1970 280sl triple webers

[kevin2kovach]

Hello everyone:) I have a 1970 280sl and it has 3 dual webers on it. Has anyone come across anything like this? I was told by an appraiser in California that the car was more than likely set up for racing. It is a German 280sl, everything is in German. It had the 4 speed manual transmission, no A/C. Most of these cars are fuel injected, so at some point someone put the triple weber package on it.. I will be attempting to sell the car this summer at the Volo Auto Musem. It has been in storage for 25 years and needs to be serviced. Any info anyone has on the car would be great. I'm trying to find someone else who might have these 3 carbs on it for some history..

Thanks, Kevin

[jeffc280sl]

Kevin,

Interesting setup.  I've never heard of anything like this on a 280SL.  Can you find any partnumbers on the intake manifold?  How about posting some pics?

[Cees Klumper]

likely this is an engine transplant? One of my many spare engines is actually an injection block that was converted over to run with carburettors; the injector lines were welded closed and a custom-made plate covered the opening for the injection pump. So it is also possible this engine is the proper engine, but 'converted' in a similar manner. Anyway, the factory probably never intended this much less produced it, and the value of the car will be even less than it already is given the condition as you describe it. Maybe better to get it back to original set-up, unless you can find there is some important history to this particular car.

[PnHi]

Pictures would be interesting.

[Benz Dr.]

I someone was really serious about doing this a 280S engine would be a better choice. You woudn't have to mangle any IP lines.

[Frank Mallory]

I would be looking up the part numbers on those webers to see what they were originally spec'd for.

[Ferrolanoman]

I'd love to see some pics of a triple Weber equipped SL, either with the SL or the S engine (ian originally carburated engine?), as Dan suggests. Does anyone have access to some recent photos they could post. The intake manifold would be the difficult part since I suppose it would have to be fabricated from scratch.

[W113SL]

I actually considered doing this when I built a 230SL for vintage racing.  A 280S bock and head woiud be a better candidate.  One would need to create short runners to accept the triple dual throat Webers which would be similar to the side draft Webers as used on 190SL's as an aftermarket solution.  I often wondered if this would develop more horsepower than a properly set up MFI system.

I came to the conclusion that there really wasn't any advantage to switching over to carbs, although the early 911 guys do it all the time mostly out of ignorance in properly setting up the Bosch MFI system.

W113SL

[pagoden]

A trio of 48IDAs would give it nearly 1 3/4" of intake bore per cylinder, at least a reasonable place to start.  Larger than the manifold ID on our MFI intakes?  And there were plenty of those around Europe a decade or more before that car's baujahr.  The idea doesn't appeal much now, but back then it must have whetted the imagination....and looked pretty impressive, at least.

[glenn]

What's next??   Hybrid Pagodas?  EPA requiring all electric 113s?