Hey all
I was looking for some advice. I have come across what seems to be a genuine S600L W140 (1996) which has been tuned by AMG at some point and is now a 7.0L - guess that makes it an S70 AMG, in the back streets of Dubai. I am not sure if this is a factory or post factory conversion but I am pretty sure it's the real thing as it has all the stamps in the right places. It also has a full AMG bodykit (front/rear bumpers, side skirts), AMG muffler, AMG 18" split rims, AMG brake calipers, speedometer and steering wheel and ashtray (I think that's it - as if that wasn't enough...). It is also well spec'd being the 600 anyway and has split rear seats, fully optioned out with stitched leather dashboard and consoles and so on.
Now the car has been sitting around for a year or so and the seller tells me it needs a new camshaft which it why it was parked up and forgotten about. Unfortunately some of the engine parts, top plenum, air boxes from the engine now reside in the boot and the back seats so I cannot actually test how mechanically decent this car is nor can I actually tell if all the necessary parts to rebuild this mighty fine M120 engine exist. I don't know the M120 at all, more familiar with the M119 in the 500E so wouldn't be able to tell if obvious parts are missing.
Does anyone have any advice on these engines and the common faults? I have personally never heard of camshafts going on the M120 but I have heard of head gaskets going. The bonnet is shut and can't be opened at the moment (so can't check if the block is AMG) however from seeing S600s in the past there is very little space to do anything in that engine bay and as such I believe any major mechanical work would mean engine out. I am heading back out there to get the bonnet open and have a look.
I suppose being an AMG that many of the major engine components, camshaft, pistons etc. would be AMG specific and therefore practically impossible to track down?
I don't know how much I can score the car for but it would certainly brush up really nice as the paint/interior look good. 98,000km from new the seller says and the car came from Japan a few years ago. The rear suspension also looks to be sagging but that might be due to the heavy engine parts in the boot.
Any advice on purchasing one of these would be great, given it's a 7.0L AMG I think it is a rarity. I would look to either fix it in Dubai or get it back to the UK and fixed properly (due to the lack of real expertise on old engines here in some cases (no disrespect)).
Many thanks all and happy new year!
Cheers
Bill
I was looking for some advice. I have come across what seems to be a genuine S600L W140 (1996) which has been tuned by AMG at some point and is now a 7.0L - guess that makes it an S70 AMG, in the back streets of Dubai. I am not sure if this is a factory or post factory conversion but I am pretty sure it's the real thing as it has all the stamps in the right places. It also has a full AMG bodykit (front/rear bumpers, side skirts), AMG muffler, AMG 18" split rims, AMG brake calipers, speedometer and steering wheel and ashtray (I think that's it - as if that wasn't enough...). It is also well spec'd being the 600 anyway and has split rear seats, fully optioned out with stitched leather dashboard and consoles and so on.
Now the car has been sitting around for a year or so and the seller tells me it needs a new camshaft which it why it was parked up and forgotten about. Unfortunately some of the engine parts, top plenum, air boxes from the engine now reside in the boot and the back seats so I cannot actually test how mechanically decent this car is nor can I actually tell if all the necessary parts to rebuild this mighty fine M120 engine exist. I don't know the M120 at all, more familiar with the M119 in the 500E so wouldn't be able to tell if obvious parts are missing.
Does anyone have any advice on these engines and the common faults? I have personally never heard of camshafts going on the M120 but I have heard of head gaskets going. The bonnet is shut and can't be opened at the moment (so can't check if the block is AMG) however from seeing S600s in the past there is very little space to do anything in that engine bay and as such I believe any major mechanical work would mean engine out. I am heading back out there to get the bonnet open and have a look.
I suppose being an AMG that many of the major engine components, camshaft, pistons etc. would be AMG specific and therefore practically impossible to track down?
I don't know how much I can score the car for but it would certainly brush up really nice as the paint/interior look good. 98,000km from new the seller says and the car came from Japan a few years ago. The rear suspension also looks to be sagging but that might be due to the heavy engine parts in the boot.
Any advice on purchasing one of these would be great, given it's a 7.0L AMG I think it is a rarity. I would look to either fix it in Dubai or get it back to the UK and fixed properly (due to the lack of real expertise on old engines here in some cases (no disrespect)).
Many thanks all and happy new year!
Cheers
Bill
on keeping updates here. You always seem to have something going. I know I’m sure interested. 
