Craigslist Find: This 1970 Mercedes Has American V8 Power And The Potential To Be Something Pretty Evil


Craigslist Find: This 1970 Mercedes Has American V8 Power And The Potential To Be Something Pretty Evil

BangShifter Ben Becktold was cruising the Craigslist ads for Boise, Idaho when he found the listing for this interesting tank. The car is a 1970 Mercedes sedan and by what we can see, the thing actually looks like it is in pretty good shape. The body is not filled with rust holes, the interior is actually complete, and the engine is way better than the junk that was in here originally because someone ripped that out and replaced it with a Chevy 350 at some point. As you’d expect to be the case it is a “Corvette” engine (who didn’t see that coming?!) and we’re guessing that it gets the car moving down the road just fine. This is totally a car that we’d look at for what it could be rather than what it is. That 350 could be replaced with a 406. The suspension could be modified or maybe swapped with some stuff that came out of a wrecked modern AMG. Ben thinks it has Silver State potential and while it certainly has horrid aero, there would be something perversely fun about hauling the mail in the snotted up 1970 Mercedes, right?

Like Jags with small block swaps, we have to believe that Mercedes purists hate stuff like this but we’re pretty sure that the main reason these swaps took place was because of simple economics rather than performance. You could buy the engine and the engine swap kits or have a mechanic do it for less than the cost of rebuilding/replacing the normal factory power plant. Added bonus? The exhaust note got way better!

The sale price? A cool $1,000. we want this thing bad!

In case it sells, here’s the text from the CL ad:

For sale 1970 Mercedes 250, four door, 1971 corvette 350 chevy engine, turbo 350 transmission.Front brakes disassembled and cleaned, rear brakes disassembled and cleaned with new brake pads, new brake booster, 5 new tires, rims stripped, rust protected and painted rally silver, new spark plugs, new spark plug wires, gas tank removed, chemically cleaned and sealed, carburetor cleaned and rebuilt, new oil filter, new fuel pump, new fuel filter, new brake lines in back, new transmission cooling lines, all exterior lights work, no broken glass, straight body. Runs and drives. $1000.00.

mercedes1 mercedes2 mercedes3 mercedes4


  • Share This
  • Pinterest
  • 0

18 thoughts on “Craigslist Find: This 1970 Mercedes Has American V8 Power And The Potential To Be Something Pretty Evil

  1. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    Here we go again!

    Some misguided idiot goes for a hunka Chevy shit!

    I,m sure that an AMG Merc V8 could have been sourced for not much more money, and installed together with the running gear from the donor. Result – an awesome sleeper with Merecdes reliability.

    Such cars are common in Germany, and you can even have on made to order – if you’ve got the brains to think about it that is!

    1. mooseface

      Truth be told, it’s hard to beat an SBC swap for ease and price here in the ‘States.
      Once you factor in the cost of sourcing an AMG motor, the wiring to make it and its EFI happy, motor mounts, transmission or transmission adapters and a massive amount of headaches, it really doesn’t add up. If the builder of this Merc spent more than $700 and a week’s work of effort I’d be surprised.

      As much as I hate seeing how prevalent the SBC is to swap into anything, the truth is how little it costs to do so here and the fact that three wires will make the motor run, and seven or so will give you gauges.

      1. ColoradoKid

        Truth be told … most of us [ US ] have all the originality and independence of thought ….

        … of a flock of lemmings heading straight towards the cliff !

        The majority of us not even comprehending the definition of original/independent thinking … never mind having any !

        And you know … that I know … that you know … I’m right …. don’t you ! 😉

    2. Rustowner

      Oh boy. Do you have a vague clue as to what your talking about? We have all seen and know your contempt for anything by the general, but “you could source an AMG more not much money!” Really? Cheapest good donor AMG motors I’m seeing go for the 5k to 25k+ range for anything decent. Never mind trying to wire it, or get the FI system to work, or fitment for that matter, etc. You would have sounded a whole lot more convincing if you had suggested a 6.9L Merc motor from a W116, which would be a more reasonable and economical swap.The chevy lump in this thing isn’t creative, but its cheap, works and makes a whole lot of power compared to the stock mill. If there was a 302 in there, I’m sure you’d love it. How ’bout toning it damn a bit, so you don’t look like a complete arse when you make comments?

      1. ColoradoKid

        Hee hee hee … almost my words exactly . Excepting my words are a bit more .. shall we say …. civil .

        Which is to say … give CHMG his due … he’s one of the few here willing to stand up and say point blank the General has been a freaking Buck Private …. for decades ! And you know …. that I know .. that you know that as well … now don’t you !!!

        😉

        PS; Did ya see the Mary Bara interview yesterday on Sunday Morning ? Every last word coming out of that talking heads mouth reminding me of Don Draper’s [ Mad Men ] quote after finishing up with another automotive account

        ” Every time we do business with an automaker it feels like we’re doing business with a cheap whore house “

        1. Rustowner

          It scares me that you agree with me CK.

          I was being civil, I didn’t state anything that CHMG didn’t make blatently apparent with his own silly, comments. EG – AMG motors are way more expensive than a SBC, the fellow who built this is not a total idiot because he did the swap and got it done, not all Chevy motors are junk, etc, etc. And he did/does make himself look like an ass by doing that.

          And good for him for standing up for what he believes, but I’m not in agreemen, and I’ll stand up for what I think, I’m not much of a Ford fan, but I’m not on here ranting about how ALL of them are junk, over and over and over and over……. It just makes him seem like an over zealous 8 year old kid. Enough already; we can tell you don’t like anything Chevy. I think we all get it. We can read your handle. Enough. Please.

          No I didn’t see the interview. I haven’t owned a TV for 13 years now and haven’t watched a TV for more than 2 hrs in that time period either. I work, relax or read. TV is a waste of time for me, personally. I don’t like what I see on it and therefore refuse to watch it. I’m sure it’s fine for others.

    3. ColoradoKid

      Much as I agree with the over used Chevy complaint …. guaranteed CHMG … an AMG V8 would cost an arm and a leg … the prices for the parts needed for the conversion would be stratospheric … and the difficulty factor with all the electronics etc would be well beyond even most experienced mechanics .

      But a straight forward Mercedes V8 out of say .. a late 70’s early 80’s S – Class .. with all the hop up potential in the world ?

      Now that … would be doable …. and infinitely more desirable than yet another freaking Chevy motor conversion

      Alternatively … in light of the fact that they ARE Mercedes V8s with Dodge Chrysler badges on them ….. a Dodge/Chrysler Hemi perhaps ?

  2. mooseface

    For 1 grand I’d buy it!
    It would be tons of fun!
    Ditch the garbage TH350 for a T5, drop in a decent radiator, a nice long-plane intake and a Holley Double Pumper and just go around making tire smoke.

    1. Rustowner

      I agree! A grand for this seems like a steal. I bet its a hoot to drive! The transplant motor is pretty close to the same weight as the original overbuilt 6, so I’d bet it handles pretty much like stock as well. These ride nicely, have good brakes and are built like panzer tanks.

  3. The Ry Guy

    I’m in the process of doing something similar, but to a 1981 Mercedes 300D. I’m using a 302 Ford with a T5 though.

    I thought the Ford might be an easier fit but since the deck height is lower than the Chevy, the exhaust ports come out right on top of the steering box, which by the way is HUGE. Makes for a tight fit on that side.

    So I did the (un)sensible thing and converted over to rack and pinion steering so that I could fit headers.

    Maybe I should have tried the Chevy…

    These old Merc’s are solid cars provided they aren’t rusted out. I can’t wait to finish mine and get it out on the road.

    1. ColoradoKid

      Well … it’d be better with a Mercedes V8 under the hood … but ten points for it NOT being yet another freaking Lemming mentality Chevy !!!!!

      1. The Ry Guy

        I have seen where people have put M117 V8’s from the W126 chassis into the car I have since they are similar. I would have loved to put a Merc V8 up there but cost to rebuild let alone hot rod one are out of reach for me.

        Plus I wanted a stick shift, but finding the proper flywheel and transmission for a Mercedes V8 is next to impossible and very expensive if I did ever find those pieces.

      2. jerry z

        Hey CK, when life gives you lemmings, make lemmingade!

        I would put in an LS1 though.

  4. loren

    It’s a thousand-dollar car. Probably not as good as a $25K car, or a $75K car, or whatever fantasy. Anyhow, for real cars that move good for cheap, people rend to vote Chevy, don’t they. Kind-of a crackup, that a few get p.o.’d, but whatever.

    1. mooseface

      Exactly, it’s a cheap, fun car that’s off the beaten path and simple enough to work on or improve. Someone who loves fun oddball cars needs to buy this thing and love it.
      Screw the purists, this car has the potential to be a riot that doesn’t break the bank.

  5. BeaverMartin

    No issue with the small block here. Sure there are more creative swaps available, but I challenge anyone anywhere to find a cheaper engine swap than the tried and true small block Chevy. Tons (literally) of car for 1K. If I bought it I’d wheel it for a while until I could find an inline merc diesel 5 cyl that I could boost to within an inch of it’s life, then roll coal at the local Mercedes club meet and greet.

  6. old guy

    low buck SBC swap is fine for the $ – but the Merc 450 model hotrods were the 6.3 and 6.9 litre cars as some have noted – high geared to fly ….

Comments are closed.