1980 450SL troubles

If the body and both tops are in great shape, you didn't get ripped. As for the slow acceloration, that is normal. It is a 3750 pound car with only 160hp.

It's a V8 that only produces 160HP? My 1968 Buick produces 285HP... That is the small block model too. My big block car produces 340HP...

Marty

Mr. Joseph,

Are you aware of the displacement of the 450Sl? Do you remember the EPA-Choked early 80's?

450 SL is approx. 274 cuIn V8 (4.5litre)... Ealrier 450's, before the left-wing tree-huggers got a hold of it also pushed over 200Hp, at around 225... True, these cars were never hotrods, but the late 80's did give us the 560Sl, 340+cuIn, 229HP 279lbFt torque... A vast improvement from the mid-80's I'd say. Still, no HP monster by any means, but quite more than adequate to move the 3800lb car pertly along, and rather quickly off line as well.

My 71 Cutlass with a 350 makes about 260 hp, while a 70 model of the same engine make 325. By 1972 the Olds 350 V8 was down to 160hp.

Those early cars does not have standardized HP rating so they always seems higher than current engine spec.

Not uncommon for emission controlled cars. I had a 1974 Camaro that came with a 350 4bbl. and it had *155* HP so that is actually worse as far as HP to displacement in a "muscle" car than the Mercedes.

Bernard

Crazy, I never would have guessed they fell off that much. I knew the compression ratios went down when the Super premium gas stopped being

96 Octane(after 1970), but I had no idea the output fell so far. I think my Buicks are 10.25 to 1, and then by the mid 70's these V-8 had fallen to compression ratios of about 8.5 to 1.

I always thought that the increased efficency of fuel injection and electronic control combined with superior machine work would mean higher output, but I guess that doesn't cover it...

Is the 1980 450SL fuel injected? I would think so...

Marty

Drop one into an SL then.

The car is meant to cruise all day at 120 mph, not to win

1/4 mi burnouts.

Jah. The way it was explained to me, if GM saud an engine was "245 hp" that means somewhere in a lad there was an engine once that hit 245hp". If MB said "245hp" it means if you pulled all the motors coming out of the plant and found the weakest one it would still do at least 245HP.

I have no idea if this is true or not but it sounds about right.

sdp1 wrote

From a couple of web sites:

In comparing measurements expressed in horsepower, it is

important to consider not only which definition of

horsepower is being used, but also the specifications for

the conditions under which the engine is to be tested.

For example, prior to 1971, the figures American

automobile manufacturers gave for engine horsepower were

taken from tests of engines running on test stands

without mufflers or other impediments. Today the engine

horsepower numbers are for the engine as installed in the

car, which is roughly a third lower than the test stand

figure.

--------------------------------------------------------- Horsepower is a measurement used to measure how much

power an engine develops. Today's horsepower rating is

called S.A.E. Net. The Society of Automotive Engineers

put this standard in effect when automakers began

bragging about horsepower numbers in the 1960s. Those

numbers were based on engines with no power steering,

alternator or other driven accessories attached. Today's horsepower numbers are more accurate,

representing what one truly will get in an automobile.

Horsepower is measured with accessories, such as the oil

and water pump, attached to the engine.

---------------------------------------------------------

Bob Moore

1980 300SD