My new toy. 309D Monarch Motorhome
 

If you build it they will come. I have been looking for this puppy (or one like it) for a few years now. It's amazing what $800 can buy you in a depressed economy.

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/1.jpg
http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/2.jpg
http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/3.jpg
http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/4.jpg
http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/5.jpg
http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/6.jpg
http://www.superturbodiesel.com/imag...0monarch/7.jpg

*^%)(* that's awsome!

Fix the star for cripes sake!

Of course. It will literally be the first thing that is done. I check mine daily!

how did you find it?

Is it rare? What year is it?

wow..sweet:thumbsup:

good find........but????
 

Does it run?
Will it start?
You have found a project......

Oh....and time to update your signature...

If that's the one that you bought in Pass Christian, check out these guys. They do a lot of work on RV's. If they can't do it, they can steer you in the right direction. They did a lot of work for me when I lived there and they are good and honest.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=gulfport,+ms+auto+repair&fb=1&view=text&cd=112&hl=en&latlng=30390212,-89057742,5446953774267779131&ei=OlYKSc_HMIW8NoqRhDs&sig2=-AshJ2wqElAJALl-Gkc11A

Sweet! Looks like it needs a lot of love though.

super sweet. now that you're putting all your time and money into that beast, you should probably part out your '85 - i'm first on the list for your ACTs!

Cool find! Looks like the perfect rig to take cross country to meet forum members and attend GTGs. :)

Congratulations!! Now to get it home and dig in.:D

Listed on the back of the car is Motoroam, this is the conversion company : http://rvdieselmotorhomes.com/ Looks like they are still at it.


Without a doubt this is a big undertaking, however my wife and I have looked at similar customs (non MBZ) for 3x that I paid for this in much worse condition. I plan on more or less gutting it. Certainly removing the fridge and all of the cheap wood paneling. I plan on redoing it with weight in mind. No particular hurry, my first interest will be drivetrain.

Winning the ebay bid was certainly only the first step. Getting it road worthy, getting it 411 miles back etc etc. I am hoping as with most old diesel benz I have had it just needs new fluid, filter and battery.

Looks like I will be using a plastic lawn chair for the trip back, maybe I can find a lazy boy at the thrift store :)

the key is that your wife is involved. If I brought this home I would be sleeping in it for a few weeks at least till she cooled down. It looks great and should be loads of fun to tinker with, but you could have had the 300 with the six pack on it, was cali too far to drive back? :)

That thing is powered by a 616 right? It will need all the help it can get! :D

It was posted on the okie benz list, a few members on there kept an open eye for me.

Rare? Super. Probably double digits or less produced of these customs. Most of the 309D conversions were still busses:

http://www.motorhoming.com/1976_309d...n_Matthews.bmp

I don't know if you're bent on keeping it original, but you think you could drop a OM617 turbo, or even a OM606 in there to give it a little more pep?

Where abouts in Oklahoma is it located...

I'm picturing Zebrano paneling!:D

Or on second thought, if you're adventurous and handy with welding, maybe you wanna drop in a 6.0L V12 from a S600? But of course, then it'll be a gasser, fast, but not quirky. :D

Awesome dude! Looks great.


(If it has a old propane heater in it, be careful. Either chuck it or overhaul it. Can be dangerous if not maintained...bad thermocouple, leaky gas valve, mud wasp nest in exhaust, etc.)

Very nice canvas for you to start painting on Mutt! Project just might be an understatement, but most of the RV stuff isn't rocket science, just carpentry! ;)
The mechanicals are what has all of our pants up and running around the room......:eek:
Link to auction, pics???

I wonder what your wife's reaction would be if you brought one of these home? :D Show her this thread and she may think Smash isn't so bad.:D

That things Bad@ss.




When are you coming to California?

Road trip to Cali! :D

A 309 should be a non-turbo OM617.

309d
 

Nice "Capture"

Most clever post of the year nominee.

The interior looks like a meth lab(sorry), but it's a looks like it'll be a nice motorhome. Is it a manual transmission? Cool :)

Does it have back wheels?

That looks great. To be picky, it's an 0309D. 309= panel van, 0309= passenger style small bus with a body that looks like a 4xx.
With a 616??

Giles

Looks like fum. please keep us informed of your progress.

I saw a mh built by blending a hanomag front drive chassis on the front end of an older travel trailer...a silver streak I think the other day on the internet for sale. It was pretty clean looking but a little rough around the edges and I think it didn't run......but I was tempted.

I am certain My lovely Mrs would nix it though.

I gotta get one of those. That is awesome.

Very cool, mutt! Good luck with it.

See your other post
 

Ah, so this is what you wanted someone to go to the Pass to see. Vewy kewl. congratulations!

Husband says he'd go over and see if it runs (re your other post). (edit: he's actually quite curious to see it... never knew those existed.)

Email tamishel at yahoo dot com

According to the owner its a om616 BUT I am pretty sure a om617.91x will fit in there. One of the okie benz guys who is on here has a 617.95x for sale in miss for $300, I may pick it up on the way.

email sent.

While Forced is right, that in most van numbering designations the '9' would refer to the horsepower of the engine and indicate a 90 horsepower 617 NA, (a 616 would be a 7), for some reason, the bus model followed a different numbering system, with 309d referring to a diesel bus but not necessarily with a 90 horsepower engine. (I think). Most of the 309d's had the OM352(?) I think. Perhaps some had the 616. When the OM352 was used in the standard numbered vans, they were designated 8's as in 408, 508 etc.
If it is a 616, there is a British company that specialized in retrofitting turbo's to the engine. I talked to a Brit who had a motorhome with the turbo retrofit who was quite happy with it.
Top speed will be pretty low. I doubt it can hit 60mph. I think typically they topped out around 90kph.
Parts are not readily available in the US. There is an importer in the Northwest who has a microfiche part numbers and can get them. I used EuroCarparts.co.uk. Patrick is the export man and he was always very helpful. They can send you a catalog of their standard 'commercials' parts.

Doesnt look like it.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-Mercedes-Monarch-Motor-Home_W0QQitemZ170273837454QQihZ007QQcategoryZ6315QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

How about that shifter in a W123:D Awesome find Mutt.

http://i11.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/16/88/e977_1.JPG

Ratrod style with a skull knob? :D

I was thinking before towing/driving it home you might need to get new tires....and then I noticed it doesn't seem to have any on the rear! :o And using a recliner for a driver's seat sounds a little iffy but might be more comfortable than the original. If you're lucky, there may still be some German beer in the refrigerator and not a leftover meatloaf surprise.

I'm very curious as to how the seller's dad "pasted" away, though....is he glued somewhere?

As a 1974, I'd bet it's an early style OM616 like in my '76 240D. The injection pumps in the earlier design tend to freeze up when not used for a long time (perhaps because have their separate oil reservoir)....so I would definitely check the plungers before trying to start it to make sure they move. An open or short in the series glow plugs or pull start switch seems to be another common reason why the older engines won't start.

This is a great find though and looks like a fun project. I've never seen a motorhome quite like this, but saw lots of 309d's in Germany as buses and vans when I was there in the 1980's, and if I remember correctly, some were used as ambulance & work truck conversions, and I'm sure motorhomes too, although I can't remember any specifically. I seem to remember that the engine was accessible from a doghouse inside the passenger cabin and had quite a bit of room around it to work. I wonder if it has a diesel generator too?

Can you drive it from the couch?
 

Sweet :D

Was the 616 available in 1974? If it has a car style engine in it, it could also be a 615, 220d engine.
If it is a 616 or 615 it's worth noting that the truck versions of these engines are different than the car engines. They have different IP's and also different oil filter housings and sometimes water pumps. They typically put out a little more horsepower than the automobile versions.

Winmutt,

I think you should "steampunk" it.:cool:

http://steampunkworkshop.com/bus1.shtml

That dude makes the coolest stuff!

OM616 is 73 on. No steam punking (although I am a huge fan of the genre).

If I'm not mistaken MB continued to put the 615 in their trucks after they stopped putting them in cars for the US. So it still might be a 615 if it's not a 352.
Have you tried running the VIN on the Russian VIN site?

I had a W123 615, it was a 77 build date. Russian site doesn't know what it is, I have put in a request with classic parts.

this add shows an 83 and discusses the benefits of using the 2,4 from the w123, also says its a 5 speed.....

click

Yep, sure is shaped like a bread box. Nice find, but if you think an automatic 240D is slow, you're going to love this machine, you'll always feel like you're driving uphill with a nice gusty head wind....LOL

Nice find, if you have questions on the "rv" part of it, let me
know.......Thats what I do for a living, And no, it is not 90%
carpentry.....it is 95% gas (propane), plumbing, and electrical. Very rarely
do I have to mess with carpentry