LiENUS

I have an old Mercedes convertible that I'd like to put a SBC in. Naturally a LSx based engine is very appealing, I'd like to shoot for ~400-450 horsepower to the wheels and spray a 200 shot of nitrous oxide on top of that. The car will be mainly driven on the weekend and at the track. I'm leaning towards a 2 speed powerglide with a large stall, long tube headers with side pipes and bullet mufflers. I will most likely need some form of custom cage made since its a convertible, however the rear-end is my big concern and I wanted to see if someone else has done this swap what they used. The rear-end is an IRS that was built for ~ 200hp. with juice itl'l be seeing upwards of 500hp and I doubt the factory IRS can take it, will a ford 9" fit? and what suspension? will a 4-link fit back there? I am familiar with a 4-link enough to set one up but I don't know what it would take to stuff that setup in the back of this Mercedes, so anyone done this before?

LiENUS

TTT
No ones ever done this before? I could have sworn I saw someone a few years ago say they had on this site.

crafty888

There's a few with SB's in them

http://www.carcentric.com/450SLswap.htm


https://shell7.tdl.com/~jags/Mercedes_Order.html

LiENUS

Alas, not much solid information, but it looks like the powerglide and ford 9 inch rear end are good choices (although the rear end will need to be narrowed). But I still do not know if the 4-link will fit :/ Does a standard sbc temperature sending unit fit in a ls1 block so that I can use the adaptor detailed in that second link?

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

No, the standard SBC temperature sending unit is a different size. The LSx motors have a hole for a metric 12mm X 1.50 sender. I`m not sure what size sender the mercedes uses, but it is probably metric and if your lucky it could be the same size.

LiENUS

Doubt it, But now that I think about it il'l need to use the stock coolant sensor for the LSx pcm right? IS there some place else I can tap and install a coolant sensor for the guage? Perhaps I could make something that fits in the heater hose, hollow cylinder with a fitting for the sensor on the side, cut the heater hose and put it in there?

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

There is a second temp sensor hole, the drivers side and pass side heads are the same casting. GM puts the LSx temp sender in the towards the front of the drivers side head, so there is an extra hole towards the back of the passenger side head, just pull the plug out.

You can tap that hole bigger if your sensor is bigger. Some people have drilled the water pump, and others have put the sender in a T in the heater hose, but most use the hole in the pass head.

crafty888

Any updates??

Shinsetsu

iTrader: (2)

BUMP?!?!??!!?!? anymore info

ponjohn

I believe I saw that benz one year at the Turkey Rod Run in Daytona. If it is the same car it has a 468 BBC in it.

EDIT: saw the licenseplate, not a bbc.

E36LUVA

Another rear end option would be to swap in an independent ford 8.8 third member from any T bird, Cobra or Explorer which are plenty strong and get some custom axles made up for it. You'd just have to fabricate some mounts for the third member.