Project: Blasphemy
Project: Blasphemy
I just got a gift of the aircooled kind, and I just re registered at www.volksrods.com. After cruising through there I suggest y'all do the same and nut up...there's folks doing fenderless, v8 powered, mid engine bugs with hairpin setups in the front. You might not dig the rat rod look, but so what...it's a great example of what can be done with a big pair of brass balls and some fabrication know-how.
A 6.0l mated to a R154 Toyota trans (skip the W58 in this case, it would work but that's a robust motor), get the car kit if going EFI scares ya, and have a real driveshaft fabbed up with Chevy yoke at the front and the Dodge/MB compatible one in the rear, give that stock 2-piece vibration prone junk to someone who cares, and let's see what the stock rear is really capable of! Although I at first had my doubts about the rear IRS setup, I've found no bad behavior so far, though I've yet to see someone in a W123 with a stock rear hook and take off from a stop either. Would be fucking badass as a drift car, though.
If the stock rear setup can't handle it, I say upgrade to the W124 rear setup - if you take your time, have basic fabrication skills and equipment, and do what you should do - ie find someone who's done something similar and copy what they did - it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Plus the W124 has LSD options the W123 doesn't (welded diff, here you come), is multi-link and has a super wide set of gear options like our cars do - those 'dog' gears aren't at high speeds.
Considering that the other option this cheap is a GIII Camaro, and how bad they suck as a daily drive or anything else that a car does that doesn't involve stomping the pedal down, I think the W123/SBC would be a superior car once done. The W124 parts are only a 'if' mod if the rear end doesn't prove up to the task, which I think it should - it was better than the contemporary Vette setup for sure and in my experience (616 powered, mind you) it's very forgiving to hoonery.
Build it! Unfortunately, I can't front, Donkey is going to remain slow and 616 powered for some time. I was just given a Porsche 914 in need of a home and some work, along with a parts car, and the 240D is perfect as my daily driver as it is...hard to pass up a free Porsche, and hard to justify gutting the 240D with one in the driveway. I'm going to take some pics and do a little write up, look for 'How To Turn Your 240D Into A Man's Miata' soon. I'm very surprised at how little it really took to turn this car into a willing backroad/highway playmate. It's still slow, but so's a Miata, and they actually produce a similar driving experience - only show me the 500k mile plus Miata motor, or the Million Mile Miata, much less the 2.5 mil one, one with a trunk that fits a lot more than a briefcase, you get the drill. A sports sedan for broke mofos who need a real car, not a micromachine toy.
However, someone please pick this project up, get it running, and post the info!
The new ride: it's going to be a better flat black look, sprayed out of a real gun not a can, and Rivieras instead of the 944 phone dials, but that's the basic look I want. Wing optional.
![[Image: 3536110013_large.jpg]](http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/1415/2221/3536110013_large.jpg)
CID Vicious
03-17-2010, 03:08 PM #51Dude, do it.
I just got a gift of the aircooled kind, and I just re registered at www.volksrods.com. After cruising through there I suggest y'all do the same and nut up...there's folks doing fenderless, v8 powered, mid engine bugs with hairpin setups in the front. You might not dig the rat rod look, but so what...it's a great example of what can be done with a big pair of brass balls and some fabrication know-how.
A 6.0l mated to a R154 Toyota trans (skip the W58 in this case, it would work but that's a robust motor), get the car kit if going EFI scares ya, and have a real driveshaft fabbed up with Chevy yoke at the front and the Dodge/MB compatible one in the rear, give that stock 2-piece vibration prone junk to someone who cares, and let's see what the stock rear is really capable of! Although I at first had my doubts about the rear IRS setup, I've found no bad behavior so far, though I've yet to see someone in a W123 with a stock rear hook and take off from a stop either. Would be fucking badass as a drift car, though.
If the stock rear setup can't handle it, I say upgrade to the W124 rear setup - if you take your time, have basic fabrication skills and equipment, and do what you should do - ie find someone who's done something similar and copy what they did - it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Plus the W124 has LSD options the W123 doesn't (welded diff, here you come), is multi-link and has a super wide set of gear options like our cars do - those 'dog' gears aren't at high speeds.
Considering that the other option this cheap is a GIII Camaro, and how bad they suck as a daily drive or anything else that a car does that doesn't involve stomping the pedal down, I think the W123/SBC would be a superior car once done. The W124 parts are only a 'if' mod if the rear end doesn't prove up to the task, which I think it should - it was better than the contemporary Vette setup for sure and in my experience (616 powered, mind you) it's very forgiving to hoonery.
Build it! Unfortunately, I can't front, Donkey is going to remain slow and 616 powered for some time. I was just given a Porsche 914 in need of a home and some work, along with a parts car, and the 240D is perfect as my daily driver as it is...hard to pass up a free Porsche, and hard to justify gutting the 240D with one in the driveway. I'm going to take some pics and do a little write up, look for 'How To Turn Your 240D Into A Man's Miata' soon. I'm very surprised at how little it really took to turn this car into a willing backroad/highway playmate. It's still slow, but so's a Miata, and they actually produce a similar driving experience - only show me the 500k mile plus Miata motor, or the Million Mile Miata, much less the 2.5 mil one, one with a trunk that fits a lot more than a briefcase, you get the drill. A sports sedan for broke mofos who need a real car, not a micromachine toy.
However, someone please pick this project up, get it running, and post the info!
The new ride: it's going to be a better flat black look, sprayed out of a real gun not a can, and Rivieras instead of the 944 phone dials, but that's the basic look I want. Wing optional.
I plan to do a simple rebuild on the LQ4 and get it running with a carb intake and MSD 6010 ignition control box. I am having a very hard time deciding which direction to go with the transmission. I desperately want a manual transmission, but don't think I will be able to find one in my budget that will hold enough power. T56s are supposed to be good for ~400hp, which this engine is close to stock. I don't plan on leaving it stock for long though. This leads me to a 4L80e with a manual valve body. The problem there is space. It's a huge transmission.
My other main concern is chassis stiffness. I'm afraid this engine could wad the car up into a little ball and spit it out. I could cage it, but am hesitant to do that. Unibody/chassis stiffening plates are another option.
I'm sure the rear end will blow up, but I will deal with that when it comes. The likely solution is to swap out the whole subframe for a solid rear.
-Brian
1983 300TD
1982 240D
1981 280TE
Don't worry, I'll get around to it. I'm in the process of looking for a house, so I have to put this off for a bit.
I plan to do a simple rebuild on the LQ4 and get it running with a carb intake and MSD 6010 ignition control box. I am having a very hard time deciding which direction to go with the transmission. I desperately want a manual transmission, but don't think I will be able to find one in my budget that will hold enough power. T56s are supposed to be good for ~400hp, which this engine is close to stock. I don't plan on leaving it stock for long though. This leads me to a 4L80e with a manual valve body. The problem there is space. It's a huge transmission.
My other main concern is chassis stiffness. I'm afraid this engine could wad the car up into a little ball and spit it out. I could cage it, but am hesitant to do that. Unibody/chassis stiffening plates are another option.
I'm sure the rear end will blow up, but I will deal with that when it comes. The likely solution is to swap out the whole subframe for a solid rear.
-Brian
1983 300TD
1982 240D
1981 280TE
Regards, Eric
"I've had the car upside down and still been steering trying to correct it" Richard Petty
85 Volvo 740 turbo diesel "Bolbo 1"
90 Volvo 740 wagon turbo gas "Bolbo 2"
93 Volvo 940 wagon turbo gas "Bolbo 5"
89 300E "Benzer 1" 15.924 uncorrected at Pomona
93 400E "Benzer 3" 14.200 uncorrected at Fontana
95 E420 "Benzer 4"
87 300D "Benzer 7"
87 300D "Benzer 8"
85 Dodge flatbed tow truck "Festus"
71 AMC Javelin AMX 401 "Sidewinder"
74 AMC Hornet 401 "C.K.10" 13.63 U.C.
74 Bricklin SV1 "Presto" (1 of the AMC 360 powered ones)
94 Ford F700 Cummins 6BT Allison AT545 (all factory!) "Thomas"
The engine won't wad up the car but it will pop the rear diff like a zit. I think CID's idea of swapping in a V-8 W124 rear sub-frame and diff is definitely the way to go. But only after you pop that stock rear like a zit cause breaking stuff is cool.
Regards, Eric
"I've had the car upside down and still been steering trying to correct it" Richard Petty
85 Volvo 740 turbo diesel "Bolbo 1"
90 Volvo 740 wagon turbo gas "Bolbo 2"
93 Volvo 940 wagon turbo gas "Bolbo 5"
89 300E "Benzer 1" 15.924 uncorrected at Pomona
93 400E "Benzer 3" 14.200 uncorrected at Fontana
95 E420 "Benzer 4"
87 300D "Benzer 7"
87 300D "Benzer 8"
85 Dodge flatbed tow truck "Festus"
71 AMC Javelin AMX 401 "Sidewinder"
74 AMC Hornet 401 "C.K.10" 13.63 U.C.
74 Bricklin SV1 "Presto" (1 of the AMC 360 powered ones)
94 Ford F700 Cummins 6BT Allison AT545 (all factory!) "Thomas"
Of course it all depends on what your ultimate goal is - drag? Road race? For drift, you'd want to pick a later model set of wheels and pick the right tires. These would make awesome drift cars, I've pushed that 240D as hard as I can without trying to break anything (which is still possible even with the 616 with enough abuse) and it's very forgiving. If you're going solid rear axle get a panhard bar to try and keep as much of the handling balance as you can. The front is fine stockish (cut your springs) even better with some wagon springs and swaybar.
Best of luck with the whole thing, should be a blast...if you can afford that late model heavy duty auto you can get a T56 - if it'll hold up behind all these built Vipers and Vettes and now these new tuner Camaros then the parts are obviously out there, and then you have that great double overdrive for mileage. I'd go with one myself if I could afford it but it'd cost damn near what I'd want to do with my whole swap! I also have to call bullshit at some point with myself - I'm so glad this Porsche fell in my lap because it'll keep me from blowing money, the parts car can get stripped bit by bit as the other car needs stuff and that stuff sells for a good amount. Mostly I had to just admit that I need the 240D as it is and running in top shape more than I need burnouts...glorious, glorious burnouts...
CID Vicious
03-21-2010, 02:32 AM #54Yeah, personally I'd be going for a solid, realiable 3-400hp, the lower more likely, which kind of illustrates the point of such a swap...'only' 3-400hp. More than that, yeah, you're having problems even keeping a solid rear going at those levels. I'd try to keep the Mercedes stuff, W123 or 124, because it's pretty sweet. I'm sure with the 6.9l S Class there's a stockish swap out that should be more up to the task.
Of course it all depends on what your ultimate goal is - drag? Road race? For drift, you'd want to pick a later model set of wheels and pick the right tires. These would make awesome drift cars, I've pushed that 240D as hard as I can without trying to break anything (which is still possible even with the 616 with enough abuse) and it's very forgiving. If you're going solid rear axle get a panhard bar to try and keep as much of the handling balance as you can. The front is fine stockish (cut your springs) even better with some wagon springs and swaybar.
Best of luck with the whole thing, should be a blast...if you can afford that late model heavy duty auto you can get a T56 - if it'll hold up behind all these built Vipers and Vettes and now these new tuner Camaros then the parts are obviously out there, and then you have that great double overdrive for mileage. I'd go with one myself if I could afford it but it'd cost damn near what I'd want to do with my whole swap! I also have to call bullshit at some point with myself - I'm so glad this Porsche fell in my lap because it'll keep me from blowing money, the parts car can get stripped bit by bit as the other car needs stuff and that stuff sells for a good amount. Mostly I had to just admit that I need the 240D as it is and running in top shape more than I need burnouts...glorious, glorious burnouts...
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