300ce widebody

[RBYCC]

So why I'm I, a first generation American posting on a Brit site ???
Probably because I'm a closet Anglophile who's owned his share of Jag MKII's, DB Astons and an occasional standard steel Roller !!!
But for the past many years I've given up on being a masochist hitting SU fuel pumps with a raw hide mallet to get a car started and now only own and mod Mercs !!!

The project I'm beginning is to convert a 1988 300CE into a repro widebody. I'm looking to replicate a car similar to the white 320CE built by Stratton's and tagged AMG1 in the period motor publications.

I'm asking for input as my research indicates that AMG USA never did a widebody M103 in either the Westmont facility or at BHMA in California.

Only ones I know of are two? which Stratton's did and a couple out of Japan and a few from Affalterbach.

I have a walk around video of what may have been AMG1 from it's current U.K. owner.
Any pix of any known cars would be appreciated as would any pix of what I understand to be a rare AMG steel body kit residing in the UK ?

The next posts will give some background and history of the vehicle to be converted.

 

[RBYCC]

History

I'm the original owner, taking delivery of the 300CE in May of 1988.
Signal Red / grey cladding over Palomino.
Standard USA delivery options such as leather, sunroof, power windows and auto climate control.

In 1990 I did a +2 rim/tire package with 17" Borbet Type A and Dunlop tires.

All was calm, nothing much done except maintenance until I heard of the availability of new old stock Turbotechnics kits at Hughes of Beaconsfield in the UK in January of 2006

This began the slippery slope into a bottomless but so very enjoyable money pit.

While waiting for the kit to arrive, I upgraded to 18" tires on AMG replica rims.
Suspension was lowered about 1.5" with H&R Sport springs along with Bilstein HD's ( HD's are a very controversial application with lowering springs. Most go to the Sports with the shorter travel, but I had a method to my madness )

A few body mods such as a Wald EX front spoiler also installed at this time.

 

[RBYCC]

Performance

The TurboTechnics kit arrived in February of 2007.
At this time the car had only 62K original miles and the head gasket had just been replaced.

By June it was installed and sorted out.
The kit initially was installed as supplied but there were deficiencies in the fuel enrichment system.
We removed all the TT supplied parts of the enrichment system and controlled the two additional injectors via a Split Second stand alone additional injector controller.

The initial dyno results were 216HP and 228 Torque at the rear wheels on a Mustang load dyno.
The baseline pulls indicated a 30% drivetrain loss from published crank figures.

About a month after the install, I replaced all the coil intake/boost hoses with silicone and aluminum tubing. The supplied Fram panel air filter was replaced with a high flow K&N unit.
Engine breathing much better and the dyno now indicating 235HP/265 torque at the rear wheels !!!
Boost was set at 6PSI approximate.
Boost turned up to 7+PSI and it resulted in 262HP/302 torque at the rear wheels.

NOW IT"S BECOMING ADDICTIVE.....

So...
Installed Hallman Pro-RX manual boost controller along with a catch system ( which never catches anything ) for possibly crankcase blow by...
The MBC I feel is critical on any twin turbo install as it synchronizes the opening of the wastegates and minimizes spool up...

Boost turned up to 9.5 psi...but not yet dyno'd...

 

[RBYCC]

Now for the widebody stuff

There literally exists nothing in the USA even in fiberglass kit form to convert to a widebody.

Vitt Performance in Japan makes a 500E type conversion ( very expensive ) and I believe Goeckel in Germany has something similar.
There is a bespoke maker Socal Carbon ( Albert ) in the USA who has done some prototypes but would not meet my needs...

So what to do ???

Began looking a period cars with flared wheel arches and lo and behold the perfect fit...late 70's/early 80's Porsche 911SC rear sheetmetal...

Use your imagination and squint your eyes and you can see that the 911SC wheel arch shape and contour is identical to the C124.

The arches will be trimmed to give a 3" - 4" extension.

Wheels will be the period AMG Aero 3 piece 8.5 x 17 ET18 front and 10 x 17 rear modified to give a negative 13 offset.
They will be provided by one of the UK forum members.
As soon as they arrive in the USA ( hint..hint ) the rear sheet metal fabrication will begin.

An attempt to replicate the front extension will be made by using the wheel arch from another set of 124 fenders and applying them over the existing.
Probably will use an AMG style fender spacer along with it.

A set of 80's Nissan 280ZX louvers will be installed ( not as shown ) on the center raised section of the hood. These are for turbo heat extraction at slow speed and after shutdown.
Very simllar to the ones used on Willi Mosselman's Silver Arrows in 1993..

Only thing left is to locate is an AMG GEN I body kit be it real or good quality repro.....

That's where we are at the moment, awaiting the wheels so the torch can be lit and cutting started

Comments, suggestions, grammar corrections and even widebody photos are welcomed....

And to Jaymanek...

 

[Smarties]

Hello, Greetings from the UK. What a great posting, realy looking forward to hearing some more, hope some fellow members can help with widebody info/facts.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Welcome RBYCC, really looking forward to the updates on this thread, especially since Jay's (Jaymanek's) SEC Widebody is complete...

 

[kth286]

been watching some of your travails on your 'local' forum - great fun !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Howard]

Talbir may well be able to advise on this and help to locate parts , perhaps a PM to him ?

 

[stevesey]

Interesting - will await developments.

Part of me can't help thinking "keep it looking standard" - I like the sleeper idea for a w124 coupe with all that power e.g. lowered a bit with the right wheels, plently of rubber and an appropriately size exhaust.

 

[grober]

FF or SM?

Depends if you want to go for the Full Fat or Skimmed milk approach? can't help with a source for parts sorry. From what I read elsewhere you have done your research pretty well.

 

[RBYCC]

Interesting - will await developments.

Part of me can't help thinking "keep it looking standard" - I like the sleeper idea for a w124 coupe with all that power e.g. lowered a bit with the right wheels, plently of rubber and an appropriately size exhaust.

I had the same thoughts for nineteen years....but a Signal Red Coupe isn't the car to remain a "sleeper"....

The widebody 124's were more "one off" then the widebody 126's.
I can locate 6.0L-DOHC "Hammers" in 124 coupe, estate and sedan but have yet to see an original widebody in the USA.
There was a Koenig C124 widebody recently for sale but to me the Koening conversion is a bit over the top !!

I know of two non-AMG conversions...one in California and one in the Detroit Michigan area.
The California car is a bright yellow sedan with extreme rear wheel arches that hold 13" wide wheels !!!
The Detroit car is beautiful and dark blue with a E500 front and fabricated rear sheetmetal.
It is a facelift car and I'm not sure if a true widebody was done on the later cars.
All I can research are on 88-perhaps 90 cars.

Life is too short and I want to spend my money before the new President takes it away !!!

 

[RBYCC]

Depends if you want to go for the Full Fat or Skimmed milk approach? can't help with a source for parts sorry. From what I read elsewhere you have done your research pretty well.

The "skimmed milk" version was just purchased by an individual in California...
This was done by BHMA ( Beverly Hills Motorng Accessories ) who was the AMG agent, so it is documented and authentic.
The AMG agents built to customer order so anything was possible..

The "Full Fat " possibly is on a coupe with a "Hammer" conversion...

I'm trying to go somewhere in the middle..in the USA we would call it "2% Milk Fat " :bannana:
I'm shooting for what Stratton did on the 320CE...

 

[The G.F.P]

superb post

i knew it would be a great idea

in your sig it looks like your drag racing

what sort of times/speeds did you get?

this is now 3 posts ill be eagerly following (yours, the 500 widebody & the c124 restoration)

good luck to all of you and im quiet envious

 

[MBK]

I WANT FULL FAT!!!! that Hammer looks sexy as hell. I want one!!

Great thread by the way, cant wait for the updates, its better than watching telly this...

- K

EDIT:- Hey GFP wheres the 500 Widebody thread??

 

[bolide]

I'd be going for the box arches and 13" rims, personally

Nick Froome

 

[RBYCC]

superb post

i knew it would be a great idea

in your sig it looks like your drag racing

what sort of times/speeds did you get?

this is now 3 posts ill be eagerly following (yours, the 500 widebody & the c124 restoration)

good luck to all of you and im quiet envious

Only time at the strip with no traction due to cold weather ( 4C ) it ran 14.39 @ 99+. This was the wastegates set to open at about 6psi boost.

At 7psi boost using a G-tech 3 axis accelerometer with better traction it ran 0-60 in 5.4 and a 13.8 / 102 quarter.

Running about 9+psi boost but won't be able to dyno or do a timed acceleration run until the bodywork and paint complete.

Hoping for mid 13's and 105 + with the right tires...

 

[tim74]

wow love the car bet that goes like stink , injenious thought on the rear arches like it

 

[Black63]

The AMG Advert from Fast Lane Mag August 1989

Martyn

 

[renault12ts]

The AMG Advert from Fast Lane Mag August 1989

Martyn

Is it me or does that door not line up?

 

[RBYCC]

The AMG Advert from Fast Lane Mag August 1989
Martyn

Martyn...

Thanks much, that's what I was hoping to find on this site.
I have a few pix of this specific car along with a walk around You Tube video done by the current owner.
The car still exists with a twin turbo install but needs more then a respray !!!

Thanks again
Ed A.