Summary of the whole Project

Just a section for those who're too lazy to read the rest ;-)

The Car

Original 1973 Mercedes W115 Pick-Up from Argentina
Hard to find, approx. 1,000 built, maybe 50 survived
Mercedes production line in Argentina from 1972-76, so an "Original Mercedes"
Took two full years (!) to get the car exported out of Argentina
Had to apply for a "Car export license"
Was only possible with the help of my Argentine friend, Carlos. No way to do this from Germany
All the fees etc. were double the price of the car, e. g. "Dog inspection" at Buenos Aires port for 3,000 USD
Totally rotten, not one part in good condition. Several accidents

Complete drive train from a 1982 R107 500SL
New (!) M117 motor, 5 litre aluminium V8 as the donor car motor was fucked
It was not easy to get the motor / gearbox in. 3D-designed motor holders to put the motor in the correct position, milled out of a massive steel block (8 hours milling time)
Extension of the drive tunnel necessary
Complete custom-made stainless steel exhaust system incl. manifolds (8>4>2, 40/45mm, extremely difficult due to limited space)
Completely new R107 brake system
ABS transferred from the donor car
Cruise Control transferred from the donor car
Gearbox operation redesigned for column shift
Restored W115 radiator with high performance net
Conversion to pwm-controlled electric fan with override switch in the Centre Console
Original W126 steel wheels, 15", with 205/65-15 tyres

The Pick-Up was completely rotten, several accidents, welded together from at least two, maybe three cars
Donor car sourced; California 220 (1972). Easier way than replacing EVERY single panel
More than 200 individual metal sheets produced
Several structural improvements of the original Binz Pick-Up design to further strenghten the body
Smart drainage concept for the cargo area (the water has to go somewhere!)
Originally profiled cargo area covers reproduced (as the originals were rotten too)
Hour estimate so far > ~~500~~ ~~700~~ 900 hours

Self-produced complete new harness, rerouted and ALL extras integrated. Complete wiring diagram drawn in colour
All relais / control units behind the glove compartment on a down-foldable plate (not distributed everywhere)
Properly labeled cables all around
Seat heating (in the bench!) and electric windows (from W108) installed
Redesigned centre console with R107 switches
Battery under the cargo area, plus pole in the motor area
Sensors for oil and outside temperature
3D-printed W115 cluster with original R107 instruments (redesigned, shrunk, resoldered and integrated)

320x240 colour display integrated into the ashtray to display outside and oil temperature
Digital gear display integrated into the cluster: 14 segment display as there was no room for the mechanical display
USB-A port disguised in a cigarette lighter
"OBD" interface to self-developed electronic in the centre console
Many self-made spare-parts (3D print) incl. gaskets

Modern Aircon / Heating unit integrated (hidden), operation by the original controls
Completely redesigned Centre Console; adapted to higher drive tunnel, 8 R107 switches integrated, one aircon hole closed. All done with 3D-printed parts
Complete leather interior (original Mercedes):
Dashboard, Centre Console, Seat Bench, Door Panels
Black with orange stitching
NOS steering wheel from 1971, in perfect condition as new

Blaupunkt Retro Radio (1983) rebuilt with MP3-Player in the cassette slot, redesigned buttons, Cinch pre-amp out
4-channel amplifier under the seat bench
3-way period-correct system: MB Quart (German) with 20cm bass (foot area), 10cm mid-tone and titan-tweeter (the two latter in the door)
Subwoofer (25cms) integrated in cabin wall behind the driver
Motor antenna
All audio wiring integrated into the overall harness