1983 500SL

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c107

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I just noticed a new Member (Stephen Nemeth) had added some photos of his car to the Gallery. It looks lovely. Stephen, it would be great to hear a bit more about your car when you get a few mins.

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Link to the gallery: https://www.topklasse.org/forums/media/mb500sl-jpg.345/
 

Stephen Nemeth

Aficionado
Messages
8
Points
34
Location
Burnaby, BC, Canada
The car was imported to Florida new in 1983 and spent 20 years there before the original owner relocated to Victoria, BC. Due to health issues, the car was sold to a family friend in 2020. I bought it a little over a year ago. It has 265k kms. Previous owners removed/disabled items as they failed (!?#%$!), so I have spend the last year repairing the cruise control and refurbishing and reinstalling the AC compressor/condenser/climate controls and vacuum pods. I have installed a new fuel delivery system and done a major tune-up to get it running well. New engine and transmission mounts to restore the original comfort. I upgraded the air cleaner with a second snorkel and routed ducting to the rad support for fresh air induction. Upgraded the alternator to a 115A Bosch unit and installed a 4000 cfm dual electric fan and shroud.
I have been replacing and upgrading various suspension components (bushings, shocks, H&R springs, larger sway bars and links) and replaced the 20 plus year tires on wire wheels with 17" Penta style rims and larger tires. I opted to replace the tired seats with some new Corbeau Sport seats and my next task is to replace the carpeting. I love the look of the Euro lights and bumpers which are a rarity here in North America. It gets driven almost every day.
 

Stephen Nemeth

Aficionado
Messages
8
Points
34
Location
Burnaby, BC, Canada
Hi everyone, just an update on a few modifications I have made to my car. I installed a 6 speed manual transmission (MB 716.644) using a Kangaroo team adapter/clutch/flywheel and shifter. I sourced a pedal assembly from Germany and a handbrake set-up from the UK. I fitted a 2.65 limited slip diff from a 6.9 to upgrade from the open 2.24. I used a GPS speedometer with a Dakota Digital signal converter to restore the speedometer and cruise control. I also needed to use a relay to convert the modern transmission's reverse signal to enable the back-up lights. Aside from some minor relieving of the adaptor plate to clear the Tri-Y exhaust and lengthening the driveshaft 1.5 inches, it was a bolt in operation. The driving experience is much more engaging and it cruises at 115 kph @ 2000 rpm. Attached are some photos of the parts used.
 

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  • flywheel.jpg
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  • shifter.jpg
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  • adaptertransmission.jpg
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