Hot Wheels has selected a lifted 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300D as a finalist for the 2023 Legends Tour. This heavily modified turbo diesel sedan is on a list of custom cars vying for a chance to join the Hot Wheels scale model catalog in late 2023.
David Almanzan, an automotive technology teacher at Decany High School in Houston, Texas, spent several years building an off-roader with his students. The project started when he found his 300D sitting on his neighborhood lawn. This engine hadn’t been started in about eight years, but luckily the 3.0-liter turbodiesel 5-cylinder engine that powers it (internally called his OM617) has proven to be exceptionally robust. known for sex.
Almanzan purchased a 300D and brought it into the school shop to give students hands-on experience in repairing, maintaining and modifying cars. Overall, about 260 students contributed to the project. Besides a lift kit that gives his 300D ground clearance that even a stock G-Class can only dream of, the mods list includes mud terrain tires, LED light bars and wheel arch flares.
There are also many things that are not stocked inside, such as a racing seat for the driver and wide rearview mirrors, but Almanzan kept a factory Becker Grand Prix cassette player. Open the hood and you’ll find additional mods like an engine support bar, an oil catch can and a semi-truck-style exhaust system through the hood. No word on how the change will affect performance. His 1985 300D (which is the last model year, by the way) is rated at 123 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque for him.
Almanzan’s 300D, nicknamed Tootsie, will advance to one of two semi-final rounds in November 2023. To win, a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro or a 1989 Volkswagen Rabbit Cabriolet. The winner will earn the right to be featured in his catalog of 1/64 scale automobiles, Hot Wheels, for sale through retail outlets worldwide.
