OWNER WDB748372 (957 E60 Estate)

[WDB748372]

Hello everyone!

Although I don't own a W124 I figured my S210 E60 may still be related and/or interesting to other members (please skip towards the end for that)!



My family had owned a few W210s so I've become familiar with them throughout the years. I ended up purchasing an E55 in Midnight Blue with parking sensors and ventilated seats which certainly wasn't the average spec. Plus a binder of receipts just under $20k from previous owners, I was quite happy with my purchase.


This vehicle led me to question how rare it might be, from the color to the particular options. Fast forward several months with endless hours of computing power, I now had a spreadsheet of all 10,061 W210 E55 VINs along with wagons (210.274), 4Matic sedans (210.083), 4Matic wagons (210.283), and E50 (210.072).

Leading up to my second W210 E55 purchase: I came across one with a few outdated photos and a one-liner description but still managed to pick out the VIN from my spreadsheet. The only pre-facelift W210 E55 in Horizon Blue. I was definitely interested! Originally from Germany with paint requested off of the then-new W220. It was imported into the US just a few years old.


Now onto E60: I wanted to figure out how many W210 E60 sedans were produced but given that all W210 E50 had the 957 code, I thought well what about the wagons? I don't think there was a S210 E50 so did any S210 E420 have the 957 code? Turns out there was only one so I ended up purchasing my very first M119 from its original owner!

Designo LCP Green/Blue chameleon paint
Cloth interior to black leather AMG stamped seats with green stitching
Leather dashboard and door panels
Alcantara headliner, pillars, visors, grab handles
"E60" door sills
Navigation
Telephone
Sound system with subwoofer in trunk, and tweeters in rear door panels which I never came across before.
Xenon lights, folding mirrors, heated & ortho front seats, auxiliary heater, fire extinguisher, parking sensors, adaptive damping suspension.
Lastly, the music being played automatically lowers/raises the volume depending on, I'm guessing, the speed. It works well and the timing is spot on! The newest car I've owned is a 2011 so this is unheard of to me.
Engine and transmission serial number were updated and 957 code was added to datacard.
Invoiced for 287,500 DM (~$160,000) in 1997.


More photos attached at the end.

It might look perfect but has some notable drawbacks. The entire car has been repainted to the factory chameleon paint with what I'd consider to contain a bit more flake. Perhaps that's not the correct term but I've barely heard of this paint let alone seen it in person to compare against how much of a match it really is. Mostly noticeable around sunrise/sunset. It might hurt resale value but the finish is excellent imo.

The front fenders are new along with the driver door shell and there is one panel in the lower rear section that was replaced, all genuine parts at least.
The steering wheel was reupholstered. I like the material and it feels great so I don't think I'd go out of my way to replace it anytime soon.

There's some maintenance history but will require work to get it up to date. I've done some so those updates will follow shortly as this post is long enough.

 

[captruff]

Congratulations! Very nice car.

Jeff

 

[TimL]

Congratulations! Very nice car.

Jeff

What Jeff said!

Cool car in a very unique color!

 

[gsxr]

What an amazing 210 collection! And all in rare colors. Thanks for sharing!

The decal on the E60 is interesting: "Attention AMG special control unit. Specific coding. Reading out via HHT not possible."

 

[gsxr]

BTW - the "speed sensitive volume" was a feature even on the early 90's radios (maybe 80's too?), including the 500E. But it can be a bit annoying when the volume jumps up/down when you are driving just above/below one of the speed set points. On aftermarket Becker / Harmon-Kardon radios, this feature can be adjusted or turned off completely. On my TrafficPro head units I shut it off. Glad to hear it's working better on yours though!

 

[WDB748372]

What an amazing 210 collection! And all in rare colors. Thanks for sharing!

The decal on the E60 is interesting: "Attention AMG special control unit. Specific coding. Reading out via HHT not possible."

I could not find any info on that decal or its part number. I haven't seen it on other E60 wagons or sedans either. Still bit of a mystery to me exactly what it means and I didn't notice anything different or had issues accessing modules via HHT.

BTW - the "speed sensitive volume" was a feature even on the early 90's radios (maybe 80's too?), including the 500E. But it can be a bit annoying when the volume jumps up/down when you are driving just above/below one of the speed set points. On aftermarket Becker / Harmon-Kardon radios, this feature can be adjusted or turned off completely. On my TrafficPro head units I shut it off. Glad to hear it's working better on yours though!

I didn't even know that! Very cool to see it on even older models of MB.

 

[gsxr]

I could not find any info on that decal or its part number. I haven't seen it on other E60 wagons or sedans either. Still bit of a mystery to me exactly what it means and I didn't notice anything different or had issues accessing modules via HHT.

My guess is that the HHT readout (and ME 1.0 module part numbers) may be identical to the E50, meaning there may not be any easy way to differentiate between E50 and E60 programming. And/or, the HHT doesn't recognise anything as 6.0L-specific.

Do you know if the wagon has 2.82 or 3.06 rear axle ratio, btw? I believe the E50 was 3.06 but there are so few E60, I'm not sure what AMG did on those.

 

[WDB748372]

Applying for a U.S title and registering was straightforward enough. I had the vehicle title and bill of sale just like any other car purchase. Original EPA form 3520-1, CBP form 7501, and HS-7. Lastly, I translated the Fahrzeugbrief and bill of sale then went to my town library to have it notarized. After lots of waiting at the counter of the DMV, I walked out with temporary plates.

As I waited for my title and plates, I thought it was a great opportunity to get some work done.
I first had the vehicle tinted to offer privacy but more importantly some protection for the interior/dashboard (all around + windshield).
Added a bottle of Redline SI-1 fuel system cleaner and drove around here and there while I also got familiar with the vehicle.

Replaced the MB cabin dust and charcoal filters with Mann. Ones that came come looked to be in there for quite some time.

Replaced the engine air filter with Mann as well.

Replaced spark plugs with the factory NGK BKR 5 EKU. Had a compression test done during purchase. 12-13 bar.

One of the cam magnets was leaking a little bit so ended up replacing both.

I decided to replace all pads with Akebono as the brake dust was just too much. Bled the fluid using ATE Blue. While I was there I decided to clean the wheel wells and ceramic coat the wheels.

Replaced differential fluid

Replaced power steering/SLS fluid

Replaced fuel filter


I debated adding an E60 badge as it left the factory that way but decided to go with it.
"AMG" badge was easy enough. I ordered an "E63" badge from W211 and "E420" from W210. Sliced the 0 off the E420 and replaced it with the 3 on the E63. The double-sided tape I had laying around was very sticky so put masking tape on first to hold the structure of the badge and make it easier to peel off when placed on the car. I then put double-sided tape and placed the transparent bag it came with so that I could handle/hold all this. Probably a poor mans way of doing it but it did the job.


Cleaned and lubricated sunroof rails, hood latches and door hinges.
I already had the engine oil and battery replaced just before it was exported.
The transmission fluid looked great upon my inspection. An invoice showed it was changed a few years prior ( <100 miles) so decided to skip that as well. Lastly, coolant looked to be in good shape based off of those test strips and I was too eager to finally drive it after several months.

Hopefully I did an okay job as a M119 newbie. Although the spark plugs are what was suggested by the factory, I'm not sure if resistor plugs are recommended on the M119.

 

[WDB748372]

My guess is that the HHT readout (and ME 1.0 module part numbers) may be identical to the E50, meaning there may not be any easy way to differentiate between E50 and E60 programming. And/or, the HHT doesn't recognise anything as 6.0L-specific.

Do you know if the wagon has 2.82 or 3.06 rear axle ratio, btw? I believe the E50 was 3.06 but there are so few E60, I'm not sure what AMG did on those.

2.82 on the wagon. I believe the sedans also had 2.82. I know of one that was converted in 1996 that had one so safe to assume perhaps that's what they all have.

 

[gsxr]

Resistor plugs are AOK for the distributorless / coil-on-plug M119.98x engines with ME 1.0 engine management. You used the correct plugs.

I would have sworn the E50 sedans had 3.06 gearing... will need to double-check on that. The stock E420 (210.072) did indeed have 2.82 gears.

 

[WDB748372]

Resistor plugs are AOK for the distributorless / coil-on-plug M119.98x engines with ME 1.0 engine management. You used the correct plugs.

Thank you for confirming

I would have sworn the E50 sedans had 3.06 gearing... will need to double-check on that. The stock E420 (210.072) did indeed have 2.82 gears.

I just saw 2.82 on some paperwork and came to a conclusion

If I actually translated another one of the documents to begin with...second bullet point translates to "Changed axle ratio."

Above is for WDB2100721A233920

I found another E60 wagon. Looks like a Japanese conversion that kept 2.82 gearing.

If the provided info is accurate it should be WDB2102721A376091

 

[Markus-MD]

E50 has defently 3,06.! Staion Wagon was as Basis an e420 and the diff was a 2.82.Factory standard.

 

[gsxr]

Found some more docs... R&T test showed 3.06 final drive, ditto for the AutoWeek article (which incorrectly states the stock gearing was 2.84 instead of 2.82):

 

[gerryvz]

BTW - the "speed sensitive volume" was a feature even on the early 90's radios (maybe 80's too?), including the 500E.

This was even found on the 1988-1991 W126 560SEL/SEC.

 

[WDB748372]

After being up close and polishing the paint for the past 1-2 weeks then comparing it to the original paint on the upper radiator support, measuring ~4.5 mils, the match looks to be pretty close to me.

I've put just over 3,000 miles since spring and now getting ready to store it over the harsh Midwest winter. Hoping to ease back on the odometer and start with renewing the rear end next year.

Does anyone know of someone who may have parted out an E50, in need of one lower engine shield air duct (210-528-00-09). I can purchase an extra pair if it's available.

 

[WDB748372]

10,061

Correction: 10,070. When working on the E500E FINs, I came across a corner case that I had not accounted for so went back to find a few more for the W210 E55.

 

[hAMGurger]

@WDB748372
your cars are too cool! I have only seen that chameleon paint on 1 or 2 ex-BRF cars, and I love that instead of extra wood everywhere, it appears to have extra leather with the contrast stitch!

What is the story? Japan or Affalterbach? Looks like Affalterbach to me!

 

[WDB748372]

your cars are too cool! I have only seen that chameleon paint on 1 or 2 ex-BRF cars

Thanks! It's turned into something, the Midnight Blue being 1/5 in the U.S., Horizon Blue 1/7, a supercharged W210 E55 and the E60 estate. The chameleon paint has been the most eye catching part to my surprise. I really didn't think much of it during my purchase. I think others on the road notice the paint first then it being an E60. Apparently it's noticeable enough even at midnight for someone to come up from behind me to ask if it's a wrap then reverse back into the only lane.

I love that instead of extra wood everywhere, it appears to have extra leather with the contrast stitch!

Correct, there's lots of extra trim pieces that have been individually wrapped. Overall it's a subtle interior. The car originally had a cloth interior but part of the conversion was an updated interior as well.

What is the story? Japan or Affalterbach? Looks like Affalterbach to me!

I purchased the vehicle from the son of the original owner who had passed away hence the sale. I held back a bit on getting to know as much as I can about the car's story and timeline due to that personal matter. Here's a run down of my understanding:
According to the salesman from 1997, he recalled the car being ordered directly from AMG in Affalterbach where they received the base model E420.
From the first record of its oil change in Affalterbach July 1999 at 12k miles to December 2017 at 104k miles, it was clearly driven with fluid changes here and there, at least that's what I have.
Around 2018 a collector purchased it but apparently never drove it so original owner wanted it back to keep driving the car.
He purchased it back and decided to restore it however got sick. His son(s) dealt with the car during that time and sadly eventually their father passed away. One of the sons offered the car at his Ferrari dealership.
After many months of emailing back and forth between videos, photos, inspections, the original invoice was found, the salesman recalled the car, and I knew this was the only 957 coded car, that's when it started to pick up.

Since then, in the past year, I've added 4k miles. I always wanted to do a cross country road trip and can't think of a better car but have been hesitant about that at least.

 

[hAMGurger]

Amazing!!!

 

[WDB748372]

Over the past 2 months I've been busy working on Barry Taylor's old shop wagon, the E420T which turned out to be a M119 6.0. Never thought I'd own two E60T's but this car is...well the less said the better. From narrowly avoiding a fire to resorting to a sawzall for removing the fan clutch nut and dealing with a variety of corroded/stripped bolts, it has been an adventure to say the least. I've also spent way more time than I imagined vacuuming all sorts of junk, degreasing the engine block, steam cleaning the engine bay/plastics, and restoring some nuts/bolts. I'll definitely have the whole vehicle dry ice blasted in the future but figured I'd get to spots that may be difficult to reach with everything installed. With all that being said she does run and drive and I have the conversion confirmation shipping from AMG and that's about all the positive things.

I'm at a point where I've disassembled enough and ready to install the stash of parts I accumulated but have some questions.

1) Regarding the MB anaerobic (orange) sealant, is that used to reseal the cam covers? I've also seen RTV being used but wondering if one is right or wrong.

2) I saw a post on the same sealant being used for the bracket that holds the idler pulley, are there more places this sealant should be used like for the water pump bolts?

3) I've always used a vacuum bleeder for filling coolant systems but saw a handful of posts filling the M119 via the upper radiator hose. Is there a reason not to use a vacuum bleeder on the M119? This has been a straight forward process for me most recently on a supercharged M113 having to do multiple flushes and I planned on doing the same here.

4) I noticed the crank seal sits flush which makes me think it's been replaced at some point. Should that still be replaced as far as preventative maintenance goes? If so, what would be its new position?

Lastly, attached a list of every part I've purchased so far, focusing on the engine, cooling and fuel systems. Open to suggestions on anything I missed.

 

[TerryA]

WOW! A suprise 6.0. That’s FANTASTIC!

 

[gsxr]

1) Regarding the MB anaerobic (orange) sealant, is that used to reseal the cam covers? I've also seen RTV being used but wondering if one is right or wrong.

Anaerobic! There's almost no place you'll use RTV on the M119.

2) I saw a post on the same sealant being used for the bracket that holds the idler pulley, are there more places this sealant should be used like for the water pump bolts?

From memory the water pump bolts do no need the sealant. You do use it on the head front cover bolts (the plate which the cam solenoids bolt to).

3) I've always used a vacuum bleeder for filling coolant systems but saw a handful of posts filling the M119 via the upper radiator hose. Is there a reason not to use a vacuum bleeder on the M119? This has been a straight forward process for me most recently on a supercharged M113 having to do multiple flushes and I planned on doing the same here.

After draining BOTH block drains, refill the block via the upper radiator hose... it will take 4-5 quarts. After this you can use a vacuum filler if desired. I think trying to suck in 12+ quarts via vacuum is a bit much, and unnecessary.

4) I noticed the crank seal sits flush which makes me think it's been replaced at some point. Should that still be replaced as far as preventative maintenance goes? If so, what would be its new position?

It's cheap insurance when you are this far in already... if you have the proper tool, I'd try seating it 3mm inward. If the current one is absolutely flush, it was likely replaced in the past - but still of unknown age. Hmm. I wonder if the AMG builder might have seated it flush?

 

[WDB748372]

It's cheap insurance when you are this far in already... if you have the proper tool, I'd try seating it 3mm inward. If the current one is absolutely flush, it was likely replaced in the past - but still of unknown age. Hmm. I wonder if the AMG builder might have seated it flush?

I did buy the tool for the seal and will try that. It could have been seated flush to begin with. Just looking at the car it's far from being maintained so I doubted much was done. There were several receipts that came with the car but only two were related (oil change and some transmission service back in 2016). As I started digging in I started to notice stuff like slightly stripped bolts, replacement water pump, fan clutch etc. going off date codes so looks like there was some work being done at least, maybe even the front crank seal at one point. I don't know how particular Barry Taylor was about his cars.

 

[WDB748372]

I finally received the AMG Conversion Confirmation for Barry Taylor's E60 wagen. It's taken me almost 3 months from my first email to then find out there's a new process for requesting documentation from AMG. After going back and forth and figuring out what needs to be done, it took just under 2 months for me to get the conversion confirmation delivered. There have been other posts/threads on this topic lately so I'll just add what I did at least in my owners thread.

- Fill out attached form OF00.00-P-3000-24AMG (add model, VIN, check conversion confirmation box)
- Email above form, driver's license/ID, proof of ownership, and engine serial number to an authorized AMG business partner. My local Mercedes-Benz dealership wasn't authorized and I suspect most aren't. AMG Classic mentioned MKB (certificate@mkb-power.de) so I used them but they charge 700€ plus shipping and not the 349€ mentioned on the form. PayPal is accepted.

From here on out it's a lot of waiting but the AMG business partner will fill out the remaining portion of the form (operation no. and their contact info) then email it to amg-technik@mercedes-benz.com who then contact AMG Classic (amg-classic@mercedes-benz.com) to search archives by the provided engine number.

In the end I received a stamped/signed letter along with a plaque. The only thing I learned out of the information provided is the AMG modification date. Had I known, I wouldn't have bothered to order this conversion confirmation given that it's 700€ so I hope this post serves as both a how-to and sets expectations. I'm sure this would eliminate any question marks when selling a vehicle but I don't think it's a must given that the seller already provided engine stamp/measurement. This whole process seems like another way to make more money.

Having purchased my other E60T from its original owner I had a copy of the original invoice. I'd rather have that for 700€ than a fancy plaque/letter.

 

[WDB748372]

I should be able to fire up the E60 in a week or two, only have the front end to put together.


Slight issue upon removing the old crank seal; Since the previous position of the seal was flush with the crank case I was supposed to seat it 3mm inwards but the seating surface seems damaged from the inside outward with a good chunk protruding out. Are there any suggestions to file it down and would it still be okay to position the seal over the missing chunk? Is placing it back in the previous position any better?

 

[gsxr]

I'd probably try to file it down carefully, just enough so it doesn't interfere with pushing the new seal into place. The chunk looks small enough that it may not be an issue either way. My guess is the last time the seal was removed, someone got a little ham-fisted.

Moving the seal to a different position is largely dependent on the ridge (if any) on the hub, or in this case the intergrated hub+balancer. If the ridge is almost non-existent, it won't matter much where the seal is located. If there's a pronounced ridge, you want the new sealing lip to be 2-3mm away if possible.

 

[WDB748372]

I should have some mini files to reach in there so I'll give that a shot. That's a good point, maybe something like a pick did the damage.

 

[TerryA]

IMOP, I would place the seal closer to the front of the crank if possible. In front of the gouge. I wouldn't use a file on the gouge just use some 3M or similar 400 or 600 grit wet/dry sand paper using water. Try the 600 first. If it isn't strong enough go to the 400. Just use a small piece about one inch (1") square doubled over so that your finger has some bite on the sandpaper. I think a file could slip a make matters worse.

Good Luck

 

[WDB748372]

I found these small-ish files last night from 80 to 600 grit. I was thinking I could have more precision to slowly knock down the edge while keeping the work area small in an attempt to avoid messing with the surface around it. To your point, I might tape up multiple layers of masking tape and sand down that way too. I'll play around with it over the weekend.

 

[sheward]

A method I use in this sort of situation is to find a PVC coupler or section of pipe that is close to the circumference of the sealing area and then cut it in half or thirds. Wrap appropriate sandpaper around it to provide equal pressure while sanding. This helps to keep the pressure where you want it.

 

[gsxr]

A method I use in this sort of situation is to find a PVC coupler or section of pipe that is close to the circumference of the sealing area and then cut it in half or thirds. Wrap appropriate sandpaper around it to provide equal pressure while sanding. This helps to keep the pressure where you want it.

Brilliant! Why did I never think of this?

 

[sheward]

Lack of money / too cheap to buy tools is a great motivator.

 

[sheward]

A deep wall socket or the proper seal setting tool can sometimes be used as well.

 

[WDB748372]

Excellent ideas @sheward Thank you!

 

[WDB748372]

I ended up using a 46mm deep socket I have specifically for the M113 oil filter housing nut. It fit great. Taped surrounding areas and wrapped 800 grit sand paper followed by 1200 and finally a scuff pad.

 

[WDB748372]

Finally finished up the engine, fuel, and cooling systems on the Barry Taylor E60T. Attached are some before/after photos. The only thing I had planned but couldn't get to was the rubber/line from fuel pump to fuel filter which goes over the rear subframe. Still have a few coolant flushes to do but she runs and drives. Next thing to tackle is a transmission service, then underbody like suspension, brakes...

 

[WDB748372]

With the weather warming up I’m about to continue on the E60T. I’ve gathered parts for the next phase of the project: Transmission service and front end (brakes, steering, suspension).
I also managed to source some headlights and the 2-piece rims.
Following all this would be the rear end which should get this car running and driving like new although not looking the part.
My goal by the end of the year is to be at that point then hand it off for body work/paint over the winter to hopefully be, mostly, done with this project mid next year.

One thing that’s been on my mind is when running the car last year I would hear the catalytic converter rattling. No idea on the history of how this car ran. Now, there’s no emissions required for cars over 25 years old in IL so I suppose I could delete them. Ideally I’d like to avoid that as I can see myself selling this car in the future so are there other solutions like getting used or even aftermarket ones that anyone can suggest? Do I just avoid it and delete? The current cat is a 140 chassis part number.

 

[hAMGurger]

this car is still amazing. Sickest W210 ever.

 

[captruff]

I don't know if your car will be complete by September of this year, but there will be some nice W210s on display at the Turtle Invitational September 21, 2025

I plan to bring both the Brabus 65 and the Piedade E60 (Federalized at Baary taylor Imports). I have spoken to Blakley Leonard and I believe he will bring his Renntech E60 wagon as well as another 6.0 sedan. I plan to reach out to The Classic Center next month to see if they will send out the Seinfield E60 .

www.turtleinvitational.com

Jeff

 

[WDB748372]

this car is still amazing. Sickest W210 ever.

Thanks! I will take that compliment for the green E60T as the black one is in terrible shape cosmetically
I'll be taking out the green one end of this month for a Mercedes featured car show so should have some photos of that!

I don't know if your car will be complete by September of this year, but there will be some nice W210s on display at the Turtle Invitational September 21, 2025

I plan to bring both the Brabus 65 and the Piedade E60 (Federalized at Baary taylor Imports). I have spoken to Blakley Leonard and I believe he will bring his Renntech E60 wagon as well as another 6.0 sedan. I plan to reach out to The Classic Center next month to see if they will send out the Seinfield E60 .

www..turtleinvitational.com

Jeff

I'm trying to do everything myself so it's going a bit slow therefore September is pretty much impossible. I can however bring the green E60T. I go to NY now and then so might work out but can't make any promises as of now. It would be pretty cool to see all those 210s together!
I always wanted to attend Monterey so would love to ship out both cars after the barry wagen is done!

 

[captruff]

Thanks! I will take that compliment for the green E60T as the black one is in terrible shape cosmetically
I'll be taking out the green one end of this month for a Mercedes featured car show so should have some photos of that!


I'm trying to do everything myself so it's going a bit slow therefore September is pretty much impossible. I can however bring the green E60T. I go to NY now and then so might work out but can't make any promises as of now. It would be pretty cool to see all those 210s together!
I always wanted to attend Monterey so would love to ship out both cars after the barry wagen is done!

Wow, having you show your green E60T would be amazing..if you have any questions about the registration process for The Turtle Invitational just let me know.

Additionally, I have been going to Monterey Car Week for years...when you come out just let me know. Perhaps your cars might get accepted to The Quail, but if not you could take them to Legends of the Autobahn.


Jeff

 

[Das-dumped]

Beautiful!

I have a Designo-LCP E55T with a very similar interior and would love to talk more!

Please shoot me an email:

brandon.kordower@gmail.com

 

[WDB748372]

Beautiful!

I have a Designo-LCP E55T with a very similar interior and would love to talk more!

Please shoot me an email:

brandon.kordower@gmail.com

I remember one being for sale last year, I'm guessing you purchased WDB2102741A811104
Sure thing, I'll reach out since you don't have ability to PM just yet.

 

[WDB748372]

test post (debugging post count issue)

 

[WDB748372]

Looking into engine numbers from another thread, I noticed yet another issue with my AMG Conversion Confirmation. The AMG engine number doesn't even match. 992724, not 99724

I'm sure this AMG Classic confirmed "E 42 Wagon" with engine number "99724" will give buyers great confidence. What a waste of $900