Found a crack on my condenser yesterday... tiny hole bubbling with oil. That probably explains why my AC performance, weak to begin with, deteriorated to non-existant recently.

So I'm shopping around for a new condenser. I'm also going to replace the compressor and the hoses (all original now, and both Schrader valves are apparently leaking, although caps seem to mitigate it), and the receiver-dryer, while at it. I don't want to get another OEM condenser though, I want to get a parallel flow unit, for more cooling capacity.

I've read about other people's experiences with aftermarket PF condensers in MB cars, and it seems like manufacturing custom hoses would be a hassle, but it's doable. What I couldn't figure out is the maximum size of a condenser that could be installed in a 126. From previous posts, a 14 x 22.5" condenser apparently fits comfortably in a 123 body, and if one can get a 16 x 22.5" unit, that will fit too. A stock condenser in a 126 is about 16 x 26", so it would seem like one can attempt fitting a larger unit in there -- and size does matter! What is unclear to me is how much room is necessary for custom hose hookups. For instance, acsource.com offers a 15.5 x 24.75" PF condenser which looks enticing. Will it fit? Or am I too greedy?

Thanks