Woohoo! I have my 6.9 back!!

[Aaron]

Hey all,

After almost two years of separation anxiety, I have bought my beloved '79 6.9 back. I kept in touch with the gentleman I originally sold it to and he always kept me updated on the car's status. During his ownership, he had Bill Dovell Motorcar (an indie MB shop in Columbus) rebuild the transmission and the car was kept in fantastic condition. In the past week or so that I have had the car back, it has received one new accumulator, new cap and rotor and just this evening I visited Gary Ensor of Silver Star Motorwerks in Winchester, Kentucky and we spent some time fiddling with various items on the car. Next project is to replace the water pump housing gaskets, one of which is starting to let go and leave a green trail wherever the car goes. She'll be ready for this year's International M-100 Group meet in Charleston, South Carolina, hope to see some of you guys there!

[joshhol]

That's cool you got it back. I may be selling my 5-speed 300E back to the guy I bought it from soon.

[ptoro01]

That's cool you got it back. I may be selling my 5-speed 300E back to the guy I bought it from soon.

You should surprise him with a 4spd auto in there and keep the 5spd.

WHAT A JOKE WOULD THAT BE

[Ara T.]

God i wanna know what it's like driving a 6.9. I know they'd absolutely fly on the highway, but how are they off the line? Do they handle as well as they were cracked up to in the 70's in today's standards?

[Aaron]

Well I will say that they still are excellent performers even by today's "high horsepower out of the box" standards. The 6.3 was quicker off the line than the 6.9 but the 6.9 was King Kong at top end speed and stability. The greatest thing about the 6.9 is the hydropneumatic suspension, which stiffens progressively the harder you push the car. So coupled with 405 lb/ft of torque at 3,000rpm, it makes for one helluva road rocket which can still haul 5 people and luggage in total serene comfort.

I remember seeing in a Road & Track article about the 6.9 when it was introduced, how they came to the conclusion that the car forces you to justify spending $52,000 on it when for the same money you could have a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II with power everything and the prestige of the Spirit of Ecstasy adorning the radiator grille. That the 6.9 is a technical tour-de-force, which shows that for Rolls money, you can instead have a car that, while it might look like your neighbor's 280S, can outperform ANYTHING on the road (in its day).

I suppose that if I had $50K plus to spend on a car back in the late 1970s, I would have opted for the 6.9 because for me, a driver's car is more than a luxury car!

[joshhol]

ptoro, he would kill me!

[Ara T.]

That sounds like a sweet car man. I wish they made more big-displacement engines Bet you surprise the hell out of anyone that tries to pass you huh?

[diametricalbenz]

Originally Posted by Ara T.

God i wanna know what it's like driving a 6.9. I know they'd absolutely fly on the highway, but how are they off the line? Do they handle as well as they were cracked up to in the 70's in today's standards?

Ara, driving 6.9's are a BLAST (even though mine has only 360lb/ft ) The cars can't be driven like today's sportscars because of its weight and 3 speed automatic however like you pointed out it was the 70's and by those standards you had a LOT of power and performance. My favorite thing to do is to pass a car on the freeway because that's always a rush. It won't give you whiplash like a Lamborghini will but when you're on the freeway mash the gas and you're flying at 120mph in no time.

If you want more info about M-100's, read gerryvz's posts on the cars he is very knowledgeable about them and will tell you the honest truth about owning them.

[Ara T.]

Will do, thanks for the headsup

[gerryvz]

I daily drove a US-spec 1977 6.9 for four years. They are not particularly fast off the line by today's standards, but have no problems keeping up with most cars. The cars have 250 HP and 360 lb-ft of torque.

The 6.9 is not a particularly speedy car, point to point. However, it is nearly unsurpassed (given its displacement) in mid-range acceleration -- say 60-120 MPH. I have raced -- and kept nose to nose with -- Carrera 4 Porsches with ease in mid-range acceleration runs. The top speed of a US 6.9 is around 135-140 MPH.

Probably the weakest link of the 6.9 is its three-speed automatic transmission. The car really deserves a four-speed, and it's a crying shame that they don't have them (as the 6.3 did, albeit in fluid-coupling, not torque-converter, form). The cars are very heavy and the suspension (though good by 70s standards) is not particularly firm nor controlled. There is no comparison in handling of a 6.9 to say, a garden-variety 300E. The 300E is far superior and more advanced to boot (multi-link, etc.).

6.9s have a number of common issues, including rust around the lower regions (jack holes, rockers, inner fenderwells are most susceptible), rubber gasket leaks (front and rear windshields, trunk seal, taillight seals), climate control servos (last price I heard was $1,600+ per, if you can get a new one; rebuilds are not worth the time), fuel injection (warmup regulator, cold start valve, fuel distributor) issues, power steering box, water pump, crank seals, etc. Then, there's the suspension. I believe that 6.9 hydraulic struts (if you can find them) are something around $900-1000 EACH, with the far more common accumulators running $150-200 a pop (there are five of them). And you have the front and rear axle valves (around $750 each last time I checked) and the main valve which is $1,200-plus.

All that being said, the 6.9 is an excellent luxury cruiser, and quite fun and satisfying to drive. It worked pretty well as a daily driver and once any issues are sorted out, it is quite reliable. The drivetrain itself is pretty difficult to kill. They are smooth and modern enough to be able to live with, yet lack the simple amenities of things like adjustable steering column and power seats. If you can get over those things, and enjoy the 6.9 for what it is, and have the money to keep it on the road, it can be a very nice car to have.

6.9s are dirt cheap on the market right now. For $10K, one ought to be able to get a VERY nice car that just a few years ago would have been $15-20K. 6.3s are seeing somewhat of a resurgence in the past year or so due to the weak dollar and hungry European buyers who are eager to obtain rust-free (or low-rust) US examples; the 6.9s don't seem to be captured by this trend to the extent that the 6.3s are.

The 6.9 from a collectability standpoint is sort of an "in between" car -- old enough to be a classic, possessing classic (even to some, beautiful) styling, great materials and build quality, some level of exclusiveness, etc. But they don't have the design charm of the 6.3, nor the modern levels of amenity of the 126 560SELs. For your $10K, you can get a pristine 560SEL that will outperform a 6.9 in every way (top speed, quarter mile, luxury, build quality, reliability, electrical amenities, and safety equipment) yet retains much of the same looks. It something to consider. Also parts for the 560SEL are far cheaper and easily available both at dealers and at the junkyards.

Performance: my fastest 6.9 time (the fastest known/reported time for a US 6.9) in the 1/4 mile was 16.1 seconds, done in 2003. By comparison, my 1969 6.3, which I just sold last week, has achieved a 15.07 time in the 1/4 mile. 1989 US-spec 560SEC: 15.1 seconds. 1994 E500: 14.02 seconds. E500 on nitrous oxide: 12.89 seconds.

16 seconds is ho-hum by today's standards. I believe it to be about on par with perhaps a Honda Civic.

Summary: 6.9s are great cars, but to own one you have to have some dedication and a nice pocketbook. They are not for everyone. THey are what they are, however, and they have a small but dedicated following. Overall, it's a nice way to have a pretty reliable, collectable MB classic that you can drive every day if you like. As long as you maintain it, it won't drop a single penny. Conversely, don't expect it to appreciate either.

Cheers,
Gerry