needs more chrome bumper

Unfortunately the W126 chassis cars got the polyurethane bumper instead of the nicer one like on the W123 chassis cars.

nice benz~

I likes it.

^u^

know, I've GT5~ you looks!
http://s812.photobucket.com/albums/.....ute7Racing.jpg

It's a nice car.

^w^

Man, that's a good looking W126! I'm thinking of pulling an 1981 300SD out of the weeds and putting it back on the road. It needs a good deal of work, but hey, it's only $200. XD

Yeah, I lucked out finding this thing in such good condition. It still needs a few cosmetic interior pieces that are damaged (haven't a clue where to find new/used ones) and the front bumper repainted, but other than that, it's immaculate!

As for your rig, go for it.

You may want to try www.adsitco.com for your parts. I used to order my parts from them before I started working for MB.

Cool beans. I'll be sure to check em out.

Looking so heavy.... and so rare!

It's a very heavy car.

I like your 300SD! My daily driver is a 1980 300SD that I've converted the power accessories to manual, and added Euro headlights. I also have a 1968 200D and a 1967 230 station wagon.

Nice! Got any pictures of your rigs? I'd be interested in putting euro headlights in mine too. The NA ones are crap... Did you by chance swap in a manual transmission? I'd love to have one in my car...

Here is the thread for my 300SD: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum.....d.php?t=282304 . It was rough when I got it, but if you go to the last pages you can see that I've done a lot of work to it. I had a Getrag 5 speed that would have bolted up to the diesel engine, but I decided I liked the automatic transmission too much (even though I had to replace it anyway). It has manual windows, sunroof, and soon to be manual heat. I'm working on two-toning the car in sheppy colors.

Here is the thread for my wagon: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum.....d.php?t=295292 . The body is too rusty to save, so I need a donor body that I can splice the wagon sheet metal onto. I plan on keeping this wagon and my 300SD for life.

Here are pics of my ex-daily-driver 200D: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum.....086&page=4 .

Very nice and very interesting cars you got there.

You wouldn't still have that 5 speed kicking around would you? Also, what do ya got to do to convert my 300SD to manual? Everything else makes sense, except for the center console stuff...

The day I got the 5 speed I had someone ask me to be first in line if I were to sell it. I jokingly agreed, then later decided to sell it. I honored my "promise" but the person only offered $400 for the transmission. The 5 speeds that fit the OM617 engines are extremely rare and were never sold in the USA. I could have sold it for well over $2,000 but we agreed on $1,200 cash because the person gave me a story about having a sick daughter, etc. Then I find out that this person owns a successful Mercedes repair shop and now they are trying to resell it for $2,000! I could have sold it on eBay for more but I honored my promise trying to do good for someone.

Finding a 5 speed that will bolt up to your car will be either next to impossible, or will cost thousands of dollars unless you're really lucky. After your chassis they changed the side the starter is on. That's why the newer 5 speeds won't fit. However, bolting up a 4 speed manual transmission is very doable.

You can find a 4 speed manual transmission from a 1985 or earler W123 chassis 300D non-turbo or 240D. Curiously, the factory never made an OM617 turbo engine with a manual transmission! The hard part is getting the proper flywheel. Ideally, you'll want one from a Euro-model W123 300D with manual transmission (all USA-model 300Ds had automatics). You can get by on the flywheel from a 240D. It will bolt up the same and even uses the same clutch kit, only it weighs 7 lbs less. Much more common, too. The bad side is that it might not idle as smoothly and you may have less low-end torque, but it will probably accelerate faster (less rotating mass).

But, simply put, I think the easiest way for you to convert your car to a manual transmission would be to get the transmission, flywheel, pedal set, shifter, and front driveshaft from a 1977-1985 W123 240D (or a 300D if you are lucky enough to find one with a manual transmission). You'll have to remove the flexplate from your engine (and make sure you mark the position because it is match balanced to the crank--very important). Then, you take the flexplate and the 240D flywheel to a machine shop and have the flywheel match balanced to the flexplate and marked so that you don't install it one bolt off. Then, you install the flywheel on the engine in place of the flexplate, making sure that it's installed so that it balances the crankshaft in the same way the flexplate did. The flexplates/flywheels are supposed to be neutrally balanced from the factory so that in theory you can just remove a flexplate/flywheel from another engine and bolt it in, but sometimes the factory couldn't get the crankshafts neutrally balanced without having to counterbalance the flexplates/flywheels... I hope this makes sense. There are lots of threads on this on the PeachParts website.

I think that the pedal set from a W123 chassis 240D will fit your W126 chassis 300SD. You'll also need the clutch cylinders and fluid lines to go with it. The shifter assembly from a 240D should bolt up to underneath your center console as well. Then you'll need to lengthen the front half of your driveshaft because the manual transmission will be shorter.

It sounds like a lot of work (and it is), but it has been done several times before (even in the W126 chassis). You should read up on the articles on the PeachParts site. Also, there are some independent Mercedes repair shops or even local PeachParts forum members who may be willing to do the conversion for you, possibly even for under $1,000.

I've already installed a turbodiesel engine into a 1967 W111 230S I used to have. I am going to be installing a turbodiesel engine into my 1967 230 station wagon as well.

Wow, that's a lot of info! Thanks for sharing. I didn't know about the flywheel/flex plate balancing.

Heh, I'd be happy even with a 4 speed. So it looks like I'll be looking for a '77-'85 W123 240D or a 300D parts car with the manual gearbox.

Do I really have to lengthen the driveshaft? Or would one from the donor car fit?

The one from the donor car might fit. There is just the issue of putting a W123 driveshaft in a W126. In any case, it's something that will need to be taken in consideration. If you do need to alter the length, it can customized and balanced by a shop that does driveshaft repair and balancing.

One other unfortunate thing is that the newer 5 speeds that have the starter hump on the wrong side don't have a removable bellhousing, so they cannot be easily customized to fit. The older 5 speeds that fit were offered in only a very few Euro-spec cars and are very sought-after.

Thanks for the info! I'll be on the lookout for a parts car.