First off, i'd like to say I REFUSE to send this car to the crusher. With that out the way what are my best choices?

Obviously the first and foremost choice would be an OM603 or OM606, they are as straightforward was it gets but those seem to be pretty rare and hard to find in the scrapyard honestly. I would like to have a whole car beside me if possible. If I do find an OM603 I will jump on it.

However, if I have no luck finding one OR find a really good deal on another engine. which motor would you recommend?

Engines I have on mind are anything that went into the W126 chassis in stock form, and the M104 inline 6. So that's a lot of options.

I would appreciate the help.

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.