4 years of ownership...

Amazing it's been 4 years that we've owned our E55 AMG!  Love this car...

AMG

Trimming the fat... not what you think!

OK - not really about weight loss or removing stuff from the car to make it lighter, but ever since I had the larger heat exchanger mounted, the E55 has had a bit of a 'swollen lip' look to it... 

A recent trip to Monterey, CA showed to be a challenge for the lip... notice the chunk removed!

Well, over the past 9 months of that little 'extra' fat lip, took its toll.  Here's what I found a few weeks ago after a long drive to Monterey, CA and back.  

Yes, that's a little rubber strip that is usually below the oil cooler, and part of the underbody tray directly below the heat exchanger.  The wear and tear of little bumps here and there eventually cracked the parts off.

So, now that I have more clearance due to the plastic pieces coming out, I figured I'd give a trim to the fat lip.  Used a simple utility knife to gracefully trace the lines between that 1/4" edge and the rest of the bumper lip.  

And here's the result of my handiwork.  

I think it slimmed things down quite a bit, even though it's only a 1/4" edge!

Alltrade Squeeze Utility Knife, Auto-Loading Squeeze, 6 Heavy-Duty Blad…

Hopefully I won't run into any more sharp pointy things!

Cooling the charge!

Up next is a Fabtech-Performance Heat Exchanger/Intercooler - this is 2x the size of the stock unit and will help keep the Sacramento temps at bay and help speed recovery of the IAT (inlet air temp) back to cooler temps as cooler air is more dense, and more dense air means more power :)

Bar & Plate style for optimal s/c cooling and heat dissipation59 FLUID OUNCES, 1.74 LITER HEAT EXCHANGERAluminum mounting brackets for seamless factory placement install no drilling necessary2X MORE COOLING volume THAN STOCKDrain located at the bottom of the H/E for easy fluid change3/4 INCH BARB FITTINGS

Yes, another group buy (I helped with this one!)

and what it should look like installed

Should be here within a week - now just to find time to install :-)