W115 Questions

[Ducaud]

Hey guys,

So a couple months back i posted about wanting to get into one of these, well i finally found what seems to be the right one so of course i have some questions.

The car is a W115 1976 240D

1) the car has an auto transmission (doesn't bother me) but i have read on here that they are problematic and not recommended?

2) the car has the later gen BIG bumpers which i absolutely hate. Is it possible to get a set of earlier smaller chrome bumpers to fit on it? If I'm not mistaken the car got a facelift so just making sure its possible?

3) As you guys know the later W115's came with an updated, more modern looking steering wheel compared to the earlier ones with the chrome ring. I would want to switch the steering wheel for an older one (i love the look)

So thats all for now, will post back if i have more questions.

Thanks in advance

[socalbenz]

I happen to have a both a pre and post face lift w114/115 in my driveway.

Autos are fine, can be expensive to repair, just like any other car. Personal preference.

Regarding the bumpers and steering wheel I actually like both styles. Each has their merits.

Anything is possible, but it looks to me like swapping from one to the next would be difficult and expensive. Here are a few pictures of the front bumper differences:

pre face lift 1972 250 W114:



post face lift 1976 240d W115:




I did not look at the steering wheel.

[Ducaud]

Hmmm thanks they do look pretty different. Maybe i'll have to custom make something, or just leave the big bumpers.

Anyone on here successfully done it?

[280EZRider]

You should be able to swap the big USDOT bumpers for the ones intended for that car; Euro bumpers from 1973 and earlier 114/115 cars would fit. I canīt say for sure that this swap is easy, but I have done this same swap on a 123 car and itīs a matter of just bolt on/bolt off. Even if you need to make a few creative changes to mount the Euro bumpers on your car, it should not be much of a problem. I agree with you, the big bumpers are as ugly as sin and they also make the car 2 feet longer than it is supposed to be.

I used to have a ī72 220 and its steering wheel also the newer style as well. I may be wrong, but I think the last models to use the wheel you want were the 107 and 108 cars. I have no idea if these would fit the 115 or not.

MBZ auto trannies are strong and can take a lot of abuse, so not to worry. Just keep your fluid and filter clean and full - never overfill.

[Palolo]

Originally Posted by 280EZRider

You should be able to swap the big USDOT bumpers for the ones intended for that car; Euro bumpers from 1973 and earlier 114/115 cars would fit. I canīt say for sure that this swap is easy, but I have done this same swap on a 123 car and itīs a matter of just bolt on/bolt off.

The difference between early/late 114/115 bumpers and US/Euro 123 bumpers is that on the 114/115, there was actually a big mounting change: the facelifted/safety bumpers incorporate "shock absorbers" in the mount, vs just steel tabs for the older cars. By the time the 123 rolled around, the chassis was "common" and much easier to swap parts from various markets (there wasn't a large/structural/mounting method change).

Same thing happened in the old VW Bug, if any of you are familiar with the bumper change in 73/74... On them it is really easy to tell the difference: the mount is all out in the open to see. The US mandated 5mph impact bumpers or something, and the easiest mid-production change was to put in a shock absorber and allow movement of the bumper. Mount it farther out, let it absorb light impacts, and make it less likely to deform.

Back to the Q: A simple adapter plate or spacer block can likely be made to fit the 2-hole mount of the older bumpers on to the 4-hole mount of the later car, but someone would have to dry-fit it and see if the older bumper covered enough of the newer mount and the larger hole that it protrudes through, if that matters.

Short answer: to mount older 114 bumpers on a facelift 114, an adapter might have to be sourced/made; the older mounts won't just bolt on to the newer chassis.

Or go bumper less with 4 big fog lights up front... A "240D 6.3 Stlye"