300E PERFORMANCE!!!!!

[300EVIL]

WHAT MODS CAN I DO TO MAKE MY 87 300E ACCELERATE FASTER?????
IVE ALREADY ADDED A K&N AIR FILTER AND PLAN ON INSTALLING A BETTER IGNITOIN COIL.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?????????

[Tobias MB]

ADAM,
The easiest way to improve acceleration in your car is to remove the entire interior and install a 4.11 gear in the rear!!
Just kidding but the truth as these cars are hard to improve on. Some real suggestions:
1. NOS kit, best bang for the buck, but doesn't last too long.
2. Supercharger or turbo kit, now hard to find as these cars are aged past the marketing limits. If found, $5k-$12k!
3. Reworked transmission valve body for first gear launch...cost $450-1200.
4. Put in a later 3.2 drivetrain.
5. Trade up for a 400E or 500E and have fun!!

Good luck,
Tobias MB
300SE, 300CE, 190/5.0

[Michael]

Yeah, making an M103 motor faster is no easy task. Perhaps the cheapest route is a cam and throttle body, but at that point you're dropping some serious do-re-me.

I looked into all the options, as my wagon's sort of a slug (dependable and a great car, but a slug) so I took the advice you've been given and got a 500E!

Good luck, and sorry not to be giving you better news.

------------------
Best regards, Michael
'92 500E
'88 300TE

[Lee Scheeler]

For the cost, you really can't make a M103 go much faster. You will spend less money and get better results trading up to a faster car. Once you are at the top of the "food chain" then you can start tuning but until then it just makes more sense and cents to trade up.

Hope this helps...Lee

[300EVIL]

thanks for the advice but i just put 4000$
of body work into the car!!!
im going to keep it for a while but ill consider getting a 500e
what id really like to have is a s600 or a c43 that would be nice!!

[CaptAlex300e]

Iknow how you feel , as to wanting to improve your cars performance. I too have a 300e and I know that car is a dog. Well its overall a nice car though. The only thing is that i hate being blown off the line by ford Taures's and even minivans. People make fun of my car. Indeed it should be faster with a 3.0 engine. Its pathetic that such cheaper cars are faster. Well I guess when I graduate college I'll get a E55

[anthonyb]

Just out of curiosity, are you guys starting in first gear or second? The 300E ain't that fast, granted, but there is no WAY a Taurus (or god forbid, a minivan) should beat one off the line.

Adam..I have a 89 190 E 2.6 and can somewhat sympathize. Since my car has an automatic the very first thing I did was to take it to my mechanic and have him "tweak" the transmission so that it would stay in first gear longer. From ze fatherland, and for gas economy they were designed (at least on my 190) to shift out of first at about 9 miles an hour!! The only way around that is to leave the line with your foot-to-the-floor, thereby forcing the transmission to stay in gear longer (and higher rpm's too). Don't know how you drive but that's not usually my style. Besides the front and rear flex discs in these cars are notoriously "fragile" anyway. I've looked into a cam with the larger throttle body but everyone I've talked to about this says that all the gains will be at the upper end of the tach and, if anything you may even lose some bottom end torque....lookout for those F
ords and minivans! Besides, car boot hill is filled to the brim with Chevy Vegas, Ford Tarus, and countless other "P.O.S" cars that could only dream of the build quality of your W124! So...enjoy it for what it was intended for and

[CaptAlex300e]

We know that the 300E has a great build quality and has a nice ride, is dependable etc. However I don't think you know how it feels like to be beaten off the line by a 60 year old woman driving a Ford Taurus or being pants by a Dodge Minivan filled with Kids laughing at you. Also all my college buddies laugh at the 300E's performance. At the age of 19 I should ahve a faster car. Well big deal I still love the 300e and plan to get a Vet killer : 500E or E55.

[yal]

Those cars have multi valve electronic controlled engines designed with good torque in mind. Your car is a 15+ year old chassis and engine design, come on man! Its like comparing apples and oranges.
If your looking to feel good about yourself try taking some of these cars on in places the W124 excels in like high speed cornering for example...i'd like to see a freaking baby_boomer_mini van keep up with you there.
If your into traffic light drag racing and your on a budget get a Honda!
As for me I am just going to be happy in the fact that i'll still be driving my benz long after these cars hit the scrap heap

Just my 2 cents...I should stay of the caffeine.

Yal 88 230E (W124)

My style -- keep 'em guessing. That is, don't try to blow someone's doors off at the line, no matter what the vehicle. I had a 1984 190E 2.3-8V with FULL AMG ground effects and wheels, exhaust, suspension, euro lights, tinted windows, Recaros, etc . . . basically, Bad-to-the-bone. I knew I couldn't beat 90% of the cars on the road. And the 10% I COULD beat -- who would care? On the freeway I'd cruise the limit in the slow lane, that way many more cars would pass me (more "stares-per-mile"), than if I were in the fast lane passing others (and risking a citation). Bottom line -- just cruise cool and keep 'em guessing That's my philosophy on my current 1986 2.3-16V.

Brian

[CaptAlex300e]

All you guy's are right, and like I siad before I do love the quality of the car and its overall handling etc. However I feel really bad when I get beatin by a "baby boomer" and old lady in a Taurus. I just wanted to share my grief in the 300e's performance. By the way what are some of the 300E's postive points. And like I said before: ?I love my Benz and lan to get a really Super Benz once out of college. An by the way one person suggested I get a Honda for stop light drag racing. Well that made me LOL, I would never betray my Mercedes brethen.

[ss109]

I don;t know how you guys are driving but I can kick ass in my 300E. Granted, it's not 0-60 in 3.9, but it accels at higher speeds. If I am going like 70, I can step on the pedal and it takes off, leaving most sedans seeing my taillights.

------------------
'92 300E
'74 Vette

[300EVIL]

i agree, no minivan or taurs is going to beat my Mercedes Benz 300E shure, when
its in automatic it takes off slow but, throw it in first and you will be pinned to your seat!!
i also agree that it takes off better at high speeds
and no car can beet its handling!!!!
especially those heavy, old and long cars of the 60's and 70's.

[300EVIL]

honda is good but i preffer a reliable import