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+--- Thread: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, (/showthread.php?tid=3474)
My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - serverman777 - 03-26-2012
Ok guys, it about time for me to post my project on STD. She is a 1984 300SD Om617A with over 450,000 miles. She been a Indiana car all her life so there is rust living on her underside. Its not horrible, and very much fixable at the moment. The original plan was to drop in a om606 and throw a AMG body kit on it but I am changing my mind after a inspection at a local Mercedes shop. Currently I been working on upgrading the turbo to larger Caterpillar turbo. Im hoping to have it running it at 16 PSI (at least thats what the external 38mm wastegate spring is set at). 3in exhaust and a cranked up injection pump. The question is do I weld up all my rust patchs and try to keep the car looking as stock as possible, or "Rally it out". As in a large police type Push Bar, skid plate , racing seats and a roll cage. I will post pics of the turbo and stuff I got. And also pics of the car+rust that will need to be repaired. How do you guys feel about dumping my exhaust out of my fender or a hood stack?
Im talking about one of these push bars.
http://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/Bull-Bars-Grille-Guards/Ranch-Hand-Guardian-Push-Bar/_Item/_508500004?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Bull-Bars-Grille-Guards&utm_campaign=GoogleProducts&utm_term=Ranch-Hand-Guardian-Push-Bar
I think Im going to have to weld up on myself. Or buy one and mod it to fit.
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - JustPassinThru - 03-26-2012
Entirely your choice; it's *your* car, the extension and expression of *your* personality.
My own take is this: by the time I finish restoring and modifying my 1985 300D, I will have spent over $7,000 on it. That moves it from the category of "casual hobby" into the category of "serious investment."
So, "it should at the very least not lose value" is my guideline above all.
I don't know how it is elsewhere, but, here in the Seattle area, the closer it is to original, the higher the resale value.
For example, a recently-departed forum member who lives about seventy miles north of me, mike-81-240d, sold his 1984 300D to buy a BMW. He took all the Euro lights, Momo steering wheel, CLK rims et cetera entirely off it and put it back to totally bone stock --I bought his clear corner front turn signal covers and factory skid plates (it's two-piece, goes under both the radiator and the oil pan) (my guess is, the reason he didn't offer the skid plate on STD is, it was caked with grease, and he lives in a country club development where I imagine the neighbors frown on the idea of pressure-washing stuff in one's back yard; but, hehe, not so out in the sticks where I live. Or, since it was snowy and below freezing out when he sold it last December, maybe he just didn't want to take it outside and clean it in the inclement weather.). The Craigslist ad by which Mike sold his 300D carries an asking price of $5950 and I believe he did get that for the car (I cached a copy of the ad, so if anyone wants to see it PM me with your email address).
So, the question I would always be asking myself if I were you, is, do you think you'll get $5950 for your car, with the mods you are considering making?
But, hey, I'm getting old. Sometimes I look at posts here and say to myself, "*sigh* Kids these days!!!" No doubt others will have a different opinion!
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - lgreeley83 - 03-26-2012
I like the all go no show idea. Use this car as one to learn everything about, don't worry to much about the aesthetics. Later once you have become the mercedes diesel mastermind you can go find a clean rust free body and make that your baby using your original as a parts car. I say this because of course I have a rust belt car as well and well this is my plan. As much as I could every do to it i know that metal is crumbling somewhere in it.
An aside.... there are so many of these Mercedes around me in Chicago but none of them are selling. They claim absolutely perfect in there descriptions and trying to sell for 3 or 4 thousand and they just sit on craigslist month after month. I couldn't believe one guy.. I think he may have posted on here too. He was trying to sell a 126 that had not run in years and was taken apart for like 3k. Compare that to the cars locally claiming perfect condition going for 3k he must have been silly.
Don't buy new ram bars. Go to a junkyard and modify something you can find there.
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - yankneck696 - 03-26-2012
Heck, when I was 16 in '84, I had a 1970 Nova that I primered (over a decent restorable paint job), installed 30X10.50 rear tires with fender flares, push bar, rally lights, dual exhaust manifold with thrush's on them, 4bbl intake with a 390 CFM Holley all on a straight six car... It went anywhere. Even helped rescue a girl in the woods that got bucked off her horse that couldn't be gotten to by a Jeep.... It was ALOT of fun !!! Did I get funny looks? Yup... Did I have to pay to get it hauled away 2 years later (2 powerslide transmissions later & a MarineTex'd head)? Yup... The fun I had.... F'N PRICELESS !!!!! Still got asked about that car 15 years later....
Do what you wish. It's got rust ( tin cans & Bondo works great), it's got high miles (keep it maintained), Beat the living snot out of it !!!
One thing I will caution you about: Having the exhaust exit anywhere that it can enter the passenger compartment is not just illegal, but potentially deadly. All exhaust MUST exit aft of the passenger compartment & beyond the body, as per DOT regulations. A simple straight pipe to a 45 & out before the rear wheel would be much better.
Ed
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - serverman777 - 03-26-2012
I think Im going to buy myself a welder and fab something up for the push bar
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - JustPassinThru - 03-26-2012
*sigh* Kids these days
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - sassparilla_kid - 03-26-2012
I'm going to be liberating a push bar from a wrecked police car being housed behind one of the buildings in the industrial technology department at school, which is where I happen to spend most of my spare time lol. It doesn't have the parts that go out to protect the corners of the car and the lights, but what the heck I'm not complaining
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - lgreeley83 - 03-26-2012
(03-26-2012, 11:39 AM)JustPassinThru My own take is this: by the time I finish restoring and modifying my 1985 300D, I will have spent over $7,000 on it. That moves it from the category of "casual hobby" into the category of "serious investment."
I agree. When i was into the old chevy 9c1 police cars folks said the same thing there.
The way I see it a brand new car (this open a new can of beans) costs 15k+. If i pay 2000 and invest 7000 to make it my dream car.....well i still have saved abour half of new car cost and with the motors in these will probably outlive any new car. Mine is my daily and everyday i am happy i dont own a brand new jalopy.
Also i think the government should have never gave bailout to out american car companies. Being a member of our nation's armed forces i am all american....as in dont sell garbage cars to the American. I could rant on that all day. They dug their own graves, let them fall into them......anyways
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - Captain America - 04-01-2012
Rally that shit and dump the exhaust in either location dude. After the rear end of mine got munched, thats what I decided. And these cars do GREAT off road...
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - serverman777 - 04-01-2012
I think I will more and more I think about it. Getting my bro to make me front and rear bush/push/winch bumpers for 20 bucks each.
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - JustPassinThru - 05-03-2012
Under your handle, says you have a GT2559V. Is that on the 300SD?
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - larsalan - 05-03-2012
Shit, those titles are handed out by how many posts you make
RE: My w126 Project.... om617 turbo upgrade, - JustPassinThru - 05-03-2012
Oh. Drat. Has anyone *actually tried* a GT25 on an OM617?