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  #1  
Old 10-14-2006, 01:53 AM
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FI'ed swaped vintage MB's

I like seeing vintage cars with newer powerplants. I would love to find a nice clean vintage mb (like a 108 or a W180) one day and swap in a newer engine and transmission.. probably a non-mb engine.

I'm already knee deep into a 300d project and an LS1 powered '70 Chevelle but I like to day dream.


Anybody has links to projects of the sort ?

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  #2  
Old 10-14-2006, 08:49 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
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i have such dreams all the time. especially on long trips where i have a lot of time to free think.

my best friend always talks me out of it before i commit financial suicide though.

the only actual motor upgrade i have done is converting 240s to 300 na power. 99.99% bolt in.

tom w
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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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  #3  
Old 10-14-2006, 10:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jfman View Post
I like seeing vintage cars with newer powerplants. I would love to find a nice clean vintage mb (like a 108 or a W180) one day and swap in a newer engine and transmission.. probably a non-mb engine.

I'm already knee deep into a 300d project and an LS1 powered '70 Chevelle but I like to day dream.


Anybody has links to projects of the sort ?
Taking a "nice clean vintage MB" and "upgrading" its engine, especially with a non-MB engine basically makes it nearly worthless to anyone other than you and much more difficult to sell if and when the eventual day comes to get rid of it. As long as you are doing it for recreation and don't do it with the belief that any of the time and money you spend on the project will ever be seen again then go for it!
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  #4  
Old 10-14-2006, 01:02 PM
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I disagree ...

Most of the stuff we deal with is so cheap to begin with that it is hard to see how a more modern drivetrain could hurt the resale value. Like, why would a 108 or 114 with a nicely-done M110 or M103 engine be worth less than a carb'd M130?

I am very interested in opinions on this, because I am contemplating converting my 280C to CSI this winter. That would give another 30+ HP, much better economy, running, and emissions.
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  #5  
Old 10-14-2006, 01:26 PM
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I like the idea behind Walter's 230sl diesel and Mike's R107 with the 600 drive train. Drew has a ponton with an M130E in it. I've got a W112 coupe that's going to get an M103 one of these days. I just have to get around to figuring out how to keep the air suspension up and pay for the paint job. Not sure which of those I'll get around to first. -CTH
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  #6  
Old 10-14-2006, 02:02 PM
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Marty, perhaps you (with your amazingly-like-new MBs) are more worried about the resale value of your vehicles than anyone else on here.

Personally, I'd buy an older MB to enjoy it and drive it myself forever. I wouldn't give it up, I wouldn't care about the resale value. If I could put in a modern V8 MB engine and transmission and get better fuel economy while still enjoying its timeless looks and handling, I'd do it. If that meant I'd get less money from a person like yourself who'd want to buy one as close to stock and new as possible, it means nothing to me. Conversely, someone like myself would be willing to pay a good deal of money for a 108 or a 109 with, say, an M119 or an M113!
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  #7  
Old 10-14-2006, 02:56 PM
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Keep in mind I am looking at the cheaper vintage models.. anything over $4k, I would not tear apart... I would like to find a clean one with a bad engine, id be perfect

So nobody has ever done this ?

It's much more fun daydreaming about stuff you know can and has been done
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Last edited by jfman; 10-14-2006 at 04:26 PM.
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  #8  
Old 10-14-2006, 03:39 PM
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I'd personally not have that big a problem with an MB-MB conversion as I would dropping a small block Chevy or Ford V8 into a W108 or W111, but to each his own.

I did say if you're doing it for your own amusement and plan to keep it and drive it then so be it, but the fact is that I think you'd have a much harder time ever selling a vintage MB with a Chevy or Ford V8 in it than if you just kept it stock or close to it with another MB engine or spent the time fixing the original engine. I guess I am just a purist, not a collecting snob or anything...I just don't see the point in spending time, talent and money on a project that devalues the car, but that's just me.
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  #9  
Old 10-14-2006, 03:39 PM
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I know that I am new around here, but I feel that I should make a post on the issue. I too am a day dreamer. I suppose that we all are or we would not be here.

There are many vintage MB owners out there that are not as lucky as we are to engage in the thought processes that make us the vintage fans that we are. I am talking about the kind of guy who bought a 108 on ebay last year and only drives it to the golf course once a week. This is the same guy that drops $650 to have his mechanic do an oil change or complains when the car takes a little longer to turnover. That kind of guy only wants to be "in the club". He is easy to stereotype, with a pullover Henley khakis and finely manicured hands.

Then you have us. The day dreamers. You can spot our kind from a mile away. We are the guys that go to work on Monday with oil under our finger nails. The kind of guys that wake up in the night thinking about the ... what if. We are not looking to join a group to satisfy some inner desire to belong. We would never let some kid charge us for a simple procedure that we can do (and enjoy doing) ourself. Rather, we are in it for the love. Love for the car. Love of satisfaction from completing a job done right. We enjoy the feeling you get when you take a risk (like a engine swap) and it pays off. This is what we do and enjoy.

Therefore I say go for it! What do you have to loose? Sure the "resale value" may be diminished by deviating from the original. The guy on ebay may not want to pay top $ for your baby in the unlikely event that you want to sell her. But that is what you get for wanting to offload the product of your sweat and passion. If your goal is to "turn a buck" then try to remember this: When the guy comes to pick up your car, try not to get too much oil on the check, the bank may not honor it.
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  #10  
Old 10-14-2006, 04:12 PM
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So nobody has ever atempted this ?

There has go to be somebody that has done this.

Ok let me get to the point... Once my LS1 chevelle is done(at least 1 year from now) I would like to install an ls1 with automatic transmission in a vintage MB (sedan)

Lsx motors are very light weight v8 engines with nice power and good fuel economy. Pretty cheap I might add and the aftermarket support is great. There is a lot of people swaping lsx motors in anything from: miatas, rx7, vitage chevy cars, fox body mustangs, BMW E30's , E36's, even 5 series, nissan 240's and the list goes on.

An all aluminum ls1 motor with accesories and auto tranny weight less than a vintage MB combo.

And they are pretty cheap too and most of them have low miles.

ls1= 28mpg and 13 second 1/4 mile in a 3500lbs car.

Now I'm not doing this for performance(well kinda) I would just want a car that has adequate power for daily driving situations. What is adequate for me might be a too slow for someonelse and crazy fast for others.
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  #11  
Old 10-14-2006, 05:18 PM
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jfman: I literally JUST took my 108 out for a spin. I hadn't started it since July and thought if I don't do it soon it's going to result in frozen calipers, gummed injectors, and a ratsnest of other issues. These babies don't like to sit. Well, let me tell you... I forgot how much power it DOES have. If you think a stock MB doesn't have enough to drive around in everyday traffic, look into the 108 with a 4.5, and then swap the heads on it like I did. You won't worry about power.

As for putting an LS1 in, I know people have done SBC conversions, but none off the top of my head that are LS1.
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  #12  
Old 10-14-2006, 06:50 PM
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I'm crazy the other way. I'd take the wankle from the Rx7 and put it into a 190sl if I had both the motor and car hanging about as spares. After all, I can't buy the factory version (the C111). -CTH
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  #13  
Old 10-14-2006, 08:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomguy View Post

As for putting an LS1 in, I know people have done SBC conversions, but none off the top of my head that are LS1.
Well that's good to know.. because if an SBC fits in there, the ls1 should fit as well.
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  #14  
Old 10-14-2006, 11:47 PM
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Pretty cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by cth350 View Post
I'm crazy the other way. I'd take the wankle from the Rx7 and put it into a 190sl if I had both the motor and car hanging about as spares. After all, I can't buy the factory version (the C111). -CTH
That's a common MGB conversion. If you had one with a shot engine, it may not be a bad idea at all.

I wouldn't mind a sleeper Vintage MB with a Chevy or Ford Power train. Since buying the truck, I have realised that American car parts are outrageously cheap.

That said, today I was sitting in my E420 and thinking about how much effort it would take to put a 300D drive train in my 59 Ford F100 and then going bio diesel.
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  #15  
Old 10-15-2006, 04:01 AM
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I did a turbo engine swap to my 240D, and I think it increased the value of the car, but as t walgamuth said it was mostly bolt in (I would say 75-80% due to the modifications needed with the transmission 4 inches further back).

I think a new MB engine in a classic MB body would be great, but I would not drop a chevy engine in it.

One thing on my very long list of things to do is put a diesel Mercedes power-train in a '49 Dodge pickup body I have.

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