300E 5 Speed Performance

[ctaylor738]

I realize that there is a topic for performance improvement. I checked it out and it seemed to be dominated by discussions of whether a V6 Mustang could beat a 300E off the line and dreams of a 500E.

So I thought I would post this here.

I bought a 300E with a 5 speed about a month ago and am happy with the performance but I think with some tinkering it could be improved.

The car does have 182K on the clock and could benefit from a rebuilt head. The engine seems to have a wealth of low-end torque but could use some more punch above 5000 RPM. I would be willing to sacrifice some of the abundant low end for more power at the high end. I would be happy with another 20 horsepower.

My questions:

If the head gets rebuilt, can the compression be raised modestly? Are there any reputable sources for higher performance cams, valve springs, etc.? And (my biggest concern) would all of this be defeated by a wimpy fuel injection system?

I have entered into a long-term relationship with this car, so any stick-to-the-facts advice would be appreciated.

BTW - I think the real issue on these cars is not the engine, but the automatic. And that's why I think mine would be a blast with some more to end.

I quote from "Featured Cars" on this very site:

"Zero to sixty is about 8.3 seconds for the older 300E and 8 seconds flat for the E320. The manual version of the 300E was able to make 60 in 7.8 seconds."



Thanks guys!

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA