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, so even rust-free parts were crumpled inside ;-)

The V8-Conversion

  • 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 to fit the gearbox
  • Complete custom-made stainless steel exhaust system incl. manifolds (8>4>2, 40/45mm, extremely difficult due to limited space). Downpipes for "sleeper" look
  • Original R107 fuel pump incl. all new fuel lines
  • Completely renewed original R107 brake system
  • ABS transferred from the donor car, all brake lines renewed
  • Cruise Control transferred, restored and integrated
  • Gearbox operation redesigned for column shift
  • Restored W115 radiator with high performance net
  • Conversion from visco to pwm-controlled electric fan with override switch in the Centre Console
  • Original W126 steel rims, 15", with 205/65-15 tyres

Body Works

  • 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 300 individually self-made parts (from bare sheet metal). Over 40 original pickup parts, refitted sedan parts or new/NOS mercedes parts modified and used
  • 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). Better design, as now the whole (!) cargo area is just covered by two covers (originally some parts were firmly welded)
  • Whole undercarriage of the donor car sandblasted to find last holes  (and we did!)
  • 400  600  700  900  1,000  1,100  1,300  1,350 hours for body works only (final count!)
  • High-quality paint job incl. new underseal (thinly sprayed)
  • Total duration > two years

Electrics

  • Self-produced complete new harness, rerouted and ALL extras integrated. Complete wiring diagram drawn in colour (and I do mean EVERY cable ;-)
  • All relais / control units behind the glove compartment on a down-foldable plate (contrary to the original "distributed everywhere" concept)
  • Properly labeled cables all around
  • Seat heating (in the bench!) and electric windows (from W108) installed
  • Redesigned centre console with R107 switches
  • Battery located in the back under the cargo covers, 35mm² cable to the plus pole box in the motor area
  • Sensors for oil (VDO) and outside temperature (original W203)
  • 3D-printed W115 cluster with original R107 instruments (redesigned, shrunk, resoldered and integrated)

Gimmicks

  • 320x240 colour display integrated into the ashtray to display outside and oil temperature
  • Digital gear display integrated into the cluster (P-R-N-D-3-2-B):
    14 segment "old-style" display as there was no room for a mechanical display
  • USB-A port disguised as a second cigarette lighter
  • "OBD" interface to self-developed electronic in the centre console
  • Many self-made spare-parts (3D print) incl. gaskets
  • Original Australian Stone Guards sourced and rechromed

Interior / Exterior

  • Modern Aircon / Heating unit integrated (hidden), operation by the original controls
  • Completely redesigned Centre Console; adapted to higher drive tunnel, eight R107 switches integrated, one aircon hole closed. All done with 3D-printed parts
  • Complete leather interior (original Mercedes grain and perforation), Black with orange stitching:
    Dashboard, Centre Console, Seat Bench, Door Panels.
  • NOS steering wheel from 1971, in perfect condition. New as it was never used
  • 15" hup caps sourced (as original)
  • RH mirror installed on right fender (as original)
  • "Softtop" for the cargo area designed (original Sonnenland fabric)

Sound

  • Blaupunkt Retro Radio (1983) rebuilt with MP3-Player in the cassette slot, redesigned buttons, Cinch pre-amp out, Power-DIN-Socket
  • 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 seat
  • Motor antenna on right fender
  • All audio wiring integrated into the overall harness