December 20th, 2011  Posted at   Classic Cars
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Contrary to what most car owners think, cleaning the throttle body of a car merely takes minor efforts and an hour or two of one’s time. In fact, once you have cleaned the body of your Audi or Volkswagen, your vehicle will exert a better performance and drivability, particularly in the area of idle and throttle response.

In due course, one should expect that his car’s throttle body would suffer from corrosion brought by carbon and dried out oil, which can significantly create a disadvantageous effect on the airflow and throttle response of the car. Primarily, you need the right tools in cleaning it, and these tools are mainly household apparatus such as a 5 mm hex key or Allen head, flathead screwdriver, carburetor cleaner, rag, cotton swabs, paper, vacuum hose, and gasket (optional).

Once you have prepared all the necessary tools, you initially have to pull off a side of the vacuum hose on the apex of your car’s body, and unscrew the hose clamp by means of a screwdriver or pliers. Afterward, remove the intake hose from the throttle body, and put it aside in order for you to focus on the wire harness. Using a flathead screwdriver, you need to remove the wire harness, and proceed to the next step. However, if you are having a difficulty on how to unscrew it, you may put your screwdriver into a harness clip and continue with the procedure.

The next step is to get your 5 mm Allen head or hex key, and loosen the four screws that attaches the body to your car’s intake manifold. As soon as you remove these screws, you will realize that it is merely simple to take the throttle body off your car. At this instant, you can now wipe away all the carbon and dried oil in the throttle body through a carburetor cleaner and a rag. Usually, this takes fifteen to twenty minutes of cleaning, depending on your technique and the amount of dirt in the throttle. Read more… »

December 19th, 2011  Posted at   Classic Cars

The Mercedes Benz 300 Adenauer (1951 – 1962)

In today’s automotive world, the number 300 might not mean too much anymore, but a few decades back it had a very special appeal. Chrysler used it in the US for its famous and fast Chrysler 300 series, which was first introduced in 1955 as the C-300. It used a V8 hemi 331 cu in engine and was called 300, because it developed 300 hp.

In Germany, the name 300 was made famous by Daimler-Benz, who used it for their top luxury car introduced in 1951, the 300 Adenauer Benz. Here the name 300 was not used because of its horsepower but because of the 3.0 l (183 cu in) engine displacement. When it was launched in April 1951 at the Frankfurt Automobile Show the Benz caused such a sensation that mounted police had to be called in to manage the enthusiastic crowd.

But it was not only the general public who liked the car, it was the press who said after testing it that it should be considered as “international automotive extra class”. That impression was supported by the lucky customers, who were able to afford the Mercedes Benz 300. Because at a price of 19,900.- DM ($4,720.-) it was certainly also from a financial point of view extra class. In the US the 300 was introduced in 1953 and cost around $6,500.-. The priciest sedan in the US was at that time the Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood. At “only” $5,820.- it must be considered a bargain, given the fact that it had a 5.4 l (331 cu in) V8 engine with 210 brake horsepower and an overall length of 6.0 meters (236.5 in).

The Mercedes Benz, in comparison, delivered with its six-cylinder engine 115 DIN hp and offered an overall length of 4.95 meters (194.9 in). Nevertheless, its breathtaking price offered exclusivity and some of its famous owners such as Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, Yul Brunner, Anthony Quinn, King Gustaf Adolph of Sweden, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Aga Khan sure didn’t complain about it. Pope John XXIII even had a special Pullman Landaulet delivered to his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo in 1960. It was not the first time in the history of Mercedes that a pope had ordered a special built vehicle and it was also not the last time. The most famous owner must have been the first German chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who had during his tenure six of them. As a matter of fact the Ben was so closely associated with the chancellor that the whole series is still today called the 300 Adenauer. Read more… »

December 18th, 2011  Posted at   Classic Cars

The 190SL (1955 – 1963)

Without Max Hoffman, famous New York based importer of cars, the history of Mercedes would have probably never shown a 190SL. But when Hoffman entered into an agreement to sell the 300SL in the United States, he asked the Daimler-Benz management to have in addition a similar car with a smaller engine and a lower price tag. The prototype was shown alongside the 300 SL Gullwing at the New York Auto Show in February 1954. As the response was very positive, it was decided to go ahead and prepare the new car for series production. Max Hoffman was right, the 190SL would find a sufficiently large customer base.

More than a year after its first introduction, the 190SL was finally presented in March 1955 at the Geneva Motor Show. Its base price in Germany was 16,500.- DM ($4,125.-). Its starting price in the U.S. was slightly less than $4000.-, making it more expensive than the Jaguar XK140. In memory of the Silver Arrows racing cars the 190SL was in its initial year only available in silver metallic.

Its engine was a fairly advanced four-cylinder 1.9 l (116 cu in) inline version, which was originally developed in its basic concept for the 180 ponton sedan. It had a chain-driven overhead camshaft with two Solex 44PHH governor downdraft carburetors and developed 105 hp at a relatively high 5.700 rpm. The 190SL could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h or 60mph in 14.4 seconds and gave a respectable top speed of 172 km/h or 108 mph.

Petrol consumption was fairly moderate with an average of close to 9 liters for 100 km, which equaled some 26 mpg. Also the 65-liter or 17 gallons tank proved to be quite adequate. Although never officially advertised, the car could be ordered with four different gear ratios: 3.70:1, 3.89:1, 3.90:1 and 4.10:1. The 3.90:1 was the most common one, as it offered the best balance between acceleration and top speed.

The car has always been compared with the more powerful 300SL, but there never really was a need for that. It did not have the muscles of this pure thoroughbred, but its quality and sophistication was the same. For some its road holding ability was even better. There was broad agreement at the time that the car could do with a more powerful engine to match the “S” for sport in the name of the SL, but resources in Stuttgart had been limited to finish this project. A larger engine had to wait for a successor model. Read more… »