An R129 500 SL on the dyno: Zip Tie Tuning asks 'Will My Mercedes Explode?'
After converting the V8 to fuel injection he manages himself, Alex brought in a tuner to explain air-fuel ratios, volumetric efficiency and knock, chapter by chapter.
Zip Tie TuningStory of Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.
Will My Mercedes Explode?
Alex at Zip Tie Tuning put one video out this week, and it answers the question the whole Mercedes project has been building toward. His R129 500 SL, the big Mercedes roadster of the 1990s, has had its engine control converted to aftermarket electronic fuel injection, and "Will My Mercedes Explode?" takes it to the dyno to find out whether all that work made it any stronger.
The title promises danger. Most of the video is a lesson. Between the first power run and the tuned one, the chapters walk through air-fuel ratio, volumetric efficiency, ignition timing and knock, with a tuner from Stratified explaining how a car is actually tuned. That middle stretch is what the comment section keeps returning to. Viewers point to the ignition and knock segment by its timestamp, ask for more teaching like it, and a few say they now know what knock sounds like. Another running joke: Alex is strapped into his seatbelt for a car that is not going anywhere. One sharp-eyed viewer also spotted that the throttle never seems to open all the way.
The video passed a quarter of a million views on its first day and is still the busiest thing on the channel. Behind it, Andy's E46 M3, freed from its SMG gearbox and given a proper manual, is six weeks old and still drawing steady viewers.
Overall it was a slower week than usual, with about half a million views and a modest rise in subscribers. In the same group of car channels, Top Gear Classic had the big week, while Speed Academy, like Zip Tie Tuning, ran well below its usual pace.
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What viewers say
Appreciate Alex making safety first, wearing his seatbelt on the dyno
@NathansSupraSee it on YouTubeThe 10:40 segment was amazing! More educational segments like this please!
@Kennnnyy__See it on YouTubeIf I had a nickel for each of my subscribed channels that explained how ignition timing works in the last few days, I'd have two nickels. It's not a lot, but technology connections just had one too.
@amaria9240See it on YouTube
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The videos drawing views on Zip Tie Tuning right now
- Channel
- Zip Tie Tuning
- Subscribers
- 753,000 ▲ 1,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 515,869
- Videos published this week
- 1
- Video published
- September 29, 2026
- Video views so far
- 360,859
- Views on its first day
- 253,042
The numbers
Here is how Zip Tie Tuning's week looks in figures.
💡 Test your knowledge
The E46 M3 Andy bought came with BMW's SMG gearbox. What does SMG stand for?
SMG is BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox, an automated manual it offered on the E46 M3 in place of a conventional clutch pedal.
