I would like a guide to upgrade from 400e to 500e

[lavish]

Xin chào tất cả mọi người,

Tôi hiện đang lái xe Mercedes-Benz 400E tại Việt Nam . Vì 500E chưa bao giờ được nhập khẩu chính thức vào đây nên tôi luôn có mong muốn mạnh mẽ nâng cấp chiếc 400E của mình để trông giống với 500E nhất có thể.

Tôi đăng bài ở đây với hy vọng nhận được lời khuyên, hướng dẫn và trợ giúp tìm nguồn cung ứng phù hợp để thực hiện dự án này một cách hiệu quả.

Bất kỳ lời khuyên hoặc khuyến nghị nào từ những người đam mê sẽ được trân trọng.

Cảm ơn rất nhiều!


MODERATOR EDIT: Google translation below:

Hello everyone,

I am currently driving a Mercedes-Benz 400E in Vietnam. Since the 500E was never officially imported here, I have always had a strong desire to upgrade my 400E to look as close to the 500E as possible.

I am posting here in the hope of receiving advice, guidance and help sourcing the right parts to make this project work effectively. Any advice or recommendations from enthusiasts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!

 

[gsxr]

Hello lavish,

Changing the appearance of a 400E to 500E will be difficult and expensive, because almost all the parts are NLA (No Longer Available new from the dealer). Your best chance would be finding reproduction bumpers and fenders. Upgrading the rear fenders will be the most difficult as this requires cutting and welding. If you want the Sportline interior as well, that will be additional cost. It would likely be less expensive to find a high-mile 500E in USA and import that to Thailand Vietnam. (Edit - OP's location changed overnight, it had been showing Thailand).

BTW- you can use Google Translate to convert your text to English before posting. Your original post came through in Vietnamese. If you are using auto-translation on your device/browser, double-check the settings.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[alabbasi]

He's in Vietnam. He can probably have them made from scratch (and make some for us too) if he wanted to.

There's quite a classic car scene in Saigon. It was kind of fun to see them among all the scooters..

 

[TerryA]

I love the VW Bus w/ the giant overhead headlight.

 

[036]

I have a guide for you....

 

[lavish]

Hello lavish,

Changing the appearance of a 400E to 500E will be difficult and expensive, because almost all the parts are NLA (No Longer Available new from the dealer). Your best chance would be finding reproduction bumpers and fenders. Upgrading the rear fenders will be the most difficult as this requires cutting and welding. If you want the Sportline interior as well, that will be additional cost. It would likely be less expensive to find a high-mile 500E in USA and import that to Thailand.

BTW- you can use Google Translate to convert your text to English before posting. Your original post came through in Vietnamese. If you are using auto-translation on your device/browser, double-check the settings.

Welcome to the forum!

I’ve seen that many people are selling complete 500E bodykits made from fiberglass. My project is to fully convert a 400E into a 500E — from the engine to the entire interior — because previously, no 500E was ever officially imported into Vietnam.

 

[lavish]

Hello lavish,

Changing the appearance of a 400E to 500E will be difficult and expensive, because almost all the parts are NLA (No Longer Available new from the dealer). Your best chance would be finding reproduction bumpers and fenders. Upgrading the rear fenders will be the most difficult as this requires cutting and welding. If you want the Sportline interior as well, that will be additional cost. It would likely be less expensive to find a high-mile 500E in USA and import that to Thailand.

BTW- you can use Google Translate to convert your text to English before posting. Your original post came through in Vietnamese. If you are using auto-translation on your device/browser, double-check the settings.

Welcome to the forum!

I would like to ask: Are original 500E parts still widely available at this time? Which components are the most difficult to source? And is my project realistically achievable?

Thank you very much for your time and support.

 

[gsxr]

I’ve seen that many people are selling complete 500E bodykits made from fiberglass. My project is to fully convert a 400E into a 500E — from the engine to the entire interior — because previously, no 500E was ever officially imported into Vietnam.

That would be a great project. A very large, very expensive, very time consuming project... but the result will be really nice!

I would like to ask: Are original 500E parts still widely available at this time?

It depends which parts you are looking for. Almost all the 500E-specific parts are NOT available (fenders, bumpers, side skirts / rocker covers, fender moulding). Color-coded interior parts are generally not available new. However, most mechanical parts are still available. Finding the Sportline seats won't be easy... especially if you want heated seats... and international shipping will be expensive.

Which components are the most difficult to source?

All the body parts will be the most difficult. International shipping / freight will be expensive due to the size. You may only be able to obtain the fiberglass replicas, and plan on those not fitting very well. Correct 500E headlights cost a small fortune if you want those to complete the look. The engine is the easy part, just find a good 119.972 motor from the 129.067 chassis, that is plug+play. Also need the 5.0L EZL and LH modules. Search the forum, there are old threads with info about the 4.2 --> 5.0 engine upgrade.

And is my project realistically achievable?

Achievable, yes. But at what cost? I would strongly recommend doing all your research up front and totaling up the expected cost for everything. Compare that with the cost of buying a 500E in USA and having it imported to Vietnam. You may find that maths don't add up for the 400E upgrade. It also depends if you are able to do most or all the work yourself, or if you have to pay shops to do the work for you.

 

[Bogeyman]

Plus, you would have the only 500E in your country...

 

[lavish]

Plus, you would have the only 500E in your country...

I'm thinking about it

 

[lavish]

That would be a great project. A very large, very expensive, very time consuming project... but the result will be really nice!



It depends which parts you are looking for. Almost all the 500E-specific parts are NOT available (fenders, bumpers, side skirts / rocker covers, fender moulding). Color-coded interior parts are generally not available new. However, most mechanical parts are still available. Finding the Sportline seats won't be easy... especially if you want heated seats... and international shipping will be expensive.



All the body parts will be the most difficult. International shipping / freight will be expensive due to the size. You may only be able to obtain the fiberglass replicas, and plan on those not fitting very well. Correct 500E headlights cost a small fortune if you want those to complete the look. The engine is the easy part, just find a good 119.972 motor from the 129.067 chassis, that is plug+play. Also need the 5.0L EZL and LH modules. Search the forum, there are old threads with info about the 4.2 --> 5.0 engine upgrade.



Achievable, yes. But at what cost? I would strongly recommend doing all your research up front and totaling up the expected cost for everything. Compare that with the cost of buying a 500E in USA and having it imported to Vietnam. You may find that maths don't add up for the 400E upgrade. It also depends if you are able to do most or all the work yourself, or if you have to pay shops to do the work for you.

I also expected it could cost a lot, maybe I accept that because the policy of importing used cars into Vietnam is impossible.

 

[alabbasi]

Doing all your research up front and totaling up the expected cost for everything. Compare that with the cost of buying a 500E in USA and having it imported to Vietnam.

I think that this is impossible