A Real Gullwing

[Bill M.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Russ, as the say in the service "this is no s***"' 1962 on TDY in Germany a couple of us were touring different areas including race tracks. We came across a 300 SLR and recall it was a '55 for sale for $5500 bucks. Drooled and touched, sat in it, etc. It was complete. Heck we didn't hardly have 55 cents to our names, much less $5500 bucks. Always wondered what happened to that car. Gary....

Gary:

I assume you mean a 300SL. (The SLR was a pure race car.) My dad paid $2000 (that's what he told his wife and family, anyway!) for a red 300SL Gullwing in 1966. It needed some work, but still a real deal (maybe steal!) He almost gave it away in a trade for a 928S in about 1985...easy come, easy go.

Bill

[Gary C.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill, it was a SLR roadster - not gullwing that had real racing history. Gary....

[Bill M.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill, it was a SLR roadster - not gullwing that had real racing history. Gary....

Gary:

My apologies. I've never seen a Mercedes factory racer available on the market. I learn something every day!

I wondered if that 300SLR might have wound up at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, MI, but I guess not...according to the museum description.

Bill

[Gary C.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill, none needed. Car had been road hard and put up wet. Car was outside of a very nice mechanical shop, which did work for privateer racers. That's about all I can recall. Gary....

[Edward B.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

I bought mine in January, 1964 for quite a bit less than that. I needed reliable transportation between New York, Pennsylvania and Boston. The car has never let me down, regardless of weather, road conditions, etc. Numerous side trips to northern Vermont, including woodchuck hunting using the wide door sill as an arm rest for the very long shots, attests to the versitility of the vehicle. While in Boston for three years the car was parked in the open without difficulty. After a short stint in D.C., I returned to New York and decided the paint needed a freshening. That was done in 1970/71 and still looks great today. Mine appears the same as the silver GW posted earlier in this thread except it doesn't have the fitted luggage or the radio (who needs a radio with all those wonderful mechanical noises to keep one entertained). By the way, I needed relaible transportation in 1964 because I had driven the wheels off my 1959 Corvette and it was requiring more maintnance hours than a rotary wing aircraft to keep it going.

[Edward B.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

If I've got this picture thing right, here's a recent picture of the car.

[Bill M.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

I bought mine in January, 1964 for quite a bit less than that. I needed reliable transportation between New York, Pennsylvania and Boston. The car has never let me down, regardless of weather, road conditions, etc. Numerous side trips to northern Vermont, including woodchuck hunting using the wide door sill as an arm rest for the very long shots, attests to the versitility of the vehicle. While in Boston for three years the car was parked in the open without difficulty. After a short stint in D.C., I returned to New York and decided the paint needed a freshening. That was done in 1970/71 and still looks great today. Mine appears the same as the silver GW posted earlier in this thread except it doesn't have the fitted luggage or the radio (who needs a radio with all those wonderful mechanical noises to keep one entertained). By the way, I needed relaible transportation in 1964 because I had driven the wheels off my 1959 Corvette and it was requiring more maintnance hours than a rotary wing aircraft to keep it going.

Ed:

That's a great tribute to the 300SL, and funny re. the '59!

I had to retire my '59 Corvette in 1971 at about 100,000 miles. It pulled to the right going down the road, pulled to the left under braking, and had several inches of play in the steering. Coming to a safe, straight stop was a real challenge to my limited coordination...

Bill

[Gary C.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill, 300 SL Gullwing is the cover car on the Sep Hemmings issue. Gary....

[Bill M.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill, 300 SL Gullwing is the cover car on the Sep Hemmings issue. Gary....

Thanks, Gary. I'll get me a copy. Bill

[John H.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill; I knew about the SLR's valve system but forgot that it was not used in the SL models. Thanks for the correction. As you say, it was a neat system with a savings of some horsepower and frictional loss. Do you remember why they did not use the system more widely? It worked well in the SLR.

[Bill M.]

Re: A Real Gullwing

Bill; I knew about the SLR's valve system but forgot that it was not used in the SL models. Thanks for the correction. As you say, it was a neat system with a savings of some horsepower and frictional loss. Do you remember why they did not use the system more widely? It worked well in the SLR.

Hi John:

I'm speculating...

It's a racing valve gear intended to extend the maximum rev range of the engine. (300SL: 6500, 300 SLR: 7500) Even if they ran the system in the 300SL, the cam profile required to take advantage of it would probably be unacceptable in a Mercedes road car.

The 300SL engine was based on an existing road car engine, and probably couldn't survive 7500 anyway. The 300SLR was pure race engine.

MB had their technical marvel in the direct-cylinder fuel injection (very expensive), and the desmodromic valve gear would certainly add to the cost. I understand MB lost money on the Gullwing.

I doubt they ever seriously considered the desmodromic valve gear for the 300SL...but it sure would have been even more spectacular if they did!

Bill