Pages 29-35

DIPLOMAT’S
HOTROD
(a.k.a. “The Most Expensive
Doghouse”)
by John Olson, M-100
Group Member
THE FIRST 116 BODY
sedans reaching customers
in 1972 sparked rumors of a
second generation 6.3 on
the new body. Manfred
Sittmann, a prominent
German diplomat and
senator with many friends at
Mercedes-Benz went a step
further requesting a station
wagon version. MB
engineers were not keen on
the idea as the Type 116
was the first Mercedes
placing its gas tank over the
rear axle for greater safety, and
they had a major home run on
their hands without special
requests; over 317,000 were
built from 1972 through 1981.
The 116 series, with its many
engine choices was more
responsible than any other car
in displacing Cadillac as the
“standard of the world.”
Just as production of the new
SE and SEL were underway
and Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s
engineers put their minds on a
new “banker’s hotrod” the
energy crisis struck the western
world. While Americans waited
in gas lines, customers in
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia lined
up for 6.9s. Stuttgart finally
made 474 deliveries in 1975;
many to wealthy middle-eastern
households ordered them by
the half dozen. Over 3,500
were sold worldwide before the
first quiet American deliveries in
late 1977.
During 1977 DLP. Sittmann got
his wish when 6.9 SEL #2255
was shipped by MercedesBenz to a karosserie in Bremen
specializing in custom and
prototype bodies named
Autumn 2003
Brinkmann and completed as
you it see here. The car’s MB
build card includes code “992”
which translates to “encoded
special versions.” The original
“Fahrzeugbrief” (title) suggests
it was at Bremen for 10 months
and released on January 27,
1978. Curb weight of the
finished car was raised in the
documents by 298.1 lbs. to
4,564 lbs., which probably
makes sense when subtracting
the rear window, truck lid and
surrounding metal from the
resulting vehicle.
Several 350SEL wagons may
have been built at the same
time according to the second
owner and importer of the car
to the USA, John Pearcy, of
Dallas Texas. There are also
photographs of 280 SEL
wagons (116 Body) built in
Westerham, England by a
company called Crayford at this
website:
http://mbspy.bacosys.be/w116.
htm
Shortly After Delivery of
#2255, Auto, Motor und
Sport, the German motor
sports magazine learned of the
car and requested an interview
and photo shoot. During this
session Manfred Sittmann
explained that he wanted a
wagon as he always traveled
with two large dogs. Later the
magazine’s feature on the car
was headlined “Die teuerste
Hundehütte” [The Most
Expensive Doghouse].
Sittmann used the car and a
companion Rolls Royce Silver
Spirit for family entourages to
Italy. A by-product of those
expeditions is a heavy chain by
the driver’s seat literally welded
to the frame to serve as a
supplemental steering-wheel
lock. There is also a secret
compartment for a pistol.
The Car’s American Life
Began when Dallas Realtor
John Pearcy saw the car in an
October 1984Robb Report ad
offering the world’s fastest
station wagon (well, maybe in
1977 or 1984). After verified the
car’s provenance Mr. Pearcy
took delivery in Paris in
February 1985. Records
accompanying the car show he
insured his subsequent oceanic
shipment to Houston for
$50,000.
p. 29
Pearcy used the car for
pampered his clientele for four
years before becoming
enamored with alternatives. He
ran two ads in AUTO WEEK,
almost a year apart. Perhaps it
was destiny for me as I
accidentally saw both ads even
though not subscribing to the
magazine at that time. After
assuring myself that DOT, EPA
and Customs release papers
were in order we agreed on a
price and the car was shipped
to Minneapolis in March 1990.
At that point it had 101,200
miles but thanks to very good
care showed only a fraction of
it.
I immediately installed a Class
III (5,000 lb capacity) hitch to
trailer my 1959 300SL to
vintage racing events as I had
done with my previous 6.9
sedan (which now lives in
Greenwich, CT). Because all
Mercedes-Benz have accident
absorbing body structures the
hitch was anchored by licensed
expert to the rear axle
suspension points as well as
the rear body. The self-leveling
suspension is ideal for
trailering.
I’ve added 60,000 enjoyable
miles in 14 years including
approximate 25% with trailer.
The Type 116 Body, nicknamed
the “Ponzerwagen Project”
(armored car) by MB engineers,
coupled with the 6.9 liter dry-
sump V8 (larger than MB’s
V12) is overbuilt in every
respect. The car hardly knows
when the trailer is connected.
My usage, beyond average,
has required minimal repairs;
only a differential and steering
box (both exchanges from Star
Motors), and the requisite
alternator, water pump and
starter. The hydropneumatic
system has
required
one pump
(before I
learned they
can be
rebuilt with
an $18 kit),
two struts
(in the same
corner - the
first new
strut was
faulty) and
one round
of nitrogen
chambers.
That’s it.
I love the
hydropneum
atic
suspension
though
you’ve
probably
Autumn 2003
p. 30
spotted my two unauthentic
enhancements. These pictures
show two sets of wheels. The
alloys are Belgium made 16 x
7.5 MB clones with 23mm
offsets (24 + or - 1 mm is
obligatory). This combine with
225 x 16 x 60 V-Rated
Continental
“ContiExtremeContact” tires, is
within 3.2% of original 215
diameter (based on odometer
corrections) but brings tire
technology forward two
decades! Ownership of two
6.9s has never sold me on
MB’s original 14 inch wheel or
enough to suppress the
aesthetic sacrilege.
tire choices. I find that all
suspension systems “expect”
some of the ride to come from
the tires. Michelins, even the
famous, popular (and
expensive) XWX, could not
pass simple cracks in the
pavement without announcing
them. Today’s tires, especially
Yokohoma’s AVS db S2 and
the above mentioned
Continental, are remarkably
quieter with no sacrifice in grip
or side wall firmness when
driven aggressively. I confess I
regularly find my second set of
wheels and tires rewarding
My wife Solveig loves our
Ponzer-wagen too. We just
returned from a 4,400 mile 15
state fall foliage trip into New
England (no trailer this time)
and averaged 15.3 miles per
gallon with a high on one tank
of 16.8. Everyone is blown
away when we tell them it is 27
years old. We are too.
John R. Olson, Minneapolis
Welcome New Members, since our last LodeStar issue!
We hope you’ll join soon, at one of our upcoming events.
Group Membership is now over 280 (a growth of more than 30 since our last issue)
Francis
Walter
Paul
John
David
Bret
Allan
John
Jeff
Edwin
Charles
Rene
Autumn 2003
Abate
Darmetko
Sorokin
Woolls
Blackmore
Boutet
Caldwell
Cegelski
Elghanayan
Fernando
Hart
Wiegand
Steamboat Springs
Peabody
Mountain View
Canterbury
Wellington
San Francisco
Camarillo
San Antonio
Laguna Beach
Fullerton
Rockville Center
Burlingame
CO
MA
CA
Kent
CA
CA
TX
CA
CA
NY
CA
USA
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England
New Zealand
USA
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USA
USA
USA
p. 31
The Impulse
We're all guilty of this: We're
browsing the aisles (or
surfing the web) at our
favorite auto-detailing supply
vendor, when we spot a new
product, or we see a product
that we'd heard good things
about from our friends and
associates. With the cash
burning a hole in our pocket,
we grab (or click on) the item
and rush to the checkout
aisle.
[Editor’s Note: This article,
from the Volume I, 2002
edition of “Guru Reports”, is
being reprinted by
permission. Guru Reports
conducts comprehensive
tests of automotive related
products and compiles the
results into a series of
published reports. Guru
Reports has a very strict no
advertising policy to assure
complete integrity and
unbiased results from their
tests. More information is
available at
www.gurureports.org or
866.893.9852. Since most of
detail our own vehicles, we
felt these tips would be of
interest to our readers.]
Thanks to M-100 Group
Member Karl Middelhauve
for making this article
available to the LodeStar.
Autumn 2003
We race home, and even
though our car may not be
dirty (or in need of a detail),
we break out the soap, hose,
wash-mitt, towels, and all of
the other goodies and
eagerly go to work. With the
car washed and ready, we
prepare to try out our brand
new product. Visions of a
mantle full of car show
trophies fill our head as we
grab the new product. We
take a few minutes to read
the directions, then we apply
it, remove it, and... hold on!!
What happened?? As they
say, "Results may vary”.
What happened? How did
your friend get spectacular
results when they used it,
while your car is just sitting
there, looking worse than it
ever did before? Well, as the
old adage goes, "90%
preparation, 10% execution."
The same holds true for
polishing and waxing-quite
often, technique is the key to
a quality job. Perhaps
someone you know is using
a $2.99 product from the
grocery store, and is
experiencing tremendous
results. Are they doing
something you aren't? They
most likely are.
Preparation
This is an often overlooked
step by most folks, and it's a
shame that it doesn't receive
more attention. Preparing
your car before waxing it
provides the foundation for
the wax that you're about to
apply-the wax will only
reveal what lies beneath it. If
your vehicle's surface is dull,
scratched, pitted, and in
generally poor condition, the
wax will not give .very good
results. Take some time to
properly clean and polish
your vehicle before waxing.
The results may shock you.
Before you begin polishing
your vehicle, it should be
clean and dry, and free of
any dust or other
contaminants. With the car
clean, dry and cool, you're
ready to start the pre-wax
preparation. Remember -cool paint -- it's very
important that your car's
paint is cool to the touch.
The first thing you will need
to do is evaluate your
vehicle's condition. What
does the paint look like?
How does it feel? Is it dry,
dull and chalky? Is it pitted,
etched or stained? Is it
smooth, or does it feel gritty?
Take a few minutes to
examine the paint, and form
a general assessment.
Obviously, most prep
products are abrasive in one
manner or another, and we
always try to use the least
abrasive products for the
job. However, there are
times that we'll need to really
p. 32
"get after it" and use an
abrasive product… we just
aren't in the habit of breaking
out the sandpaper with every
detail job.
If your paint is in really poor
shape (it's dry, chalky,
orange peeled, etched,
pitted, stained and feels like
a sheet of 80 grit sandpaper
when you run your hand
over it), you're going to need
to put some effort into
reviving it. Here are some
tips for really dead paints.
• Use a Random Orbital
Buffer. You'll get much
better results than you
would with hand application.
• Work top-to-bottom. This
will maximize the efficiency
of your buffer, and will
prevent you from
accidentally doing more
damage to the vehicle
through transferring dirt
particles from one surface
to another.
Work in the shade. The sun is
thine sworn enemy when it
comes to prep work. Make
sure the vehicle is cool to
the touch as well. Heat will
"bond" the prep products to
the vehicle, making them
nearly impossible to remove.
A high quality paint cleaning
clay will really clean up the
paint. After a single pass
with the clay, you'll notice
that your once-gritty paint
suddenly feels smoother
than the proverbial baby's
posterior.
After claying, use the least
aggressive compound that
Autumn 2003
will effectively clean your
vehicle. Meguiar's Body
Shop Professional Dual
Action Cleaner Polish works
great for most vehicles, or
you can try 3M's Finesse It ll.
We like to apply these
products with a foam pad.
When the applicator
becomes dirty or caked with
compound, switch to a clean
applicator.
If you need to give the
compound a little extra
"oomph," try spraying a little
distilled water on the
applicator, or mist it directly
on the surface you're
working on. The water will
give the product a little extra
aggressiveness (contrary to
popular belief).
Never apply a
polish/compound in a
circular motion. Always use
straight lines that mimic the
airflow pattern over your
vehicle. This will minimize
swirls.
Work in small sections at a
time. For example, when
prepping a hood, divide it
into quarters -- split it down
the center, and then split it
across the middle. This
should give you an area no
bigger than 3 feet x 3 feet
When applying a
compound/polish, continue
to work it in after it has
hazed. Keep buffing until
almost all of the residue is
removed. Then, switch to a
clean towel and remove any
remaining residue. This will
ensure that the abrasives
have broken down &
diminished, and will leave
you with a nearly swirl free
finish.
Start mild and work your way
to more aggressive. It's
better to gradually remove
the dead paint than it is to
apply fresh paint!
If your paint is in fairly
decent shape (slightly gritty,
nor as shiny as it used to be,
has a few fine scratches
here and there), you can
probably use a product that's
a little more gentle than the
ones we listed above. We
like Meguiar's Body Shop
Professional Swirl Free
Polish, 3M's Swirl Mark
Remover, Meguiar's Body
Shop Professional #9 Swirl
Mark Remover version 2.0,
and Zymol's HD Cleanse. All
of these products are safe
enough to use 2-3 times per
year on most vehicles.
If your paint is in nearly
perfect shape and you're
looking to add a little more
gloss, depth and clarity, try
P21S Paintwork Cleansing
Lotion, or Griot's Machine
Polish #3. Both of these
products are very gentle
cleaners that will really make
your paint shine and glow.
You can also use them as a
follow-up to the more
aggressive products that
were listed earlier, and the
tips that were outlined earlier
apply to these products as
well.
p. 33
Waxing
Wax in a straight line,
following the pattern that air
would pass over the vehicle.
for an additional 30 minutes
after they've hazed. The
manufacturer usually knows
The nation's new favorite
pastime? Probably not-but it
was worth a try.
Armed with the information
that we've shared with you
throughout the pages of this
publication (“Guru Reports”,
Vol. 1, 2002 – ed.), you
should be able to find at
least one wax that suits your
needs based on cost,
durability, availability, overall
performance and general
ease of use. Once you have
that wax in your possession,
it's time to go to work. Here
are a few tips that should
help you achieve better than
average results.
Work in the shade, and try to
avoid direct sunlight. As we
mentioned in the above, the
sun is your enemy. The heat
will accelerate the rate at
which the wax cures to your
paint, and will make
removing the product very,
very difficult
Make sure the vehicle is
clean and dry before
applying any wax. Dust, dirt
and grime will lead to swirls,
scratches and marring.
Work in small sectionsdivide your hood into
quarters, so that each
section that's being waxed
doesn't exceed 2.5' x 2.5'.
Use as little product as you
possibly can. A little goes a
long way. Gone are the days
of slopping on half a tin of
wax or sealant. Efficient use
of the product means you
won't have to buy it as often,
and it will make buffing and
removal all the easier.
Autumn 2003
Waxing in circles (despite
what Mr. Miagi may have
told Danielson) only leads to
swirl marks.
Give your wax applicator a
light misting of distilled water
or your favorite quick
detailer. This will help the
applicator glide over the
surface, which ultimately
helps you apply the product
evenly and sparingly.
Pay close attention to the
manufacturer's suggestions
for cure times. Some waxes
don't need to hazel/cure at
all, while others need to sit
best, so pay attention to
.their instructions.
Save your finest, most soft
towel (microfiber or natural
fiber) for the final buffing.
Turn the towel frequently
and try to buff using straight
lines (like you did with
applying the wax). Give the
towel a good shake every
once in a while (away from
the vehicle) to help clean it
while you're buffing.
Follow-up your final buffing
with a light mist of quick
detailer or distilled water.
This will help to remove any
p. 34
streaking that might have
occurred, and will give a little
bit of extra "wow" factor to
the job.
Apply trim & tire dressings
before you wax. That way, if
the wax you're using tends
to stain trim pieces, the
dressing will minimize the
effect that the wax might
have on the trim. It also
prevents stray dressing gunk
from finding it's way to your
freshly waxed vehicle.
Wax your headlights, grille
and front bumper (not the
plastic trim). It will help keep
bugs from sticking to them.
So, there you have it.
Everything you need to know
to impress your friends and
neighbors. Perhaps the best
part about waxing your
vehicle is that it's fun to
experiment and try new
things. We're always
searching for ways to
improve our waxing
experience, so if you have a
tip that we've missed, make
sure and share it will us at
tips@gurureports.org.
[Ed. – Again, thanks to
“Guru Reports” and Karl
Middelhauve for making this
article available to us]
Chandelier Tree, Leggett, California
315 Feet Tall, Diameter 21 Feet
Age, approx. 2400 years -And one of Karl’s 600s
Stately, large, and enduring
(the 600 takes a little care, while the
tree is best left alone)
Autumn 2003
p. 35