I am posting this for my own good . I asked my buddy, auto resto guy, what i should do about my anemic 1975 240d. I was torn between stock and slow, or a new 5cyl turbo and a big intercooler with propane injection. He told me to modify it as far as possible with what they had in 1975. Did they have intercoolers in 75? I know the infamous rudolph diesel used propane on one of his diesels, so i can use that...thanks in advance

Would there even be enough clearance under the hood for a different engine in there? Tom W. I think said that a different engine would put out more torque and you'd need to change the differential, and maybe the transmission and speedometer if you changed it.

Have you thought about trying out a 1982-85 300 W123 turbo diesel. Those are plentiful (relatively) and peppier if in good shape.

The 1975 model diesels while beautifully assembled are quite low on HP, and speed isn't one of their virtues. But clean ones still look really good!!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

The hell would you want to ruin a sedate,reliable little jewel like that?

You want something with more Oomph? sell the 240 and get a nice '83-'85 123 300 turbo diesel,plenty of punch and superfast on the highway.

There are many people who will pay a premium for a 240 despite it's sedate performance because of a fancied belief in it's supreme reliability,additionally one can get historic vehicle insurance for say,$125-$150.00 a year so If it is in decent shape and everything functions you can have it detailed out,polished and shined and get far more that you would expect,even if some misguided hoople with the best intentions wants it for a grease conversion.

But please,don't use use it for some ill advised hot rod project,but it's your car after all.

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i concede, i will restore her. All that is wrong with the car is, no ac, no dash lights (i know it the rheostat b/c they occasionally work), and a poorly modified glow plug system, the car has an immaculate interior , 19,000 orig. miles and no rust as it was in a barn for 20 years.

With that mileage you can EASILY restore it AND put it on historic insurance.

One thing about low mileage cars,your probably looking at new seals for every spinning part and other electrical and mechanical things that suffer from lack of use but really no big deal. Auto tranny? sometimes they'll start to leak from the converter seals so watch for any fluid drippings.

Sounds like you got your priorities in order,got any pics?

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The turbo OM617 won't fit in a W115. The oil filter housing gets in the way of the steering system.

There IS one finn that got a 617 and a huge top mounted intercooler into a W115, but I have not seen him post any pictures.

The car is becoming a rare gem, especially with such few miles. May I suggest you buy a second car with more oomph.

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'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate

Adding a 4 speed will give it a little more zip, make it a lot more fun to drive and should not hurt the value of the car.
Just find a rusted out junker w/ manual and buy the whole car and set them side by side so you can see how the clutch pedal and the rest of the hardware mounts.
Oh, change the glow plugs to the fast glow system from Phil.

Good luck

19000 mi, I wish I had found that barn first!

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Ncnetman
1959 Chev 3100 Fleetside
1965 Mustang
1968 Torino GT fastback
1969 Ranchero
1974 240d 4-speed -for sale
1976 240d fresh paint- on hold
1978 300cd fresh paint and new rearwindshield rubber
1990 6.2 Suburban 194k-getting a 6.5 turbo
2008 Duramax Silverado
2015 VW Passat TDI

If the car actually has 19k original miles, don't change a thing. Keep it as original as possible, only replace the parts that are absolutely necessary. Hacking it up to put in a manual will reduce the value by about half. If you are looking for a driver, sell this car to a collector and use the money to buy something else. Do you know how rare a 19k original car is? Can you document the mileage? What is the overall condition of the car? Does it need to be repainted?

I have a buddy who bought a W115 300D new in 1975. I spoke with him a few months ago and it is still going strong with 550,000 miles on the clock. He said everyone in the family has driven that car at some point. The only thing wrong with it was the light blue color.

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Doug

1987 300TD x 3
2005 E320CDI

The po mucked up the glow plug system with a redneck pencil conversion but I couldn't be happier this week. I am driving 100 miles a day in this car as i commute to Ferris to become a diesel mechanic, i wish i had time for that swap as i cant stand anyone or thing shifting for me, thanks.

Yes i can document the mileage, i have all the old registrations, needs repainting b/c i am anal and the black soot streaks don't come off easy. I work at napa so i will mix up my own paint, i found the original formula, and have it painted and clearcoated.