Mercedes 190SL 300HP 5 SPEED 32 valve 4 cam V8 faster than 300SL w/ Disc Brakes

Price: US $139,000.00 Item location: Beverly Hills, California, United States

Description:

1962 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 190SL V8 300HP 5 SPEED LSD 300SL ROADSTER

Scroll down for Videos of this 190SL

Featured at the world famous Rodeo Drive Concours 25th Anniversary Event on June 17, 2018.This car gets more admiration and complements than Ferraris and Lamborghinis.Seems everyone loves this Mercedes and it has won numerous awards.

Red metallic convertible with a removable subtle Pearl White hardtop that compliments the red paint.

The Ultimate 190SL:A 190SL that's actually fun to drive with a 300 horsepower fuel injected aluminum Four Cam 32 valve V8 and a five speed overdrive transmission in a car that weighs only 2,575 pounds!

To give you an idea as to how much these modifications cost, some years ago Mercedes and AMG took 11 300SL (Gullwings and Roadsters) and because they only made around 200 hp, they installed V8 engines in them.In fact, these were the very first cars to be jointly developed by Mercedes and AMG. The modifications to the 300SL cost $1,000,000 and this million dollars is in addition to the price of the car!

This motor, the legendary 1UZ, considered by many to be the most reliable 32 valve V8 ever designed, can go 300,000 miles without needing an overhaul! This motor was designed for racing (CART / IRL) which explains why it such a great engine.

By comparison, the standard cast iron four cylinder 190SL motor makes only ~100 hp and weighs as much as the V8.

Thanks to the modern smooth shifting 5 speed overdrive gearbox with a new clutch and new master cylinder, this Mercedes is not only more fun to drive, but can, unlike a regular 190SL, be driven at freeway speeds comfortably.(E.g., At 80 mph the standard four speed 190SL is turning nearly 5,000 rpms whereas this 190SL with its overdrive is cruising comfortably at just over 3,000 rpms.

This Mercedes 190SL gets to 60 mph in around 4.6 seconds compared to 9 seconds for a Gullwing. The 190SL 0-60 mph is nearly 14 seconds!

For comparison purposes, the Ferrari 360 makes the same basic torque as this 190SL V8 yet weights 650 pounds more than this Mercedes.

This fuel injected 190SL gets 25 mpg on highway.

The steering was also upgraded from the old worm and roller to more responsive rack and pinion steering.The steering is power assisted which makes this car easy to drive at lows speeds and during parking maneuvers.

Suspension upgrades include high performance front sway bar and aluminum adjustable front shocks that facilitate the fine tuning of the ride.

Also further improving the handling and braking are the upgraded wheels and tires. New unique custom yet classic Mercedes 3-piece wheels made specially to order and imported from Europe. Original wheels are tiny 13" with small 165 mm tires.The wheels and tires on this 190SL are similar in size to the 300SL, 16" and feature brand new high performance 215mm B.F Goodrich performance tires that greatly improve handling and braking thanks to a much larger contact patch.

Brake upgrade. Nearly all 300 SL Roadsters and 300SL Gullwing's and all 190SL have drum brakes front and rear.Given the advantages of disc brakes, I had a brake specialty shop design and manufacture a front disc brake system for this car featuring slotted and ventilated brake discs with high performance 6 piston aluminum brake calipers.(Similar to the ones you'll find on a Ferrari.)

Just like the Gullwing, this 190SL was upgraded and now features a Limited Slip differential to put the power to the wheels.

A new aluminum clutch master cylinder was installed making clutch operation comfortably light.

The timing belt, tensioners and water pump were all replaced in January of 2018. The clutch was replaced in February of 2018 with a new pressure plate, disc, throw-out bearing and pilot bearing.The engine oil and filter (synthetic Mobil 1), rear differential oil (Mobile 1 and LSD additive) and transmission fluid(Redline synthetic fluid) were all replaced in February of 2018.

A new power steering pump was fitted in June of 2018.

New wheels and new tires were also fitted in June of 2018.

A perfect condition Classic White Steering wheel is also included with sale although I prefer the slightly smaller Nardi wheel also pictured.

Quite simply this is the all around most reliable, fun to drive and fast vintage Mercedes SL:A 300 horsepower 190SL that will have owners of Gullwings with 215 hp feeling a sense of envy!The only 190SL that can have bragging rights when parked beside a 300SL roadster or Gullwing. This is the best engineered, best performing Mercedes 190 SL in existence, one that performs significantly better than the iconic 300SL Gullwing and yet is far more refined and inexpensive to maintain and operate.

This masterpiece was the creation of Don Harmon and his pride and Joy.At the end of this description is a bit of history about Don Harmon and his restoration of this Mercedes. Don owned the car until he passed away. He routinely drove this 190SL to car shows all over the Pacific Northwest, year after year. The trunk is lined with plaques from dozens of these car shows dating back at least as far as 1994.Don was a gifted engineer who worked for General Electric.

Don created the world's best sounding and most fun to drive 190 SL or 300 SL.This Mercedes is much faster and more refined than the legendary 300 SL Gullwing. This was Don's pride and joy, his "masterpiece" and I've included a little bio of Don below that was written by his brother-in-law.Don never sold his beloved V8 190SL.Instead he owned it until he passed away.The trunk is lined with dozens of plaques Don received from various car shows dating back as early as 1994. Now this beautifully unique Mercedes is available for the next lucky owner to enjoy..

This SL is a like a cross between a classic Aston Martin Vantage from the 1980s and a Shelby Cobra.Suitably comfortable for daily driving but light and fast with a torque V8.In fact, this Mercedes has a power to weight ratio comparable to the original Cobra yet the Cobra did not have roll-up windows, a luxurious interior, refined suspension, large chrome bumpers, glove box, etc.

The car drives beautifully, solid and without any play in the suspension. This car does not drive like a 1950s era car but feels modern in terms of its solidity. As you can see from the pictures, the suspension and undercarriage are in exceptional condition.

The 32 valve, four-liter V8 idles so smoothly that looking at it you can't even tell its running.

This Mercedes is something truly rare, significant and special. Faster and more fun to drive than a Gullwing or 300SL Roadster, it was owned and driven regularly for decades by the engineer who restored the Mercedes.

Many files of records come with the car including photographs going back a number of years.

This is a very special and unique car for the person who wants to drive a classically styled, 1950s era Mercedes-Benz, but who also wants performance and reliability of a modern car.

If you are familiar with the 300SL and the 190SL then you know the biggest problem with the 190SL is it is frustratingly slow. It also has dual carburetors that need adjusting to run properly and it simply lacks the gearing to drive long distances or at speed on the highway.Yet it is beautifully and solidly built by Mercedes, making it the perfect platform for this modern, reliable, fuel injected, direct fire ignition, four-cam, 32 valve, all aluminum, lightweight V8 with a five speed overdrive transmission and a limited slip differential: A V8 that weighs just 364 pounds, about the same as the original cast iron 4 cylinder 190 engine that it replaces.

This 190SL weighs just 2575 pounds.(A little over 2600 with hardtop on.)That's about 600 pounds less than a carbon fiber McLaren!A 300SL roadster weighs ~3200 pounds, 600 pounds more than this 190SL.

This car's big brother, the 300SL Roadster, sells over a million dollars (one recently sold for $3.7 million dollars) yet this SL is arguably prettier and irrefutably faster, more reliable and stops and handles better as it makes far more power and weighs far less.

Mercedes-Benz 190SL 4 Cam 32 valve all aluminum V8 IUZ with 5 Speed and LSD - YouTube