Steve,
When I first got my 450slc I was looking for one with a blown engine so that I could install a SBC 350 or a 5 lt. Ford. I didn't find one before I found my present car with a good engine so I put the project on hold. My idea was to make the swap, one, to get more hp., two, to have an engine whose parts I could afford, three, to have an engine for which you could get speed parts, and four, to have an engine that I could work on w/o a tool box full of special tools.

I spoke with a local MB mechanic who, was appauled, and rightly so, by the idea of a swap. He said that the current 450 will easily take the car to 130 mph, which is more than enough to get all the free speeding tickets that I could possibly use. Secondly, with moderate maintenance the engine should go well over 250K miles w/o major reapirs. He knows of a 450 that has 400K on it or so he says. I know of a Dodge Diesel with 1.4 million on it but that doesn't mean that my Diesel will do that.

A 6.3 in an sl would be interesting but deadly, not only to yourself but to your wallet. I unserstand that 6.3 parts are especially costly, but as the mechanic says you may be able to get 250k out of the engine w/o a hickup.

If you look on www.collectorcartraderonline.com there is a 1980 slc in Cali. thah has had a small fire under the hood available for $1,900. It has been there for many months which means that you could get it for $1,500 or less. Might be a good project car. There are about 100 slcs on that site in good condition for around $4,000 that might require less fixing up and therefore less money that your 1973. and, after all an slc is so much better looking than an sl.

Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress.