FOR SALE 1988 300CE, 2JZ-GTE-Powered, 6-Speed, TMU, BaT auction (SoCal)

[gsxr]

No affiliation. TMU is a bit of an understatement, it had 70kmi 3 decades ago and BaHaT is still listing this as "70kmi shown, TMU". If it really had anywhere near 70k, it would not have needed new seat leathers installed. The seller (Wob) is a dealer who knows nothing about the car.

Appears to be all show with no proof it can go... no videos of full throttle, or even close to it. Someone put a lot of $$$ into go-fast goodies but never dynod it? How do you know if all the aftermarket stuff works well or not? Regardless, fanbois have already bid it to mid-20k range (!!) with 1 day left on the no-reserve auction.

The owner / builder apparently has no interest in commenting on the auction. The consignment dealer will not answer multiple questions about if air conditioning is present or not (A/C appears to have been deleted, no condenser is visible). SRS / airbags have been deleted in favor of an aftermarket steering wheel. As noted in the comments, the hot-air intake is an interesting choice. What other interesting modifications are there?

BTW - this engine supposedly made around 300hp when new and controlled by the factory ECU. It's highly modified now with aftermarket ECU and actual power output could be more or less than stock.



VIN = WDBEA50D2JA799695

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-mercedes-benz-300ce-19/

2JZ-GTE-Powered 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300CE 6-Speed - NO RESERVE​

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This 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300CE coupe was acquired by the current owner in 2021 and subsequently fitted with a 3.0L 2JZ-GTE inline-six, a BorgWarner S366 SX-E 66mm turbocharger, an Aeromotive fuel pump and pressure regulator, DeatschWerks 1200cc injectors, an AEM Electronics Infinity ECU, and a custom exhaust system. ​

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The car has been refinished in silver metallic over Pebble leather and is further modified with a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, a Grannas Racing bell housing, a McLeod Racing clutch kit, a Sikky short-throw shifter, Godspeed Project Mono-RS coilovers, and Performa 25-style 17″ wheels. This modified C124 is offered on dealer consignment at no reserve with a clean Carfax report and a clean California title.​

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Finished from the factory in Smoke Silver Metallic (702), the car is said to have been repainted. Features include a power antenna, a mono-blade windshield wiper, a power sunroof, and a cutout in the right headlight. There is a dent in the right rear quarter panel and other blemishes in the finish can be viewed in the gallery below.​

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Performa 25-style 17″ wheels are mounted with 205/45 front and 235/45 rear Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires. The car is equipped with Godspeed Project Mono-RS coilovers and braking is handled by four-wheel discs from an SL500 along with braided stainless-steel front lines. The selling dealer notes that the front lower ball joints and tie rods were recently replaced.​

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The power-adjustable front bucket seats and rear seats are trimmed in Pebble Cream-Beige leather (275) and joined by a color-coordinated lower dashboard, door panels, and carpets. Wood trim accents the interior and appointments include automatic climate control, a Kenwood cassette stereo, power windows, locks, and mirrors, and a Sikky short-throw shifter with a Modern Driveline aluminum knob.​

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A suede-wrapped Sabelt steering wheel fronts a PowerTune digital dash with GPS. The replacement digital odometer shows 70k miles, and the total mileage is unknown.​

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The Toyota 3.0L 2JZ-GTE inline-six was installed in 2022 and fitted with a BorgWarner S366 SX-E 66mm turbocharger, a Precision Turbo 46mm wastegate, a 50mm blow-off valve, and a custom intake manifold, throttle body, and fuel rail in addition to DeatschWerks 1200cc fuel injectors, an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump and pressure regulator, a Mishimoto aluminum radiator, a Wiring Specialties Pro Series wiring harness, and an AEM Electronics Infinity ECU and boost control solenoid. The seller dealer notes that the timing belt and camshaft seals were replaced in 2023.​

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Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission that has been fitted with a Grannas Racing bell housing, a McLeod Racing clutch kit, and a Tilton Engineering 6000-series hydraulic release bearing. The car is equipped with a custom exhaust system.​

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The Carfax report is free of accidents and other damage.​

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The car has not been inspected by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair and has not passed a California emissions test, therefore it cannot be sold to an in-state private party buyer.​

Meryota

 

[gsxr]

Rest of the photos:

 

[2phast]

If we examine dyno runs on mostly stock 2jz motors running a S366 turbo (non E85) and a moderate tune, you would be north of 600 hp. The turbo itself is capable of 850+

Have seen similar 2jz conversion coming out of Thailand, where this kind of swap is common. There are even companies that build/sell all the necessary parts for the conversion.

 

[gsxr]

Yup, done properly, this engine could produce positively stupid amounts of power. Done improperly, it could make less than stock power, and/or have nasty turbo lag. Without some sort of documentation, it's a total crapshoot. Looks like the build was intended to win Cars & Coffee.

The fact that the builder will not post on the auction, and the dealer will not answer simple questions, does not inspire confidence.

 

[Bogeyman]

The fact that he drilled a hole in the headlight door does not inspire confidence...

 

[2phast]

Theft that he drilled a hole in the headlight door does not inspire confidence...

I am not sure what that actually is for. It goes under the air filter, but the air filter is a open cone K&N and cold air intake is irrelevant for forced induction engines. Have to assume its for cooling of the turbo. There is another open steel pipe next to the exhaust, which could be for blow off, but I have never seen anything like that before. Normally you have a blow off valve in the engine bay.

 

[Alphasud40]

A lot of these cars wind up for sale when the seller/builder is unable to create a cohesive package. Then they become someone else’s problem. Nothing wrong with a 2JZ as long as it stays in a Toyota.

 

[gsxr]

A lot of these cars wind up for sale when the seller/builder is unable to create a cohesive package. Then they become someone else’s problem.

This is EXACTLY what this auction smells like! Fantastic glamour shot photos and zero communication from the owner...

 

[gsxr]

Selling dealer finally responded, sort of, to the questions about air conditioning... first with a comment about rolling down the windows, then a snarky remark about the sunroof, and finally more snark about buying a $4000 CoolBoxx system designed to liquid-cool a driver's racing suit:

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Wob (The Seller):​

AC is 4 window switches and has a very unique roof mounted AC unit. Very cool – a big panel that slides back ​

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Wob (The Seller):​

compressor is there so you can plumb AC one day if needed. You could put a CoolBoxx in it – way cooler (literally)​

https://coolboxx.la/​

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Still lots of dodging any power output info.

 

[2phast]

Selling dealer finally responded, sort of, to the questions about air conditioning... first with a comment about rolling down the windows, then a snarky remark about the sunroof, and finally more snark about buying a $4000 CoolBoxx system designed to liquid-cool a driver's racing suit:

​

Wob (The Seller):​

AC is 4 window switches and has a very unique roof mounted AC unit. Very cool – a big panel that slides back ​

​

Wob (The Seller):​

compressor is there so you can plumb AC one day if needed. You could put a CoolBoxx in it – way cooler (literally)​

https://coolboxx.la/​

​

Still lots of dodging any power output info.

If you did through all the BS, you will discover its tuned for 91 octane gas and its running the OE differential. That is all you really need to know. If it was tuned to its potential, that diff would have been turned into shrapnel with the first launch.

A LSD and a proper diff would allow a race or E85 tune. So whomever ends up with this car, will have some projects ahead of him/her.

 

[gsxr]

Yeah, I'm pretty confident as it sits, the engine is making near stock power.

Selling dealer dodges power questions, owner/builder is nowhere to be found.

 

[gsxr]

I'm curious if the winner (or, any of the high bidders) really want the car to make the power it should, or if they will just mosey along to win Cars & Coffee and never go beyond half throttle.

Sold for $36,000 to DirtyDenverglc63s
$35,000 bid placed by imdbui
$33,000 bid placed by RightBuyAuto
$31,250 bid placed by M3ADAMM3
$27,250 bid placed by KarKenKens

 

[2phast]

Yeah, I'm pretty confident as it sits, the engine is making near stock power.

Selling dealer dodges power questions, owner/builder is nowhere to be found.

Sold for 36k. Actually surprised it went for that much, as a partially finished project. Dubious answers to important questions and lack of dyno numbers kept many bidders away.

Getting something like this worked on would be challenging. It would have to be a shop that knows the 2jz, so basically a Toyota performance shop. That IN itself, is risky. Have seen shops refuse to work on these types of engine swapped vehicles, they just don't want to explore that rabbit hole.

 

[2phast]

I'm curious if the winner (or, any of the high bidders) really want the car to make the power it should, or if they will just mosey along to win Cars & Coffee and never go beyond half throttle.

Sold for $36,000 to DirtyDenverglc63s
$35,000 bid placed by imdbui
$33,000 bid placed by RightBuyAuto
$31,250 bid placed by M3ADAMM3
$27,250 bid placed by KarKenKens

There were flippers bidding on the car. They drool over something like this, unfinished projects that they think can be had for cheap, then they dump a few grand into them and the car is back on BaT

 

[gsxr]

There were flippers bidding on the car. They drool over something like this, unfinished projects that they think can be had for cheap, then they dump a few grand into them and the car is back on BaT

If the car was tuned well and had a dyno sheet showing healthy power numbers - shoot, anything over 450 at the crank would be impressive - the car may have bid much higher. Ditto for a proper drive video showing some full-throttle pulls through the first few gears.

If it makes anywhere near the implied 600hp, it really would have bid higher. I think the fact that the stock diff and stock axles are still intact pretty much prove it's closer to 300hp, and/or the owner & dealer never went beyond half throttle because they were afraid to break the driveline.

 

[duuder]

I'm sure there were more comments that were deleted... they just deleted a comment on another car im looking at

Guess they didn't like that I said they'll take and post any ole average car with zero due diligence for a buck

 

[gsxr]

Yeah, Hearst-a-Trailer likes to censor comments and/or delete them. Which is why @gsxr doesn't bother posting anymore unless someone specifically asks him a questions, like someone did in the 500E auction ending shortly.

 

[Bogeyman]

A friend's son had a Supra Turbo with that engine. He had it "tuned" also. I couldn't believe how fast that car was. Didn't last long though. After he broke it he couldn't find anyone to fix it, at least within 500 miles.

 

[duuder]

Yeah, Hearst-a-Trailer likes to censor comments and/or delete them. Which is why @gsxr doesn't bother posting anymore unless someone specifically asks him a questions, like someone did in the 500E auction ending shortly.

I've noticed less of us posting. I've been looking at vipers, bimmers, and 911s

The viper was a mess, 2 owners got duped thinking that it was an ACR and the bmw is marketed as an Alpina with no paperwork

Keep doing zero diligence hat

 

[gsxr]

I'll have to check the buyer's IG in a month or two...

DirtyDenverglc63s
if anyone wants to follow it's journey, the instagram is dirty_denver_glc63s

 

[duuder]

I'm sure there were more comments that were deleted... they just deleted a comment on another car im looking at

Guess they didn't like that I said they'll take and post any ole average car with zero due diligence for a buck

my comment came back, maybe they read my response or the fact that i was an actual bidder or just chose to mute my comment until after the auction

 

[gsxr]

my comment came back, maybe they read my response or the fact that i was an actual bidder or just chose to mute my comment until after the auction

Sometimes (actually quite often) if there are any words which trigger their moderation filters, the comment will not appear until a live person reviews the comment and approves it. This can take minutes or hours, depending how busy they are. Real PITA.

Once a comment appear publicly, it generally isn't removed unless flagged and deemed worthy of removal (this is less common). I think removal also requires a live person, unlike Douggie & Bids where it seems they have some sort of AI Chat GPT baloney going on where comments get hidden immediately after some muppet flags it.

 

[duuder]

thx for the info, my comment wasnt flagged - it wasnt anything negative towards the owner or the car itself, i was responding to someone as they felt bat doesnt accept every car submitted. i mean the types of cars have been diluted... they're selling a 2002 CL 500, is that even a special car?

 

[gsxr]

Couldn't find any real updates on IG yet, but this gives you an idea of what rolled off the transport truck. Turn on the volume (warning: F-bomb on the first one)...

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[Alphasud40]

Watching those videos just reinforced my previous comments.

 

[duuder]

Watching those videos just reinforced my previous comments.

say someone who works on these engines, would they have an easier time tuning this?

 

[Alphasud40]

With proper tuning on a chassis dynamometer they could get this sorted. It’s expensive but well worth the effort. This is a popular tuner engine so I’m sure there is plenty of support. This thing runs like someone put a base map into it and maybe tweaked some things to make power. They added extra fuel so it didn’t hole a piston.

 

[duuder]

So he's revamping the turbo, engine internals, exhaust, and intercooler. He said it was far from perfect but a good start

 

[gsxr]

So he's revamping the turbo, engine internals, exhaust, and intercooler. He said it was far from perfect but a good start

Revamping/replacing almost everything? Sheesh.

 

[gsxr]

I wonder what it cost to get here. Nice to see it's getting sorted out.

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