Guess who is back
 

I’m back and bought something fun to fix up

https://i.imgur.com/OvUsNB0.jpg

‘83 380SL w/ 140k on it. It’s not too bad especially for the price I paid. Interior is like 7/10 and exterior I’ll give a 7/10 only because of two rust spots on the rockers I need to address. Everything else is solid no rot and paint is in great shape.


But the fun part

https://i.imgur.com/yWVx34F.jpg

Dude remove all of the fuel injection stuff to try and fix a poor running issue. As well as did the double row timing chain conversion which I need to go over with a fine tooth comb. Hopefully I can have it up and running in no time and get everything in order.

It looks very nice Joe! I imagine you can get help here to get it running.

Cheers!

I hope so. Otherwise I’ll just LS swap it

Man I love that body style. Normally not a fan of white but the SL can pull it off. Looks elegant.

In person it doesnt appear to be pure white, its almost like an ivory or light beige. I can tell you the paint is buttery smooth and has an almost perfect reflection of my shop lights in it. Not bad except for a few chips that were touched up. It's totally a nice cruising car, not a show winner, but good enough for me to enjoy. I just need to get it running again.

Nice pick-up...congrats! It’ll be fun to watch you get her in shape.

Very nice. One of my dream cars and I happen to think white does them proud. It's not a pure white though. I belive that's the same color as my 240D was. "Classic White" I think is the name. It's an off white which becomes obvious when it's parked next to a pure white car. At any rate. Nice pick up. I'll look forward to seeing your progress as you go thru it.

- Peter.

I was never one for the SL series especially after having my E320 cabriolet but I got it for a really good price and it’s probably the cleanest car I have bought at that price. The wheels themselves are immaculate.

I need to make a thread in the SL section and post up pics of what I have. It came with a complete second intake that seems to be from a W126 engine since the air metering assembly doesn’t fit on it.

Very nice! Looks exceptionally clean. Always loved the r107 and somehow in the past few years they have really grown on me more. Maybe the rad effect.

You would need to rebadge it 380LS.:eek: Nice find.

I'm sure it would be a harder swap but my fantasy engine to drop into such a project is the M5 motor from the early 90s vintage, the E34. Over 300hp of NA inline 6 power. Would have more of a Euro flavor. Surely that's worth an extra $10K. :wacko:

The New Toy
 

looks very nice .

That sounds amazing. My ultimate fantasy build along those lines is the V10 out of the e60 M5 in an e31 8-series with maybe some dinan bits for good measure.

A v12 r107 is up there too, one of our members actually swapped it (I cant remember off the top of my head, begins with R and the car is named Sampson IIRC). I remember seeing it at a gtg years back. These 107s just ooze class.

I'm guessing that would be the 6L M120. I think it was Big Swede here who years ago would quietly rave about the surprising acceleration of his S600. He told a story of a guy who brought one to a local amateur drag race and blew off all challengers while running the AC. In what looked like a family sedan.

The BMW S38B36, the version that found its way to our shores in the early 90s M5 is an unusual combo of refined engineering and naked hot roddery. Has a really bad look to it also which is, of course, very important. I've read of it referred to as the last genuine racing engine that BMW sold to the general public.

https://germancarsforsaleblog.com/wp...7-19-08013.jpg

Engine swap from a 560 SL?

What do you mean by LS swap it?

- Peter.

GMs LS series engines.

GM, LS "lots of speed" :D

Why the **** would someone wreck a Mercedes Benz with a GM engine?

- Peter.

Jaguar aficionados are not impressed with such motors in old Jags either. I can understand it though. It can be incredibly expensive to get one of those older motors back in fine fettle. The Chevy engines are relatively easy to swap in, so I'm told, have not done it, and give good bang for the buck.

Because an LS is a lot less finicky than an old M116 and it’s K jet fuel injection system and timing chain woes.

But an LS swap is far to much work now that I’ve looked into it. A simple 5.3 swap would be all I would do. Nothing crazy. Just a stock LS and nothing more. But it involves some cutting and possibly a subframe swap so I’m forgoing that.


My plan of action now is to just dump the K Jet and rotary distributor based ignition and do. Megasquirt conversion with wasted spark ignition. I’ve already got the existing FI system off the car in an unknown state.

Good luck!

I dunno, ask the Don :)

Well it's your car to do with as you wish of course. For myself it's pointless. Having a Mercedes with it's motor swapped for a chevy. You might as well save a lot of money and buy a chevy to start with. In my way of thinking the car simply ceases to be a Mercedes at that point. Seems to me theres' plenty of resources on line and parts availablility to get any Mercedes engine running fine if you really want to. What exactly was wrong with this one?

- Peter.

Yeah. I know they aren't. But Jag's were crap out the starting gate. So while I frown upon the practice the real problem there is being a Jag nut to start with, like my brother. But as far as Mercedes are concerend, they never were junk and they shouldn't be treated as such or what's the point bothering with them.

- Peter.

I googled "380SL performance mods" and received google's version of a horselaugh...

Did MB ever couple the V8 with a manual transmission in the R107?

Found a firm that offers manual trans conversion for R107:

https://www.theslshop.com/parts-shop/mercedes-benz-sl-107-116-126-v8-automatic-to-six-speed-manual-gearbox.html

$14k US, which seems quite affordable...

Affordable? Matter of opinion. I guess 14K to downgrade and SL to 19th century technology might be affordable to some. For myself if I want a hotrod I'd spend 14k on a purpose designed one.

- Peter.

Hot Rodding
 

Peter ;

Some folks don't care how it came, others simply want to be able to drive the vehicle *much* faster cheaply or want the imagined bragging rights of the Corvette's LS1 fancy V8 engine...

They're cheap to boot .

I see junked Corvettes in Pick-A-Part yards where the entire engine with accessories is $500....

I'd never do it either but some find it quick, simple and affordable .

Yes, the 107's came with manual gearboxes in Europe, my 1075 350SLC had one and it was quite the slick unit ~ shifted *perfectly* every time .

Of course a 5 speed would have been better but the 107's were designed long ago...

I have an LS 5.3 that I’m considering putting in my 78 300d. Reliable and smooth power.

Why not keep it real and swap in a 5.9 Cummins?

Youre not serious but I have considered an Izuzu 4BD1T.

Nah…I’d rather go for a refined swap and do a 2JZ or tri rotor to really anger the purists.

Re Powering
 

Why not ? .

I remember a couple OM617 powered R107's, sound good to me, I don't have the fabrication skills tho' :( .

My big brother has a 1979 Dodge D200 crew cab long service bed truck, it's very stout but the 360CID V8 hoovers up gas like it's free .

He bought a complete 6 cylinder OM603 and tranny for it but I have no idea who could do the conversion....

In general when I do an engine swap I use a same brand one, maybe larger, maybe smaller (old VW's should retain their 1192C.C. engines if you want to drive and enjoy them as I do) , it depends on the use you'll put it to .

I saw the 617 swapped SL. As much as I love the ole oel burners I kind of want this one to be smooth at idle.

Supposedly with a megasquirt fuel injection and wasted spark system the fuel mileage will increase significantly on the M116. But I guess we shall see. I haven’t gotten into it to verify the timing chain and timing is good yet.

Finishing up stage 2 of my camper build for my Tacoma and need to save up for the final part which is the tent fabric and upgraded suspension to hold the extra weight.

But I plan on poking around the SL more this month. I need fender covers. Badly

LOL !! what a concept ! Doing a mod to anger someone :)

Car looks great in the photo. Arctic White isn't too bad.;) I bought a new C7 vert in White.....:D

Good luck on getting it going again.