Finnie with a V8

[Des]

Finnie Benz with a 450SE V8 fitted, looks like it should have left the factory like that.

 

[Michel]

Boy.. that looks nice and clean...

And it's RED

 

[B13]

Its always been my opinion that MB did itself a big disservice to itself in the 1960s but not offering a medium-sized V8 to its regular cars.... I bet many potential finny and W108 (prior to the 280SE 3.5 and 4.5) buyers felt the big inline six cylinder on offer was competent, but hardly white knuckle inducing.

The W108 280SE and SEL 4.5 experience in the USA proved far beyond expectations how much the market would accept a normal sized MB with a V8...and a normal price tag. The 280SE/L 4.5 was only on the market for like 2 years but sold in staggering numbers.

Fortunately for us W116 fans MB had a major change in thinking about what should power a normal-sized normal-priced sedan and made the 116 with 3 V8 offerings and only two 6-cyl offerings.

 

[Des]

Sounds like Ian you are after a 280SE 6.9!

 

[Des]

more:

 

[John S]

Well it has the 6.9 badge but it also has plain aluminum cam covers?

 

[B13]

Well it has the 6.9 badge but it also has plain aluminum cam covers?

Maybe the owner didn't like the matte black textured finish of the 6.9 covers...

Other tell-tale signs its a 6.9 engine:

Ingition-lead holders are toward the front of the cam covers
No oil filler in either cam cover
No dipstick
Awkward looking M100 water pump

I.

 

[Michel]

Well it has the 6.9 badge but it also has plain aluminum cam covers?

Mine are not black either..

 

[John S]

B13, have a look at the first lot of photos posted, the RH side cam cover shows an oil filler position. Could it be a hybrid?

 

[Des]

Wonder why they (the red finnie ppl) used a short nose/round headlight finnie.

I didn't even realise there was different types of finnies, other than the engine and trans differences...

 

[Michel]

I didn't even realise there was different types of finnies, other than the engine and trans differences...

You have 'S' class Finnies and normal ones..

 

[Des]

You have 'S' class Finnies and normal ones..

Well there you go!
Seriousely I had never noticed that before, so obvious when they are side by side though!

thanks

Des

 

[Michel]

Well there you go!
Seriousely I had never noticed that before, so obvious when they are side by side though!
thanks
Des

It's like the early pontons with the 180/190 and then the 220S..

 

[Des]

Yes you can see how the design evolved, the round headlight version looks like a ponton and then similar headlights to the other car were used on the W108

 

[Michel]

Yes you can see how the design evolved, the round headlight version looks like a ponton and then similar headlights to the other car were used on the W108

And later on , when the 108 were out, the 115 took over