>>28831227
Save your money and get a different car.

>>28831231
Name a car; I have already researched it and decided im not interested for one reason or another.

Brother it's not """"just an engine swap"""" you gonna be pulling your hair out every time you look at it at and it needs a custom part fabbed to work around sub-frames/ accessories/ steering rack and rewiring everything electrical + the gripes that come with every aging 40 year old car at this point. The best thing you can do with your money when it comes to these cars is spend the premium on the best example you can find even if it's """overpriced"""

>>28831235
Go test drive a few cars and see which one you like. Start with a few old lotuses, old porschea, m2, mustang dark horse. NSX? Try to have an open mind before trying them.

>>28831237
Idk where I said it's "just an engine swap." I know its complicated, will cost too much money and probably take years to complete.
>>28831239
What I want specifically is the character/power delivery of a small block v8 but with the styling/build quality of old german cars. Ive owned some wildly different cars from all different continents, including both the e39 and r129. If I won the lottery tomorrow I would still do this build over buying any car you listed. There isnt really anything that directly compares or appeals to me.

File: 374629470_dvigatel-m119-mersedes-w140-42-v8-benzin-119-971-286km-plus-gas.jpg (285 KB)

285 KB JPG

>>28831247
>character/power delivery of a small block v8
Just get a 500SL, Merc's V8s are pretty close to what you want. BMW's V8s are more dignified, but Merc's are burly and very American.

File: mercedes-500sl-r129-01.jpg (237.6 KB)

237.6 KB JPG

>>28831257
Everyone wants the V12 or an AMG, so an early "base" 500 will even be relatively affordable.

>>28831257
The r129 i had was the sohc model, but eventually i realized i should have gotten the prefacelift with the m119.
A far more reasonable option over what I listed in the OP is just manual swap an early 129; kits do exist for that and you can do it with mostly factory parts.

>500SL
306-326hp
>mu iron Block LQ4
300-340hp

I think OP is a retard, bored and trying to bait you into engaging with his random engine swap "ideas"

>>28831277
For some reason you read the engine choice but ignored the info that came afterwards. An intake/cam on an lq9 pushes that output toward 400 at the wheels if you remove the power losses from a torque converted auto. An m119 is realistically making ~260 to the wheels in stock form, maybe pushing 300 with a manual. If power was the only thing I cared about I would just put a turbo on a truck.

>>28831277
>trying to bait you into engaging with his random engine swap "ideas"
As opposed to what? Have you seen the state of this board lately?

>>28831227
Do it with the E39, they are not worth keeping stock.

File: 2787.jpg (202.8 KB)

202.8 KB JPG

>>28831291
A good friend of mine is pushing me toward the e39 as well. I know its objectively the smarter choice.
I cant move forward with decisions like this until I exhaustively interrogate and rationalize them, hence the discussion.

File: r129.png (3.6 MB)

3.6 MB PNG

>>28831227
I love my car but I wouldn't suggest it for a "build" car. The aftermarket for this car is basically zero compared to popular build models like the mustang or miata. It's a fantastic car to keep stock and enjoy though.

>>28831339
I used to have one (2000, sl500), so im familiar with how poorly supported they are, but also how good they are stock.
Every bit of logic points me to the e39 being the best option here. There's a good reasons theres dozens of documented, driving ls e39s versus a small handful of reddit posts about completed r129.

>>28831227
You are aware - and I mean DEEP DOWN AWARE - that, even if you get the motor in and running, this thing (mercedes) is going to be a hacked-up disaster, unless you spend large quantities of time and money on a custom ECU and controls, for everything from the speedometer, to the idiot lights, to the AC controls? The custom, $1800 driveshaft will be the cheapest and easiest part of this build. Not trying to be a dreamkiller here, but you are FINE with this hunk of metal sitting in your garage for a few years, eating up any spare time that you have? Because that's what it's going to take, unless you're fine with some barely-functioning hooptie.

File: 1080.jpg (43.6 KB)

43.6 KB JPG

>>28831961
Nah you're right. The r129 is not the right choice for this, even if its what id prefer.
What really sent me over the edge is seeing the dozens and dozens of completed examples examples running ls e39s, including one guy that didn't even come across as particularly bright saying "yup, I did it myself with some friends"
And on the r129 side, at best I could find a couple of pictures and anecdotes of complete cars, using dodge omni steering racks, half shafts welded together from different cars, stripped harnesses and the like. For the few claims of running swaps, I found twice as many that seemed to start one but their last post was years ago.

There would be a ton of one off parts and it would be in a ratty state for probably years after its moving under its own power. If I had deep enough pockets to pay someone to do it, sure, but its not really feasible.

>>28832006
Would an M113K swap be an idea if you really want the R129?

File: d7491288cfdb681fb523b4482484f890f8ec4b87f5870b9682dc75e745bb2038_1.jpg (188 KB)

188 KB JPG

>>28832012
Its probably worth looking into at least. An M113k would actually be an easier swap than an LS for that platform.
That said I want an LS because of the character, power delivery and simplicity of a pushrod engine. This entire spiral started because I wanted to find a platform I could easily put an LS into that checked my autism boxes like not being a cheaply built shitbox and looking nice.
The r129/e39 just happened to intersect between what I thought was the coolest and which was the most practical to do.

>>28832029
The supercharger on the M113K should liven it up pretty nicely, I'd say. It's already a lazy SOHC 3-valve V8, adding a blower just gives it gobs of bottom-end torque, exactly what you'd get from an American pushrod block.
Something to put an LS in for cheap(ish) and relatively little effort either needs to be so simple it's impossible to fuck up (pre-EFI car) or so well documented that any problem you could possibly run into has been documented and solved in about 20 different ways already. An R129 is just too niche, too modern and too complex.

>>28832050
>An R129 is just too niche, too modern and too complex.
Yeah im accepting that even if its a bitter pill. Wiring specialties can make a harness that allows whatever configuration of LS you have to go into an e39 with functional factory gauges and idiot lights, or even AC. Im not at a skill level to be able to do a swap that needs so much custom work, and based on the end results few people are.

Back when I owned my r129,manual swap kits didn't exist for it, but they do now so its at least more feasible than an ls. Ill do more research into m113k swaps though, maybe it'll win me over.

If you can LS swap a W124 you can LS swap a R129

>>28832069
You can ls swap literally anything with enough money, but im working on a mortals budget

OP just buy this. I promise you will spend more (or never finish the build) if you start swapping an r129 tomorrow.

/marketplace/item/1372654557793251/

>>28832134
I cant buy another mans swap, but that shits clean

>>28831239
All those cars are lame as fuck what the hell

File: 420 blaze it APEXBUILT catless downpipes~2.jpg (61.8 KB)

61.8 KB JPG

>>28831257
>BMW's V8s are more dignified
Only if you keep the beancounter appointments
They sound pretty good once you put them back to how they were DESIGNED
https://files.catbox.moe/xqfh33.mp4

>>28831289
>As opposed to what? Have you seen the state of this board lately?
They think that if you MODIFY a car, it's rice no matter what. It's honestly bewildering

>>28831291
fun um but the reality of the situation is that the E39 is the best sports sedan overall that there is, with STRAIGHT SIX (6) models on M-sport suspension being perfect out of the box

>>28832282
kys you retarded faggot.

>>28831227
>boat anchor v12s
M120s are light for a V12, they're all aluminum.They may even be lighter than an iron block 6L. I'd never swap an M120 car for an LS. V8 sure. On the plus side, a smallblock V8 will fit easily in an R129 as long as your front sump oil pan fits and you can get the shifter spacing right. M119s and M120s are much wider than a single cam V8. Your biggest issue will be making all of the electronics work with the swap which sounds like it's something you'd be paying someone to do.

File: E39 is the best sports sedan ever.jpg (352.1 KB)

352.1 KB JPG

>>28832511
Kek cry pussy