Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 vintage racer build (pic heavy)

[cemmett]

Love it! Always been a huge fan of the 190E. Those ITBs look rad.

[e21jps]

I recently took an interest in these engines, very keen to see how much these goodies wake her up!!

[Emre]

Today was a big day:



And...we have a problem:



But I think we've got a solution. Stay tuned!

[Emre]

Fixed the issue of interference between velocity stack and brake booster...



Switched to a single-diaphragm booster from a W201 8v...



Found a good spot for the billet oil filter housing and oil cooler adapter (both Earl's). Plenty of room for a bigger and better filter...



Larger capacity radiator (Behr) and oil cooler (Mishimoto)...



Everything is connected with Aeroquip fittings and "Startlite" hose. The Startlite Kevlar/Nomex hose isn't as blingy as regular braided steel hose, but it's lighter and stronger (unfortunately, it's also about twice the price)...



Just a few odds and ends left.

[Emre]

So, I've come to the end of my 2017 racing season. I was hoping to run one last race at Watkins Glen this weekend, but the transmission isn't ready.

Here's a short recap of the summer. I raced at Mosport (1000 miles round trip), Calabogie (950 miles), Pittsburgh (775 miles), and NJMP (just 255 miles). I mention the distances because I'm still driving the car to and from events ... kind of a PITA with full race suspension and no interior, sound deadening, or HVAC system!

Two of the events were vintage races: the VARAC Canadian Vintage Grand Prix and the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. The other two events were BMW CCA Club Races that I was allowed to enter and run for points with special permission.

Got tired of the black and orange. Decided to change up the color scheme...



Here’s how the 16v looks these days...







Did OK for myself as a relatively new racer...



Here's how the car looks loaded up for a race weekend. A lot easier to manage when living in NYC compared to a trailer and tow rig.





Driving to and from events has a major disadvantage I hadn't considered. On the way to the very first event of the season, a hillbilly literally backed his pickup truck up and over the front of my car! I was stopped for gas and the guy "didn't see me." We were able to pull the fender and hood up off the tire so the car could roll again. Damn, these W201's are tanks!



Installed some hood pins to keep the deformed front end from coming apart...



Remember those gorgeous (IMNSHO) BBS wheels? Well, I bent not one but two of them at NJMP. Went a little wide in Corner 1 and dropped both driver's side wheels off the track. The transition caught the inner lips badly. Hope they're fixable!



Thanks to my main sponsor, Guten Parts...



My favorite shot! Wheel lift in corner 1 at Mosport, well into 4th gear...



Plans for next year. I'm switching from Hankook DOT-R tires to true slicks: picked up a brand-new set of Hoosier radial slicks for testing. The Hoosier folks say I shouldn't need to change my alignment settings, but I suspect I'll need more spring rate to go with the slicks. We'll see.

Finally, I've created a new FB page for the "Hammerzeit" race team. I'll be posting lots of pics, videos, and updates there: https://www.facebook.com/Hammerzeit-642984859203237/