Two cars, one solution - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ImBroke · #1 05-02-2010, 01:11 PM

Hey guys. Been thinking this over a lot lately. I have the 85 california model 123, that the engine is pretty well gone in. Runs, drives, but not very fast. Brakes could be dragging, since there is a growling noise going down the road. All the usual suspects have been gone over. Body is good, interior is not bad, vac leak somewhere in the climate system. Car #2 is the 84 123, that has had it's body beat on some, and the sunroof refuses to open further than 3 inches at best. Car runs and drives fine, with two exceptions. Brake booster I believe is leaking vacuum, and it needs a ball joint. Other than those two things, the car is the ultimate beater.

Choices are, swap the good engine/trans into the white one, remove dash and fix the vac leaks, and go through the federal into cali hassle and 84-85 hassle. Or, do I swap body parts from the white one to the blue one, replace brake booster, and sunroof. The only thing I haven't done before is the sunroof replacement. I'm talking entire tray and all. Leaning more towards this option, since even after I get the drivetrain swapped, there's still more to go. Anyone done a complete sunroof replacement? I guess a third option would be to weld the sunroof shut and get a one piece headliner.

suginami · #2 05-02-2010, 01:24 PM

Which car is the blue one and which is the white one?

JB3 · #3 05-02-2010, 01:25 PM

How do you know the 85 engine is done? Compression test? leak down test?

Growling sounds like you have a wheel bearing going, does it change when you turn left or right?

Renntag · #4 05-02-2010, 02:00 PM

May I suggest a third option? Live with what you have now and keep an eye out for a nice, clean, well maintained W123 and use your white/blue/84/85/federal/cali cars for parts.....or sell the two as a combo to someone.
Repaint could be costly.

Not sure what your limitations are. I need more info to answer your poll.

Do you have space to hang onto a couple dead cars indefinitely?
Do you have the budget to maybe buy a nicer car?
Are you just itching to dive into a large project and have plenty of time to work out the headaches as they pop up?
Do you have the patience to do this?
Do you have help to swap the motor/trans?

I do not know what problems would arise installing a non-smog motor into a smog-car. I would assume though that since you have 2 complete cars, that you could just shy of swap everything.

If you are throwing practicality out the window and boldly jumping head first into an adventure, I would always start with the clean chassis, everything else just bolts on. Making a 'bent' car straight takes much time and patience, then 1000-4000$ worth of paint and prep depending upon your intended level of quality. If one car is clean and not in need of paint, go with that one.

I still say, leave it alone (fix the motor), and keep an eye out for a clean car.

have fun.

Aquaticedge · #5 05-02-2010, 02:24 PM

Id swap the good engine into the best body and work up from there

ImBroke · #6 05-02-2010, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

Which car is the blue one and which is the white one?

The blue one is the one I drive all the time. It's the 84. The main body parts it needs are a fender, door, and the sunroof fixed. I have the body skills to replace and paint panels, or in this case I can do a quick paint of the entire car to make it one color.

The white one has lower compression on 4 cylinders, and real low on #5. Adjusting the rack bolt makes it idle smooth, but is super slow to rev. I put in an offset woodruff key, and the timing is still not too close. Also, when I had the oil analyzed, they detected antifreeze in the oil. I've confirmed this by running it a couple days and then noticing no antifreeze in the reservoir. It never overheated, but it's going somewhere. This is how I figure the engine is done.

Renntag: I already have a clean car. These are just two cars I have laying around, that I want to make one out of. I'm trying to relocate, and am having to thin the herd. Tried selling the combo, but nobody bit. Not scared of a repaint. Been there, done that several times already. Patience I don't really have a lot of, but I'm persistent. I have done numerous motor swaps, so no big deal there. Neither car is bent so to speak, just things like a dented in door, and a slight bending of the fender. Nothing I can't take care of. The white one I replaced the hood on since the original blew up into the windshield, so moving it to yet another car won't be a problem.

Hope that's enough info, if not I can provide more. I might just throw antique tags on the white one and use it as a mobile parts storehouse.

pawoSD · #7 05-02-2010, 05:01 PM

I'd fix up both!

ImBroke · #8 05-02-2010, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

I'd fix up both!

If I had an unlimited supply of cash, time, or both, I'd be there for sure.

pawoSD · #9 05-02-2010, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBroke

If I had an unlimited supply of cash, time, or both, I'd be there for sure.

Determination is all you need!

View Poll Results: What to do with two cars?
Swap engine/trans and fix the rest	3	100.00%
Swap body parts/brake booster/sunroof	0	0%
Voters: 3. You may not vote on this poll