Has a Mercedes 220 ever received a heart transplant?

Thinking out loud, kind of ....

A 911 SC Targa is hibernating in my garage for the winter, if the owner has half a brain, I'm pretty sure it will sell outside my budget.  Hey, I can hope!  Anywho, the 914 is nice and all, OK for local hops but pay attention out there because they just don't see you.  Driving 3 hours to see the kid and grandkid, no way.  I need something fit for an old man with a 15 year old's mindset.

There's a 1958 Mercedes 4 door 220 nearby, it's a diesel with an extra freshly rebuilt engine included.  (a good sign?)  I wonder how big the engine bays is, and if a SBC-SBF won't fit, what will?  Hot straight six?

Not 100% sure but I believe that some of these came with six cylinder engines, but may have had a longer front end to accommodate the larger engine.

The 220 Diesel is so quick, you need to leave ample room for continental drift to pass you .

That looks like a good place for a Vortec 4200 to live.

It would be interesting retrofitting it with a newer Mercedes Diesel with a snail.

BoxheadTim said:

It would be interesting retrofitting it with a newer Mercedes Diesel with a snail.

Beat me to it.  One of the newer bluetec 350 motors put out 250hp/457tq which would be plenty and make for a very unusual restomod.  

Or just LS it purely because it hasn't been said yet.

Factory that car has an OM621 which makes a whopping 50hp.

That chassis was available with an M180 inline 6, which later found it's way into the W123 chassis. I would like to think that means an om617 or om602 would fit into that chassis. A stock OM602 with 120hp  would be lovely in there.

Or go crazy like I'm doing and swap a smaller and lighter TDI into it. An ALH with factory 90hp would be plenty and you're a simple tune away from doubleing the factory hp.

For a troll build, how about a Mopar slant six or a BMW M50 family motor?

I tried putting a 350 in a bigger body Benz a few years ago, nothing would get around the huge steering box!  I was thinking straight six for a 220, which offers the best power to weight?

Admittedly old mercs are way outside of my wheelhouse but what level of car are you shooting for at the end of this? Axle and transmission swaps, or sort of stock?

Really if it's got 50hp and weighs, according to Google, 3000lbs pretty much anything is gonna feel like a huge upgrade. 

The limiting factors are the small trans tunnel, and the final drive assembly. Many of these cars had 2200CC SOHC 6 cylinders from the factory. Final drive probably safe to 150HP/torque. A friend put a Nissan L28 in a slightly later chassis to get away from diesel, it looked just like a Benz engine too! The chassis is amazingly competent for its age.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

It looked like a Mercedes engine because it was.  Many early Japanese engines designs were German designs provided to them after the war.

has anyone put a small turbo on the stock motor ?

Put a Datsun L-series engine they are allegedly based on a Mercedes engine so it would look right. They also have about 100hp.

it might  have swing axle rear suspension, so you would need to lose that if putting big power through it. An om606 can be stupid fast, and efficient on long runs.

In reply to Rigante :

No "might" about that. All M.B. passenger cars after WW2 have independent rears, and the swing axle lasted far later with them than anyone else except VW. 

Turbocharged Miata engine.

From what I understand, an OM617a with an upgraded Holset HX35, 90lb/hr injectors, and fuel pump with 7.5mm Dieselmenken elements should easily make 250hp. Building a "performance" oriented MB diesel is not a cheap endeavor but still cheaper than swapping anything in there and, at least imo, way cooler. 

They can barely fit anything under there. Even an modern inline 4 is a stretch lol

There is a local guy who has a crusty 220 slammed on bags with a 2JZ swap.

Also a Datsun A-series engine will easily make 100hp and they only weigh 190lbs. They are also very compact. 

In reply to Tom1200 :

But where would you find one? I don't think I've even seen a donor-quality Datsun in years. 

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

They motors come up all the time on Ratsun as well as local Craigslist. They came in 1200s, B210s and 210s. The motor was used world wide from 1971 to 2007.  

OM606 with a big snail

The problem with this discussion is, no one has mentioned yet that no matter the engine, you'd still be driving an old Merc.

The more pertinent question might be, Has anyone done a seat swap in a 220?

2.3 kompressor and 6 speed from an early 2000 MB C230