1980 300D Non-Turbo in Maroon. Stock...mostly.

We rebuilt the engine back in 2007. Upon opening it, we noticed you could still see the honing of the sleeves and it even had brand new chromoly rings but my dad wanted to replace em with stock anyway. The entire engine is set to stock specifications.

The 'mostly' spans from the minimalistic HVAC system it now has. My dad, hating over-complication, removed that fancy black box of 1979 technological love that Mercedes called an air conditioning control computer. The AC system worked for a while but the clutch quit, again, so I cut the belt off, just to spin less crap. Yes, cut it off, because I didn't feel like letting off tension on both sides of the engine.

Let's see here, what else...oh right, replaced that awesome ceiling rain catcher/waterfall, a.k.a. the sunroof, from a junkyard piece with absolutely no rust, not even of the surface flavor. There isn't a headliner in my car, which doesn't bother me a bit.

I HAVE a water separator filter that was installed for a while but I removed it on the side of the road because it kept letting air into the fuel line, causing my poor engine to lose prime. I haven't really had a problem since. I am almost 100% sure that the 'steelies' under my awesome OG hubcaps(my car had factory Bundts way before I got it) are actually aluminum. I did a magnet test and behold, it didn't stick.

I run Yokohama Avid TRZ tires. These things are wonderful; Although, I can't do a cool wet-pavement burn-out anymore because they grip too well. Hell, I drifted it down an entire curved down-ramp and damn near wet my britches. These darn yokes won't break loose.

Pic:


Yum


Now...I like being in the way and all but...I need more get up and get the hell out of the way. What can I do, save adding a turbo, to my car, starting with free, then cheap, then expensive? I don't want a record car, as this is my one and only. This is my first car, and it will be my last car. I don't know how, for the years I've had it, I haven't found your wonderful website.

Hey there daniel, very good looking 300 you have got there.
Would you mind posting a picture of your cars interior without the hedliner in there?
My headliner is toast and i want to rip it out, but im not sure when id be able to replace it.
Hows the heat with no headliner in there?

Heat isn't terrible. I have a video somewhere...

Found it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4U10--I88E

Love the color... Mine looks exactly the same

Love the cracked dash... Mine looks exactly the same

Tank... That's what I named mine...

Because nobody really cares! hahaha!

Hahaha i named mine Betsy

I want to know if the parts I have available will fit together...and if not, how hard would it be to mod em.

I have an OM603 Turbo; need to know if it will fit easily into my W123. I know it is a fairly popular swap when available.

I have access to a Dogleg 5spd Getrag from a 190e 2.3-16v. Does it even come close to fitting the OM603? If not, how hard do you think it would be to change out the bellhousing?

If I went with the Getrag, should I swap out the rear diff? If so, what diff would be a good choice?

The 603 and dogleg should having matching bellhousings. The dogleg is a close ratio five speed with 1:1 5th gear, I would go with a 2.88 if you can find it. Came in the 85 300d and 300td if I remember correctly. Or, a 2.65, though neither are really easy to find.

Back from the dead!

(07-14-2011 06:13 PM)DanielK Wrote:  I have an OM603 Turbo; need to know if it will fit easily into my W123. I know it is a fairly popular swap when available.

I dony know about easily. Depends on what your definetion of easy is.
I belive theres quite a bit of work involved in swapping in a 603 into a w123.

Never died, just stopped worrying about modding my car. Well, now I have a W124 with OM603, no trans and no rear diff, a 190e 2.3-16 that got wet during Hurricane Ike, complete car, but we don't want to rebuild the entire car, so I think I'll part it out.

So a dogleg getrag should fit a 603 unmodified? That would be a godsend. I don't feel like welding cast aluminum...lol
How difficult would it be to use the rear diff from the 190e?
What all is involved in fitting an OM603? I didn't expact 100% bolt in but I'm sure it can't be worse than custom motor mounts and whatnot.

Thanks for the info, keep it coming.

The transmission should bolt right up to the om603 make sure you grab the flywheel and clutch 2

Will do! Thanks Will! *deviousFace*
Hmm, I need to figure out the rear diff now. I know I need a lower ratio than my stock auto rear diff.

(07-15-2011 01:53 PM)DanielK Wrote:  I know I need a lower ratio than my stock auto rear diff.

Your stock auto gearbox has the same ratio in the final gear, 1:1, so technically you don't. But with that engine and that gearbox 2.47:1 diff from a W126 should work without a problem I think. Diff info: click.

That dog-leg gearbox is awesome. The same one that was used in BMW M3 (E30), close ratio Getrag 265. Good find, enjoy it.

Does anyone know what the ratio of a 1980 450SL rear diff is? I have one of those too...

That link above. Says that diff would be 2.65 or 3.06

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/show...p?tid=2570

Rusted out beat down 300d turbo 82' -- RIP
Nice body, tons of ridiculous mechanical issues - 300d turbo 82' /motor 85'

I didn't see it. I still dont see it. 450SL, not SEL

It SHOULD be stamped on the case, bottom left as you're looking at it from the back. The last three digits of the numbers are the gear ratio.

The second line?
' 1973-1980, 450 SL/SLC, M117, 2.65 / 3.06, 1.3 Liter '
That one?

Rusted out beat down 300d turbo 82' -- RIP
Nice body, tons of ridiculous mechanical issues - 300d turbo 82' /motor 85'

Oh wow, did not see that. Thanks. I will look at the diff case

Got alloys? I do. Cleaned one up for fun...not fun.

That looks brilliant

(07-17-2011 06:46 PM)DanielK Wrote:  Got alloys? I do. Cleaned one up for fun...not fun.

123 400 15 02 - the ultra-rare 14"x6" ones (the 5.5" were about 10 times as common).

You realize those are worth about $300 each? What did you do to clean them? I think you might want to consider having them re-powder coated and restored to their original state. You wouldn't see them under hubcaps anyways, but I think a fresh powder coating on them cleaned up like this would look really good.

I recently bought a set of these myself, as they're the best alloy rims you can get to use in conjunction with old school MB hubcaps (man is it an expensive project though, be aware that you want special hubcap clips designed not to scratch these rims like the regular clips for steel rims do)...

I'd get them polished

Polish then clear powder coat FTW!

I still have the steel clips. I'm not sure WHAT I'm gonna do with em at this point. I used a combination of sandpaper, brake fluid, and elbow grease to remove the powder coating...actually, I think it was paint...Powder coating isnt affected by brake fluid.

You actually CAN see a difference between the clean wheel and the black wheel. Check it out.
Black:


Clean