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Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

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aznbo187
Posts: 3

Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#1 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:58 am

Hey all,

I'm helping my friend change up the look on his 2001 US G500 a bit. He doesn't know too much about cars, so I'm helping him with the legwork. However, I'm not too familiar with this chassis either, maybe you guys can give me a hand.

We really like the look of the older G-Wagens, more specifically the look of the G below:

Image

We want to replicate the same headlight/front grill configuration, fender flares and sideview mirrors. Possibly the bumpers, too but not 100% yet.

For the front headlight surround, is that just the same thing as coating the factory ones in a black shade? The front grill, where can I find that specific version, and is it a plug and play replacement? If not, how involved are the modifications necessary?

The fender flares, I've seen the ones on ebay for about $250 shipped made from Fiberglass. How is the fit on those compared to the plastic ones I've seen for sale here? Are they wider? Is there a how-to guide on installing these?

Lastly, the sideview mirrors, where can we get those from?

Thanks so much, we are located in Southern California, suburbs of LA. I believe G-Wagen Accessories is located fairly close to us, but uncertain if they carry any of the Euro parts.

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vadimivanovich
Posts: 8643

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#2 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:09 am

You will need W460 fenders and headlight surrounds, w460 grille, PUR edition mirrors (~$600), and perhaps some small odds & ends. You might find someone on this forum or elsewhere that would be willing to trade you the W463 parts for their W460 parts. This is not a wise investment, but if you really love the older look and newer amenities, then you have the right idea.

aznbo187
Posts: 3

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#3 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:51 am

vadimivanovich wrote:You will need W460 fenders and headlight surrounds, w460 grille, PUR edition mirrors (~$600), and perhaps some small odds & ends. You might find someone on this forum or elsewhere that would be willing to trade you the W463 parts for their W460 parts. This is not a wise investment, but if you really love the older look and newer amenities, then you have the right idea.


Completely prefer the older look over the new. Please feel free to PM me if anyone is interested in a trade in any of the parts mentioned.

I found the headlight surrounds, front grill and PUR mirrors. Do you know if the headlight surround/front grill is a bolt on replacement? Is anything else needed, such as new headlights, or bumpers to work? Same question for the fender flares.

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offroad-world
Posts: 9813
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Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#4 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:02 am

aznbo187 wrote:
vadimivanovich wrote:You will need W460 fenders and headlight surrounds, w460 grille, PUR edition mirrors (~$600), and perhaps some small odds & ends. You might find someone on this forum or elsewhere that would be willing to trade you the W463 parts for their W460 parts. This is not a wise investment, but if you really love the older look and newer amenities, then you have the right idea.


Completely prefer the older look over the new. Please feel free to PM me if anyone is interested in a trade in any of the parts mentioned.

I found the headlight surrounds, front grill and PUR mirrors. Do you know if the headlight surround/front grill is a bolt on replacement? Is anything else needed, such as new headlights, or bumpers to work? Same question for the fender flares.


the w460 fenders do not have the air intakes like found on G500 , this must be customs made .
wheel arch flares are different at w463 and w460 .

mfg. guido .

aznbo187
Posts: 3

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#5 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 3:55 pm

offroad-world wrote:
aznbo187 wrote:
vadimivanovich wrote:You will need W460 fenders and headlight surrounds, w460 grille, PUR edition mirrors (~$600), and perhaps some small odds & ends. You might find someone on this forum or elsewhere that would be willing to trade you the W463 parts for their W460 parts. This is not a wise investment, but if you really love the older look and newer amenities, then you have the right idea.


Completely prefer the older look over the new. Please feel free to PM me if anyone is interested in a trade in any of the parts mentioned.

I found the headlight surrounds, front grill and PUR mirrors. Do you know if the headlight surround/front grill is a bolt on replacement? Is anything else needed, such as new headlights, or bumpers to work? Same question for the fender flares.


the w460 fenders do not have the air intakes like found on G500 , this must be customs made .
wheel arch flares are different at w463 and w460 .

mfg. guido .


Any idea if the fender flares found on ebay (fiberglass) will work on the w463, or only the w460?

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bratwurst
Posts: 300
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Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#6 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:30 pm

aznbo187 wrote:
Any idea if the fender flares found on ebay (fiberglass) will work on the w463, or only the w460?


There are usually ones for sale for both 463's and 460's.

I have a set for a 463 that I bought - converting them to work on a 460 is a big job that I still haven't gotten around to (after 2 years). The reverse will also be true so get the right style for your truck.

PS: The factory mercedes flares are made of a rubbery material. They are major $$$$$$$$$ but are a lot nicer than FG.

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mk216v
Posts: 1173

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#7 » Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:11 pm

Otiswesty wrote:The easy solution is to pull and paint the fender flares, grille and headlight surrounds in black. Oh yeah don't forget the bumpers although I would recommend picking up the G-wagenaccessories front and rear metal bumpers. I have done all of this except to paint the fender flares.


Tony at Motorsports just did this(amongst a slew of other mods) to a champagne-colored G500(many of you recently saw it in different form) and completely transformed the truck. The satin black painted flares look AMAZING now, such an extraordinary difference. I will send this thread to him and let him post pics(I already have a before pic handy) on behalf of the owner if they desire.

Painting will be the most streamlined way to create what you're looking to create. I wanted to do the W460 body swap too but realized how much cost/headache it'd be so I painted instead.

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Tony Cruthers
Posts: 23

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#8 » Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:20 am

all you need is paint.
Attachments
G500.JPG

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Canada g
Posts: 1109

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#9 » Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:53 am

Tony Cruthers wrote:all you need is paint.


The result is not the same. A 460 front looks better then painted 463 front.

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AlanMcR
Posts: 7729

Re: Help converting front end & flares on G500 US

Post#10 » Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:42 pm

Consider spraying the fender extensions with plasti-dip. This is the spray-on version of the glop that tool handles get dipped in. It creates a nice matte black finish (a little rough). The best part of the stuff is that it isn't permanent. You can peel it off when you want, also it acts like a sacrificial layer to protect the paint. One can will do all the extensions, with some to spare for touch up.

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