Although these cars look totally different from the inside and out, dimensionally I have noticed that they are very close and even weigh about the same. I have even seen that many parts are used from one model to the other including for the chassis and suspension.
They have even shared the same types of engines, diesel and gasoline.
I guess there are numerous forum members that own both cars and I was wondering what have they noticed about them that was the same and if there was anything worth noting.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

psst, don't tell anyone, but w116 is better.
David

Unfortunately not wagon version was
made.

Altough I think that a prototype was made
by a coach builder in England.
Didn't look good.

Louis.

With respect to suspension components, yes.... very similar ball joint arrangement on the 116 to the 123 - except with chunkier components, larger steering knuckles, etc.

Final drive ratios are wide and varied on the 116 too. Had myself a stickshift 280SEL last Summer and the final was 3.60..... but have heard of 116's with 2.7x (Autobahn) and 4.xx (American versioin V-8).

It's wide tracking and long legs that make the 116 an outrageous highway animal that eats up the pavement. For sure, its a job to keep em under 85 mph. The 116 clearly outhandled the 123..... but with wider gear ratios and gasoline engine, it just wasnt as much fun as my 240D hammer down paddling through the gears.

I got the idea that the cars were similar after flipping through an old copy of KBB. It showed that the W116 300SD and W123 300D turbo had the same wheelbase and nearly identical weights.
I've never seen the cars side by side though.
The thing I was hoping to hear was that if they had the same sized engine bays. If that was the case, I was thinking of someday of putting a Mercedes V-8 into a W123 chassis. A crazy idea I must admit but worth a thought.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I read a post on the W126 forum at www.mbworld.org and it says that there have been the following conversions, two W123 240Ds had a 380SEL Euro engine and a 560SEL Euro engine in them. V-8 gassers can be put in W123s.
-Joe
P.S. There was even a 500SEC with a 3.0L motor transplanted in it from a W126 300SD!!

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

liet,

I see you like GM products, so how about a 502 c.i. Big Block Chevy in a 123 ? Many of these cars have had small block conversions, but has anyone ever seen a B.B. in one ? Do I hear differentials popping and axles snapping ?!

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Diesel-guy

Hey now there's an idea! A B.B. in a W123. Nah, nothing can break a MB diff. The sounds you're probably hearing are the discs in your spine popping as you hit the gas in a W123 with a B.B.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

W109 axles won't put up with too many M100 hard launches.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL
83 300SD ... $950, see cars forum

And thats gotta be the truth for 123 axles too.... i got screwed on one bad ebay purchase partly on this account.

With respect to 4.5 from 116 going into the 123 it reminds me that 114/115's will NOT take the 4.5 conversion although both the 114/115 and 116 will swap 2.8 gasoline and 3.0 diesel engines easily.

LOL, i'd reaaalllly like to see that 240D with 3.8 V-8 they were braggin about in the www.mbworld.org forum - er, did they say anything about actually driving the car more than 20,000 miles..... or was it some bored rich kid's idea of freak conversion that anybody sane would never attempt on budget less than say $8,000, that would put a complete V-8 SL in the stable.

would a 107 take a 617.xxx or a m110 ?
it seems as all the v8s were stuffed in.

don

The R107 came with an M110 over seas. The 280SL.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

Here in Portland, the large independent shop MBI Motors just completed a 123 300D that has a Chevy 350 V-8 motor in it. This was kind of a shop project on the whim of Sig Raethke, the shop owner, and the rest of the mechanics there.

There was quite a bit of custom fabrication of steering gear, transmission and engine mounts, and the engine carrier had to be cut and reversed then re-welded for the engine to fit well.

Just saw the car this afternoon. Looks like a very clean white W123 sedan, but has a mean bite of a sound to it. Badges still say 300D.

W123 toughness and durability, with the performance, cheapness of operation and toughness of the Chevy small-block V-8. Sounds like a fun combination to me.

Cheers,
Gerry

Speaking of engine swaps, this could be interesting: V8 G Class

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Ok since this thread is dead anyway how about this question. How similiar is the 116 to the 126? While the 116 is a bit wider and a little longer is the interior larger than that of my 123?

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Jeff M.
Mercedes W123 DIY pages are now located here.
1983 / 1984 300D Sold
2000 CLK430 Cabriolet ~58k Sold
2005 Avalanche 4x4 ~66k