1978 Mercedes-benz 450sel 6.9 Sedan 4-door 6.8l on 2040-cars

Year:1978 Mileage:197036

Location:

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 1

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 2

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 3

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 4

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 5

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 6

1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan 4-Door 6.8L, image 7

Advertising:

Up for sale is my all-original, two-owner, 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 that I affectionately named “The 7 Litre.” It is a virtually rust-free Southern car that has lived its entire life in Memphis, TN. It is a complete car but is not running at this time.

I am the second owner – having purchased the 7 Litre on February 21, 1988 (see picture of sales document). I have cropped out my name and address for privacy of course, but the new owner will receive the untouched copy along with the title. The new owner will be pleasantly surprised when they see that the car, title, owner, and address all match to this day – dating back to 1988.

The previous owner was Mr. Robertson who owned the first Mercedes-Benz dealership in Memphis – Robertson Motors at 2950 Airways Blvd. Mr. Robertson had a tendency to get new cars frequently (as dealers do), but this 6.9 was just too much fun to pass on. So he ended up keeping it in his collection for 10 years before selling it to a competing used Mercedes dealership in town – Benz Bavaria, Ltd. At 3466 Park Avenue. That is where I purchased the car for $16,700 less my trade-in.

The car was in remarkable condition when I purchased it for my wife. Finished in grey blue metallic paint with parchment leather and burl walnut trim, it was quite a beautiful car. Having an engineering background, I was impressed with the sophistication of the 6.9 Mercedes as well. The M-100 engine, with its dry sump lubrication and hydraulic valve gear actuation, truly was a marvel. The hydro pneumatic oil/nitrogen struts and self-leveling rear suspension was quite novel as well. Even though the car was 10 years old when we took possession of it, it was still cutting edge. Even the newer body style 560SEL at the time could not keep up with this car.

For 10 years, we had a ball with the 7 Litre – including the time in Alabama when I took her up to 135 mph with still more room in the pedal (I backed off though questioning the last time the tires were replaced). It was so effortlessly fast, and unbelievably well mannered over bumps and in corners. We took care of it, and it took care of us.

Sadly, the car got away from me after my wife passed away in February of 1998. With 4 cars in my driveway, it was difficult to keep everything going. The last time I drove this car, in 2001, it was in tip-top condition inside and out. When I went to start it a few weeks later, it did not want to fire up. When I circled back to it a few weeks later, the battery was dead. From there, it sat until about 6 years ago when I charged up the battery and tried it again with the help of a Mercedes mechanic who at that time made house calls. We were able to get it to run by pouring gas into the intake, but that was it. I was not really interested in throwing any more money into the car, so I chose to let it sit.

With the help of a family friend who is a car guru, I recently tried to get the 7 Litre running again. Unfortunately, we determined that the engine is now locked up (quite surprisingly in my opinion). We pulled the belts and cooling blade off to access the crankshaft bolt. Despite a generous soaking of WD40, PB Blaster, and Marvel Mystery Oil in the spark plug holes we were unable to make the crank turn. Granted, we were a bit timid – not wanting to break the bolt. So perhaps the right mechanic with the appropriate knowledge and tools will have better luck.

The Bad News Is:

Besides the non-running engine, you can see that the car is in need of cosmetic attention. There is surface rust on the hood and gas filler cap. The paint is oxidized. The interior (seats, headliner, carpeting, and wood) has been badly damaged by stopped up/leaking sunroof drains.

The Good News Is:

The car is complete and missing absolutely nothing. From the original spare Michelin XWX tire specially made for the 6.9 Mercedes and untouched Bundt wheel, to the perfect glass all around, to the rust free chrome, to the straight as an arrow bodywork that has never been in an accident. The car has a transmission in it that was replaced by AAMCO Transmissions less than 100 miles ago – to the tune of over $3,000. I had brand new brake rotors and pads replaced all-around less than 500 miles ago. The car has a brand new water pump in it – which was extremely expensive for the part and labor. Luckily, I had the sense to place cinder blocks under the car, so it has remained in the up position all this time. Given that the suspension system was working properly before I stopped driving it, hopefully it will work fine once the car runs again.

Please understand that parting with this car will be like parting with a family member – a well regarded one. I have owned The 7 Litre for nearly 27 years after all. I understand the condition is wanting and repair costs are not cheap. However, I have a lot invested in this car, a lot of memories, and I truly hope that a Mercedes mechanic or collector will find a way to pump new life into it.

Thank you for looking, I am happy to answer any questions you e-mail me, and I look forward to passing the torch to a new owner soon.

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2016 Canadian Grand Prix: A tale of 3 starts and 2 stops

Mon, Jun 13 2016

The first curve in the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix happened before Turn 1. Lewis Hamilton sat on pole in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari behind. That order changed as soon as the lights went out. Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosberg started well enough, but Vettel flew off the line, passing Hamilton in just a few meters. Vettel led through Turn 1 while Hamilton defended against Rosberg trying to pass on the outside by using the entire track. Hamilton bumped his teammate, sending Rosberg into the concrete runoff with an " infuriating but fair" maneuver Hamilton blamed on understeer. The Brit stayed second, his teammate fell to ninth by the time he rejoined the circuit and got back on the gas. The Ferrari finally looked an even match for the Mercedes, Vettel slowly building a gap out front. On Lap 11 the Honda in Jenson Button's McLaren self-ignited just after the hairpin, forcing Button to pull over on the Casino Straight. A Virtual Safety Car slowed the field, convincing Ferrari to pit its drivers. Vettel came in, handing the lead to Hamilton. The marshals cleared Button's car more quickly than expected, so the scuderia didn't get the full time advantage it expected, sending Vettel back on track seven seconds behind the Mercedes. Button's and Ferrari's unplanned stops decided the race. Ferrari had always planned to run a two-stopper, but the early pit didn't give the team a chance to gauge the ultra-soft Pirelli. The ultra-softs lasted longer than anyone expected. Hamilton only pitted once, Vettel had to pit again, and the Ferrari simply couldn't close the gap to the Mercedes even with newer tires. Post-race commentary accused Ferrari of two blunders: giving up track position, and not taking advantage of Mercedes' only known weakness of not being nearly as good in dirty air. If the ultra-softs had fallen off a performance cliff, however, Ferrari's play would have been considered daring and brilliant. Hamilton took his second win of the season, followed by a hard-driving Vettel five seconds later. Valtteri Bottas and Williams got everything right, the Finn taking advantage of a one-stop strategy, a perfectly-timed pit stop, and more unusual Red Bull issues to finish third. It's Williams' first podium of the year. Max Verstappen claimed fourth after two pit stops, holding off a frustrated Rosberg who had to make an unscheduled stop to remedy a slow puncture.

8 automakers, 15 utilities collaborate on open smart-charging for EVs

Thu, Jul 31 2014

We're going to lead with General Motors here. GM is one of eight automakers working with 15 utilities and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) at developing a "smart" plug-in vehicle charging system. Why did we start with GM? Because it's the first automaker whose press release we read that mentioned the other seven automakers. Points for sharing. For the record, the collaboration also includes BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Ford. The utilities include DTE Energy, Duke Energy, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric. The idea is to develop a so-called "demand charging" system in which an integrated system lets the plug-ins and utilities communicate with each other so that vehicle charging is cut back at peak hours, when energy is most expensive, and ramped up when the rates drop. Such entities say there's a sense of urgency to develop such a system because the number of plug-in vehicles on US roads totals more than 225,000 today and is climbing steadily. There's a lot of technology involved, obviously, but the goal is to have an open platform that's compatible with virtually any automaker's plug-in vehicle. No timeframe was disclosed for when such a system could go live but you can find a press release from EPRI below. EPRI, Utilities, Auto Manufacturers to Create an Open Grid Integration Platform for Plug-in Electric Vehicles PALO ALTO, Calif. (July 29, 2014) – The Electric Power Research Institute, 8 automakers and 15 utilities are working to develop and demonstrate an open platform that would integrate plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) with smart grid technologies enabling utilities to support PEV charging regardless of location. The platform will allow manufacturers to offer a customer-friendly interface through which PEV drivers can more easily participate in utility PEV programs, such as rates for off-peak or nighttime charging. The portal for the system would be a utility's communications system and an electric vehicle's telematics system. As the electric grid evolves with smarter functionality, electric vehicles can serve as a distributed energy resource to support grid reliability, stability and efficiency. With more than 225,000 plug-in vehicles on U.S. roads -- and their numbers growing -- they are likely to play a significant role in electricity demand side management.

Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG coming to the New York Auto Show

Tue, 05 Mar 2013

Mercedes-Benz showed off the CLA45 AMG at a private event on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show, but was determined not to let it be photographed. We can talk about it, though - after all, a teaser image was released to promote the new Sony game Drive Club. The CLA45 AMG will use the same powertrain as the A45 AMG, which means a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 360 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. And that means a small four-door coupe sedan with the highest horsepower-per-liter in the segment. It will shift through the same seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, should also run out of speed at 155 miles per hour and have that three-stage stability control system.
As with its hatch sibling, the CLA is already so aggressive on the outside - and the parent company so anxious not to demolish the sedan's 0.22 coefficient of drag - that not much has been done to the cranked-up CLA. Even the rather thin tires on the standard only get a little less thin on the hotter variant. Inside will be the telltale AMG signs, with lots of red detailing and that flat-bottomed wheel among the giveaways. We'll know more later this month when the wraps come off at the New York International Auto Show.