Hello guys, my name is Liviu and I live in Romania...

I want to tell you a story, the story of car who made it from the scrapyard to the road in a country where owning such a car is almost prohibited.

You have to understand that here the taxes are around 2500 dollars a year to own an old car with a relatively big engine, and at the same time the average wage is 3-400 dollars. Not to mention that when you first register the car it doesn't matter that the car is an E.U import and we are E.U members... you have to pay another 3000 dollars to register the car....

If you pay all the absurd taxes and manage to register the car without having a heart attack in the process then the fun starts. Insurance is a joke for this cars here (they pay the amount of money for Chinese parts not oem), every inch increase in diameter or width of the wheels must pass costly and absurd homologations, and changing the engine and still be road legal...a dream almost untouchable.

Unfortunately we live in the country where an inch increase in wheel diameter is strictly prohibited but corruption levels that make Prison Break a fairytale are allowed and encouraged.

Back to the car ...
I was in the search for an engine and tranny to drop in a w201 and found a mint conditions w124 300ce-24 ready to be dismantled and crushed.

Well... the dismantling had already begun... the 4 pot calipers were gone, the speedo cable, the original alloys, the steering box and other small items.

I instantly decided to save this car even it means stopping the w201 project for now. Also this specific model was my wife's dream car and she never had one.

So I borrowed some wheels. called a friend with a tow truck, paid about 4000 dollars for the car with papers and 4 keys.

The car is a 300CE-24 104.980 KE 5 engine, manual dogleg gearbox, Sportline sport chassis option, power leather seats, air conditioning, ASD diff. She has 135.000 km on the clock.

The car's first meeting with her new driver and garage.


All 4 corners... New brakes. new bearings(front only), tough underbody cleaning...



First wash at 4 a.m. ... and wheels...


And now you won't belief what we have to do next to show the finger to our beloved bureaucrats and their absurd rules and regulations...
5 a.m: the car is loaded on a tow truck again... this time for a temporary export


We export the car in Bulgaria our beloved neighbors and there is registered on a company that for a fee will keep the car registered on their name.
The car standing in line at the Bulgarian KAT (DMV like) for the checkup of engine end chassis numbers.

Nice Bulgarian lady filling up some forms

The car is checked up in a 1950's facility...

And now is waiting the new Bulgarian license plates...


Finally home back in Romania proudly wearing her Bulgarian registration !


I have to sort out some major electrical problems like all the lights blowing fuses, the blower motor does not work etc ... As soon as I do some work on it I will keep you posted. Sorry for the long post...

 

ah... the joy of being a car aficionado in Romania. I remember those times when waiting countless hours in line at RAR (Romanian DMV) for all kind of paperwork. It almost always ended with a hefty bribe of the officials, but at least we were able to run renault engines (turbo carburatted or 16V) in Dacias not to mention different suspension, brakes, wheels and caged interiors.

Good luck with the 300CE-24. It's a great car, i have the 95 e320 coupe and just swapped in it the C36 engine with the same 5speed dogleg transmission that you have in your car. I brought the transmission from Romania when i visited earlier this year.

 

Look stunning with Bulgarian numbers from Rouse at least you enjoyed.
Regards from Sofia

 

We know each other... I am ford_v6 from 4tuning I sent you an ignition module few years back

 

haha... small world

 

Hi, any set of 17 inc AMG AERO I early model wheels around you let me know please.

 

Hi, any set of 17 inc AMG AERO I early model wheels around you let me know please.

 

Looks great, nice save!