I have always loved these w126 coupes and currently have a w126 sedan but that is one badass swap especially with the blower added

 

We are completing a swap of an lt1 into mercedes 380 sec. I am looking for someone who has done this or a similar swap with regard to the orginal gauges. Could these be used or will we need to replace the instrument panel?

 

The oil pressure and the temp gauge can be used if the factory senders are placed on the lt1 ( not in the place of the GM senders but separately on the engine)The tach should read the same as the LT1 but the wire would have to be found in the car and the GM PCM. The speedo however may be a different story, as it is driven mechanically by a cable. The only way I know of doing this is with a conversion box from I believe Dakota Digital or it may be some other company. If I remember correctly from my ls1 rx7 days the older rx7 people were using this to interface the two. I married a GM speedo drive behind the speedo cluster and calibrated it with tuning software. There may be other ways but I think that the speedometer will be the hardest.

Cable x seems to be the converter name brand

 

the '85 380 SL I have is running a electronic speedo in a stock cluster, can that be used ?

 

Killer! Have you ever taken it to the track?

I was essentially given a '74 280SL and was going to do an LS swap had it not have been for the steering rack and Kmember issue. Way beyond my fab skills to get the bump steer correct and fab up something safe.

 

No not yet, it still has yet to be tuned. It is on e85 now and is 10lbs from 1400rpm to redline and is tuned with only 5 degrees of timing. Still faster than my 05 e55.

 

So the swap has been done with the box in place? My mom has an 88 420sel ive been contemplating doing this on, but the amount of modification needed is nuts, especially since I wanna keep it a legal swap. There is no way of doing the exhaust over the trans like hey did from the factory with the M116 engine? And would you have to cut the crossmember or anything else to keep the steering box??

Mark

 

Not sure why you would want to take all the time to replace the mercedes engine with this one and be concerned about running the exhaust over the trans, and please read the previous posts regarding the "box" or lack thereof in this case.

 

I'm sure it rips with that blower and a flat TQ with an automatic. I feel bad for that 60E.
I always thought it would be cool to do a 320/E55 replica with a ls and a turbo. Your car proves how cool it would be. Have you ever weighed it?

 

Well you said youve done thie swap with the box in place, if I do this swap I dont want to re-engineer the steering system. The factory ran the exhaust over the trans as i would want to avoid running it forwards.

And why replace the benz lump? at 200 HP and pricey K-jet fuel injection parts, a trans that costs 3 grand to have rebuilt properly, and ever aging engines with plastic and rubber parts that will be non existant at some point...thats why

 

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1528508813770465281

 

Back from the dead and reintroduced to the world for some John Force style burnouts