Hilux 4x4 Forum

As some of you guys probably know I have been involved in the organisation of the Wegry&Sleep Bull Run for the last 6 years. Every year after the Bull Run we decide that we are going to build our own car, and join in the fun, just for fun, because we would have an unfair advantage over the competitors, because we designed all the challenges.

Last year, 2018, 3 weeks before the Bull Run we were offered an old Mercedes Benz for a steal. It was a 1982 280SE with 3 Bull Run's under the belt. We decided it was too good to pass up and forked over R7000 for the car... It looked like this..
So we decided to pull all the stickers off, and brand it with our own branding and use it as the official Bull Run "Ampsmotor"... Getting all the stickers off was a huge job, but before we could even get half of it off, the timing chain jumped a few teeth on a cam sprocket and our dreams died right there..

The time, and resources, to get it fixed in the available was not there, so we left it.. parked in the back yard of Allan Venter's workshop, buried under other spare parts and stuff. The timing chain was incorporated into one of the Bull Run Trophies.. No Bull Run car for us, so we were back on the pan with the Hilux and the Discovery.. No donuts, or hand brake spins for us..

And so the time went by..

The silly season came and went, with the old Merc parked behind the workshop. In the mean time Gerrie, my partner, got hold of a working 380SE of the same year, which was also an Bull Run veteran for a few dollars more, and bought it. This was going to be or official Ampsmotor for the 2019 Bull Run. I dont have any "before" picture of that Merc..

So we didnt know what to do with the "Bratini" Merc.. and left it there.. Until about March 2019, when I came across a guy from Bela Bela (also a Bull Runner) who offered a Ford 351 Windsor V8 with a 5speed Borg Warner gearbox for a steal. We decided on a good deal, got the motor in Cape Town.

The motor got started on the bench... it fired on all cylinders, flames came out the headers... It sounded decidedly V8-tee.. I loved it. I had an idea to put this V8 into the "Bratini" Merc, but couldnt figure out if this would work or not.

Much googling later, in August Allan got cracking with this build.

Part of my vision for this Merc was not only a road-car.. I wanted something more.. I wanted a dirt racer, something I could take to the Rally Sprints, or even drive comfortably on dirt roads, or even take to Atlantis Dunes to go scare the locals.. So it needed appropriate tyres. I was thinking 31" muds. For that we would need to maybe cut and roll the fenders, and I was prepared to do that. in order to get the 31's on, I needed 15" rims. After weeks of searching I found, on the Facebook Market Place, 5 stock Merc steelies for R500. Bought it immediately.

Allan's workload got doubled, as he needed to cut the rims apart, so that we could "recenter" them for proper back spacing. And he had to hammer out the inner fenders for the tyres to fit.

oh, and I wanted it black.. like a Dover stove. Matt black.. All over, with no chrome and no badges. The only things on the car that were not blacked out were the windows, side mirrors and the head- and tail lights.

For the wheels, and the leading edges of the side mirrors I had special red paint mixed, which would match the colour of the vinyl I was going to use for the sticker-job.. So.. only black and red..

Watching... Waiting....


-F_D

Time flew.. and on the morning of the day before we were supposed to leave for Vanwyksvlei, the engine has not been started inside the car yet, the car was still white/cream.. No clutch pedal was installed yet.. (it was an auto, like all SE mercs ever were) I sat with a room full of stickers, eagerly awaiting the call to come and do my thing..

At 14h00 I get a call .. "Jy kan maar kom, hy is swart"..
Frantic stickering ensued.. all while the mechanics were under the bonnet adjusting this and building that and .. and.. and..
On the lift, stickering away......

At about 16h00 she started up.. what an awesome sound. Things went blurry from then on.. and all I remember was that Allan drove the Black Widow (as it was called now) past my house on his way home at 23h45 that evening. Our alarm clocks were set for 03h00 the next morning, to leave for Vanwyksvlei.

He sent me this picture.. I couldnt sleep..

So you ask... BUIT WHERE IS THE HILUX IN THIS STORY?? Right? Well hold your horses there for a minute please.. We are getting there.

We decided that we were going to a-frame this beast all the way to Vanwyksvlei. mainly because of lack of testing and trouble-shooting, because of the tight deadline. And we hooked it behind?? My D4D Hilux of course.. What else?

At 03h00 we were all awake, and by 04h00 our convoy or 6 vehicles left the Wynland 1 Stop on the N1.

At Piketberg we stopped for coffee.. At Klawer we stopped for fuel At Williston we stopped for fuel again, this time also for the Merc, as we were going to drive the last 40km of dirt roads, so as not to destroy the front of the car with flying stones. In the fore-ground of this picture Gerrie's "Amptelike Ampsmotor" is visible. Too much chrome for my liking.

Consumption on the Hilux, while towing the Merc over 700km was about 6.7km/l.. which was not too bad, considering we were towing at about 100km/h in 4th gear, uphill and with head winds a lot of the way. The Merc was so easy to tow, only on Vanrhyns Pass between Vanrhysdorp and Nieuwoudtville did I have to gear down to 2nd, because of the gradient.

Just before Vanwyksvlei we unleashed the beast.

Vark-King Hell!! It went like stink, and the Merc suspension meant that it could go round bends too, even when the road is corrugated. It sounded awesome, it got dusty inside very quickly, but we didnt mind, it was driving.

It made the 40km's to town without a single hiccup, but with wheels scratching in the inner fenders, especially at the rear. We also realised that the radiator capacity was not sufficient for the conditions. Under normal (non-hooligan) driving conditions it was fine, but when the foot got planted, it tended to raise the coolant temps a bit. Resulting in some creative overflow patterns on the bonnet due to the 4 "spotlight" holes that were never filled in.
Also it became evident that there was a lot of gunk in the tank, causing fuel starvation, and quite a few times during the following 2 days we had to clean the lines, and twice it was necessary to change the fuel filter. From Saturday morning onwards it was all systems go, without any more fuel starvation problems.
I had LOTS of fun, doing donuts, drag races, drifting, and just generally kicking up dust during the Bull Run weekend. The Black Widow was a hit, people stopped and stared.. and it kicked some butt when it came down the drag strip too.

Some fun was had.. Just a few pics, I am still awaiting some more from my son, but he is taking his sweet time..

On Sunday morning, after all was said and done, we took the long road home. The Black Widow Merc, now incredibly dusty, with another Bull Run under the belt, took the 40km of dirt roads like a pro, and once we got to the tar, there was still more than half a tank left, so we decided to head out to Williston, about 160km away.

What a pleasure to drive, it was so much fun, we didnt even miss the aircon in the heat.

From Williston, we hooked up the a-frame again and the Hilux got more than 7km/l from there to Cape Town with the Merc in tow.

Just a note:
We went down from 31" tyres to 30". Mainly because that was all we could find 4 of, lying around in Allan's shop, and also because they only just fitted without serious mods. I am getting a set of 30" Cooper STT Pro's for the car, which would add to the over all look, and we are going to lift the rear suspension by 1" and put in bump stops. This should prevent the rear wheels from travelling that high into the wheel wells. Also we will be doing some serious hammering on the inner fenders, to create tyre space.

This is a fun car.. I like it.. expect to see more of it.. once we get the nigglies sorted..

Thanks for reading..

Love it! Thanks for posting.

Keep us updated with the prep for Bull Run 2020 !

Brilliant write up, well worded

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Seems you had a great time with lots of fun. Thanks for sharing.

.. that sound like a loads of fun.

reminds me of Topgear / The Grand Tour episode

Hi ThysdJ
Great build on a beautiful vehicle. The Mercedes is built strong and will handle rally comfortably. I have only owned Mercedes and Hondas through my life. My first “other” is the Hilux 4x4.

The suspensions are a bit soft for luxury. New springs can be made with the tension you require. The Mercedes springs are absolutely thick for strength.
You stated that serious hammering is required on the inner fenders. Try not to damage those beautiful curves. There is a tool to flare the fenders which bolts on the PCD of the hub and flares the fenders. Some car modification places have them or you can purchase it. They not too expensive.

The cooling system on the Merc is absolutely efficient. In open road driving the fan never comes on due to the excellent air flow design. The colour of the overflow patterns on the bonnet suggests a dirty cooling system, if I see correctly. Get the radiator flushed and check if the cores are all clear. It seems like you not using a water bottle and there is too much pressure in the system. Use the Merc antifreeze as it also helps with the cooling as well.
As for the holes in the bonnet, just use grommets in them. Will give it a cool sophisticated look.

The Merc is an underestimated beast. They sure don’t build them like they used to.
Enjoy.

many things are happening at a blistering pace.. no really.. actually nothing is happening. Allan is catching up on work that got left behind while he built the Merc and during the week we took off to attend the Bull Run.

No serious mods going to happen, as I said, the 30" Coopers must be fitted, and fenders moered. No worries Ricky, we will not damage the lines.. if anything we will "enhance" them a little. Who knows, maybe excessive moering wont be neccesary after we lifted the suspension and increased the bump-stops.

Right now, door locks are pretty important. as it cannot be locked now, because the previous owner lost the keys. Luckily I got hold of an old army buddy in Mosselbay who strips old Mercs for spares.. Door locks arrived on the weekend.

The exhaust pipes are another thing. Now they exit in front of the front wheels. Due to space problems inside the engine bay, and the position of the steering box. That forced us to take the V8 exhausts to the front and out the bottom. It cannot exit to the rear, there really really is literally no space there. So, I asked that the pipes be extended under the engine towards the back and that they exit just in front of the rear wheels. The 2 tiny free-flow silencer boxes are sufficient.

Cooling.. yes, the 280SE radiator is too small. 40 degree Karoo heat is no V8's friend.. Unless said V8 is supplied with enough cooling. We will fix, dont worry.

Instrumentation.. Speedo and rev counter did not work, and the temp gauge only showed once it got hot. Oil pressure guage was working spot on. A lot that needs to be sorted. Speedo and Rev counter was electronic, the Ford V8 is strictly mechanical, so fancy footwork will have to be done. Remember, this is a hot-rod, not a restoration project, so, aftermarket gauges can be used if that is what it takes.

Got new(ish) door panesl, center console and dashboard from Mosselbaai.. electric seats are on their way too.. Bull Runners looking out for each other..

There is a small rust matter.. behind the C-pillar all along the bottom of the rear window. That area is vrot geroes. So much so that the rear window is not supported at the bottom any more. Once we are up and running, I will so hunt a spare piece like that, but it seems to be a common problem of the W126 Mercs, especially along tho coast, and Mosselbaai cannot help out there.. if I cant find anything, there goes the boot-lid, rear window and parcel shelf. We fit an upright rear window, and we make it a "bakkie" with spare wheels standing upright in the boot, a-la Dakar Hilux or Mad Max Interceptor style.. and with a tonneau cover..

Great stuff Thys

My first car, was a Mercedes. Simply love them, especially the older ones. The newer ones are nice but don’t do justice.

There are some good aftermarket gauges like the “fast to furious” type. Source them from good racing accessories shop.

As for the exhaust, side pipes will make it look and sound wild. They exit just past the front mud flap running along the side to the rear wheels. It may be pricy though. You can probably custom one yourself, if it is your style.

Personally it would sad for me to see her loose, her beautiful rear. It is that which gives her the character.
I just have to check my books for old contacts regarding spares for the Mercedes and get back to you. One of the guys is in Port Elizabeth, one in Durban and the other one in Gauteng. I will forward you contact details.

Kry oom Petrus om sy panelbeating skills op daai agtervenster uit te haal!

ThysdJ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2019 11:13 am
Got new(ish) door panesl, center console and dashboard from Mosselbaai.. electric seats are on their way too.. Bull Runners looking out for each other..

There is a small rust matter.. behind the C-pillar all along the bottom of the rear window. That area is vrot geroes. So much so that the rear window is not supported at the bottom any more. Once we are up and running, I will so hunt a spare piece like that, but it seems to be a common problem of the W126 Mercs, especially along tho coast, and Mosselbaai cannot help out there.. if I cant find anything, there goes the boot-lid, rear window and parcel shelf. We fit an upright rear window, and we make it a "bakkie" with spare wheels standing upright in the boot, a-la Dakar Hilux or Mad Max Interceptor style.. and with a tonneau cover..

You may contact:
Avish – 0826790611. He is based in Durban and he specialises in Mercedes Benz spares. You can advise him exactly what body panels you require and he will cut it up.

The Old Merc Guy
Address: 19 Reed St, North End, Port Elizabeth
Phone: 078 008 8781

I cannot find the 3rd guys details currently. He is in Gauteng though. If you cannot come right with these guys, then I will personally go to the 3rd guy to get his contact details.

Happy riding.

https://youtu.be/C3vG6U7itv8

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Looks like even the car is enjoying itself.

Beautiful! The handling of the Mercedes and comfort at the same time …

Yislike, that looks like loads of fun.

Reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson... "sideways in linen !! "

Got some more pics this morning.. Still from the Bull Run. Enjoy..

I am using this now as a runabout. It is fairly heavy on fuel, but worth every cent in terms of the fun factor. It turns heads, more than anything I have ever driven before.

At about 140 on the GPS the engine is barely above 2000 RPM in 5th, and putting foot from there it accelerates very easily without changing down. Power by the bucket load.

Will post more pics as we go along..

Guess what? This car is still running. Despite the Ford V8 under the hood. Still my daily driver, and I am still enjoying the living daylights out of it.

Since I last posted on this, we had a Total Chaos 4x2 offroad day, where I drove the Merc into a hole and wrecked the radiator.. Damn.. And then on a sunny Friday afternoon I decided to take it up to the lookout point at the top of the Welgelegen4x4 route. The Team Offroad guys all helped out, but the Merc made it to the top without having to be towed anywhere. Also according to the owner of the farm, no 2wd, 4door sedan ever made it up there.

In the last 3 weeks we put coil spring spacers in to lift it by 50mm in preparation for some serious rubber. On Tuesday I fitted 4 brand new Cooper STT Pro muds on the Merc. 31/10.5x15". Bigger than some 4x4's I know of. Some fine tuning on the suspension is required, as it is a bit of a shopping cart now. Some fender trimming is also definitely not excluded, we will see how things pan out. But hey, there is no "off the shelf" solution for something like this, so we do it as we go along. Luckily I have Hoppy right beside me every step of the way.

Here are some pictures

Oh wait.. there is a group on Facebook, where I document the progress as we go along. If you are interested to follow it here is a link https://www.facebook.com/groups/503099070549351.

It seems that this is a big thing in the USA, where guys do big wheel builds on sedan cars and the "safari" them.. I plan to do some of the same once this lockdown crap is over.. Baviaanskloof, Gamkaskloof, already done the Tankwa.. Maybe even Kgalagadi? And Koes Pan Rally? The (African) sky is the limit..

Looking lekker rof (and ready). I fully understand the itch that makes it a daily driver now, but I hope you have a spare set of rims and tires for city driving - those muds won't last too well on the tar.

Just thinking that a low profile pipe bumper in front with a small stinger will enhance the "Bad Boy" look quite a bit, not to mention that it might save the radiator as well next time you ditch it.

Maybe something like this ..... (excuse my freehand drawing skills).
The stinger should also be angled a bit more forward than in my drawing.

Hi Andreas..

Nothing as elaborate as that hey, I am sort of here, like the example below.. The main thing is to protect the radiator, which is pretty low down, and house some spotlights. The 5mm alu bumper stiffener will clean up nicely and do the job on the sides.

Also cool and will do the radiator protection job nicely. Looks like something the US police cruisers are fitted with. Weight will be the watch-word.

Also easier to build, I dont need pipe benders and stuff, because it can be made from square tubing.. I will see what I can come up with..

True. Keep us informed of your progress ...... And as one of the genuine veterans of this forum you know the drill ..... pics, pics, pics!

Started cutting away the fenders today to make space for the massive rubber on the car. Turning into a "Nascar" now..

looking good there ThysdJ , sounds like a beast !!!

One of our local guys shared some pics his dad took in the late 70's / early 80's at the Molteno challenge. Thought I'd share this one here of an old Merc W114/115 series converted to 4x4 on what is presumed to be a Hilux chassis.

Waaaayyyyy more fun than 4x4...

Does it have LSD? A lot of the bigger BM's and Mercs had it.

Nope .. open diff.. but with lots of horses and a heavy foot..