Bergwerk Rennsport and Weston Auto (lots of pictures)

[MB_Fahrer]

Hello,

I figured I'd start a new thread with all of my pictures and info. I am in my 20s, work at a family owned independent European automotive dealer in Colorado. We specialize in Mercedes-Benz, but we'll tackle just about anything. The dealer's website will be up shortly, so I will post up a link once completed.

Personally, I've had many cars over the years. I began doing junior drag racing back in California ("the OC") when I was 8 years old, started attending autocross events when I was 17, and then begun road racing through NASA. Additionally, I have the better part of 1000 laps on the Nurburgring, as well as some experience at SPA Francorchamps.

I do most of the work on my cars short of wiring and alignments. I hate wiring, so I usually have one of my other tech's do that. I don't do alignments yet, but once our alignment machine is set up I will give it a shot. We have three other techs aside from myself; one of which drives for me.

My cars in order of purchase:

1993 BMW 325is (given to me by my father, has become the Yokohama 3.2L race car)
1998 Mercedes SL500 (Christmas present from my parents at 18)
2002 Ferrari 456GT/M
1999 BMW M3 (father gave as a replacement for my 325is which had become a race car)
1992 Mercedes 600sel (became the S74)
2000 Ferrari 360 'GTC' race car'
1996 Mercedes C220
1994 Mercedes SL74 RENNtech (now is a RENNtech SL600)
1969 Mercedes 300sel 6.3
1985 Mercedes 500se (Euro model with AMG package)
2002 Porsche Carrera race car (#93)
1988 Alfa Romeo Milano 3.0L V6
1984 Maserati Quattroporte (rocket ship in the works)
2002 Mercedes E55 AMG

Here is a link to the other thread that I highjacked (loads of pictures and some videos starting a couple pages in. The beginning discussion is regarding the SL74):

http://forums.mwerks.com/showthread....ttle-different


Enough talk for the time being...




















Cheers,
Ricky

[emmettlodge]

Whats the ice box in the nascar racer for?

[VadGTI]

Finally, a week after my suggestion. I say you quote your posts from that thread and post the quotes here. I'd do it, but I'm tired, sun-beaten and lazy .

Sent from a rotary-dial phone using Edna the Small Town Operator

[MB_Fahrer]

Whats the ice box in the nascar racer for?

Well, you put vodka in it, so as to make track-days all the more fun It's actually a Coolsuit system. Pumps ice water through a shirt to keep me cool out on track. I haven't put a thermometer in it, but I would guess it's around 55-65C in the car during operation. It also pumps cool(er) air to a vent in my helmet as well.

[MB_Fahrer]

Finally, a week after my suggestion. I say you quote your posts from that thread and post the quotes here. I'd do it, but I'm tired, sun-beaten and lazy .

Sent from a rotary-dial phone using Edna the Small Town Operator

Hmm even better suggestion. I am too exhausted to do that right now, but I will. I am wax-beaten--been having a car detailing parade ever since the E55 showed up. I'll post pics later, but I am replacing the master cylinder and brake booster. I just could not get any pressure in the brakes. Well, at least not suitable pressure.

[MB_Fahrer]

Here are some pictures of the C220 a couple weeks ago along with some information:


Well it's nearing completion. I have yet to buff and wax it, so don't judge the crappy paint too harshly just yet. The car has 94k miles, and everything works somehow.

What I've done:

Bilstein Sport shocks

H&R lowering springs

Eisenmann race muffler

Alleged AMG taillights ($500 on ebay)

"European" front headlights with new orange corners

New hood/trunk stars

New grille

Front splitter

Authentic Lorinser side skirts

R129 (?) AMG wheels staggered fitment(took them off my E55 and yes I am well aware the tires on them are completely shot. I have Michelin Pilot Sport Cup [DOT semi-slicks] coming in a 225/40/18 and 265/35/18 for the rear)

Black AMG interior from a '95 C36 AMG

Wood shift knob (decent one off ebay surprisingly)

Sparco 333 steering wheel with functional horn button and SRS light canceled

Rear window "spoiler" from ebay

Repainted the mid-car claddings in gloss black along with all window trim and roof trim

Power Slot vented brakes and Hawk sport pads (very little squeal on street)

Agip 5w40 motor oil, Agip Plus antifreeze, Motul RBF600 brake fluid, and a tranny service



What's left to do:

Put the new tires on

Detail it

Window tint 28% all around and 35% on front windsheild

Get a black/custom headliner in (the grey just isn't cutting it for me)

Maybe a carbon hood and trunk (painted)

KW V2 coilovers and camber kit

Whatever else I am forgetting...



Here's the pix:

[MB_Fahrer]

Some info on the 2002 Porsche racer:

I'm now lowering (again) my 2002 996 C2 racer. First off, I am well aware I am missing the tender springs for the fronts. They are on order and will be here after my next event. I don't like running without helper springs, but what needs to be done will be done. I have two drums of Sunoco 260 GT Plus ordered to run in this car as well as some of the Prospeed 683 brake fluid. I have the wheels pulled off to have the new BFG R1's put on tomorrow. The RSR uprights with the center lock hubs are on the way. However, according to people who apparantly know better than me: CL hubs are merely dangerous not to mention completely useless

As for the ride height, I have some more tweaking to do tomorrow so I will report back when fully finished (and with more pics). For now though, the corner weights are as follows:

LF 535 RF 493
LR 924 RR 861

Total: 2813 and 49.63%

Current specs via dynojet: 290whp, 258tq

Clearly, I have a bit more tweaking yet to get it perfected, but I am happy for today anyway.

Mods:
AST 5300s
Forgeline wheels 18x9 and 18x11--for now
GMG headers and straight pipes
GMG sway bars, control arms, etc, etc etc
Coolsuit and ventilation
GT-Racing fiberglass doors, fenders, bumpers, trunk, spoiler
GT-Racing slider windows
Gopro connected Traqmate data
Guard transmission LSD
Stage 4 clutch and racing flywheel
Optima battery
Stoptech Trophy kit with Hawk DTC 60 pads
A lot more that I'm too tired to remember at the moment

What's planned further:
AST air jacks
RSR uprights with center locks
BBS E88 wheels
Aero work
Shorter springs to lower further


Pictures time:

Front


Front


Rear

[Assle]

Very cool! In that third pic, almost looked like the Benz had drag radials on it

[MB_Fahrer]

Very cool! In that third pic, almost looked like the Benz had drag radials on it

Thanks! They are actually Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...p/tire-details

[VR6GURU]

very cool subscribed to this one as well....

This thread needs more 80's Benz

[MB_Fahrer]

very cool subscribed to this one as well....

This thread needs more 80's Benz

Problem solved I'll take more pictures once I have time to do the heads. It's sitting out in storage getting dirty for the time being.

Getting a car dealer off the ground is proving to be time consuming. I also would like to get some of my projects finished up for the NASA even in August. Crazy me... thinking I need to lower the beetle more, eh? I must be boring for wanting a Pcar that doesn't try to kill me every time I trail-brake

[MAC]

20s huh ? I think your clear writing (and depth of knowledge) had a lot of people thinking 40s or 50s.

[MAC]

By the way, you said something in the other thread about waiting on some products for windshield polishing. Looking forward to what you do for that.

[mellbergVWfan]

In. The color on the C220 is amazing. The amber corners and red tails work so well with it.

[Der Audidude]

That's a great green! Especially in the sun!

[oh noes! cars!]

One of the more legit members here...

Also, guy who has a giant shop, races cars and is a pure motorhead? Has automatics!

[j. Kush]

Awesome stuff!

I work for a similar operation out here near DC. Also happen to drive an E55 (211) and am in the same age group... unfortunately no racing experience though (yet).

What links are on the 996? Almost look like RSS but I know they're not.

[MB_Fahrer]

Awesome stuff!

I work for a similar operation out here near DC. Also happen to drive an E55 (211) and am in the same age group... unfortunately no racing experience though (yet).

What links are on the 996? Almost look like RSS but I know they're not.

Nice to meet another AMG guy! If you're not already, join the private AMG lounge. You'll need to fill out some forms (just takes two minutes and your VIN). Not a whole lot of activity over there, but definitely worth joining due to the atmosphere.

Have you tweaked around with your 55 yet?

By links, I am assuming you mean end-links? Yes? They were installed on the car when I bought it, but I am assuming they are GMG parts. The silver beetle was Scott Kuhne's SCCA World Challenge car last year. I bought it from him this last winter, and I have improved it 100 fold since then. He had all the right parts, but no setup to compliment them. As per WC regs, he had the ride height set at 3" along with having double stacked helper springs in the back (none in the front). Needless to say, that little issue was cured. I actually had one of my drivers fly the shocks down to AST in Texas to have them rebuilt.

[MB_Fahrer]

One of the more legit members here...

Also, guy who has a giant shop, races cars and is a pure motorhead? Has automatics!

Yep, automatics are the way to go for DD. I used to love standard transmission cars on the street, but with all the race cars why not just enjoy tooling along on the street? Speed limits, drivers, and the roads are all horrible here. Huge pot holes, Toyota Pious drivers, and ridiculously slow limits make driving here anything but enjoyable. If/when I move over to Europe for VLN racing, then I will definitely modify my collection, so that I may take advantage of the wonderful driving over there.

[MB_Fahrer]

By the way, you said something in the other thread about waiting on some products for windshield polishing. Looking forward to what you do for that.

It should be waiting on my front porch for me once I get home. 20:30 in the evening and I still have quite a bit to do before I can call it a night. I will try to give the glass clay a shot tomorrow, and post up my findings.

[MB_Fahrer]

Thanks for all the commentary gang, it is appreciated! Comments, questions, are always welcome in my threads.

Cheers!

[MB_Fahrer]

Here's a link to some pictures from the last Porsche event out at High Plains Raceway:

http://www.maxgersonphoto.com/Portfo...5353&k=4NXs36V

[Der Audidude]

Nice to meet another AMG guy! If you're not already, join the private AMG lounge. You'll need to fill out some forms (just takes two minutes and your VIN). Not a whole lot of activity over there, but definitely worth joining due to the atmosphere.

I somehow imagine the AMG club to be like the Stonecutters.

[MB_Fahrer]

Got out to the dyno this morning with the E55. Ran great even in the 30C weather. I've attached the dyno graph. Ignore the jitter at 4400rpm--just something odd happening. Car pulled fine with no anomalies where the graph suddenly jumps.

[konigwheels]

There might be some pics of it in this thread that my stupid iPad won't show, but are there any pics of your 500SE AMG? I have one as well and I love it.... aside from the automatic!

I love the way your C-class looks! I love that generation. It's a good size and shape, looks really aggressive with subtle modifications.

[MB_Fahrer]

There might be some pics of it in this thread that my stupid iPad won't show, but are there any pics of your 500SE AMG? I have one as well and I love it.... aside from the automatic!

I love the way your C-class looks! I love that generation. It's a good size and shape, looks really aggressive with subtle modifications.

Yes, there are a few pictures under post #11. Do you have the kickdown switch in yours? For a 1970s designed transmission, the 126's have a pretty decent automatic. It's not my favorite, but once you're cruising they hold their own.

Thanks! I'm not quite done with the C220 yet. I'm waiting on a Rieger piece that is taking two months to build/ship from Germany. The 202 is my favorite C-class gen, partially because it looks like a miniature W140. One of these days I'll actually add some power to go with the good looks, but that's not high on my list of priorities right now

[MB_Fahrer]

Got the SL600 back from paint. Took forever. I'm going to get cracking pulling the engine apart this weekend. I'll be sure an spam this thread to death with pictures of the process. M120's are quite impressive when they are all torn down.

Here's a few pictures to keep you satiated for the time being

[Der Audidude]

Great color on that! That engine bay looks like a nightmare

[MB_Fahrer]

Here's a video with the 7.4L motor in it. One of the slowest cars I have driven on track (due to Falken tires), but the most fun. Absolutely silly. Cruising around with the stereo blasting, running about a 2:20 laptime. For comparison, I've hit a 1:58 in the silver 996.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1907372528854

[MB_Fahrer]

Great color on that! That engine bay looks like a nightmare

The color has grown on me. I hated it at first, but I have come to appreciate it. I am still not crazy about the interior color, but that will soon be remedied. The M120s are fairly easy to work on once you figure them out. Just after I first bought it, I never thought I'd be able to work on it, but I was wrong. Pull off the air filters, and suddenly there is a ton of room to work with.

[MB_Fahrer]

What am I doing with my friday night? Ripping out wiring from a V12! Great. It's far past beer thirty, with no such sustenance. Doing it wrong because it's gone wrong!

Anyway, here are some pictures of what I've got done thus far. It's been fairly cooperative up to this point at least. The wires leading to the MAF's had failed, so I am just going to replace the whole mess. Last thing I need to deal with is rewiring a couple parts. I'd rather just take the time to do it right. This is quickly turning into a project that won't be done for a while. I'm in no rush though. Take my sweet time with it. It's nice working on a devil I know so well. The M120 motors are near bulletproof once caressed a bit.

[MB_Fahrer]

Stumbled across some pictures of what the C220 used to look. Quite awful, eh?

[MB_Fahrer]

More pictures of the progress on the SL600. It's coming along nicely. Fairly easy and straightforward up to this point.

[MB_Fahrer]

More progress. It is time consuming. Quite tricky jiggling the ECU bases out of their cradles due to the rats nest MB made down there.

You can see here how bad the wiring was failing. I continued unwrapping the wiring all the way to the base of the harness, only to find it was decomposing the entire way.


Another somewhat useless picture of the rats nest...


Back with the colored zip ties to help curb brain overload. This is for the passenger side engine harness (which thanks to MB, feeds the drivers side of the engine block--great eh?).


Looks like I get to go diving underneath the dash inside the car pretty quick to take care of wherever this goes. Not sure what it's for honestly. I haven't been this deep in the wiring in a 129 every before. Anybody have an answer to where this leads to? I'm referring to the wire with the zip tie. It has a "5" stamped on a white band around the weatherproofing.


Getting closer. Very, very tricky getting these bases out of the ECU container

[GRN6IX]

Thanks for sharing