hi all...i was just curiuos to c if this was possible...i developed a strong attachment to the 126 when i was a kid and now im considering playing around with one...i wanna try and hot rod a short wheel base W126...

take a 560SEL(117.968) engine and put it in a 300SE(126.024) body...(i like the shorter wheel base cause i feel itll be a little lighter...(i know it doesnt make any sense but im still refineing the idea...))

what kind of transmission links up to the 117.968? is there any way of making it stronger?

is there anything in the way of aftermarket that i can do to this engine? heads? cams? exhaust manifolds? exhaust systems? etc (keep in mind im not lookin for 500hp but id like to c between 350-375hp...)

im just curiuos...i know this idea is no where near cost effective but like all project cars...it never is...

 

The 560SEL should easily fit into the 300SE. In fact believe it r not, there is a such thing as the 560SE, but it's sold in Europe and probably other parts of the world besides the USA.

The transmission. Hm. I think that transmission is one of the best transmissions for that engine. Once you get around that second gear start off for 560SEL you have you a nice quicker car even with the 560SEL.

There was things you can do aftermarket to that engine. And I say was because most of the aftermarket parts for that car, the little that did exist is mostly discontinued.

Did you know they had a 560SEL/560SEC AMG modified W126s back in the eighties? It was a very expensive upgrade and them cars was uber fast and they carried horse power between 350hp and something but it was close to 350 and maybe more. But them AMG parts for that car is extemely hard to find and when you do find an AMG W126 it's usually well maintained due to the rarity and value.

(time up. Will add more in a moment.)

 

(in addition to above.)

I don't think there was a large market for souped up upper luxury vehicles during the time the W126s were made. Plus the 560SEL was considered to be a very powerful, large, very fast luxury car for it's time. The average Cadillac/Lincoln was floating at around 150hp and luxury Japanese cars was unheard of at the time until Acura came out but it was never even put into the same sentence with true luxury at the time. The 560SEL was pushing about oodles of hp compared to the average sedan in the day wasn't even pushing 200hp. and most high end luxury cars hardly could be found above 400hp. The 5.6 of the W126 was meant to follow in the 6.9 traditions without the jack-rabbit starts that was the number complaint about that 6.9due to the fact that the car took off in first gear compared to second gear for at least the 560.

Then souping cars up at that time was not mainstream yet, or they didn't think there was a market for em. I guess they figured that if a consumer wanted a sports car, they would've bought one and if they wanted a luxry car they would've bought one. If they wanted a muscle car they would've bought one, but it wasn't until recently they started to cross over into each other lanes. Now you have Benzes that have the horsepower of Lambos with Porches's 0-60 time and can out run any 70s muscle or modern muscle car out there. Originally a Benz out speeding a sports car was unheard of, now it's common with AMG tuned ones. Now and days everything is tuned or have "aftermarket" parts but rarely do they make retro performance parts for past models such as the good old W126. And them engines in them cars can withstand tuning I believe, the block itself. Even the euro 560SEL is pushing 300hp or close to it, same block, same engines, just detuned. While here, I might try to get my car converted to somewhat Euro performance while keeping it US specs without detroying anything, but I'm in no rush. This car is plenty fast and comfortable for me, but deep down I know it can do more if you have the right parts and stuff. This can can be a Beast I bet.

 

Once again i have a 2001 Performance products catolog that i still cant find [:@] but in it there was after market cams for the W126 V8's that boosted HP 20-60 depending on model like i say this catolog is now five years old but i know i have it so i know at one point that these parts wear available but finding them maybe the problem.

 

id be interested to c what the specs were on the cams(if u can find the catalog or maybe somethin online)...maybe somethin can be done up custom instead of tryin to find the old AMG stuff...though i would like to i dont think id be able to...

 

W126 seems to be notorious as one of the most uncustomizable cars in the world.
But it can be done and parts are available but it's like finding a specific Canadian Underground rapper/singer that lives three yards from the Us border and is 5 feet tall with a white baseball cap on any given day. MBZ300SDL, I hope you find that catalog, and I heard of them cams and seen them once before. And word on the street says there is a performance chip for the W126 but that even have been elusive in my search.

And in the automotive world, anything can be custom made, it's just depends on finding a place that'll do it and do a good job, and the prices. A lot of places that deals with engines would not touch a Mercedes engine with a ten yard pole unless you are putting some major cheddar down, unless you are in LA or Miami, or some places in Texas, but even then it probably will cost a pretty penny just like any other custom job.

And my AMG search has came up dry. In fact I asked a very similar question in earlier posts. I see I'm not the only one that want to turn my Mercedes to a luxury classic smooth riding road beast.

What I seen a few people do is take the 1990 500SL engine and placed it into the 560SEL. They got more power and stuff, but I don't know the extent of the process and stuff and is it even really worth recomending since I know them engines run off a lot more electronics than the W126. But it was something cool that I've seen and looking into more, but I wouldn't do it personally because the 117 series engines are way too good of a engine to throw away while still good. Yeah, the 500SL gives you better performance but I don't know if it can outlast the 117.968 engines. Now if my engine somehow, god forbid, blew up beyond repair somehow, someway, by an act of God, yeah I might look into that engine but I wouldn't just tear that engine out for anything.

But let me know what you two come up with as I will do the same.

 

i found this but not much else...and even this doesnt help any...its just someone who actualy did what we r lookin to do...kinda

http://www.fastlane.com.au/Custom_Sh...ple_Panzer.htm

 

yeah it's kind of the same stuff i keep coming across .Completed projects and stuff but none of the buggers really say where or who or what system they went to go get the parts which really doesn't help anyone besides "oh wow look at the nice Mercedes." I could get on there and list the specs of my car but it really doesn't help anyone. And what it sounds like is he basically aquired an Amg engine and placed it in the car.

 

yeah i know...like i said...not much help...y the heck r these so un-tunable?

theres a mercedes parts catalog called Adsit Co.... from what i have heard they r not the most reliable parts house there is but maybe they might be able to track some stuff down? might be worth a shot...no?

 

yeah, could be worth a shot.


And these cars being untunable may have something to do with the fact that they were over engineered. Or maybe because the average buyer that bought these cars new already had a few sports cars and didn't think too much of tuning it at the time. Don't know, but it's getting irksome to come up empty each time. I see a lot of power potential just aching to get out that don't require you to rebuild basically your whole car with aftermarket parts just to squeeze out a few extra horsepower like you must do with them "tuner" cars. Plus who wouldn't want classic style and combination today's world AMG performance.