Restoring an AMG Hammer Wagon, my story Part 2 - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

omegabenz · #16 07-29-2002, 01:56 PM

On the front

235/45/ will fit if you roll the lips of the fenders and also flare the fender, but they will rub every once in a while.

225/45 probably wont rub if you roll the lips

215/45/ will probably never rub in the front if you roll the lips.

In the rear

235/45/ was stock, but you have to roll the fenders. Every once in a while they will rub.

P7000 are good, but if you are going to go with pirelli, Id get the Pzero Asymetrico they are awesome in the dry and pretty good in the wet.

the P.S. tires are awesome in the wet and really really good in the dry. You can drive really fast in the rain.

Good luck
Austin

#17 07-30-2002, 11:31 PM

Boy Dave, you've got it bad, but man....what a toy!

Should be one of a kind by the time your done. Now, what is your daily driver going to be?

aldedmon · #18 07-31-2002, 12:45 AM

AERO's
They are 17 X 8
and they wore 235 X45X17 G'year gatorbacks on the Hammer cars. I've ran them with 215X45 and 225 X 45 without rubbing front or rear, however I prefer the additional muscles added by the 235 X45X17 tires and put up with the slight occasional rub.
After my Front end conversion to 94 e500 look with stock rear 400e(no rear fender flares) I run 245X40X17's...NO RUB. See my www for pics

omegabenz · #19 07-31-2002, 12:56 AM

I thought that the AMG Hammer camed with Pirelli P700 215/45/YR17 front and 235/45/YR17 in the rear.

Hammer Wagon · #20 07-31-2002, 10:59 PM

Just some blurbs;

Car & Driver, Dec. 1986-
“The Pirelli P700 tires specified for the Hammer were in short supply during our time with the prototype, so AMG asked us to substitute other rubber for our cornering and braking tests; a set of sixteen-inch Goodyear VR50 S tires with shaved treads. The modified gatorbacks didn’t run as smoothly as the Pirellis, but their gluey adhesion helped the hammer pound around the skidpad at a punishing 0.85g, neck-stretching with the swoopiest of supercars. Judging by our tire tests, we doubt the Hammer would be able to exceed that figure on P700s.”

The article was a test of an early AMG Hammer prototype, with the 5.6 liter motor and a 32v head. 338 cu in/ 5547cc/ 355bhp @ 5500 rpm/ 388lb-ft @ 4500 rpm. The 17 inch wheels in the photo were AMG aeros, with body color black centers, and the 16 inch wheels shown on the skidpad are the older five spoke AMGs seen on the 1980’s AMG conversions.

Automobile, January 1988-
Super-Market Sled- this was a test of the first AMG Hammer wagon, converted from a 1987 300TD diesel wagon. 6.0 liter this time, 32v head, 363 cu in/ 5956cc/ 375hp @ 550 rpm/ 407 lb ft

“The rest of the operation that followed was a fairly straightforward Hammer conversion (see AMG Hammer, July 1987). The wagon’s front springs and shocks were retuned for the added weight, and its rear subframe was dismantled, restructured to accept the bigger S-class differential, and buttressed with triangular bracing. This torque –sensing 2.82:1 Gleason-Torsen limited-slip differential was installed to cope with the massive torque load of 407 lb ft. that the powerful Hammer V8 engine would transmit to the drive wheels.

Front brakes were swapped for a pair of heavy duty fixed caliper 11.2 inch vented discs; the rears remained stock 10.9 inch discs. Finally Buxbaum laid on the signature AMG aero pieces: a front air dam, deep side skirts, and a rear skirt. The wheel wells were flared around super low profile Pirelli P700s mounted on body-color alloy wheels; 215/45VR-17s up front and 235/45VR-17s on the back.”

Car & Driver, February1990
Test of the AMG 300TE 6.0. The customer specified Yokohama AVS 205/55/VR-16 tires on 7.5x16 inch chrome Aero wheels, but “Buxbaum usually insists on P700s, and we can see why,” citing the tendency of the rear end to break loose at 65 mph under acceleration in the rain.

Dave

AMG 300TE 6.0

Subman · #21 07-31-2002, 11:38 PM

I love that wood trim I wonder if I could find that for my car? I think it would look great in my parchement interior.
Subman

Hammer Wagon · #22 07-31-2002, 11:53 PM

AMG called it pickled birds eye maple and I believe they color coordinated it to the cars. The blue/gray Hammer wagon had gray birds eye maple.

Car & Driver wasn't so fond of it- "new wood dash inserts- "pickled birds-eye maple" in this case, which looks to us like the sort of fake travertine marble you'd find in the honeymoon suite of a Las Vegas motel."

Personally I like the way it contrasts with the black leather. When I find a wood restorer to take some of the cracks/ scratches out I'll ask how difficult it would be to duplicate. It might be possible to lighten or bleach a darker wood.

Or you could try to find some at the local honeymoon motel.

Hammer Wagon · #23 08-02-2002, 04:37 PM

Any tips on where I can source the 500E fenders?

Dave

AMG 300TE 6.0

aldedmon · #24 08-02-2002, 05:02 PM

Having done the from AMG front bumper to E500 full frontal conversion, I can tell you from experience that you are incorrect in your thinking. Your lower AMG cladding wont mate up to the 500E fenders. Your AMG bumper, wont mate up properly to the 500E fenders. To convert from Eclass(AMG or other) to 500E, you'll need new Lower cladding(X2) and new lower fender panels(X2), 500E fenders(X2) 500E front bumper, 500E bumper strip,500E Tow Hook cover,500 bumper chrome under headlights(X2) Auxillary lights(X2) Auxillary light bracket(X2) 500E inner fender covers(X2)....That just about covers it.

Hammer Wagon · #25 08-02-2002, 05:49 PM

thanks, that would nix the idea from an originality standpoint.

Dave

Hammer Wagon · #26 08-09-2002, 12:12 AM

Regarding sway bars most had suggested using the 500E swaybars. I had a look at the swaybars today and they looked thicker than the stock bars. Fortunately there was a 400E up on one of the lifts at the time, so we measured the swaybar and then tried to fit the wrench over the swaybars in the AMG and the wrench woul not fit- they are definitely wider.

We also noticed that the 400E swaybar has a two 90 degree
bends as such

_____| |_______

to clear the pan under the engine while the AMG swaybar is almost straight (see pictures). This leads to me believe that AMG fabricated their own swaybars for the car, or used another M117 cars swaybar and the 500E or sportline swaybars may not fit underneath the M117 engine.

Dave

AMG 300TE 6.0