Exterior Modification Questions

[matthewstaples]

I have a black 2004 CLK500, about 4 months old, that I'm considering some exterior modifications for. I realize these questions are really basic, but I don't want to make a mistake and hurt the car's value.

Basically, I'm considering the following for the rear decklid:

1. Adding an AMG-style spoiler, removing the "CLK500" emblem (or adding "55" where "500" used to be), and adding an AMG emblem ... this seems lame, but from the exterior, my car otherwise looks identical to the CLK55;

2. Adding a Lorinser-style spoiler, adding a Lorinser emblem

3. Removing all emblems except star logo, add one of the aforementioned spoiler types (probably a replica in either case).

If anyone has experience removing/adding emblems, especially the kind with 3M adhesive, I'm curious as to whether I should worry about the paint fading around the emblems (if I wanted to remove them later to sell the car) and any other concerns.

For instance, if it wasn't going to be an authentic Lorinser spoiler, and I'm adding a Lorinser decal, would this detract from the value of the car, or make its owner look like an idiot? I don't mean in the sense of real enthusiasts realizing it doesn't have Lorinser tuning, but rather, how most people would react.

Thanks for any help.

[miroj]

I think the idea of car ownership is to build something you like. I have never heard of a person making money out of a used car by spending more money on it.

[matthewstaples]

Understood and appreciated. I'm trying to avoid any mistakes that I don't need to make, though, since odds are I'll be trying to sell the car at some point. Thanks for any advice.