1993 Mercedes-Benz 300D Turbo W124

    Picked up my new 124.133 yesterday!

    The trip home was a little more work than anticipated, stopped dry about 2km out of the seller's house near Laon, in the North of France at 10 at night.
Like my previous car, the sensor of the fuel sending unit doesn't go down to the bottom, and there was a pretty serious leak at the fuel warmer so we didn't realize it was bone dry. Having the experience of running dry (in the same region too) with my last 124.133, I shut it down immediately to avoid getting too much air in the system.
The seller brought me a jerry can and a fresh rag, I bypassed the fuel warmer, cleaned out the prefilter on the spot and added fuel, all better.

    The drive home was very uneventful, got tagged by a mobile speed trap doing 100km/h in a 90km/h zone, just after a 110km/h section. The coppers will learn eventually.
I then proceeded to race a Golf and watch my rearview mirror while going a certain speed on the highway.

    About 10km from my home in Meaux, an electrical short sprung up near the HVAC controls and I stupidly shut down the car when I should just have rushed home, disconnected the battery and called it a night, better safe than sorry I guess. The short sucked the battery dry so I wasn't able to start it up again. I went home in my mother's car to grab jumper cables, went back to the Merc and rushed it home.

Everything going for the better this morning!
Up bright and early to start the work:



I have a love affair with 124 rear suspension...


Some of it is a bit crusty, nothing that can't be fixed yet.

Dem jokes


Stuck

"The cocktail of the last two problems turned into a couple dead batteries and engine dying on me when I had to come to a stop, once before dropping off my bird, forcing us to my place because she wasn't allowed home anymore, and another the next day right outside of her place after I dropped her off."

Why is the engine dying? once running they don't need any electrical/VAC interference?!!
Fuel blockage/leakage?

Question time!

Sorry for the few and far between updates, the car mostly sat this winter, which I know is the worst thing to do to these cars, but she held up okay.
Time to get back to work.

I have two main options:

1. Get everything nice, original, in great shape,
-includes rear suspension, shocks and brakes all around, rear springs, 4 new tires and injectors/injection pump seals and all the regular w124 and 603 turbo sh!t-
-mild turbo bump (wastegate to ~1.5 bar + ALDA tweak)
-future: intercoolers and/or water/meth injection

2. Yank the drivetrain out of the 124, stuff it into a W116, junk the w124 shell
-future: try a w124 rear subframe mod into the w116.

3 ish. (labor intensive) Sell the w124 on (as is or with the work done?) and buy a 1991 or earlier gasoline 3L sedan (300E/300E-24), and Turrbooo with 722.6.

Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts & opinions, show me what you got!




I'll try to finish up the story too, it's still somewhat ongoing though, no promises!

Cheers

Thank you!
I will indeed have to take out the gas tank and clean everything thoroughly, should fix both my sending unit issues (guage) and fuel crud.

The idea of a 116 was to have a big lofty barge with thick leather seats and a newer, more refined drivetrain but I do expect more cabin noise and obviously less high speed aero than the 124. I also have a fair bit of experience with 124s specifically that I don't have with older Mercs.
Something about it tickles my fancy anyway though. 

Turbo 605 is definitely a ride, I'd go slushbox if I were you since w124s aren't really small cars in the grand auto world, and the manuals are a little weaker.
Would make a very fun slide machine in manual anyway 

Or a baller Turbina^?_? 124?