Uh oh, the Brabus W126 needs a new engine

Internationally renowned photographer Mark has been working with TG for many, many years. When not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars. Here he shares his addiction with the world…

“How long do you think the replacement engine has been left standing?” I asked Andy Young of Spider’s Collection, hoping for something reassuring. He replied, “I’d say it left the factory in the Eighties running, but I’d be surprised if it’s moved this decade. To put it into perspective, two slugs popped out to say hello while removing the exhaust manifolds...”

I’ve never met Andy in real life, and that’s probably a good thing considering the Brabus W126 was originally dropped round to his workshop for a quick service and check of the valve clearances. Both of which were completed very quickly. But what Andy wasn’t expecting was to undertake an entire engine conversion, something which became apparent after the ‘slight tapping’ I mentioned wasn’t so much the valves as it was the oil in the engine... or rather lack of. And the 5.5-litre M117.9 V8 had many pieces in its oil pan after driving a grand total of 13 miles in the two years I’ve owned it.  

Rebuilding it wasn’t really an option by this point. If it’d been running well, a quick refresh might’ve made a lot of sense. But a tapping engine with a temperamental oil pump that could’ve caused much oil starvation? That’s not going to look pretty, whichever way you approach it.

Like every broken car I own, it’s important to look at the positives rather than default to absolute rage. And, in the case of the Brabus, it should’ve never been fitted with the 5.5-litre V8 found in later 560 SEL models. Sure, that yielded a bit more power, but the original pre-facelift W126 should’ve been fitted with the smaller 5.0-litre engine instead. 

More importantly, whoever did this engine swap in the past managed to complete it using just two tools: an impact gun with a 12mm socket and a large hammer. I don’t know what the words ‘finesse’ and ‘care’ are in the Belgian language, but neither were considered at any point during the process. The fact it drove 13 miles without falling out is testament to the power of an impact gun on its maximum setting.

Anyway, we’re keeping things positive. Not only is the W126 now running and not tapping its head off, but Project Voldemort aka the BMW M635 CSi is also rapidly making progress too. It’s called Voldemort because I refuse to acknowledge or speak of its very existence, something Alan at CNC Motorsport is very familiar with after I popped it round for “a little bit of work” several years ago. 

I bought it as a cheap non-runner and managed to get it running (and MoT tested) without spending a complete fortune on it. What I should’ve done at that point was sell it for a decent profit. But no, I took it down to Alan initially for some centrelock wheels and hubs. Which rapidly progressed into making it a kind of road-legal Group A M6, and that involved stripping it to a bare shell before welding, repainting, and refurbishing every component before installing a Group A rollcage and various other bits.

But, if I had sold it, I’d only have bought something worse and found myself in a similar situation just with a slightly different badge on the front. Both Andy and Alan have been legends while entertaining these builds, and frankly if it wasn’t for their patience and ability, I’d have tapped out a long time ago. Bring on having two (almost) running cars in 2023.