126 coupe diesel? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

veggie · #1 12-08-2004, 12:08 AM

Dear Friends,

We manufacture cold pressed vegetable oils, and I want a showpiece ride for marketing reasons. Please throw away all utilitarian thoughts and run with this, if you will. I do need benz heads, and I hope this is the place.

So I want the 1986 560 SEC look, but with a diesel engine. I think that means I'm after the W126 chassy. Again, this is about image...not practicality, and also, I'm not too familar with mercedes which are not currently on ebay.

First, was there ever a diesel 2 door on the big chassy? I can't find one at least.

Second, has any one ever converted an 8 cylinder gas benz to a diesel? If so, could it possibly be for sale?

lance

1986 volvo 740T.
ex- 1973 250C
ex - VW bus 72, 73, 78

FYI- we're going to create biodiesel from cold pressed canola oil. We need to degum the product and will likely do that at about 75C with 0.1M NaOH at about 0.01% of the total solution. If we do it right, the gum will precipitate like big white snowflakes.

Also, fyi, we should be able to winterize the fuel with flax seed oil. Protecting the n-3 oils with quinine or some other chemical antioxidant, and storing it in FULL drums, then keeping the fuel tank full, we'll be able to prevent the oxidation and protect the injectors and still run straight veg oil if we choose, in Canadian winters, although we'd probably recirculate the water through the tank via a circulating block heater anyway.

How fun is this?

engatwork · #2 12-08-2004, 01:08 AM

Never was a two door W126 diesel from the factory but I'm sure it is doable though. What are you willing to pay?

fahrgewehr2 · #3 12-08-2004, 01:18 AM

An Irishman pulled it off. Think he dropped a 603 motor into the two-door body. Might have been on another list though, possibly the Mercedes Mailing List (www.mercedes.cx). I'm sure some Germans have done the conversion as no 126 chassis cars were availble with a diesel for the German market (or european, of course).

Gerard · #4 12-08-2004, 08:41 AM

I saw (126 SEC) one in Dublin last week, sounded like a 603, and it had an Irish plate.

veggie · #5 12-08-2004, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerard

I saw (126 SEC) one in Dublin last week, sounded like a 603, and it had an Irish plate.

Wow! Great!

It sounds like it wouldn't be so hard. We can drop US15 - 20K, though I'd be happy to do it with less. I was originally going to try and hang a mercedes diesel into my volvo wagon but my mechanic buddy has successfully discouraged that notion. I suspect he would do the same about importing a car from Dublin.

So now I need a car. Or a couple cars.

Any predictable traps?

We manufacture hemp seed oil too so I want to make a hemp powered car. Mostly it will run on canola, like the delivery vehicles, but to gently paint this quirk across the back window will be super tight. Then, to be able to add a litre of hemp seed oil and pop the hood to show off some rediculous modification will be worthy of television news, is my gamble. I'm also guessing no one will rip off the stereo from a car powered by hemp, is the other part.

I'd like to find someone who's done this before. Thanks for the tip on the alternate site.

lance

350SL4spd · #6 12-08-2004, 12:56 PM

Your idea is very do-able. The 617 turbo diesel engine should bolt up w/o too much trouble in a C126. The sedan model came w/ the 617 (300SD), so, theoretically it shouldn't be too hard. (Could probably use a later diesel/later SEC too, but obviously, price would go up.) You would need the rear diff out of the SD as well, unless you prefer to be overtaken by Amish whilst trying to accelerate. You may need to man a driveshaft, you'd have to research the lengths of each and see how close they are. The most difficult thing would be having the patience to shop for a resonably priced SEC (ie; nice, rust free body and a blown up/high mi motor) and a (preferably wreck low mi) 300SD parts car, preferably of the same year. Hell, I could probably do it for less than $20k... Gas-to-Diesel is a hell of a lot easier than diesel-to-gas...no electronics

.
I did some research on the subject and actually considered doing it pretty seriously for a while. I think that the SEC is the sexiest car Mercedes made (through the 70s-80s anyway) and I love the clatter/economny/reliablity/fun of a diesel (of course mine was going to have an intercooler, beefed up pistons etc, and be pushing mid-20's in boost... Hey, if you're building it, you may as well build it right?

Besides, if you are going to justify a diesel SEC, it should be fast

)

Another option you could look into is a mid-80s 300CD, the SEC's little cousin. You should have no problem finding a decent example of those cute little w123 coupes for that kind of $.

But for pure bling/shock value, esp among the Mercedes crowd, you'd be hard pressed to beat pulling up in a SEC that had "300SDC Turbo Diesel"
plastered across the back!!

LOL

-Matt-

350SL4spd · #7 12-08-2004, 01:09 PM

Or you could just set up an early 90's w124 diesel sedan.
Or a Unimog.
Or a mid-80's diesel G-Wagon.
Or an MB 208 EuroVan/Firetruck.
All options on a car that are already diesels are going to be less of a headache. The diesel G-wagons are very well loved and very recognizable and can draw a lot of attention. Esp the two door versions.

-Matt-

engatwork · #8 12-08-2004, 01:33 PM

There is a white W126 coupe (not sure of year) for sale local (southern, no rust car) here in town if you are interested I could stop by and take a look at it. Looks good from 50'. Let me know and I'll stop by to take a closer look at it if there is any interest.

veggie · #9 12-08-2004, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

There is a white W126 coupe (not sure of year) for sale local (southern, no rust car) here in town if you are interested I could stop by and take a look at it. Looks good from 50'. Let me know and I'll stop by to take a closer look at it if there is any interest.

Sure man! It would be great to find out that it has a blown engine or 300K miles or something like that. My boy says that it should be blue, but to him, everything is supposed to be blue. And if we're hanging a diesel in place of a gas engine, it had better get a stellar paint job as well. What colour is the interior?

I've never heard of a G wagon. I'll need to find out more on that. Thanks for the tip. (But could it really compete with a mid eighties SEC? I'll give it a look just to be sure.)

lance

A264172 · #10 12-08-2004, 06:33 PM

I do like the look of the mid 80's SEC the 500's had the M117 engine I think... Not to hijack this thread but...

Are there any feelings up or down on say an 85 500SEC is this car a gem or a headache?

Sorry in advance

P.S. veggie heres a nice one http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=168851299&dealer_id=&car_year=1984&make=MB&distance=any&max_price=&model=500SEC&advcd_on=n&end_year=1991&min_price=&first_record=26&certified=n&address=15235&search_type=used&advanced=n&start_year=1982&=&color=&cardist=924

engatwork · #11 12-08-2004, 08:27 PM

I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon and take a look at it. It is on my way to work.

veggie · #12 12-08-2004, 10:21 PM

Nice one attaching the files. I figured out how to sling my own, I think. If the pix show up, then good for me. Here is what I want to find:

To the guy who suggested the fire truck engine, could you put one of those into a karmann ghia too?

lance

duxthe1 · #13 12-08-2004, 11:49 PM

I think this is a great idea. If I were to do it I would use the 603 engine, preferably the 350 as it makes gobs of torque. If you could find a wrecked 300 or 350 SDL and a clean SEC body you should have everything you need to do it all with factory parts. The only concern right off is whether the tall 603 would clear the sleeker hood of the SEC. I'm betting it would. Other than that you might have to do a little modification to the exhaust for the shorter body. Since both cars are 126 chassis everything else should swap between the two.

Breckman99 · #14 12-09-2004, 03:56 AM

If you are serious about the project please e-mail me at breckman99@yahoo.com

I may be able to help you out with this one.

350SL4spd · #15 12-09-2004, 10:50 AM

You should post some of this in the diesel forum, in case they haven't gotten wind of it yet over here.

And I would stay away from the 350's if possible. They have a bad habit of blowing heads and throwing rod willy-nilly. Widely considered the least reliable modern diesel MB made.