Finally got me a 500E and a euro car from Germany. Bought from Canada just waiting for transportation company to pick it up and bring it home to California.
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OWNER mrindiafromuk (Euro 500E)
- Thread starter mrindiafromuk
- Start date
SOLD - 1991 500E, Silver/Black, 231kkm, BaT auction - Euro-spec (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) | Cars for Sale - 500E / E500 ONLY
No affiliation. Looks decent in the photos, and it has the correct Euro headlights! Pity it doesn't have SRS (airbags). VIN = WDB1240361B598263 https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-mercedes-benz-500e-6/ Datacard: https://www.lastvin.com/vin/41My62Y8WW3Eve9Ng Euro 1991 Mercedes-Benz 500E...
www.500eboard.co
maw
Actually no, I found this forum after I purchased .
This is the car I bought
Welcome and congratulations on your purchase! Love the silver/black combo
Thank youWelcome and congratulations on your purchase! Love the silver/black combo
Congrats!
You wouldn't happen to be the same Mr India with red 951 by chance (Mickey)?
Cheers!
D
Yes I am great spot
Small world! I've "seen" you around in the 944 crowd with lots of DIY posts. Welcome aboard, enjoy your stay, lots of helpful folks here with lots of relevant information!
Regards,
D
Well… when it arrives around Oct 22nd I need to wait about 4 weeks for customs papers to arrive. My first thing to get done is to pass California smog. If it fails then I am going to first do a full exhaust system swap. Not sure yet which. Thats not the big one. I am planning to send it to Renntech to get the gearbox and 6.0 upgrade . I am still researching with Renntech if I should do this. My inclination is to do it and get myself a hammer tribute .Ooooo! Do tell!
Renntech have just started it under their classics division
I am not sure if price yet but suspect it to be north of $30k
Passing CA emissions shouldn't be a problem, assuming the factory catalysts are good (they are a relatively rare failure). Make sure the cats are fully heated by driving at 3000-4000rpm for 5-10 mins prior to arriving at the test station (low speeds in a lower gear works fine for this). That said, emissions are rarely the problem in CA... how do you plan to get it registered? Another forum member bought a Euro-spec 500E and as of a few months ago, he was still having trouble getting through DMV / CARB, click here and here.
Oooooo. A 6L conversion would be spectacular! Please keep us posted on what RENNtech is currently offering for 6L build options. Back in the day, they had a "Stage 1/2/3" setup with optional different camshafts, optional CNC head porting, and optional tubular headers which were breathtakingly expensive for some bendy pieces of pipe. Make sure to upgrade to a limited-slip differential along with the 6L, either WaveTrac or Quaife make them, or OS Giken if you want really esoteric stuff at 3x the price.
ThanksPassing CA emissions shouldn't be a problem, assuming the factory catalysts are good (they are a relatively rare failure). Make sure the cats are fully heated by driving at 3000-4000rpm for 5-10 mins prior to arriving at the test station (low speeds in a lower gear works fine for this). That said, emissions are rarely the problem in CA... how do you plan to get it registered? Another forum member bought a Euro-spec 500E and as of a few months ago, he was still having trouble getting through DMV / CARB, click here and here.
Oooooo. A 6L conversion would be spectacular! Please keep us posted on what RENNtech is currently offering for 6L build options. Back in the day, they had a "Stage 1/2/3" setup with optional different camshafts, optional CNC head porting, and optional tubular headers which were breathtakingly expensive for some bendy pieces of pipe. Make sure to upgrade to a limited-slip differential along with the 6L, either WaveTrac or Quaife make them, or OS Giken if you want really esoteric stuff at 3x the price.
I on registering the car, I hope that since it was imported in to Canada in 2007 and owned and registered there until now, it may help my case. I read the post you sent me, it will be interesting to see if I get the same problem. I know getting a car fax and lien report was challenging since the vin was not being picked up. Cardax did a manual pull on the vin and it was found. Hoping that it was registered in Alberta it may be ok.
Your choices on registering this car IN California are unfortunately near zero unless you pay $$$$$$$$ for CARB certification / lab testing / emissions modifications.
You could register it in a different state and drive it in California, which of course is non-kosher and your insurance company may not be pleased with and the local gendarmes may not look kindly upon .... all depends personal calculation of risk vs. reward.
If you still plan to go to a California DMV office and try and register it ..... don't talk to the DMV about your car until you have formulated and executed (past tense) on your plan to procure the appropriate documentation for the DMV to show that your car complies with CARB rules.
Good Luck
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Solution= move the F out of California. Like many others have done and are in the process of doing.Your choices on registering this car IN California are unfortunately near zero unless you pay $$$$$$$$ for CARB certification / lab testing / emissions modifications.
You could register it in a different state and drive it in California, which of course is non-kosher and your insurance company may not be pleased with and the local gendarmes may not look kindly upon .... all depends personal calculation of risk vs. reward.
If you still plan to go to a California DMV office and try and register it ..... don't talk to the DMV about your car until you have formulated and executed (past tense) on your plan to procure the appropriate documentation to the DMV that your car complies with CARB rules.
Good Luck
That’s certainly one option, but sadly not one I can take right now. I will do what it takes to register it in CA. It will then be one of the few if not only German Euro car officially registered in CA. I am thinking that in itself has intrinsic value. But hey let’s see how this journey pans out. Makes for a good YouTube series on my channel which would help anyone else trying to import a car and registering it in CA. All part of the ownership journey.
I would be quite surprised if it runs less than $60k. Would be cool if you could post what you find out as you embark on this endeavor.
Will do, I think my most immediate journey with this car is to get it registered in CA lol
I actually don’t know . How do I find out
You can measure the sizes of the rotors that are on the car now! If you do a search you can find a bazillion threads on brake sizing, but here is a thread to get you started.
FYI - Part Numbers for Silver Arrow Brake Components | Brakes, Suspension and Steering
ADMIN EDIT: This post was copied & edited from a different thread located at this link. Adding as a sticky in this subforum for future reference. Here are some part numbers. 334mm Brembo front caliper (Black color) • Part# 001-420-77-83 Left • Part# 001-420-78-83 Right - NLA 334mm Brembo...
www.500eboard.co
Note that Silver Arrrow brakes and SL600 brakes are the same size —except that SA brakes are cross drilled.
Thanks
Per the photos on the BaT listing, the silver Canada car has the small 300x28 front brakes, original Brembo calipers, and probably the original 278x24 Ate rear brakes. These are fine for legal speeds in USA.
If the car gets the 6L upgrade, the full "Silver Arrow" brake upgrade front+rear would be highly recommended. The small brakes were inadequate with 322hp, they'll be even less adequate with 422hp.
If the car gets the 6L upgrade, the full "Silver Arrow" brake upgrade front+rear would be highly recommended. The small brakes were inadequate with 322hp, they'll be even less adequate with 422hp.
Not to muddy the waters too much, but here in BC they scrapped the "Air Care" program a long time ago. It was just another government cash grab to be honest. So not sure what they have in AB but those guys have in general a much more cavalier attitude towards the environment so I doubt this 500e was subjected to any form of emissions testing whilst in AB though happy to be corrected of course.
That’s good to know. I will research what state my car is in when it arrives
So I am going all in and getting California emissions certified . The process takes 8 to 12 weeks. Will be vlogging the whole process on my YT channel
Cool! Any estimates so far on what the final cost may be to navigate the CARB gauntlet?
Pretty much $10k
i think it’s worth the investment on my car given what I got in it. I am also looking to do the 6.0 upgrade so I am all in to make it my dream version .
@mrindiafromuk ... your name doesn't happen to be "Talbir" does it?
$9,950
No it’s Mickey
Or Mr India
Will do
Interesting. You look like a member who was once a member of this forum named Talbir, a great turbaned one.
I actually don't wear a turban , I get it that my logo shows that. here's who I am:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48SCd9MoIBvcU69rpMLjag
Just thought I would share my first views vlog on my recent purchase of 500E. I am also documenting the process of California EPA testing and registration.
Thanks for the update! 
FYI... there are no "AMG heads" for the E60 or M119 AMG 6.0L engines. The stock heads were modified slightly per the AMG documentation posted elsewhere on this forum. Now, the AMG camshafts are NLA but RENNtech never used AMG cams for their 6L builds anyway, they sourced custom camshaft sets from an unknown supplier. The 6L bottom end stuff (crank, pistons) could be reproduced if needed, the cams might be the most difficult item to source, if RENtech can't just order up another batch of the cams they had produced in the 1990's.
FYI... there are no "AMG heads" for the E60 or M119 AMG 6.0L engines. The stock heads were modified slightly per the AMG documentation posted elsewhere on this forum. Now, the AMG camshafts are NLA but RENNtech never used AMG cams for their 6L builds anyway, they sourced custom camshaft sets from an unknown supplier. The 6L bottom end stuff (crank, pistons) could be reproduced if needed, the cams might be the most difficult item to source, if RENtech can't just order up another batch of the cams they had produced in the 1990's.
That's interesting information i appreciate it for my next conversation with RENNtech . Currently I am sending the car in to get the transmission rebuilt next week so that when it goes to EPA mods the dyno testing doe not break anything. BTW the gear changes are not super smooth.
Gear changes not super smooth could be a number of simple things, from old fluid to a disconnected vacuum line. But, if you have the funds a fresh transmission is always nice.
Are you getting a dealer/factory reman, or Sun Valley reman? Please say it isn't Schmid (aka MZF-Bayer).
Are you getting a dealer/factory reman, or Sun Valley reman? Please say it isn't Schmid (aka MZF-Bayer).
