rado

Hmm , never had a set of 45s but a few 40s on escorts, capris . I've actually never driven a car with 45s but I bet it'll sound the goods . 40s should be good though for the merc hey ..

I think so!

Merc people are weird. Once you get past the "the Mercedes engineers know best!" crowd, you still have to deal with the "just buy a Cosworth" and the "Fit a LS/SR/M111/JZ" crowds... and then you discover that there's a literal handful of people who have actually fiddled with the humble old M102 8V boat anchor and had reasonable results.

Finally beginning to formulate a plan for these cars. Maybe.

    Spac

    https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/comment/198230#Comment_198230

    I paid $600 with manifold. He started off asking for $1500, which was highly optimistic even with the Covid Tax.

    The $600 is the low end of the price range but still galls a bit considering the number of pairs of 45s I have bought and sold for less over the years…

    Yes well your old 45s are going well for me even if they kill floats regularly.

      12 days later

      I did something else today…

      Not (just) because I have poor impulse control… but for one good reason:

      This is a C180, so is the 1.8 litre version of the 2.2 litre silver car.

      I now have most of the parts needed to put the 2.2 and manual box into one of the 190Es - will need to make engine mounts and I am not sure about the tailshaft.

      You should put a beams motor into one of them

      Looks tidy

      What's that set you back? If you don't mind saying

      • Spac replied to this.
        rado

        Looks tidy

        What's that set you back? If you don't mind saying

        $1000 and a trip to Albury.

        I inadvertently took the photo from the most flattering angle possible. The front bumper is broken, and there's a solid dent in the bootlid (complete with oversized band-aid stickers).

        Also one rooted tyre (suggesting geometry/bush problems), saggy headlining, and a few other bits of weirdness.

          The repaired ignition switch for the 203 turned up today. It lives!

          Washed all of the cobwebs off it, drove it, smiled.

          ——

          Also fiddled with the white C180. Confirmed that it does have a 3.9 diff in it - it feels ridiculously tall geared m, like considerably worse than an 96+ manual 240…

          There are some superficial similarities between MB diffs and small case BMW diffs, so I held a slim hope that I could adapt an E36 diff, but the measurements kill that idea.

          Will look at early 1-series diffs as an option.

          Hey Spac, we've got someone with a load of cheap/free Mercedes parts up our way listed on scumtree - do you want me to grab any for you?

          All seem to be ex-W124 280E, but some might be useful for you collection?

          • Spac replied to this.
            PaddlerEd

            Hey Spac, we've got someone with a load of cheap/free Mercedes parts up our way listed on scumtree - do you want me to grab any for you?

            All seem to be ex-W124 280E, but some might be useful for you collection?

            If the front brakes are vented, then definitely them.

            Sway bars are also useful.

                Spac

                https://ozvolvo.org/discussion/comment/199116#Comment_199116

                If the front brakes are vented, then definitely them.

                Sway bars are also useful.

                Looks like they're still attached to the body...

                https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-seller/mike%20cook/1003541162

                  12 days later

                  One of the Canberra “we take the good parts off the scrap cars before scrapping them” wreckers is wrecking an early 90s E320.

                  These motors (M104.990) are the holy grail for W201 conversions - almost bolt in, 162kW and tough as nails. Think B6304 but more durable, and a lot rarer. Calling them a German Barra is probably a bit overstated, but gives the right idea.

                  The motor is a non runner: “it turns over a little bit”. I paid $500 for the motor with accessories, four piston front calipers and big front swaybar.

                  Pulled it apart when I got home this afternoon.

                  I was expecting the worst but it seems that it has a blown head gasket on cylinder #6 and has hydraulic locked.

                  Everything else seems to be pretty good. Bores are nice, no sparkles in the oil, etc.

                  Not totally sure if I am going to use it anytime in the near future, but it is far too rare to allow it to be scrapped.

                  8 days later

                  Experiment: Evo Bilsteins into the front of a W201.

                  The green bits are the leftovers from the cheap and nasty Chinabay BMW coilovers.

                  Yellow bits are the Evo Bilsteins.

                  Photo collection is incomplete but should be enough to give you the idea.

                  First step is to modify the lower mount to suit the MB upright. (Lousy photo - note the cut in the lower mount, spaced out with a stack of washers).

                  Then tack the Evo leg into the Chinabay leg. And discover that it goes very close to /hits on the spring mount, depending on where the camber is set.

                  This is at full droop. The strut moves away from the spring as the suspension compresses, but hasn’t moved away enough before the step (at the top of the green leg) solidly hits the spring mount.

                  Cutting away the green leg gives more clearance.…but not quite enough.

                  I think that if don’t wind in too much negative camber then it will be OK, but am not fully satisfied with this as a solution.

                  Obvious other option is to trim the spring seat, which I would be happy to do …. except these are destined for the 190E in the hope that Group Nd historic class actually gets up, and it is likely that they won’t allow body mods like that.

                  Where does the oil go in the damper?

                  Here.

                  They are an inverted dampener. Among other things, it means that you can weld to the lower leg with less stress.

                  Tacked into place for a trial fit this evening (weather permitting).

                  Asymmetric cut outs to allow for clearance across the range of steering movement.

                  Currently working on the optimistic theory that a combination of a) shortening the strut length by 15mm and b) Lowering the car which naturally introduces some negative camber … will give enough clearance between the strut and the spring mount at the camber settings that I need.

                  Any particular reason not to cut the mounts off the green tube and weld them back on such that the mounting points are closer to the tube? Just level of effort involved in doing that?

                  • Spac replied to this.
                    VolvoHordz

                    Any particular reason not to cut the mounts off the green tube and weld them back on such that the mounting points are closer to the tube? Just level of effort involved in doing that?

                    Now that you mention it…

                    I worked out that the E36 mounts space the strut body further away from the upright. So I cut the mounts off.

                    Not sure if I will cut the mounts from the Mercedes struts or modify the BMW bits.

                    That’s all I managed today - stupid busy so I missed smoko and most of lunch.

                      The 203’s reported fuel consumption is getting better since the ignition switch has been repaired.

                      This was a fairly casual drive home today - never seen it in the 6s before now.

                      9 days later

                      Here's another high quality Ed find:

                      https://auctionsplus.com.au/auctions/machinery/nutrien-cooma-hay-making-and-machinery-clearing-sale/1990-mercedes-benz-2.6l-190e/listing/87300-171449

                      Hitting the auction this weekend....

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