mercedes clk as donor?

[cerberatony]

thinking of using a mercedes clk as a donor for my kit, question is with all the computers on board nowadays can you fit engine and box and such but not use lighting side or abs side and engine still work or do you need to reprogram the ecu

[gtmdriver]

Not a definitive answer as I don't know your specific car but modern ECU's tend to do a lot of checks for OEM sensors around the car and if they don't find them they either won't start or they switch to limp mode.

You may need to switch to an after market ECU to avoid these problems.

[rdodger]

Not wanting to be negative but...... Why?

Nearly always it is better to find the kit you really want and go from there.

If you want to use a particular engine/gearbox speak to the manufacturer to see if the support it or if they will help with fitment.

The rule of 1:10 applies here. Change 1 thing and then change another 10 to accommodate the one. Fun if you enjoy the challenge, not so much if you don't.

As an example I have just finished my kit (Thruxton GT) I wanted to use a supercharged MX5 engine with 6 speed box. Also it's loom and steering column to retain the stalks.

That change required:

Engine mounts
Gearbox mount
Exhaust manifold
Propshaft
New column mounts
Modified MX5 steering column to clear the alternator
Tunnel mods to clear the gearbox
Footwell mods to clear the clutch arm
Chassis mods to clear exhaust manifold

Smaller things like a different route for brake lines and loom can add a lot to the build time too.

I enjoyed the challenge but I spent the first year dry building the car before 6 months building it for real.

I'm not sure I have really gained much apart form a nice 6 speed gearbox for less than the price of a type 9 rebuild. Oh and 240 bhp with the supercharger. I'm sure most of that could have been achieved with more standard parts.

Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed it massively but it did take twice as long as I thought it would and cost quite a bit more than expected. Welcome to the world of kit Cars!