Recently acquired a great 1971 220 stored in a barn for 17 years. Interior, exterior, underside... all perfect but with one little problem. The motor is shot, or at least thats what I was told. I want to get it back on its wheels again. Are there any other engine options I have that will fit in that car. Will a diesel fit? has anyone done an american swap? ford 289 or smaller V6?
this car is wayy to cool and in to good a shape to let go on to the scrapyard.
what are my options?
jake
Don't even think about it. A proper V8 conversion is amazingly complexz IF you plan on having everything work - the deatils, such as the speedo etc, will absolutley kill you. Figure 10K to do it right.
That car is a 114 chassis. A 4 cyl 240D or 5 cyl 300D motor will however more or less "drop right in". In 1977 that chassis was sold as a one year only
5 cyl non-turbo diesel. In other years it was the 240D. 240D's are pretty sloooow.Bastardizing this otherwise good car will kill its resale value - so don't install anything but another 2.2L motor - or rebuild this one.
M-B has a "classic parts department" for those items that you just can't find anywhere else. So don't give up on the original engine.
You can also buy a short block and have essentially a new motor for a few thousand dollars.
At the end of the project you'll have a car with character that's powered by a reliable motor.
You also might want to check Adsit.com ( a mercedes after market supplier) to see if they have a rebuilt 220 engine.
Before jumping to another engine it would be prudent to KNOW what's wrong with the one in the car!!
Start with the very basics like a compression test, then spark fuel etc.
Well.. its been sitting for 17 years. I think that alone is a big problem but ill definately check. I hope its something as simple as the timing chain. How cool would that be.
Is this car really worth spending the money on? Ive been seeing them, running, that arent worth much. Not like its a top of the line 280 or something, those look good and are worth the time and money..
jake
It's not about money at that point. If you think the car is great and you would enjoy driving it, then go for it.
Realize that you will be spending a bunch though.
I like to say "Any asshole with money can drive a new car. It takes a special kind of asshole with money to drive an old one".
Good Luck, Marty
>
Some (mostely long long suffering wives of poeple with lots of semi running cars) might say "Special, as in special Olympics".
If everything is perfect, you should put a genuine mercedes engine in it, not a ford or chrysler or chev....You'll be happier, and the car will retain a better value if, by chance, you would ever want to sell it. By the way, you did check for mice, right?
The more I think about it. Its just a 220. Not a real top of the line MB. Ive spent some time researching and it would cost lots of cash to replace the existing 2.2 and then all id have is a 4 cyl. What id like to do.... sounds crazy.... but replace the 4 with a ford 5.0 and tranny. The only gauges I care about working are ones I can add. Oil, temp, voltage. I could make the factory gas guage work and who cares how fast you are going anyway. As if i havent pissed off some purists already..... I plan on either putting a sliding ragtop in it or removing the top alltogether. Maybe putting in a bikini top or safari top.... just to keep the sun out. Found this for sale on craigslist... sweet..
jake
"Whud the fuuuuuuuck is THAT ?!?"
Factory cabriolets have different structural makeup than sedans, the roof is structural.
There are gas v6 and v8 MB's running around, they can be made to work but the roof removal is not the most sound of ideas.
If you find and hang out with the Ponton people you can probably sweet talk somebody into an engine for peanuts.
A garden ornament?
DAS
For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
Think you could shorten that one so it could fit on a bumper sticker? ;)
Ximinez
Who are the pontoon people... and where do start looking. If I can get a factory 2.2 then im more inclined to keep the whole thing stock or at the very least put in a sliding ragtop.
If I have to go the route of a ford v8 then I might as well make it a fantasy island car out of it. remember those things with the canvas roof......
jaek
I can't remebr whre they hang out or even if this car is ponton but I promise you someplace some guy has a yard full of engines that he'll giove you one cheap just to see a great car back together again.
It's gonna take you some time and many phone calls but this is how the hard core (and very, uh frugal) MB hobbyists do it :-)
Start googling 220s. Youi might try calling Drew at Heritage woodworks and tell him I sent you and tell him what you ant to do. he's one of tghe best connected guys in MB jalopy mafia.
The thing is, that if you take the time and effort to properly rebuild the car, in the end you will have a nice car.
If you put a a 5L ford in it, when you are done you will have scrap.
Marty
Most of us purists don't consider anything less than the 300 class to be one to purchase, anyway.
Speak for yourself. Any great old Benz is a great old Benz. it is fair to say there is less of a market for less luxurious models though.
Actually, I am speaking for most people that I know who own benzs'. I, and they, don't consider the "baby" benzs', the early 190s C class, to be up to the standards of mercedes. You can disagree if you want, that is your right, but the real reason those smaller and cheaper benzs came about was to take advantage of the market for young buyers who didn't have 50k or more to drop on a car. From my perspective, I didn't agree with that decision, but it wasn't my decision to make. Just as I don't agree with Jaquar and Porsche coming out with SUVs--it's just wrong, but, you may have your opinions on that as well.
It's similar to Porsche. A purist would never consider any model but the
911. At least not the 928, 944, et al. Some years back, when Porsche wanted to update the look on the 911 and install square headlights in their new models, there was such an uproar from their customers (people who were dropping 80k and up on new ones) that they stayed with the round headlights. I'm not sure, but I think the 911's still have round lights.
2) The 190 was developed in response to the sharp oil price hikes of the early/mid-seventies and a perceived view that many customers would want to trade 'down' to more fuel-economic and maybe even cheaper cars. By the time they were launched things had changed and they were in fact 'just' a lower-priced entry model to the Merc range.
The late 190s (production ended autumn 1993 approx) had very little in common with the early models except looks.
DAS
For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
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