Some general SL Questions - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Chris Bell · #1 01-27-2009, 10:21 PM

So..I'm thinking about buying an SL of the R107 variety and I have a couple of general questions. Do all 107s have the hydraulic self leveling suspension like the 560SL? Since the I'm thinking of purchasing a pre 1975 car, to avoid CA smog testing, are performance parts available for the early SLs? ie: camshafts with more lift & duration, bigger valve heads, headers?

Walrus · #2 01-27-2009, 10:51 PM

Firstly, I am not aware of ANY 107 with self-levelling suspension. My 1988 560Sl does not have it, nor is it listed as an option.

Performance parts, such as a beefier cam, may exist, but I have not read of any in literature I frequent.

Any 107 that is Pre 1975 will likely be a 450, which is a cast-iron block 4.5 litre (certainly grey market 107's exist, ie the 280 with a delightful 2.8 litre twin-cam inline 6, etc)... Best stay away from 1974-1976 due to the crazy location of the Catylitic converters (under the hood on the exhaust manifold)and screwy EGR system. I forget the years, but earlier 107's (450's)were also plagued with an electronic fuel injection (D-Jet)that, when works is marvelous; however, when faulty, $$$$$. Later injection systems are mechanical/electronic, CIS (constant injection) also known as K-Jet.

Perhaps others may weigh in here with more encouraging info for you.

cheers!

TylerH860 · #3 01-27-2009, 10:56 PM

Sorry for the .sig file after this post, but I thought I can help.

I don't know of any performance upgrades available for these cars. Best bet you find a euro 500SL and you'll have more than enough acceleration.

Chris Bell · #4 01-27-2009, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Sorry for the .sig file after this post, but I thought I can help.

I don't know of any performance upgrades available for these cars. Best bet you find a euro 500SL and you'll have more than enough acceleration.

Actually, I was referring to having to maintain my own .sig file. Sorry, I did'nt mean other peoples. As to the lack of performance parts...that sucks. I really want to build a 107 with just a few extra horsepower. I don't want to build some 750 horsepower monster that spits out a piston every few thousand miles. I'm just looking for around 275 or 300 HP. Just to keep up with the flow of traffic

TylerH860 · #5 01-27-2009, 11:23 PM

500SLs have 240 hp stock. I have a custom exhaust that probably gives it a little extra umph. AMG would polish and port the heads, giving it about the HP you had in mind. Perhaps you could get a machine shop to do that for you?

TylerH860 · #6 01-27-2009, 11:26 PM

Here ya go... That's a forum member's car with the AMG mods I described.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5u9FgDwX8w

Chris Bell · #7 01-27-2009, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

500SLs have 245 hp stock. I have a custom exhaust that probably gives it a little extra umph. AMG would polish and port the heads, giving it about the HP you had in mind. Perhaps you could get a machine shop to do that for you?

So what model years were the 500SL's available. The reason I ask is I want to completly avoid the California smog rules. After looking at the CA smog laws it looks like any car that is model year 1975 or older is exempt from any and all smog testing. So with a 75 or earlier I can do whatever mod I want without having to have the car tested every other year.

TylerH860 · #8 01-27-2009, 11:48 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_R107

Here is some information on model runs of the R107s...

You go older than '75 you're going to start with a dog performance wise. A 280sl with a manual transmission would be the only car I would by. Not sure if the manual tranny would accept a larger engine, if you were to drop in something bigger.

London380sl · #9 01-28-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Bell

Do all 107s have the hydraulic self leveling suspension like the 560SL?

I believe you are thinking of the 560SEL which is a 4 door sedan. It was the flagship of the Mercedes line and came standard with the hydraulic self leveling suspension. It was never offered on the sl line.

The 500sl was available from 1980 to 1989 in Europe and it was never officially offered by Mercedes in North America. The cars you see here in North America are known as grey market cars and were imported by individuals and made smog and safety compliant. The grey market basically dried up in 1986 when Mercedes made the 5.6 litre engine available in North America. Prior to that the only v-8 engine available in the 80's was the 3.8 litre engine which replaced the 4.5 litre engine.

deanyel · #10 01-28-2009, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by London380sl

The grey market basically dried up in 1986 when Mercedes made the 5.6 litre engine available in North America.

The gray market did dry up in 86 but it had little to do with the introduction of the 5.6 liter. Most gray market SLs were 2.8s anyway. It was in 86 that the EPA and DOT came out with new regulations, under pressure from congress and auto manufacturers, that made it much harder and more expensive to import. This included the elimination of the one time lifetime exemption from EPA. Also the dollar weakened considerably at that time. Those two developments just made the economic equation unviable and what had been a flood was reduced to a trickle.