This is a serious question, so no debates please.

Looking at a coupe, but it's a gasser

Are there any differences in the bodies between a W123 diesel coupe vs. W123 gasser coupe ?

I am NOT looking into converting it to a diesel. I appreciate the wiring harness is different and I would probably need to swap out the steering column or at least the upper half.

My question pertains to the bodies and suspension: Are they the same? So, if I had a bunch of extra parts, would they exchange right in without issues, e.g., differential, front suspension parts, maintenance items, et cet.

Thanks in advance,

I'm a bit confused about the steering column comment - is this a job that needs to be done?

As for differences - most of them will be subtle things like

Front springs different for a different engine weight

Obviously engine maintenance parts won't swap

If you're considering a fuel injection petrol engine then there's loads of electrical stuff a diesel owner won't have seen before

There will be a fuel pump at the back near to the fuel tank which might be of a smaller size than a diesel (often depends on petrol engine size)

No vacuum pump on a petrol engine so the vacuum system is slightly different - central locking run by an extra electric pump for example (on my W201)

Wiring will be different but only up to a point - I bet things like electric window (stuff away from the engine) will more or less be the same.

Differential ratio will suit the engine so will probably be different (revs higher for petrol) - speedometer will suit differential - tachometer reaches a higher number too!

At a guess I'd say (excluding the engines) the cars will be about 90% the same.

(There's a greater variation between the W124 diesels and the petrol engines - variation within the petrol group too - better brakes for V8 models etc => but this didn't happen for the W123)

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Stretch,

As for the body, chassis, are they identical ? I assumed they were ...

Judging by the couple of w123 gasser coupes I've looked at I agree with what stretch said. 90% the same. Front suspension parts I feel sure are exactly the same.

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Current fleet
2006 E320 CDI
1992 300D - 5speed manual swapped

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

I have owned both and other than the engine and fuel systems they are exactly the same. All of your suspension spares will be compatible but stuff like filters are different. Is the car a U.S. or Euro model?

It's a Euro Model, unless someone did a conversion of that in the past, but I am guessing it's a Euro.

Thats good since the M110 has an extra 20 or so HP in euro form. I wish I still had mine since it was a twin of my 240D but it was too much of a project and I don't have the time or money.

Yep you can for most circumstances consider them to be the same.

You'll get different holes for the mounting of different "things" (Stuff that's been explained before); and there might be little irritating things such as a lack of a captive nut if you were changing transmissions or engines (Which I know you are NOT doing!) => for example when I went from 4 speed to 5 speed on my W201 I needed two extra nuts to hold on the four point fixing gearbox cross member as opposed to the two point fixing original 4 speed cross member.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

"No vacuum pump on a petrol engine so the vacuum system is slightly different - central locking run by an extra electric pump for example (on my W201)"

We had a 1973 280 sedan and its M110 engine had a vacuum pump. It was identical to those used on contemporary diesel engines and took the same re-build kit. Don

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John 5:25