MercedesHeritage.com
Roy Spencer, May 28th, 2012
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6.3L V8 Pagoda Revealed
Experimental 6.3 liter Pagoda
Mercedes reveals one-off hot rod
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The rumored 6.3 liter Pagoda revealed: Two MB techs complete a front tire change on
the one and only 6.3 liter V-8 powered Pagoda circa July 1967. Note hood bulge to clear
the massive V8's cam covers and intake runners.
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If there is a complaint to be leveled at the charming ‘Pagoda’ series we would have to
agree the entire range – 230/250/280 variants – was decidedly feeble in the horsepower
department. Producing 150hp when introduced in early 1964 and finishing with 175ish
in 1971, the 113 series certainly did not continue the power arch of the 198 series 300SL
during its nine year production run. The end of series 1963 300SL produced roughly
235hp in alloy block, sport cam configuration and one would have expected MB to
increase power with the 113 series SL introduced at the Geneva Salon March 1964.
It was not to be. The 300SL was destined to stand as an exclusive, low production
supercar, an outlier so to speak relative to Mercedes’ historical mass production series
sequences. The 113 cars were to be mass produced, user friendly grand touring
convertibles featuring segment defining construction quality, exceptional road manners
and conceived to vastly outperform the outgoing 190SL, the 300SL’s cosmetically related
little brother. However, rumors have persisted over the years of a bastard 113 SL being
constructed with an M100 6.3 liter wedged into its narrow engine bay.
Another Waxenberger creation
The story relating Erich Waxenberger’s clandistine project of shoehorning a 6.3 liter V8
into an air suspension 300SEL to pique production car director Uhlenhaut’s interest in a
high performance full size saloon is well known, Waxi’s 113 SL project is less so.
Thanks to Daimler Media we now know Waxenberger and a small entourage performed
high speed road tests with three unusual automobiles at the Nurburgring between July 3
and July 7, 1967. The trio consisted of two 108 sedans fitted with 6.0 liter M100 pilot
engines – one of which was uprated to 350hp and each fitted with ZF 5-speeds – and a
lone 113 SL fitted with a full 6.3 liter spec engine mated to an automatic gearbox.
“After nine laps on the north loop, the front tires were
worn out; the rear tires needed 16 laps.”
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No CAD technology for the V8 Pagoda Mule; this factory technical drawing illustrates the
packaging issues surrounding the bulky M100 V8 into Waxenberger's brute. The extra
weight over front tires exacerbated the standard Pagoda's heaving pitching during hard
braking.
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Grinding around the ‘Ring’
The serious business centered on refining the specification of the upcoming production
300SEL 6.3 – sadly never produced with a 5-speed ZF box – but the quick laps were
aboard the SL with Waxenberger clocking laps in the 10:40 to 11:00 minute range.
(The current production car lap record is 7:12.13 set by a Viper ACR in late 2011.)
How I would have loved to ride with Waxenberger that day! Or maybe not. The understeer
would have been terrifying and notes from the test confirm this, “After nine laps on the
north loop, the front tires were worn out; the rear tires needed 16 laps (to fail).”
Despite stiff shocks, massive negative rear camber and Dunlop 5.50 M 14 racing tires,
Waxenberger noted “severe instability when braking for bends.” For any Pagoda owner
whose driven their car aggressively, this tail happy trail braking oversteer is familiar.
The experience of arriving at any bend much faster than a standard Pagoda with an extra
15o lbs sitting in the nose of the car would be…well, terrifying.
V8 Pagoda dead on arrival.
Where is this monster 630SL today? Is it hidden in the bowels of the Mercedes Classic
Center under a fitted cover? Unfortunately not. Our media release continues, “Despite
this promising(?) debut, the development of the powerful SL was not continued to the
production stage.” The one-off SL was unceremoniously scrapped. That hasn’t stopped a
few adventurous MB gearheads from installing 6.3 engines in some Pagodas. We would
have to wait for spring 1971 for the arrival of the first production SL fitted with a V8, the
107 series SL and until 1990 for an SL (129 series) to be produced that exceeded the
power of the 1963 300SL. If you’re intent on owning a V8 Pagoda and aren’t capable of
building your own, Hatch and Sons’ 280SL 3.5 GT might just be the car for you.
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Experimental 6.3 liter Pagoda
- André MBSCA
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8406
- Joined: Thu 20 Nov, 2003 12:04
- Location: Västra Götaland, Alingsås
- Contact:
Experimental 6.3 liter Pagoda
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Brain in motion!
André MBSCA, Site Admin
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...................................................................................................... "IN MEMORIAN" :
................. Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG -00 ......................... "SOM EN SPEGLING AV HIMLEN"
.........................................................................................................1992-2008
..............
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Brain in motion!
André MBSCA, Site Admin
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...................................................................................................... "IN MEMORIAN" :
................. Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG -00 ......................... "SOM EN SPEGLING AV HIMLEN"
.........................................................................................................1992-2008
..............
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Re: Experimental 6.3 liter Pagoda
Kul att du kommer med uppdateringar igen, det var ett tag sen nu!
Intressant artikel!
Finns det fler bilder än dom som är med i tråden på den här bilen?
Intressant artikel!
Finns det fler bilder än dom som är med i tråden på den här bilen?
Re: Experimental 6.3 liter Pagoda
Länk på testkörning med en:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN12MogL1Fg
Inte många fel som är trasiga på den här heller....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2d1gI-N ... re=related
Only in USA.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN12MogL1Fg
Inte många fel som är trasiga på den här heller....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2d1gI-N ... re=related
Only in USA.......
Om nu kvinnors simultanförmåga är så jäkla bra, hur kommer det sig att de inte kan ha sex medan de har huvudvärk??
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