Imperial Red 500E Wagon Build

[Germanautoservice]

Wouldn't it be fun to have a 500e wagon? Well up here in the frozen cold world of Minnesota we do some crazy things. So one day we decided that that nobody has ever ( that I've seen) built and successfully completed a 500e wagon. Taking a 6cyl 124 chassis wagon and building to clone a 500e for a perfect sleeper.

So we did, went out and bought a 1995 e320 wagon, with heated seats for the cold winter of coarse. Very first mod, h&r springs and Amg wheels. Now the car looks cool, but still slow. Next was a donor motor, trans, ect ect. That was no problem, found on craigslist a 1995 s500 that had not ran for years, owner inherited the car and it just sat. Perfect! So we brought it back to the shop, pulled the motor, trans out of the car. Bye bye s500.... So now we have a s500 motor and trans sitting on the shop floor... Big paperweight lol.

The following weekend we pulled the underpowered m104 out of the wagon. Hmmmm, a lot diff engine compartment. That's a problem, but is it? Not really! Next was a trip to our local euro scrap yard to borrow a scrap e420. After looking, we noticed not only does the engine and trans, lots of wiring, driveshaft, steering, cooling and electrical needed to be changed but the entire underhood structure did too.
This is going to be fun, everyone said it's too much work and can't be done.... Do I have any interest here?

 

[Jim]

Lots of Interest...

http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?1289-E500T-for-sale&highlight=500t

 

[Germanautoservice]

Jim nice to see you, glad to see some interest in this project. We thought we were the only people that thought a v8 m119 wagon would be cool. We built a e420 and made it into a 500e. Cool but if it can be bought it's just no fun. I have always loved wagons, but they never built a 500e wagon. And unless over seas and built by a oil field tycoon nobody has tackled the job. Until now...

I'll post some pictures tomm along with some descriptions of what is happening.

 

[Roma_500E]

Where r u located guys ? What e420 are you talking ? is it silver one with the amg kit ?

 

[Germanautoservice]

Roman,

the e420 you speak of, it does have a true euro Amg kit, Amg wheels, lowered with a 500 transplant, ring and pinion, NOS, currently running 417 hp at the rear tires verified on the dyno. Fun car but got bored and sold it. Still in the family, but owned by my co-worker.

 

[KarlC]

I think there is a few E500E wagons out there with full motor and fenders conversion, and some wagons with just the E500E fenders.

Be sure to post up some photos of your progress.

 

[Glen]

Looking forward to watching this thread. Please post pictures and descriptions of your build!

 

[gsxr]

You'll need to swap a lot of stuff off that donor E420 to convert the S500 engine and make it work in the 124 chassis... both oil pan sections, oil pump pickup, and exhaust manifolds at a minimum. At least the S500 was a 1995 so it will have the auto belt tensioner and it's the correct LH injection setup (96-99 S500 would not have worked).

You may need to modify the driveshafts too, btw. The E320 wagon has the larger 210mm diff with 2.65 gears which is good, plus you can pop a Quaife in there if desired.

 

[ccrelan]

100 times easier to just swap in 3.6 amg 104 motor or turbo the existing 3.2

 

[Maui]

I would love to have a 500E wagon.

 

[savmjv]

There is a guy in Houston who wanted to make a 500E wagon, he owns 5 or 6 500Es. He purchased a wrecked 500E with a good front end and wanted it grafted onto the wagon body to avoid all the changeover hassles mentioned above. Unfortunately for him, the shop he wanted to do the work, Texas German Autohaus, is owned by a stubborn German who has driven a supercharged 500E with 275+K (car is the subject of other posts here) miles for many, many years and refused to butcher a fixable 500E to make this dream creation. The wagon now has the 500E facelift (fenders, flares, bumpers, EVO II wheels, etc), but is powered by a C36 motor. Spruce green/tan. I'll see if I can catch it at the shop and snap some photos to post.

 

[Germanautoservice]

Then I guess the fact that the 500e wagon project is complete everyone will want to see pictures huh? We actually completed the car except for the body work mechanical is done. Sent the car out for a alignment today. The list of mods is quite impressive.
engine cradle removed from donor e420 , 6cyl engine cradle removed and replaced with v8 cradle.
Upper strut tower heat shields removed from e420 , upper strut heat shields removed from 6cyl and e420 welded in.
rear section of engine bay made wider to accommodate the m119.
All parts were carefully removed by drilling spot welds on both cars and rewelding into factory location to factory spec.
ecu bracket removed to accommodate the coffin.

Now that then engine will fit, we set it in place.....

 

[Jimbo]

Look to the Japanese enthusiasts for a 500E wagon...there's a whole slew of them done up over there.

If you have no pictures, then it didn't happen ! LOL j/k ...

 

[gsxr]

Then I guess the fact that the 500e wagon project is complete everyone will want to see pictures huh? We actually completed the car except for the body work mechanical is done. Sent the car out for a alignment today. The list of mods is quite impressive.
engine cradle removed from donor e420 , 6cyl engine cradle removed and replaced with v8 cradle.
Upper strut tower heat shields removed from e420 , upper strut heat shields removed from 6cyl and e420 welded in.
rear section of engine bay made wider to accommodate the m119.
All parts were carefully removed by drilling spot welds on both cars and rewelding into factory location to factory spec.
ecu bracket removed to accommodate the coffin.

Now that then engine will fit, we set it in place.....

Nice! Is it up & running? Is ABS or ASR functional?

 

[Germanautoservice]

Once I figure out how to post pictures from the iPad it will be great

 

[Germanautoservice]

Here's the original engine and crossmember, notice how narrow the rear of the engine bay is. The side heat shields are much narrower...

 

[2phast]

A friend of mine is also working on a 500e wagon and has transplanted most everything from a wrecked 500e. Unfortunately, he has changed his mind on dropping in the M119 and instead has decided to use a 3.6l M104

 

[Germanautoservice]

V8 crossmember welded into the car, see the difference

 

[Germanautoservice]

Gsxr,
yes all abs,asr, and cruise functions 100% operational. Can scan the car with the star and diagnose anything . Even the sls is functional.

 

[Roma_500E]

Roman,

the e420 you speak of, it does have a true euro Amg kit, Amg wheels, lowered with a 500 transplant, ring and pinion, NOS, currently running 417 hp at the rear tires verified on the dyno. Fun car but got bored and sold it. Still in the family, but owned by my co-worker.

Is that 417HP+ E420 that could not pass my 500E when my tranny was bad ? Then you guys told other people that you got me for distance of couple of body of cars ?
You had an sort of Euro plate in a front A 250 something like that ?

 

[Germanautoservice]

Like I said earlier, look at how narrow the wagon chassis is in the rear of the engine bay. The m119 would need to go on a diet to fit.

The next series of pictures will show the widening of the engine bay.

once welded, welds were correctly primed and seam sealed like the factory. You can see how much wider the engine bay needed to be in comparison to the little 6cyl

 

[gsxr]

Gsxr,
yes all abs,asr, and cruise functions 100% operational. Can scan the car with the star and diagnose anything . Even the sls is functional.

Awesome. That is impressive. Where did you locate the CAN box? I assume you had to use appropriate modules from the 400E/S500.

 

[gsxr]

the e420 you speak of, it does have ... a 500 transplant, ring and pinion, NOS, currently running 417 hp at the rear tires verified on the dyno.

Yikes. Um, what was the NOS kit used to get 417rwhp from a 5.0L motor? That's approx 500hp at the crank. Was it a wet NOS system or dry system? Geez, you need to start a new thread about that car too, with photos!

 

[Germanautoservice]

Is that 417HP+ E420 that could not pass my 500E when my tranny was bad ? Then you guys told other people that you got me for distance of couple of body of cars ?
You had an sort of Euro plate in a front A 250 something like that ?

You must be speaking of Taylor when he had the car, I let him take that car for a couple weekends and it came back with a bad motor one weekend. The stories of that car doing donuts along next to a 500e still ring out there. Showering people with rocks and someone getting laid out on the ground.

 

[Germanautoservice]

Yikes. Um, what was the NOS kit used to get 417rwhp from a 5.0L motor? That's approx 500hp at the crank. Was it a wet NOS system or dry system? Geez, you need to start a new thread about that car too, with photos!

Actually that was on the 4.2 lol. Wet kit. Transplanted a 5.0 after that was too slow

 

[Roma_500E]

You must be speaking of Taylor when he had the car, I let him take that car for a couple weekends and it came back with a bad motor one weekend. The stories of that car doing donuts along next to a 500e still ring out there.

Yup that was Taylor then. I just do not get how come I got two or three times 417 WHP car with 326 on a crank and kinda slow tranny ? People got that on their cameras but then I found out that the owner/driver of that E420 saying he got me many times and he has 417WHP + car. (wit the 1988 bumper (as Taylor explained you guys trying to make and AMG hammer or something) and some rust on the fenders and unplugged ABS/ASR plug, plus couple of other lights on a dash.)

Showering people with rocks and someone getting laid out on the ground.

Couple of drunk red necks and bummers were jelous and unhappy so decided with a group of 50 or so people to get at me. But I did not run and talked to those people even though there were trying to fight idiots.


P.S. Anyway good luck with your new project guys.

 

[Germanautoservice]

Taylor is no longer in the picture. Haven't talked to him for a very long time. After the car came back with spun bearings that was about it

 

[gsxr]

Actually that was on the 4.2 lol. Wet kit. Transplanted a 5.0 after that was too slow

I think 400Eric just peed himself. 500hp from a 4.2L should put him into the low 12's, if he could find any traction.

Don't suppose you might have the dyno sheets around? Would love to see the curves.

 

[Germanautoservice]

I do have dyno sheets! We have a dyno in house so I could strap it back Down and video it as well

 

[Germanautoservice]

Where the swap was done

 

[gsxr]

Nice. Is that Imperial Red with parchment Tex?

 

[Germanautoservice]

It is, I have a full black leather interior out of a prior wagon that rusted itself to death. But interior was mint! So once mechanicals are done I'll swap that over.

 

[gsxr]

Drooool! Red with black leather interior, ASR, heated seats, and M119 5.0L... ok, you got me, how much to buy the wagon?

 

[Germanautoservice]

So the list that had to be changed to date.
engine and trans
steering box
pitman arm
chassis modification
engine cradle modification
complete engine harness and front body harness
radiator and all hoses
heater valve and pump
abs pump
fuel lines
brake lines
power steering hoses
fuse box
all computers
integration if harness into the wagon
Driveshaft is the original to the wagon. Simple modification to the output shaft of the trans to mount original flex disk and keep a Mercedes driveline . Even the can box was mounted on original factory mounts in factory location.

The factory wagon brake lines were used to keep things neat and tidy, as were fuel lines . Some lines were remade for sls but that's about it.

all the parts used are original mb parts, only fabrication that had to be done was the trans mount.

Dash was removed to do the harness.
I did the custom exhaust, nice flowing all mandrel bent exhaust using the stock rear muffler( for now) ��

more to come

 

[Maui]

I can't wait to see this thing when it's done.

:?

 

[KarlC]

Drooool! Red with black leather interior, ASR, heated seats, and M119 5.0L... ok, you got me, how much to buy the wagon?

+1 is this thing for sale, if so how much ???

 

[Germanautoservice]

Lol I don't think that it's for sale just yet, I need to play with it for a while. In a couple min I'm going to post some pictures of the car , don't know if I can post a video but I will if I can

 

[Maui]

I'd probably trade my 2003 SL500 for a 500E wagon.

 

[Roma_500E]

Lol I don't think that it's for sale just yet, I need to play with it for a while. In a couple min I'm going to post some pictures of the car , don't know if I can post a video but I will if I can

I m curious how fast will 500TE be ? Do you think the same as 500E ? Faster ? Slower ?

Did you replace front springs and install bigger sway bar (limo ? sportline ? 500E? Renntech? Amg ?)

 

[modzona]

The front on the t124 is just the same as a w124.
So he can just use V8 swaybars. Sportline e420 swaybar is just the same as the e500.

 

[Germanautoservice]

Did H&R springs, 500e sway bar, all electronics are Mercedes Benz, running a 92 lh computer, all abs, cruise functions work. Drivability is great!

 

[Glen]

How long did it take you to do the swap? Looks like a very tidy job!

I'm sure it's on your list, but the passenger-side strut tower mount needs to be replaced.

 

[Germanautoservice]

Not sure if the video is going to work, but worth a shot. Still running on a 6cyl cluster. Wired for a v8 but to show all gauges, asr, abs, ect ect works.

 

[Germanautoservice]

I have new shocks and struts for it, bilstien... Still needs to be cleaned up. Doing the brakes all the way around, 500e rotors and calipers. Once the car is gone then the body will get a makeover

 

[Germanautoservice]

How long did it take you to do the swap? Looks like a very tidy job!

I'm sure it's on your list, but the passenger-side strut tower mount needs to be replaced.

It only took 3 weeks working on the car only after shop hours.

 

[gsxr]

I'm sure it's on your list, but the passenger-side strut tower mount needs to be replaced.

Make sure with the new struts you also install new stop buffers (they are usually shot, click here for photos) and also both strut mounts with OE or Metzeler only.

I assume that since you retained SLS you won't be installing new shocks.

 

[Germanautoservice]

I will not be changing the rear, front all components will be changed. Tonight it's a new rear gears, brakes, and some misc stuff. I noticed the video doesn't work. That's a bummer

 

[gsxr]

Forgot to ask... will the wagon keep the stock fenders & bumper for full stealth mode?

 

[Roma_500E]

I will not be changing the rear, front all components will be changed. Tonight it's a new rear gears, brakes, and some misc stuff. I noticed the video doesn't work. That's a bummer

Actually it works fine , I ve just watched it .

 

[Germanautoservice]

Here's a short video, sorry it's dark