Hi guys I came across a dirt cheap 1995 w124 E420 that needs some body work other then that its a great car runs/drives good. I was thinking of a E500 conversion since it already needs some body work. I wanted to know can this be done? What parts will I need? Do the E500 fenders fit E420's?

 

yes the front fenders bolts on the E420.
Basicly i beleive you will only need the engine and ecu out from a 500 and you are set!

Im in montreal too and i think you are talking about the 1995 black E420 that have 300 000 km ... am i right?

 

You will also need front bumper to align with fenders properly, front fender cladding, and if you want go all the way, rear fender arches and matching bumper, Recaro 4 seat interior, e500 headlights with extra hi-beams, and 500E transmission valvebody, and SLS hydraulic rear suspension

 

Actually, I've been contemplating just doing the same thing to my 1994 E420. My front bumper looks like it's been through a war zone, and my rear impact strip on the rear bumper has duct tape hiding a nice hole. My question is I live in the USA in Denver, Colorado. Where does one go to source these body parts? No junk yard has these parts. The only place that I have found is this place called Goeckel, and that's way over in Germany. I have included a link to their "500E-Look" body kit...
http://www.goeckel.de/mercedes_benz_...namik.htm#500E

So check it out, but some USA or Canadian source would really be appreciated! Look forward to your response.

 

Hey E420 guy, did you ever find a source in the USA??? Do you still have the car???

I'd love to install the E500 front bumper into my E420 and I was looking some info online....

 

Someone is parting out a 500E on 500eboard.com

 

What about the 300E? Can that one fit a 500 as easy as the 420 can?

 

Doesn't matter what w124 you use (sedan). You will need front fenders, bumper, fender claddings, side skirts, rear quarters, rear claddings, rear bumper. And if you really want it exact. Headlights. I did this on my 400E back in the days.

Kind regards,
A.S.

 

Aren't you the guy with the legendary yellow "Extreme" E class??

 

I finished a similar conversion several months ago on my w124 coupe. All used parts, labor and paint, it cost me around $4500.

 

I have the parts complete front and rear bumpers , fenders , side skirts , front and rear fender panels (cladding)+ the 2+2 seats set

 

I'm not so sure that it is quite as straightforward as that. If you're just after the look, then yes, you could swap the sheet metal and cladding, but you would need offset rims or spacers as the track of the W124.036 is 1.5" wider.

If you are looking to do a complete V-8 conversion then you're in for a LOT of work. Remember, the W124 chassis was originally designed for an inline-6, not a V-8. Essentially the entire powertrain and suspension of an R129 SL was transplanted into a W124 chassis and that required a LOT of changes to the chassis.

Porsche had to significantly modify the engine bay in order to fit the M119 by splaying the front frame rails, modifying the bulkhead (firewall), strut towers, widening the transmission tunnel, and possibly tubbing the inner wheelhouses. (AND I think that the M119 specified for the 500E may also have been modified to fit, but I am not 100% on that.)

You would need to start with a 400E or E420. You might be able to use a later E320 assuming that the chassis, particularly the engine bay, is the same as an E420, but it is unlikely that an older (pre-94) 300E chassis would work without a LOT of modification.

 

Interesting information...

I am wondering about buying a 230TE with high mileage and shot engine for a V8 upgrade, so the expert opinions are great.

"Considering", no idea of whether it would work...

 

Lol... Geezee.

 

It's as straight forward as he asked. Which was "my car needs new paint, so I'm thinking of converting to a e500."

New paint job, not new engine. I'm quite aware of the conversion since I've owned a few .036's and currently have one one too. But yes, if you do want to do an entire conversion like it was explained in your quote. You're better of selling your .034 and purchasing a .036. Just my opinion.

Kind regards,
Albert S.

 

Also...

Porsche never did any mods to the engine bay. The E500E was based off of the E420/400E chassis. Everything was done to the exterior for wider wheels. The spare tire is a few mills deeper for the larger wheels. The radiator support is wider by a bit I believe. All other sheet metal is the same as the 400E. As for the obvious parts. It had a 5.0 from the R129 and tranny. Headlight lens inner plastic were chrome. The "fog lamps" on the headlight were high-beams, and the lens pattern is different also. It's got SLS just like the ones off the w124 Wagon. Steering wheel off the SL. Recaro sport seats. Rear bucket seats. Rear glass curtain. Rear glass is different, it's double coated and defrost is impregnated between. wider front and rear bumper. SL bumper fog lamps. Same 400e rear subframe. Wider side-skirts. Small trays on each lower side of the rear seats. Interior lights on each rear C-Pilar. Hazard light in the cluster. Fender liners are different. Just off the top of my head... If I missed something, please feel free to add...

 

Somebody certainly did some mods to the engine bay to fit the M119 just not sure if it was Porsche or MB

 

Or just go all out and do a V12 conversion....throw in some Pagani headers and look out.

https://www.drive2.ru/r/mercedes/288230376151755960/