6.3 at the track

Incase you didn't catch it from m-100.org:

Posted By: Gerry Van Zandt
Date: Sunday, 24 August 2003, at 12:59 a.m.

In Response To: Friday Night PIR race results (Gerry Van Zandt)

All --

Here are a few short video clips I made of Dan Smith racing, including his first, record-breaking 13.96 second run, and another of his experienced-honed tire-warmup technique (which also helped me achieve my own stock-6.3 record):



http://homepage.mac.com/gerryvz/DAN1.AVI

http://homepage.mac.com/gerryvz/DAN2.AVI

http://homepage.mac.com/gerryvz/DAN3.AVI

http://homepage.mac.com/gerryvz/DAN4.AVI

[MarksBlue280]

Thank you for sharing this glorious endevour! Use em dont store em. 13.96 is quite impressive for a sedan! No glass packs? No ford 9 inch rear end?

Right on!

Mark

1974 280

[Catrinus]

Did any of the Rice Rockets even know what hit them?? I'll bet the "kids" were just scratching their heads, trying to figure out why a 30-year old sedan toasted them. It was great to watch! Brought back to mind a time I raced a Porsche 914/6 in my dad's '67 Buick Riviera (460 cu in w/2 4-bbl carbs). I wouldn't have wanted to turn the car but off the line it was unbeatable!
Catrinus
down to a '73 280C

I know what you mean! I roasted many a ricer in my 400HP '70 Toronado GT, they were surprised to see those front wheels smokin too.

[Catrinus]

Toronado -- another great "sleeper"! On my Riviera, the only thing I forgot to mention is that the speedo would go one way really, really fast while the gas gauge would go just as quickly in the OPPOSITE direction. 9 mpg on a really, really good day.
Catrinus
73 280C

Yep, they're sleepers. Problem is they don't have the market value that the Rivs do. Must be the FWD -- I love the looks of the pre '69 Rivs, infact thought about buying one but my garage is full with a a '69 Fleetwood and the 560.

[gerryvz]

There are some pretty fast rice rockets at the track out there, but they are pretty easy to beat unless they have some sort of artificial displacement enhancer (turbo or supercharger). The only stock Japanese cars that are pretty fast are the Subaru WRXes. I think this car is the best bang for the buck of any car on the market today. Though they do run $30+K.

The American iron, especially the stuff with big blocks and/or modified, tends to be pretty fast -- in the high-12 and low-mid 13 second range. Your typical 5.0 Mustang from the 80s or 90s is about as fast overall as a stock 6.3. When I run my own stock 6.3 against them, I often as not win, sometimes I lose.

A couple of Friday nights ago I whooped a "modified" Acura Integra (he was running the typical coffee-can muffler, rear spoiler, hot rims/tires, bolt-on cladding, etc.). He comes back and gets in line a couple of lanes over from me, and I hear him fuming to his laughing friends, "Man, I got whooped by a MERCEDES! How embarrassing!"

Some photos from a couple of nights out on the track can be seen at:

http://homepage.mac.com/gerryvz/PhotoAlbum29.html

http://homepage.mac.com/gerryvz/PhotoAlbum22.html

and some great videos from PIR and the 2003 M-100 Meet drag strip are at:

http://www.300se.com

Let me know if you have any questions about racing or drag racing the 6.3 or 6.9.

BTW, as reference, I have obtained 1/4 mile times of 15.20 seconds with my stock (238-HP) 1989 560SEC (US model). That's just a whisper slower than the 6.3, and with higher terminal velocities to boot.

For comparison, the best time I have ever been able to obtain with my 1977 450SEL 6.9 is 16.1 seconds, which ties the fastest time I have ever seen for a stock US or gray-market car here in the US.

Cheers,
Gerry

[gerryvz]

By the way, Dan Smith's Silver Bullet 6.3 (which is mentioned in the current edition of Mercedes Enthusiast magazine) is a concours-class restored 6.3 which is silver metallic over black leather.

The car has been slightly modified with 10.5:1 custom-made pistons (up from 9:1 stock) and custom headers -- no mean feat shoehorning those into a 6.3 engine bay.

The car produces around 300HP at the rear wheels, probably around 400HP gross.

It also recently received a new rear end, custom-built by Star Motors, which is slightly shorter ratio than stock being around 3.08 or so. Dan runs a variety of tires and rims on the car -- he has experimented with a number of styles and compounds on different wheel sizes. He runs a mixture of around 50% 100-octane low-lead piston aircraft fuel and also enhances things with some very expensive octane boosters.

Other than that, the car is completely stock and has won a number of national awards since it was completed in 1996. It remains in excellent shape today as you can see from the photos I have taken.

Cheers,
Gerry

Thanks for the links Gerry!

Not sure if you were around "here" or not...

Anyhow, I enjoy lurking on the m-100.org site. What a hoot!