Hello all...
I have been procrastinating this project for 20 + years and finally its dawning on me I cant do it myself...
Phase 1 is rebuilding the motor
Phase 2 would be to paint the vehicle and get it done...
Phase 3 is finishing the car...
I've never heard of the Washington DC metropolitan area referred to as DMV. But then again I've never lived there and for traffic reasons, I avoid it at all costs. I assume that DMV means DC, Maryland, Virginia, but I could be wrong.
You might consider re-arranging your phases, and you might consider expanding your horizons to beyond the DMV. Here's why...
THE engine rebuilder referred to by Leester, Metric Motors,
https://mercedesengines.net will turn around your engine rebuild in a matter of
weeks. What you don't want is your rebuilt engine sitting around for X number of months or years waiting to be re-installed while the warranty clock is ticking away. So,
you time the rebuild for when the chassis will be able to accept it.There are a few transmission shops around that I think can deal with the Pagoda transmissions. One of them is European Exchange, they used to advertise in The Star (MBCA publication) for years. Worth a call.
https://europeanexchange.com Rich Varjan is the owner and I believe they've done a lot of these. The one in CA is Sun Valley
http://www.mercedesdismantlers.com and Mike at Metric may be able to tell you others. Like the engine you want to time the rebuild so that you get it when the engine and chassis can accept it.
My guess is you'll want to have the FI pump rebuilt as well, and your injectors checked out. Pacific Fuel Injection in S. San Francisco, H&R in Bohemia NY, Jerry Fairchild in CA, Black Forest in Glendale, WI are all known to provide rebuild services. Some of these contacts are in our vendor list I believe. There was a recent post with YouTube videos by Black Forest.
There's a lot of your Phase II and Phase III that can be done without some of the mechanical parts in place. I think you just want to get the car as done as possible, and then get the engine and transmission in and running as quickly as possible after that.
Many items may have some long wait times. Instrumentation repair, chrome plating, etc. My own car had all the body work done and painted with the engine OUT, and we timed the engine rebuild as I noted. BTW my rebuilt engine has been going strong for over 20 years now.
One of our members here, AlexD, had a bad crash in the fall of 2022. He spent some time dealing with the inevitable insurance woes, ended up locating a bunch of needed parts and had much of the mechanical work done locally here in North Carolina, near his home. However when it came time to do the serious body work and restoration that went along with that, the locals were too busy to deal with it ("Call us next year"..."I can do it but not until 2025..") so he sent the car up to Motorwerks in Michigan (who had done a lot of work on my car). The car was started on quickly, and most of the body work done in a timely manner.
So if you don't have enough luck in the DMV area or expanded beyond that, Michigan is another place to go for an expert. There's very few people I would trust to work on my car, they are one of them.
When you are doing such a restoration, things don't always move fast, (my own took about 2 years) so as long as you can get to a place now and then you are probably OK. Also, today with the advent of easily accessible FaceTime, messaging, photos from your phone sent anywhere in the world in seconds, well, it's a bit different than when I embarked on this journey in 1999. You can keep tabs on progress at a mutually agreeable schedule.
You need to feel comfortable with the restoration house. If you have no chemistry or don't bond with the owner or manager, you'll be frustrated. Decide how much you want to be involved. Some shops want nothing to do with you, they want no input, no visits, just your check. Others will embrace you. Some shops are arrogant, some are friendly. Choose one that will give you the "warm and fuzzies" as they say.
Good luck!
