YOUNGTIMER

YOUNGTIMER
v8 W123 coupe
Looney
Tunes
The reality of an owner’s V8 W123 coupe dream is
awesome but also rather rational – could this be the
Mercedes that never was?
Words & Images Eric Richardson
82
November 2007 www.mercedesenthusiast.co.uk
In my standard 123 it
is like you could walk
around that engine
bay, there’s so much
space, but now it is
filled up – it looks like
it should always have
been there
www.mercedesenthusiast.co.uk November 2007
83
 The Brabus bodykit hints to the extra power within.
 The bling is at least in keeping with the car’s chrome.
I
have arrived at the workshops
of Janspeed Exhausts in Salisbury for a
rendezvous with a rather special 123-series
coupe. I soon find it, some seven feet off
the ground while the finishing touches are
added to its new exhaust system. Standing next
to it, like expectant parents, are two people.
One had an idea and the other brought it to life,
namely to drop a Mercedes-Benz M117 V8 into
the handsome W123 coupe.
As I approach them one of the men thrusts
his hand into mine for a firm shake. “Hello, the
name’s Declan, Declan Looney,” quickly
adding, “Yes, Looney, exactly as it sounds,”
with the tone of someone who has heard every
Looney joke under the sun.
“Martyn,” offers the other man, his quiet
west country tones at odds with Declan’s Irish
lilt and rapid fire delivery. I allow myself a smile
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– there can only be one candidate for the owner
of this car.
“Back home in Ireland,” begins Declan, “I
have a [W108] 280SE 3.5 with the V8 in it, and
it’s lovely to drive, so I thought it would be a
good idea to put one in my 123. I got in touch
with Ken Dalton, who runs a Merc spares place
in Devon, and asked if he knew anyone to help,
and he put me in touch with Martyn.”
a perfect fit
Of course Martyn was not just randomly
nominated, but had already undertaken the
fitting of a five-litre M117 V8 into his 123series estate. “My car was immaculate but the
engine was knackered, so I thought, why not?”
Martyn offers, as if this is the natural evolution
for tired 123s. Phone calls followed and a plan
was hatched to use the 5.6-litre engine as
November 2007 www.mercedesenthusiast.co.uk
opposed to the originally planned 3.5-litre unit.
A deal was struck and Declan delivered his
C123 to Martyn in September 2006. Two weeks
later, once a donor C126 560SEC had been
sourced, the work began in earnest.
“Prepping only takes a couple of days,”
Martyn explains. “The engine mounts are
custom made from a jig I made from my own
car, but other than that it looks like it’s made to
fit as it all lines up so well. The only thing you
sacrifice is the fan, it just won’t fit.” An electric
one sits ahead of the radiator.
“The front of the 126 is a curved shape and
the 123 is a flat shape so you get the radiator
problem. Curiously though, the 126 radiator
fits. All the brackets line up, even some of the
hoses off the 126 actually look like they were
made to fit around the 123 throttle linkage, it
just all seems to slide in nicely.”
YOUNGTIMER
v8 W123 coupe
 The 560SEC’s V8 slotted in as if it was meant to be.
My only recollection is thinking
the windows are superfluous –
they simply get in the way of
that exhaust note
 The engine mounts were bespoke but all else fitted.
Returning in November 2006 to collect the
car, Declan recalls the moment he first saw it.
“It was amazing! In my standard 123 you have
the 2.8 engine inside and it’s like you could
walk around that engine bay, there’s so much
space. But now it’s filled up. You know, it looks
like it should always have been there really. A
perfect fit”.
Meanwhile, work has finished on the
stainless steel, 2.5-inch twin pipe exhaust
system, and a similar system will soon be
available to fit all W126s. With this done it is
time to hit the road. Declan offers me the keys.
I settle into the leather seats, survey the familiar
interior and take the Brabus leather steering
wheel in my hands. At first glance the dash
looks standard, but it isn’t. Martyn swapped
the usual W123 clock and rev counter for the
donor W126’s, while the speedo, which now
throws down the gauntlet to chase 160mph,
needed to be converted from cable drive to
electronic drive. “The only thing you don’t
have is the trip meter, but I think that’s a small
sacrifice,” Martyn offers with a wry smile.
I flick the key and the V8 catches first time,
settling into a low, resonating burble. I blip the
throttle a few times and the change is dramatic,
inviting you to unleash the V8. So why wait? I
select Drive and hold the car on the brake until
a gap appears in the traffic. A slight dab on the
accelerator sees me onto the road and at legal
speeds in an obscenely quick time. The noise
from the exhaust erupts into a staccato
cacophony sounding like no other Mercedes I
have ever experienced. My senses are struggling
to cope. The visuals say W123 while the ears are
absorbing an SLR like soundtrack. I am trying
to string together phrases in my head to
describe the noise but I can’t piece anything
together, the noise is invading my brain. My
only recollection is thinking the windows are
superfluous – they simply get in the way of that
exhaust note.
As I approach a roundabout I leave my
braking late to see just how well the car
handles. Cornering hard to the right then
flicking it to the left as we exit the steering feels
light and positive, and there are no surprises in
store. The turn in is neutral, thanks in part to
the donor engine weighing the same as the
original and causing no imbalance, while the
Koni adjustable shocks, which Declan runs at
the stiffer end of the scale, keep roll to an
absolute minimum.
“Fill your boots, man, give it some!” Declan
offers as we emerge onto a long straight. I do,
and the car responds with a wail. At about
www.mercedesenthusiast.co.uk November 2007
85
YOUNGTIMER
v8 W123 coupe
The stainless steel, 2.5-inch
twin pipe exhaust system is
the coupe’s finishing touch.
The legendary strength of the 123-series ensures the extra power is handled sensibly,
while still providing a car that is both easy to drive and incredibly exhilarating
5,000rpm the box changes down, the exhaust
crackling, and the note picks up again. There is
no let off in forward motion. Suddenly that
theoretical maximum speed of 160mph seems
wholly inadequate.
Of course you have to stop at some point,
sadly, and stopping over 1,400kg of car from
super car speeds is handled with consummate
ease, thanks to the calipers, discs and servos
from the donor car, which all “dropped in
nicely” as Martyn explains with his typical
understatement. I ponder if the greatest
problem he encountered during this work was a
cup of tea going cold on the work bench.
So does this car deliver something that 123
owners have been missing for all these years?
The simple answer is a resounding yes. The
legendary strength of the 123-series ensures the
extra power is handled sensibly, while still
providing a car that is both easy to drive and
incredibly exhilarating at the same time.
Sharing some running gear with the W126 and
seeing how easily the V8 fits into this C123,
could it be that perhaps the V8 123 was a car
that never made it into production? X-Files
type speculation of course, but the timeline fits,
the M117 V8 having been in production since
1971, well before the 123-series arrived.
live and kicking
For Declan, though, there is no need for
speculation. His V8 C123 is very much alive
and for real. Yes, the Brabus bodykit makes it
stand out from the crowd, but it is still subtle
enough to not attract too much attention,
allowing him the pleasure of running
something a little different. Looney by name?
Certainly. But Looney by nature? Most
definitely not.
 For more information on this conversion and
other W123 and W126 projects call Martyn
Tel 01271 850732 or 07877 631196
 Martyn has worked wonders on Declan’s W123 coupe
and the V8 is everything the Irishman ever dreamed of.
 The 560SEC donor car’s speedometer has been fitted
to accommodate the V8’s appetite for miles per hour.
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 The nearly standard interior has a Brabus leather steering wheel – something to hold on to when the V8 lets rip.
November 2007 www.mercedesenthusiast.co.uk