Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: Louiehenry on December 16, 2013, 15:30:38
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I decided yesterday, I would try to hit 60 from stop in the fastest amount of time. I am 100% sure, after Checking three times, each time using multiple timers, that my best was 7.3 and my worst 8.8.
I have not hanged anything on the engine, I use 97 octane shell, and 97 octane Exxon, depending on when I need gas, as there are two stations along my daily route, and I like to get it going to or from class
Once a month, I fill it with non ethanol gas.
I haven't changed the engine in any way, and it's the factory 4 speed.
Tires are Michelin. Standard size
The back was weighted down well, I always keep a few sandbags in a net, as well as a set of tools that I've found are handy, jumper cables and a box, and a little survival bag
Could the weight have been a factor?
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Questions:
1. What was the road inclination?
2. The wind velocity?
3. Have you eaten (or otherwise...) in between? :D
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Those times are considerably faster than what they should be. Pagodas are more in the 10 second range which is fast enough that you feel some performance. If you are only using your speedo as a guide to measure when you hit 60 MPH you could be a long ways off in terms of getting all of your data right.
Try a GPS or something similar to verify your findings. Or, you could one of the fastest 113's on the block. :o
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For the time they were build or should I say came out first in 1963 the Pagoda was faster then the Corvette … think about that :)
My past M3 (2011) was 4.2 seconds to 100 KM/Hr …
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I checked using a independent GPS, and the tachometer, and they all registered equally!
I hit those shift points perfectly though!
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I had a slight tailwind, a flat road, Tarmac, new tires.
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Louie
Was that 60mph or km?
That does seem very quick.
Ifty
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Weight should really not be a factor. The increase traction you get is offset by the inertia of the now heaver vehicle.
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I doubt those physics
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Mph, I'm sure of it
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I would load the vehicle further, until it passes an empty AMG on acceleration ;-)
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Haha, no I meant, that sense the weight was in back, the back end was down, making the tires stay down better, and less likely to lose traction.
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Mr. Louiehenry, WHY?
Reading your post makes me say WTF.
Unless you are a teenager with loads of disposable income, I can't think of why you would want to try to increase 0-60 times. Things will break. The Pagoda isn't a real sports car, isn't particularly light, doesn't even have a good power to weight ratio and is way too comfortable to consider breaking any records. Of all of the owners that I know and the hours of conversing about our cars, the 0-60 time has not come up once. Pagodas can get out of their own way around town and on the highway but you shouldn't expect to win any races at the 1/4 mile. My buddy's Chevy II with a V8 is about the same weight as my Pagoda.
I think you are missing the point with what the Pagoda was designed for if you are looking to hot rod it using stock parts. Other than the Euro car with a hotter cam and compression ratio (I may be wrong on that too) I have never heard of serious perrformance mods - maybe you have a euro car if it has a 4spd with a high rear end. check the archives, there are a few members who have done amazing upgrades to their cars but they are not stock anymore.
If you are looking for crazy performance, a Tiger or an older muscle car should fit the need but a Pagoda just isn't built that way. Heck, my MGB with a chev V8 was nutz in a straight line but the character was lost which was very evident when you came up to a corner.
Good luck though - my hats off to you if you have the wherewithall to hotrod one of these keeping a stock drive train.
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I wasn't trying to hot rod at all. I wouldn't ever treat my SL as though it was a race car, I simply thought that almost 10 seconds was a long time considering my 4 cyl turbodiesel 1986 isuzu trooper, which weighs more and has the aerodynamics of a brick, has a lower time. I am not a teenager with disposable income. I am a teen, yes, but I work for every dime I have, and If I screw it up, I'll work my butt off until I get the money for a part, and I will do the work of fixing the car myself. There is no such thing as disposable income.
Maybe my timers were off, maybe I read wrong, all I know is what I saw and what my buddy told me.
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Hello Louie,
These cars were fairly fast for their day. By today's standards they are average performers. The build quality, materials, engineering, and drivabiltiy are outstanding even today.
As you look back years from now, you will fondly remember the cars which you used the most, and lived with from day to day. It is good that you appreciate it and take enough interest in it to help maintain it yourself.
In 1966 a 1955 190-SL as my daily driver when I was 16 years old. It was nothing excessive or expensive back in those days. I dreamed of more acceleration as friends drove fast American Muscle Cars. (190SL 0-60mph in 14.5 seconds) Eventually I realized the car was special for other than speed. Besides that the girls loved that pretty little Mercedes! I must admit that I made some youthful modifications, like white lettered, wide tires. Eventually I became a good skilled driver, and successfully competed in club autocross events with my under-powered 190-SL. It had well over 200,000 miles on it when I finally sold it after nearly 40 years of ownership. Use it, enjoy it, you'll have a lot of fond memories too. If you make modifications make them easy to change back. Your taste will change as you grow older and you may wish to change back.
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Mr. Louiehenry, WHY?
Reading your post makes me say WTF.
Unless you are a teenager with loads of disposable income, I can't think of why you would want to try to increase 0-60 times. Things will break. The Pagoda isn't a real sports car, isn't particularly light, doesn't even have a good power to weight ratio and is way too comfortable to consider breaking any records. Of all of the owners that I know and the hours of conversing about our cars, the 0-60 time has not come up once. Pagodas can get out of their own way around town and on the highway but you shouldn't expect to win any races at the 1/4 mile. My buddy's Chevy II with a V8 is about the same weight as my Pagoda.
I think you are missing the point with what the Pagoda was designed for if you are looking to hot rod it using stock parts. Other than the Euro car with a hotter cam and compression ratio (I may be wrong on that too) I have never heard of serious perrformance mods - maybe you have a euro car if it has a 4spd with a high rear end. check the archives, there are a few members who have done amazing upgrades to their cars but they are not stock anymore.
If you are looking for crazy performance, a Tiger or an older muscle car should fit the need but a Pagoda just isn't built that way. Heck, my MGB with a chev V8 was nutz in a straight line but the character was lost which was very evident when you came up to a corner.
Good luck though - my hats off to you if you have the wherewithall to hotrod one of these keeping a stock drive train.
Well well well... Let's not forget that the Pagoda came as a replacement for the 190SL and ... the 300SL! Mercedes has been involved in racing since day 1 and the Pagoda itself won the Liege-Sofia-Liege rallye. Its sibling the W111 with which it shares overall chassis design and many mechanical elements, got some excellent results in many races, like the Monte-Carlo rallye. Today, enthousiasts prize the Pagoda's build quality and overall refinement, which is legitimate, but seem to dissociate the car from any performance oriented objective. They even tend to consider that idea as blasphemus. I think this is a distortion of the original spirit in which the car was developed. Though not as exclusive and performance oriented as the 300SL, I think it wasn't developed out of any sporting spirit either. The way the Pagoda is being seen today by the majority of car enthousiasts is more of a social thing I guess, where people in search of a refined and quality image go to Mercedes, those in search of a performance image go to BMW and Porsche. In terms of image, if you really have money you get an Aston Martin DB5 and you have it all.
Back to nuts and bolts, I think there is nothing wrong in trying to get a Pagoda perform better. There are many ways of doing it. In the case of Louie, I would just encourage him to do it with another Pagoda, as the one he is driving now seems to be quite special due to it's very low mileage. That very car should be kept original with a low mileage. He started another thread with the idea of developing his dream Pagoda, sourcing another car for that. That's the way to go. However, if he wants to get involved into some heavy performance modifications, he may consider another make, like Porsche, BMW or Alfa Romeo for example. Not that the Pagoda can't be upgraded (heck, I stuffed a 560 engine into one!), but more because of the social dimension I was referring to above. He may find more support in other enthousiast groups, with more experience to be shared in terms of performance upgrades and a better availability of performance parts.
In any case, it is nice to see younger people like Louie interested in Pagodas. Just don't drive it too much, keep it safe, and come to the next gathering in Blacklick where you will meet with all the Pagoda Gurus who will tell you all the secrets about this nice car you own.
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A euro engined 280SL with the 09 cam is a much better performer than the US version. I belive if properly tuned it could maccelerate to 60 MH in less than 9 seconds easily, but not 7.3 seconds. Most of the contemporary road test of the era were conducted with two passengers up and a full tank of fuel.
I had a modifed for reacing 230SL with a sharply tuned euro 2.8 motor and I could do the 1/4 mile in 15.5 seonds, That should equate to under 8 seconds to 60. But the car had gone on a weight reduction plan that dropped about 200 pounds from stock.
I was more interested in reliability aand handling, so the horsep[ower was jujsta little more than stock.
Pete Lesler
W113SL
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Mr. Louiehenry, WHY?
Reading your post makes me say WTF.
Unless you are a teenager with loads of disposable income, I can't think of why you would want to try to increase 0-60 times. Things will break. The Pagoda isn't a real sports car, isn't particularly light, doesn't even have a good power to weight ratio and is way too comfortable to consider breaking any records. Of all of the owners that I know and the hours of conversing about our cars, the 0-60 time has not come up once. Pagodas can get out of their own way around town and on the highway but you shouldn't expect to win any races at the 1/4 mile. My buddy's Chevy II with a V8 is about the same weight as my Pagoda.
I think you are missing the point with what the Pagoda was designed for if you are looking to hot rod it using stock parts. Other than the Euro car with a hotter cam and compression ratio (I may be wrong on that too) I have never heard of serious perrformance mods - maybe you have a euro car if it has a 4 spd with a high rear end. check the archives, there are a few members who have done amazing upgrades to their cars but they are not stock anymore.
If you are looking for crazy performance, a Tiger or an older muscle car should fit the need but a Pagoda just isn't built that way. Heck, my MGB with a chev V8 was nutz in a straight line but the character was lost which was very evident when you came up to a corner.
Good luck though - my hats off to you if you have the wherewithall to hotrod one of these keeping a stock drive train.
Wow this is great thread! We get to hear from the folks who like to drive slow. WTF? Pagoda's aren't true sports cars? A Miata is a sports car. Triumpths & MG's are sports car. I bought my 250 because it was faster than most Porches at the time and as much fun as an E-Jag. And best of all, it wasn't made of plastic. 0-60 in 8.8 is no burner, you missed the point! 0-60 in 10.3 is not a fair number for a well tuned 250 or 280, maybe a 230 I'll give you. I've often wondered why these cars were rated at more than 10 at 0-60 when mine 'feels' below 9.
"serious perrformance mods"?? You think 0-60 in 8.8 is serious performance? Are you thnking 4.5 0-60? And, how many horses would it take to start breaking these drive trains? 300? 400? But who brought up hotrodding? Why go radical on us? We are talking a stock pagoda! Maybe a little over 200 HP if running perfectly well? With all the threads on changing gears and tranny's, don't you think a good 0-60 can be had with these really low rearends and deep first gears? But I agree with you that to put a v8 in an MGB is nuts.
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OOPS I think I opened a can of worms. Wasn't intentional. What is a true sports car anyways??? I guess I have been driving my friend's 65 hotrod Vette a bit too much lately. My pagoda can get out of its own way and I push it when ever possible but in a careful way. Its more than enough car for my limited driving ability but its definately not on the same level as my friend's 65 Vette.
Having experience upgrading performance only on a chev engine and then my MGB I found that even marginal increases in horsepower and speed required lots of $$ - replace the cam, then the head needs work, then the headers come along and then ignition and fuel delivery and pistons and on and on. I could order hipo parts off the shelf for both my chev and MGB engines but I just don't see too much of that equipment for my pagoda. By the time I matured a bit I was into BMW 2002s and found that I could get the biggest bang for my buck staying relatively stock and lightening the load where possible. Now with my pagoda I am trying to stay stock.
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………………………. keep it safe, and come to the next gathering in Blacklick where you will meet with all the Pagoda Gurus who will tell you all the secrets about this nice car you own.
GGR … does anyone know when Joe will hold the next gathering in Blacklick? …. looking forward to it
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Clearly, this is a divisive issue to many people...
Anyway, I wasn't trying to be a racer in my pagoda, trust me
I know my limits, and those of the machine, that's what matters.
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Pagoda University Blacklick PUB, was held every two years but was held at Joe Alexanders' own home so entirely up to Joe if he is happy to run another. 2007 2009, 2011 2013 (50th elsewhere) 2015. Euro gathering every other year. Meanwhile we have held the 50th in US, AUST and Europe in 2013 so that has moved things around a bit.
As we continue to say to our members you are free to organise a gathering anywhere you wish using the facilities of this site to organise and plan and advertise your gathering. Once the new incorporation and Board are elected in the New Year then more support may be given.
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0-60 in 10.3 is not a fair number for a well tuned 250 or 280, maybe a 230 I'll give you.
Oh, please.... ::)
Given the age of our cars, as you sort of point out, it's entirely down to the way they're tuned and maintained. Thus a decent 230 manual will eat a 250 or 280's sandwiches all week long! Gotta to know your shite before dissing the 230, Gary! :o
I'll race ya!!
And Roldofo's post had me in stitches. Best I've read in a while. (Although, by way of a disclaimer, we Brits cannot condone sarcasm in any way, shape or form, not even this close to Christmas).
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And Roldofo's post had me in stitches. Best I've read in a while.
Yes, Rodolfo's post is excellent!
Allleiiii, encore une p'tite enclume dans c'coffre, les Ferraris n'ont qu'à bien se tenir !
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Sorry guys, I know I'm out numbered here. Just poking a little fun. :-* and wondering why a car that can keep up with a 283 225 HP corvette (and yes thee were a few with more and a few with less HP), why would you not consider an SL a sports car??? ???
I'm probably overly big on how well these cars move for only having 200 HP. And, Im also glad there is no aftermarket hotrodding stuff to glue on these motors to ruin them like many many Corvettes have been ruined.
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Louie, your need for better performance is not just your youth. At our event in Williamsburg last September, three pagodas showed up with Mercedes V-8 engines installed!
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Wow, I go away for a day and look what happens.
Louie, As you can see, there are lots of opinions and experiences out there. But with all the folks who commented, I bet there are 300+ years of Pagoda experience, and these guys have torn apart and optimized dozens if not hundreds of these special cars.
I think we all quietly admire your youthful zeal, but have worries about that low mileage gem you have. I can tell you love this car, and respect its legacy and heritage. I would tend to echo GGR's comments about treating your museum piece with kid gloves (pardon the pun).
My guess is that everyone reading your posts remember their own teen years and how nutty we were with our own cars (1972 Challenger) and sudden flashbacks for the safety of the car (and you of course) result in anxiety.
As I continue to say, treat her right (and your girlfriend too).
Mike Mizesko
Columbus, OH
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It's not a matter of how fast to 60 mph, but how - I had a slightly tuned Triumph TR6 (P.I. uprated to 165 bhp) and that was FAST, even surprised a few very hot hatches from time to time, but what I mostly enjoy with my 230 SL is the comfort, build quality and that it actually can go pretty fast when needed without shouting about it. But I must admit that stuff like top speed and acceleration also were important to me when I was younger and that I still - although I'm now in my 40'ies - can totally relate to the post starting this thread :-)
U
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A few years after we started this site, we had quite a few posts that dealt with modifying 113's. At the time, we had everything in a general forum so I asked that we provide a seperate forum for people to talk about modifications. I thought R&D would be a good name and it's been with us ever since.
There have been many posts concerning mods done on our cars. My own car is heavily modified using 100% vintage parts so I'm not gainst the idea. One of the better mods out there is the 3 litre engine using offset crank throws. Looks stock on the outside but far from it on the inside.
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Not sure why everyones getting so hyper sensitive over this thread.
This thread and his subsequent posts do not enquire about modding, just simple query about above average acceleration times.
Its his flippin car, so whats up with the WTF? If youre desperate to wax a low mileage minter go out and buy one for yourself.
Joes advice is sound, have fun with youre car make sure anything you do is easily reversable. I guaruntee not everything you think is a great idea now will be really youre cup of tea in a few years.
And above all continue to share the passion that youre old man had. Some of these old timers need higher octane in their tanks -;)
Kay
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Louie, you're dealing with a "seasoned" crowd here. Too many members only push their cars when they run out of Metamucil and have to hit the nearest Walgreens.
Enjoy your car as you please and share any tips on performance, please.
The only WTF I ever have is in response to how emotional some folks can get over a hunk of metal.
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I feel I need to explain my comments. My WTF response was given at the end of a long day and probably not in the same vain or for the same reasons as it came out. A 280sl doing 7.3 seconds?
Louie noted that his car would do 0-60 in 7.3 seconds and he wants to make it faster. My experience since I got my car and reading reviews before I got my car suggested 0-60 times in the 9 to 10 second time depending on who was driving, if it was their own car and who wrote the piece. I won't get into barometric pressure, ambient temperatures or tire temperatures and pressure but a 1974 911 Carrera has a posted 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds.
To have a 0-60 time of 7.3 for a 1971 automobbile suggests to me that the car has probably already has some work done and is probably already as fast as its going to get without some more serious engine work ($$) and lightening (dropping the passenger seat, soft top, spare wheel come to mind) the 3,000 or so lbs of weight we carry around to make it easier on the little straight 6 used to power our toys. We are already at a 9.5:1 compression ratio +/- so without some serious work I couldn't see the numbers dropping past an already scorching 7.3.
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Now a days, I am one of those go slow and enjoy the ride guys. In my (and my car's) younger day it was another story and the SL was no slouch, compared to most of the domestic stuff on the road (excluding "muscle cars":-). Here is page out of a 1965 Car and Driver magazine when they did a road test on a 230SL, Zero to 60mph = 9.9 sec. Interesting to see how they graded things from poor to excellent on the right side bar.
John
Sorry the image is so poor in quality. My scanned image is much clearer?
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No! I never had any intention of long any faster! I don't race around in that car for anything! I was just on a straight, and thought "what the heck, why not?"
I too, like many of you, lean back, and go where the road takes me!
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Hi John,
I feel like you do (going slower now a days). Let's just say the 60 (mph) is the new 30's (mph) …. 3.1 Seconds wow to 30 mph better then my former ///M3 ~grin~
I think we need to use our Pagoda for what it was designed. We have to keep in mind if someone likes to make his Pagoda faster, he can do it only problem is he/she needs to make many other things stronger as well. Like stronger suspension, bigger brakes, wider tires, stiffen the frame etc. The BMW ///M Division boys know how to do all that, they take a standard 3 Series then change 50 % of the parts and modify 80% of the rest so it can go faster :) not cheap this is by any means, however, it has been done and the Pagoda is a great car one way or the other.
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49er, thanks for the 230 data. You have owned both a 250 and 280, which was faster? I drove a few dozen SF bay area SLs in 1970 trying to feel the differences in the 3 motor sizes. I can understand the 10s 0-60 for the 230. One test I did was 50MPH in top gear (both autos and sticks) up a steep 1/4 mile hill. I had to down shift the 230's but not the 250 or 280. I didn't buy a W113 for looks, I bought it because it was as fast as a 283 corvette but not made out of cracking plastic. My 2nd qualifier was strength. The suspension and drive train are built to last, take a beating, and probably take 50% more HP and torque than a 2.8 can dish out.
I bought a 250 because it was faster than the 230's I found to drive. The 280's seemed a little faster than the 250, but I couldm't find a nce one for under $5200. The 250 was $4200 and all I could aford as a college student. I used to race Spitfires and got totally frustrated with how weak they are. My 1st MB was a 190SL but it would do fast. And the pedals go down like a 40 Ford!
I know I'm outnumbered both on the 230 opinion and how hard I drive my SL, but I've never broken anything and much of the mechanicals are still original. I couldn't do that with an E-jag, Ferrari, or Corvette. I would have had to replace all the ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, U-joints, clutches, water pumps maybe twice over. And to pull a clutch on a Jag or buy parts for a ferrari, I don't have the time or $$. Yes, I have a very fast 944 Turbo S, but it breaks all the time. I would never attempt to drive accross the US on I80 with the Porsche, W113 no problem.
The published spec of 0-60 in 10sec has always bugged me. My 250 was faster and now with a 280- motor it is faster yet. I didn't buy this car to go slow and I really don't enjoy going slow in it. And, my SL is very accomodating, there aren't many cars I pass on my daily commute that can successfully challenge its quickness.
So tolerance guys. We all love the car, but not for the same reasons or opinions. I don't mind if you drive your SL slow, just don't do it in the fast lane, please.
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Previous owner of my car drove it 375 miles in 4 hours. To think these cars need to be babied is rubbish. They're tough, they're meant to rev high and they love it.
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I won't deny, I drive it harder than most, but lets look at the history here!
The W113 was born in an age that is not likely to be seen again in our life times. Racing was bigger, teens weren't as concerned with their phones and their social media, it simply didn't exist. And most adults didn't have the same thig to worry about, interestingly enough, most adults tend to worry most about their teenagers! But gas was cheaper and roads were better. People drove more, and they drove not simply to get from point A to point B. For them, the driving was the point. The inline engine we have pushing our pagodas down the road, when you get down to the basics, the same found in the famous 300sl, and continued to be found in Mercedes well into the 80s. Clearly the engine was built right, as was the rest of the car! I know a man, he's a judge in my town, who drives a 1966 dark green beauty of a 280, with 653 k on the clock. If I open the good of my dads C36 AMG, the engine is so similar, you couldn't deny the origins. To think this car is a small car, that needs to be babies everywhere, is simply ludicrous, and is unfair to the car. The most unfair thing you can do to a car, is let it sit in a box, or only use it in stop and go traffic. Engines have to breathe, and open up well. Our SLs sound best at 3000 rpm, because that's when those long tubes start filling with air, and the car really gets to do what it was intended for. To be a golden arrow, beaming through the woods at dusk, or to be a red dot, rolling along the beautiful scenic highways so often avoided by other drivers, to be the strongest, loveliest, all around best looking, and feeling car on the road. Whether you're counting miles at 500k or 9000. If you don't ever take it out and just cruise like it was intended to, you should. I think you'll see what the rest of us have been saying for years. If not, that's alright, no one will disapprove or judge simply because you like to take your time and really see the views. I do too, a lot. But I can't find a ride out there that beats a w113 when it comes to having fun at an speed, on any road.
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Louie,
Wow.
I wish I had your gift of romantic prose when I was 17.
Here's the deal. Almost all of the folks in this forum like to drive fast. Some have them have even buried the needle on this and other cars (I plead the 5th). I think you met with skepticism about the 7.3 secs 0-60 based on PUBLISHED data on the vehicle and peoples DIRECT experience. There is no doubt that the 113 likes to rev high and runs better when you give it road time and open it up.
Here's some more fun facts: A car that has 200,000 miles on it is worth less than a car with 20,000 miles on it. Probably 3/4 less. A car that is on the road more has a statistically higher chance of being run into by idiots, deer, or other hazards. Same is true for driving at 80mph vs 40mph. Response time is response time. Cars that are hacked up and not original are also worth less than "correct" vehicles. That's why we spend so much time talking about clamps on this site, for goodness sake.
Nobody really cares if you want to replicate the Richard Gere scene in "Intersection", or if you want the car as a daily driver. They just are transferring their own experience, knowledge, and hopes and dreams into a 17 year old with a 10k car. I think I personally would be thrilled to have a pristine version of my car sell at a Barrett Jackson auction for $180,000 (after I'm dead of course). If you have lots of money now, or will have in the future, go ahead and put a blower on it. I won't judge you (verbally, at least).
I don't believe that the Pagoda needs to be babied. But babied cars need less maintenance and are worth much more as an asset.
So folks, can we stop this nonsense about youthful drivers vs. us old geezers and driving 90mph vs 30 mph?
It's your car. Have at it. And I'll stop giving a hoot and offering unsolicited advice (although to be fair, you did solicit advice). There are other pristine 113's we can fantasize about.
Mike Mizesko
Columbus, OH
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Solicit I did! An thank you for your advice!
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You can't use a GPS for 0-60. The speed displayed is calculated over time and will lag behind acceleration. Given that our speedos are mechanically driven, if you determine that your speedo is accurate at 60 mph, it should not lag. If you really want to track acceleration get a radar gun (or find a cooperative police officer).
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http://gpssystems.net/accurate-gpsbased-speedometer/
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Nice find Michael, thanks for sharing the GPS write up!
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Hmmm. There's a lot of nonsense in that GPS thread, especially the posts about the accuracy of GPS, which is eye-wateringly accurate if you have the right equipment to measure deviation. To suggest, as some posters did in that thread, that GPS is accurate only to 5 meters is the modern day equivalent of "a miss is as good as a mile." (Unless you're a USAF A10 driver, in which case, any old target will do... ::))
GPS can measure minuscule differences if required. However, I accept fully that commercial off the shelf systems probably cannot deliver a great deal of accuracy, but nor are they required to. Having been geo-caching today with my 5 year old, I'd have been very glad of 5 meters accuracy. Could find a bloody thing!!
(BTW, this isn't supposed to be a thrown-gauntlet to those who wish to dive in and have a dig at what I've said about GPS and produce internet threads to the contrary. Trust me - we'd be in an even worse place militarily than we are already if GPS could only do 5 m, or 5 cm for that matter. I'd say that using GPS to measure a car's speed is the best mere mortals will get, and so if the 0-60 time is measured using GPS, it's probably going to be far more accurate than a speedo, or for that matter, a member of the Old Bill with a radar gun - if you want to look at easy to flaw methods of measuring speed that would be a more sensible place to start...).
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That's good to know Jamie as my speedo agrees with my sat nav. Which is more than I can say for my more modern cars.
I assume that is why built in sat navs do not have the speed function as most speedo's over read, I think to reduce arguments
with Mr. Plod.
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No I have an app called HUDapp, it measures speed accurately
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'Accurately'? How do you know?
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Louiehenry,
How about some photos of your <10k Pagoda that can do 0-60 in 7.3 seconds. Its gota be like new and such a rarity that a lot of folks would love to see photos to compare so can you post some photos in the Photo area of the Forum for us.
Garry
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Quite simply put my friend, I measured it against a number of different speedometers, and because they all matched, I concluded that the app was in fact, accurate.
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So lets be clear here about what you mean with "and because they all matched, I concluded that the app was in fact, accurate".
Your HUD displays 60 mph = 60 mph speed reading on speedo #1 = 60 mph speed reading on speedo #2 = 60 mph speed reading on speedo #3 .. and so on, all speedos you tested (how many?) matched the HUD.
Now that would mean that all your speedos are also reading your car's speed correctly and there is no deviation among them.
Absolutely amazing the kind of luck you had getting these perfectly matched speedos together!
Does your speedo accuracy also include the odometer reading on your car?
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Well, as they were all new autos, I figured the speedos would be right
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Well, that brings up my next question.
Did you "figure out" the mileage on you car the same way? ;D
My 71 280 only has 9018... Kinda low!
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Haha I seem to have upset you in some way, and for that I apologize! No I figured out the mileage by comparing the odometer and the logbook that details every single thing, including filling the tank, back to the day my dad bought it! He was meticulous about that so I have no fear it's correct
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I am more amused, certainly not upset.
At 17 you are probably still in high school so you might consider signing up for a class in statistics, or physics, or anything that requires you to bone up on the scientific method. As far as I know you can't just download an app that will do this for you. ;)
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You should check it out, it's quite fantastic! It's called HUDapp, and the coolest part about it is, if you place it on the top of your dash, it reflects onto the windshield! Of course this really only works at night, but during the day, you can see the screen fairly easily if you so choose to endanger yourself by staring at a phone all day!
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I won't deny, I drive it harder than most, ......
How does the 280SL compare with the other cars in your collection?
Got any faster ones?
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My guess would be the 1100hp Toyota Supra. ...just a guess...
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=19729.0
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Guys, I'm just amazed that a 17 year old kid can amass such a traunch of performance automobiles. What do people pay to get their lawns cut in Little Rock anyway? I chastised my 19 year old son at the dinner table for not earning enough as a lifeguard last summer. Maybe he should have bought apple computer when it was only $35 per share.
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I am getting a kick out of your escapades, Louie. Keep it up! At 17 my greatest achievement was fitting a set of Kerker exhausts on a honda 4cyl motorcycle. And I thought I was all that. I see that you respect the marque you have in the sl, and that you have a different aspiration for it vs. the work you have done to save, rice, and restore other rides. Please do keep it up.
g
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No sir, the sl isn't the fastest in the family's collection, but it certainly is in my modest bunch! Nor is the supra mine, it was a friends resurrection project about a year ago that we finished in about 3 months!
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What about your '91 Corvette, is that not faster? ;)
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Louie,
Is it possible that the titles to these cars may not be in your name? Here in Ohio, if a car is titled to you, you need your own insurance. Ohio is the cheapest auto insurance in the country, and premiums are based on age, # of years driving, and credit score, all of which I would hazard a guess you have very little of. In Ohio, a 17 year old cannot have a credit card in their name, and a parent would have to co-sign any revolving credit account.
If you did have your own auto insurance, I would venture a guess that your premium would be at least $3,000-$4,000 per year for a $50,000 - $100,000 Benz (of course you would want a Stated Value Policy with full coverage, and would have an appraisal), and have multiple vehicles. I know you work hard to earn money, but my kids make that with a whole summer job. Of course there's school during the year. Drat.
You did say you purchased the car from your mom, so Title would have transferred to your name requiring your own insurance, unless you co-titled the vehicle, so you only own half of the vehicle, and your mom could put the car on her policy. I could be wrong with my analysis, but this really isn't making sense to me.
So my question is, do you even own this 280SL?
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I purchased the rights to drive t unencumbered by permission, meaning she can't say that I can't drive it. You're correct, in many states, underage people can't purchase them, in arkansas, the case is the same. That being said, she can still tell me I can't leave the house! Yes the vette would be faster, but It's come and gone, I couldn't really justify paying for the gas and I felt like a very tuned corvette was a bit much temptation for me!
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Louie,
Thanks for the explanation. So if you don't own the car, no gift tax concerns, and no insurance concerns. Got it.
I think some of us skeptics can now make sense of the situation.
Regards,
Mike Mizesko
Columbus, OH
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Glad I could help clear things up!