 89K miles and in "good" condition...not excellent. I was excited to drive it as I have been a fan of the cars since they came out and have been doing my due diligence and research for several months now. To be honest, the first thing I noticed was the heavy steering. I don't mean I had to muscle it, but rather it didn't seem quick and responsive. Certainly nothing like my Miatas, Mazda 3 or frankly...even the Accord I recently sold. Frankly, it just seemed to handle like an older, heaver sports car. Not bad, but not precise. I don't know the condition of the rest of the suspension, but it did have a brand new set of Michelin tires. Not sure of the alignment?

To be fair, it was only a fifteen miles drive and how much can you tell? But, the steering was the biggest thing that jumped out at me. Not bad, but not a real selling point either. I'm only throwing my .02 into this conversation as a fan, but a non-owner. The other thing that jumped out at me...was the silver interior plastics. Didn't like the look or the cheap feel at all. Sorry. I've decided to look for another, cleaner car to drive and compare before I pull the trigger.

Thanks.

 

of course, steering, like other things, is influenced by the condition of the vehicle, and, as you dont have any previous experience with the car, you dont have a point of comparison. only if you could drive another from a fellow that knows it is in good shape, you could reach the right conclusions. or even better, if he could drive this 1 and tell you how it feels, compared to his, would be even closer to a fair comparison.
and about the interior... that is something of looks, not performance, so this depends of your taste. although i agree with your opinion. that is why i added covers all over (mahogany). there are several choices around, prices varying, so this means there is enough demand. and with them, the car looks of higher quality-like rolls or jag, to mention a few...

 

Thanks Phil, I appreciate your thoughts. And again, I'm not trying to offend anyone or tear down the car. It IS sixteen years old and probably the silver plastic was a bit more "in" at the time than it is now.