Hey Gents!

Been a long time since ive posted but wanted to get a feel from the community of how this car might drive?

I got a mint 1979 car with barely 100k on it but it has rust on the body so i picked up a 1985 body with no engine. Plan is to swap over as much as i can and make one good car out of the two..


Question really is with the differential in the 85 being a lower gear ratio for highway cruising but with such a low power engine would the car even move on side streets?

Shame rust exists. .. this car is beautiful . . pic is of the car dash

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1978 300D

It's not a huge thing to swap the diffy.......

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

You need to look at the front subframe area. The location of several key elements such as alternator, air cond compressor and oil filter may be different between those two years, making the swap ticklish. The gear ratio of the second car will depend on its motor. which motor do you have?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

He said a 240 engine........

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I'd be looking for a 617 and sell the other engine.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

The other he said it was an 85 123 I thought.....

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

This is a good idea.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yes, just so :

He wants to put an early 240D engines into a late W123 5 cylinder car .

It's not terribly difficult if you're up to doing engine swaps, as I said he'll prolly want to swap out the higher ratio (lower numeric) final drive pumpkin then he should have a nice, inexpen$ive putter that's terrific on fuel economy .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

are you saying the 240d in the body of a 1985 car with the better rear end for highway cruising would be nice?


I am worried the car will be dog slow in town and near dangerous


Thanks to all that have replied. I am considering scrapping this project because of the axle ratio to HP level and the fact that i just found trunk rust and one of the motor mount holes is ruined on the doner body. .

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1978 300D

240D's are borderline dangerously slow no matter what .

I love mine but trying to merge into a flat freeway going below 50 MPH isn't much fun .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I'd imagine a 240D drivetrain coupled to a 2.88:1 final drive out of the '85 would be terrifyingly slow. Yeah, it may be nice in theory to be doing 2900 RPM at 70, but whether or not you'd ever get there is the question...

Can you not swap the diff over from the donor car?

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Roger that! well i now have a 240D engine with 108k on it for sale and a 1985 300d body!

scrapped that project

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1978 300D