[W126 Coupe] Engine Swaps

[a figment of the imagination]

I think the idea overall is worth  considering.  The 126 body isn't all that bad.  Mark suggests  that the 450 SLC has better handling.  While this isn't something  to argue against, and he has a good point, it is a slightly moot point,  in my opinion, as the 126 chassis and the SLC are quite different;  thus, you cannot really make such a comparison unless everyone could  easily obtain an SLC chassis and swap out their SECs with no cost or  loss or adjustment to them, if you will.  Nevertheless, putting in  a corvette engine is grand idea, but it seems the SEC body style would  be a bit more perfect for such performance.  I just wouldn't want  to see an SLC screaming down the road as it was a corvette, but I would  be pleased to see an SEC doing just this thing.  It's just a  prettier, cooler car, eh?
  
  In general, I never thought of my SEC as a high performance  machine.  For me, its a beauty, that gives a grand ride, added  with some element of safety and coolness, in only the style the Germans  and Italians designers would like it.  I am happy with mine---with  constant tweaking and problems and all.  For performance, I have  other cars, with lighter chassis, designed that way from tail to tow  hooks.  
  
  I don't know any if SEC owner would agree with me though, but my SEC  actually handles pretty good for a 4000+ lb car.  Recently I was  cruising on a city street, posting about 15 mph above the speed limit  (nearing a cruising speed of 55) and a dude in front of me, pulled to a  stop to make a left turn, jamming me, and forcing me to a massive  emergency stop.  I was pretty certain this was going to be the end  of my SEC and quite a costly smash up (my fault and all), as tires went  screeching, my body lurching forward, and the SEC going into a  left-right, subtle fish-tailing, momentum lunging, cringing stop.   And stop it did!  Man, was I impressed with its handling, as I  missed the car in front of me with plenty of distance to call it  respectable!  The adrenaline was really going in me, but I kept  driving with a calmness and satisfaction to say, so this is why  everyone cool owns an SEC!
  
  -figment
  
  
   ----- Original Message ----- 
From:   "Mdefran at earthlink.net" <mdefran at earthlink.net>
To:   <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 3:56   PM
Subject: [W126 Coupe] Engine Swaps


> At the risk of speaking   sacriligous, but if one is going to go through all 
> sorts of hours and   dollars to put some MB engine into some MB vehicle in 
> order to generate   more power, why not do something like putting a Corvette 
> LS1 400 hp   engine into an SEC or something smaller.
>
> The reason I say   sacriligous is the arework that goes into one of these 
> cars as well as   the well tuned suspension of the 126 chassis. Some of the 
> other chassis   might be good handling and all, but there has been some 
> analysis   performed between the 450 SLC and the 126 chassis SEC. The result 
> being   the 450 was a better handling car than the SEC. Probably not as nice 
> a   ride, but a better handling vehicle.
>
> What we should do is put   some small block all aluminum late model engine 
> which has all the   latest technology in one of these nice charriots and 
> produce a sleeper   that is quite dependable, gets decent fuel economy, 
> handles well and   rides fairly nicely.
>
> So who will be the first one to do   that?
>
> Regards,
> Mark D.
> Stealth
> The MB   Coupes Website!
> W126 SEC Mailing List
> Postings remain property   of MB Coupes, L.L.C.

		
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