Engine Rebuild: Noel's

[CJHenderson]

Thanks I might have to take you up on that. This weekend I hope to put the head back on and then wait to get the body back, then I'll know one way or the other if this engine will run.

[mdsalemi]

I tried something new and "split the topic".

Cees had mentioned Noel's for engine rebuilding, and I echoed I thought they were closed. So I contacted Noel...here's the reply:

Hi Michael,

Still going strong after 49 years sole proprietorship including Mercedes.
I did sell my large building 5 years ago, and for the last 10 years, I
have primarily only custom re-manufactured only high end old restoration
Mercedes engines, rarely, once a year, or ~primarily current year model
mostly AMG engines for dealers and insurance companies (USAA, Nationwide,
Allstate, etc). Total number of Mercedes engines done by my crew and me,
~16,500.
Me personally, including a myriad of Mercedes, old Big Block Chevrolet,
old Ford SOHC, old Chrysler Hemi,  Ferrari, Porsche, Cummins ~ 2,500
engines.
Mercedes has sent their prices for engine parts through the roof, makes it
difficult to build lower end Mercedes engines.
You may know my history includes owning "the World's Largest Indoor
Junkyard" for Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari 1977-1988, total 92,000 sf, 350
wrecks for parts indoors, .
I now teach high end engine machining/cam timing for Mercedes AMG, for
free, hoping I will not be "the last dinosaur" that knows how to machine
and build current Mercedes engines.  Late Porsche water cooled, too.
I am finishing, today, this 2019 GLC63 AMG twin turbo "Baby Sister" 469hp
engine, from a dealer, from a wrecked car. Pictures of this longblock and
then mostly dressed 177.980 attached.
I consider Rudy Kraft, Randy Powell, Dave Kalinkiewicz, Karl Middelhauve,
Jack Atkinson, Bill Archer some of my most favorite close lifetime
friends.

Good to hear from you!
Noel
Noel C Coulantes

[Cees Klumper]

Nice follow-up Michael. Noel sure sounds like he's had a very interesting career and business. Too bad to hear another confirmation about how Mercedes is milking the enthusiast owner. Oh well, I guess we should not complain, at least many parts are still being produced, like the hood-with-huge-markup we saw this week (MB and dealers making a profit charging anywhere between $3,600 and $5,900. So if $3,600 yields a profit of say $400 then at full retail the profit would be $2,700). Good used parts looking better all the time.