Something a little different for a W115

[EmmyJ]

I have mostly been a lurker here, because if there's one thing that's obvious from reading classic-Mercedes forums, it's that y'all don't like non-original cars!

In spite of that, though I wanted to share my project, and possibly get some advice. Purists, avert your eyes.

The short version is this: I'm modifying my 1976 300D (W115) into a post-apocalyptic vehicle.

This is a bit more involved than just sticking some zombie-proof spikes and guns on a car, though. One of the elements of the post-apocalyptic novel series I've published is a loose association of dedicated Mercedes drivers who roam the wasteland. They've kept their cars running after the collapse of civilization with creativity and love, and their Benzes tend to be the only cars that are recognizable as what they started life as a century previous. Admit it, it's not that hard to imagine!

I'll be travelling to the "Wasteland Weekend" post-apocalyptic festival in California next month, and though the even is inspired by and themed to the Mad Max movie series, I'm modifying my 300D to match the Benzes in my story with some intentional distressing and modifications to give it a lived-in, survivor look. In the end it'll hopefully look something like a cross between a rally car and an African taxi. (Because the body is in good shape and the only rust is in the floor pans, I am making my post-apoc changes carefully, so it can be put back original. I've got a scrappy-looking hood and doors to swap on, so I don't mess up the original sheet metal or paint!)

I'm sure at least one person is going to say, "You should get a W123 wagon," which is not an option because it's the apocalypse and this is what I have to work with. (Were it a real apocalypse, then enough W123 diesel wagon owners might be dead that I could find one, since death is about the only way to separate people form those cars affordably!)

My car is somewhat legit in terms of surviving the end of the world, having been rescued from a field in Texas in 2008 after a decade of repose. I've driven it regularly and it has been maintenanced but not "restored" since then (thanks in no small part to PeachParts!). I think a 4000-mile trip across the country as a part of a Mad Max-inspired caravan will make an appropriate 40th birthday present for it!

In the end, I have some minor questions, which I can move to a more appropriate forum section if needed.

First, if anyone knows any knowledgeable Mercedes shops along the I-70/I-40 corridor west, it would be good to know in case of breakdowns. Hopefully it'll just chug along like it always does...but it's still a 40 year old car.

Second, my oil pressure gauge has always read 15 at idle and spikes to 45 at anything above idle. Seems to be "normal" for how this car operates, but is that actually normal?

Third, to give the car a post-apoc look I'd like to raise the suspension about an inch. I have seen photos of rally W115 models that seem to be riding a bit higher than stock but can't find any info on what modifications were made or how complicated it is (plenty of info on how to LOWER it, but that's not useful to me and an airbag suspension is too much modification anyhow). Obviously, I don't want to chop up the stock suspension so if it's complicated I'll do without, but it seems like changing the cups that the springs sit in would do to lift things up a little bit without mucking up the system too much. Does anyone have any thoughts or insight? I would like to be able to run slightly taller tires.

Thanks for any advice or info!

[gmog220d]

Right on! Sounds like a fun project. If you happen to venture a little further north and go through the Salt Lake area, lemme know. It would be fun to see and photograph your car.

Here are some suggestions:

- Run some steel wheels without covers.
- All terrain tires, if you can find some small enough.
- Replace the hood star with some other, post-apocalyptic symbol of your choice.
- Roof rack with many lights pointed in many directions, loaded with provisions and tools.

So welding to the body is out, eh? I see spikes . . .

Oil pressure gauge behavior sounds normal.

There's a rubber ring, "Rubber Mount", installed on the top end of each coil spring. They come in different thicknesses. I raised the rear end of my first W115, the 220D, to compensate for carrying around a bunch of tools all the time by using thicker mounts. Can't remember which ones I used, but I bet it was the thickest. I ended up swapping them back out for the originals and probably still have the thick ones in the garage somewhere . . .

My spare parts list shows they came originally in 9.5mm, 14.0mm, and 19.0mm thicknesses. The swap gave my car about 1.5" lift to the rear end. If the trunk was empty and fuel low it would sit pretty high.

[EmmyJ]

Thanks Greg! I'll look around for the rubber-ring spacers; that sounds like the relatively simple solution I was hoping for.

I have a roof rack that's an interesting combination of an old Volvo rain-gutter ski rack, a futon frame and one of the extending accessory racks Ford used to put on the Escape. Plenty of room for cargo!

I will be sure to share photos of the finished project.

Also, if you were interested in selling those thicker mounts, if you could find them...

[gmog220d]

Two more ideas:

- Bull Bar front bumper.
- Mud flaps, font and rear.

[97 SL320]

For a low cost adjustable suspension, have a look at my posts in the thread below and ignore the original poster. Also, you will need to realign the car to compensate for camber / toe changes. You may need to slot suspension mounting holes to get the alignment back into shape.


http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/performance-paddock/342744-w123-racing-setup-serious-questions-within.html

[joshhol]

As a purist I applaud your dedication and innovation. As long as the car isn't abused, trashed and discarded, I say have fun with it. Would love to see some before/after pics.

I concur on the oil pressure behavior. There's a place in St Louis called McLaren Motors on Manchester, run by a kooky old German guy. He gives me pause but he would know what to do with a 115 in distress. You won't need it though. If the oil cooler hoses, cooling system, belts, and other basics work, your 115 will chug along happily. Just don't expect to keep up with the flow of traffic/semis.

[Larry Delor]

A solar panel needs to go somewhere. Flamethrowers in front and back. Gerry cans for extra fuel mounted flat to the trunk lid. (those spring pads will come in handy with that extra weight, unless they are strictly props.)
Remote control spot light on the roof. A bag of road spikes just under the rear bumper, and running the width of it. And most of all, a "Have a nice day!" yellow and black bumpers sticker on the back.

[EmmyJ]

Originally Posted by gmog220d

Two more ideas:

- Bull Bar front bumper.
- Mud flaps, font and rear.

I'm mocking up something for the front. I fortunately have extra front and rear bumpers, so I can mess around with them and keep the originals.

[EmmyJ]

Originally Posted by 97 SL320

For a low cost adjustable suspension, have a look at my posts in the thread below and ignore the original poster. Also, you will need to realign the car to compensate for camber / toe changes. You may need to slot suspension mounting holes to get the alignment back into shape.


http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/performance-paddock/342744-w123-racing-setup-serious-questions-within.html

Thank you! I didn't see this post when I went through the forum looking for suspension info.

[EmmyJ]

Originally Posted by joshhol

As a purist I applaud your dedication and innovation. As long as the car isn't abused, trashed and discarded, I say have fun with it. Would love to see some before/after pics.

This car will definitely NOT be trashed and discarded! ("Abuse" depends on your feelings about driving it in the desert...but I think it'll be okay.) Eventually I want to replace the rotten floorpans. I plan to keep it forever.

[gmog220d]

That's a great color.

What part of Texas are you in (I notice the Texas plate)? I grew up in Texas and have family there.

97 SL320's posts offer a very nice way to make an adjustable suspension. I dug around a little and didn't find the old mounts I have/had. They could have gotten tossed in preparation for the move to Utah last year (miss my old shop space).

As for bumpers, the later style US spec cars have some pretty good mounts on the bodies that would provide an excellent mount for whatever you decided to fabricate. So you wouldn't necessarily have to modify originals, which are mostly plastic.

[EmmyJ]

Originally Posted by gmog220d

That's a great color.

What part of Texas are you in (I notice the Texas plate)? I grew up in Texas and have family there.

97 SL320's posts offer a very nice way to make an adjustable suspension. I dug around a little and didn't find the old mounts I have/had. They could have gotten tossed in preparation for the move to Utah last year (miss my old shop space).

As for bumpers, the later style US spec cars have some pretty good mounts on the bodies that would provide an excellent mount for whatever you decided to fabricate. So you wouldn't necessarily have to modify originals, which are mostly plastic.

I am actually in metro Detroit. The car, however, was plucked out of a field in Leander, TX. The plate's rusted on and I haven't had the heart to grind it off.

[ScooterABC]

Originally Posted by EmmyJ

I am actually in metro Detroit. The car, however, was plucked out of a field in Leander, TX. The plate's rusted on and I haven't had the heart to grind it off.

Perhaps you could get a new front license plate and sort of chain-attach it to the old one. Kind of goes with the theme...

[Jub]

Dude,

I just saw this on an episode of "Jay Leno's Garage": he went there and interviewed all the people. If you get a chance, check it out...lots of ideas!

FYI: while watching I was thinking how cool it would be to mock up a vintage MB, lord knows they are built to last... but then I thought...who would be crazy enough (question answered).

Jub

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by EmmyJ

I have mostly been a lurker here, because if there's one thing that's obvious from reading classic-Mercedes forums, it's that y'all don't like non-original cars!

In spite of that, though I wanted to share my project, and possibly get some advice. Purists, avert your eyes.

The short version is this: I'm modifying my 1976 300D (W115) into a post-apocalyptic vehicle.

This is a bit more involved than just sticking some zombie-proof spikes and guns on a car, though. One of the elements of the post-apocalyptic novel series I've published is a loose association of dedicated Mercedes drivers who roam the wasteland. They've kept their cars running after the collapse of civilization with creativity and love, and their Benzes tend to be the only cars that are recognizable as what they started life as a century previous. Admit it, it's not that hard to imagine!

I'll be travelling to the "Wasteland Weekend" post-apocalyptic festival in California next month, and though the even is inspired by and themed to the Mad Max movie series, I'm modifying my 300D to match the Benzes in my story with some intentional distressing and modifications to give it a lived-in, survivor look. In the end it'll hopefully look something like a cross between a rally car and an African taxi. (Because the body is in good shape and the only rust is in the floor pans, I am making my post-apoc changes carefully, so it can be put back original. I've got a scrappy-looking hood and doors to swap on, so I don't mess up the original sheet metal or paint!)

I'm sure at least one person is going to say, "You should get a W123 wagon," which is not an option because it's the apocalypse and this is what I have to work with. (Were it a real apocalypse, then enough W123 diesel wagon owners might be dead that I could find one, since death is about the only way to separate people form those cars affordably!)

My car is somewhat legit in terms of surviving the end of the world, having been rescued from a field in Texas in 2008 after a decade of repose. I've driven it regularly and it has been maintenanced but not "restored" since then (thanks in no small part to PeachParts!). I think a 4000-mile trip across the country as a part of a Mad Max-inspired caravan will make an appropriate 40th birthday present for it!

In the end, I have some minor questions, which I can move to a more appropriate forum section if needed.

First, if anyone knows any knowledgeable Mercedes shops along the I-70/I-40 corridor west, it would be good to know in case of breakdowns. Hopefully it'll just chug along like it always does...but it's still a 40 year old car.

Second, my oil pressure gauge has always read 15 at idle and spikes to 45 at anything above idle. Seems to be "normal" for how this car operates, but is that actually normal?

Third, to give the car a post-apoc look I'd like to raise the suspension about an inch. I have seen photos of rally W115 models that seem to be riding a bit higher than stock but can't find any info on what modifications were made or how complicated it is (plenty of info on how to LOWER it, but that's not useful to me and an airbag suspension is too much modification anyhow). Obviously, I don't want to chop up the stock suspension so if it's complicated I'll do without, but it seems like changing the cups that the springs sit in would do to lift things up a little bit without mucking up the system too much. Does anyone have any thoughts or insight? I would like to be able to run slightly taller tires.

Thanks for any advice or info!

Don't be concerned with the oil pressure unless it gets below about 4 psi. According to my OM603 sources for my 350SDL engine, that's the lowest for any MB post WW2, so you are ok.

If you are living in Cali, I wouldn't put 0W40 oil in it, I'd probably use Mobil 1 15-40 or 50. Or possibly Castrol 20W50, very populkar for Benzes 40 years ago, I discovered in reading the old documents of the day.

Keep the level full and the oil clean, it should be fine.

Good luck! We'd like to see pics!