The Mercedes engineers installed pretty soft engine mounts in an effort to decrease the engine vibrations and noise transmitted to the passenger compartment... these engines are also tall compared to V-8's so the torque arm acting on the mounts is amplified. Early 240's did not have the engine shock... but later ones did...and there are instructions in the 616 manual for retrofitting them to some earlier cars ( only with either manual or auto trans..don't remember off hand which )...

The radiator fan shroud is not a bogus item... although on all cars it should be contructed in a fashion easier to remove for mechanicing access....
Air is a liquid... and it flows along the path of least resistance... the fan needs to pull the air through the radiator fins... and taking it off allows air to be more easily drawn from under the car than through the radiator... and that gets even more pronounced as any bent fins or dirt accumulate on the condensor or radiator...