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Mercedes-Benz 280SE
A classic sedan redefined for performance By Les Bidrawn Photography by Author |
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European car received a brilliant "Personal" some four months. It read as follows: 1971 Mercedes Benz 280 SE, fully restd., reblt motor, modified suspn., 18-in. wheels. Owner enjoys throttle induced oversteer, trail braking, etc. ISO like minded 1961-72 MZB owners to share enthusiasm. We had to check this one out. Unlike the inflated descriptions that occasionally chaperon a "personal," this one turned out to be entirely accurate. It was as big, ballsy and beautiful as it claimed. The car belonged to Andrew Cox, a Portland, Oregon, resident with a penchant for the unique. Cox had originally purchased a 1963 220SEb with the intention of restoring and modifying it for spirited street usage. After pulling the motor, Cox found rust was the main element holding the body together; restoration would be both difficult and expensive. At the suggestion of Elena, his most generous and understanding wife, Cox started looking for the car he really wanted, the big-hearted successor to the 220, the V8-powered, 280 SEc. Though it retained much of its older sibling's fabulously handsome features, the 1971 280 SEc had one potent difference--a great, big engine. Over a ten-year span, the 220 had progressed from an original 2.2-liter, 134-bhp six through 2.5 and 2.8 sixes to the 3.5-liter, 230 bhp of 1971. It was a brand new engine for Mercedes and shared no parts with the big 6.3 liter of the 600 but was a continuation of Mercedes philosophy of wringing impressive power from small displacement. Similar American-built cars needed more than 5.0 liters (Chevy's 327 and Ford's 302) to make the same horsepower, though it was doubtful they could maintain the continuously high autobahn speeds the Merc was bred for. This new engine featured the same expensive design features as before--aluminum heads, chain-driven overhead camshafts and stellite-faced, sodium-filled valves--features that gave Mercedes smoothness at low speeds and durability at sustained high speeds. However, rather than the mechanical injection Mercedes pioneered usage of years before, Bosch electronic injection would deliver the fuel. This particular car belonged to the German Consulate General who was stationed in San Francisco in the early '70s. Appropriately, the car is a European model and features several nifty options (just like today) the U.S. version would never have. Basically, however, both interpretations were the same and at the core lay a fuel-injected, 213-cu-in. V8 with dual overhead cams and a dry-sump lubrication system. The 3.5-liter motor is extremely oversquare, with its 92mm bore and 65.8mm stroke--dimensions its design director Rudolf Uhlenhaut had originally penned for European consumption. Unlike the American version that was detuned for burgeoning emissions regulations, this car retained the more advanced Euro-ignition system, which gave it better low-end response. Though noted for its durability, Cox's intentions for the car would go far beyond the occasional trip to Spagos or low-impact boulevard cruise. The engine would need a complete rebuild, a rather heady proposition Todd Delker and the crew at Lake Side Motors (503/620-8021) undertook with meticulous attention. Under Delker's highly trained eye, the engine was completely rebuilt (or is that restored) to original factory specs, as was the original factory limited-slip differential. All of the engine's surface areas were bead blasted, clearcoated or repainted, and its fasteners replated in the original cad finish. The engine was left with a gem-like finish that looks as fabulous as it goes. And does it go. Road & Track tested the 280 SE 3.5 more than 25 years ago and found its performance nearly matched that of the 300-bhp Camaro. The Merc's four-speed automatic box would let the motor scream till the 6500-rpm redline and then slam into the next gear. Zero to 60 mph came up in a tic over 9 sec and the quarter mile was over in some 16 sec. Better yet, it was possible to cruise at 125 mph while seated within a cabin that defined "first class." While this sumptuous combination of luxury and performance was enough to satisfy the typical Mercedes owner, Cox wanted to bring the chassis up to present day specifications. "My vision was, and is, to have a classic body and interior with the driveability of a late-model vehicle," said Cox. "I wanted to improve the car without compromising its original design," he added. Cox had his work cut out for him. Unlike the engine, which was more than capable of holding its own among today's contemporaries, the suspension was fairly antiquated. The front geometry was comprised of unequal-length A-arms, coil springs, and tube shocks with no anti-dive compensator; the rear was single-low-pivot swing axles, trailing arms, coil springs and tube shocks. While this arrangement was cutting edge in 1961, it was retained in the new model and left the 4100-lb Merc with handling that was described as "good, though not great." Cox began by eliminating as much flex as possible between the rear axle and chassis. "It turned out the rear trailing-arm bushings were actually working as large Heim joints," Cox said. "This was letting the rear wheels move too freely, which was causing the back end to go out of alignment." Cox fabricated a complete set of polyurethane bushings, allowing the arms to move, yet move within the proper axis. He also fitted the rear assembly with a 21mm anti-roll bar, which keeps things flat under hard cornering. And for more relaxed high-speed cruising, Cox replaced the factory's 3.69:1 final drive with 3.46:1. Cox did essentially the same program up front and uprated the factory retaining bushings with polyurethane units. This included the front anti-roll bar mounts and end links, although the big difference was achieved in upgrading the flat-spring bushings. Essentially loaded with the weight of the entire front suspension, these flat springs bolt under the front swaybar mount and go back to the cross member that mounts to the engine. Stiffening these bushings helped stabilize the car not only in cornering but also helped alleviate the dive under hard braking. A massive 30mm anti-roll bar (mounted with poly bushings) holds everything together and keeps cornering tight and predictable. Though out of sight, these mods are definitely not out of mind and create a much happier Benz. Cox later augmented the factory dampers with high-pressure Bilstein units. The striking (or is it shocking?) running gear provides quite a contrast from the factory offering of 14 x 6-in. steel wheels and 185V-14 Firestone Phoenix rubber. Though Mercedes has typically been conservative with wheel and tire combos, no one will forget the shoes of this beast--18 x 8-in. Rial wheels carry 235/40ZR-18 BFG rubber--quite possible the bravest fitment this writer has ever seen. Better yet, it's an entirely drivable combination, offering exception adhesion with no clearance problems. Visible through the spokes are the factory's four-wheel-disc brake system, comprised of 10.8-in. vented rotors up front and 11-in. solid units behind. The two-piston calipers were upgraded to include MetalMaster pads, and coated, stainless-steel brake lines filled with Castrol GTX fluid. The driver's compartment is a beautiful place to see, feel and smell. Burlwood veneer, huge expanses of leather and ivory-like control surfaces cover every square inch of the interior. A/C, three-point belts and a Becker Europa AM/FM stereo were also part of the equation that offers three of your best friends a comfortable place to be seen. Cox uprated the sound system with a Sony head unit and ten-CD trunk-mounted changer with Phoenix Gold amps funneling power to MB Quartz drivers situated in the factory locations and unobtrusive pods. Appropriately, I met Cox in Newport Beach, California. If the car culture has a Mecca, Newport is it, and this Mercedes blended seemlessly with Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches, etc. In fact, this car drew far more attention than its ubiquitous cousins. Just imagine this classic sedan exiting the Newport Yacht Club, its rear wheels smoking. Perhaps it was the Merc's unique blend of old world style and new world technology. Who knows? One thing's for sure, however. If you happen to own one of these classic 1961 to '72 (109-chassied) Mercedes, Cox can rewrite its premise to include the same character he's included in this car. Enter Cox Racingroup, a tiny little company designed to make driving a classic, classic driving experience.
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