Vehicle Description
1970 Mercedes Benz 350 SE Cabriolet (Dammerman Collection)
Lot#240
What a story this car has to tell. Originally a 280 SE with a six
cylinder engine, this car has undergone a complete restoration and
after 20 months of work and meticulous attention to detail it is
now in better than new condition.
The Mercedes 280 SE cabriolet is seen by some automotive writers as
the classiest Mercedes ever built, perfectly at home in front of
European casinos and high end restaurants. Unfortunately it was
beautiful but an under achiever when it came to performance thanks
to that 2.8 liter six cylinder engine.
Noted restoration expert Bob Ensign of Albany was given the task
initially of converting this car for better performance with a more
powerful Mercedes 3.5 liter V8. However, once he got into the car
he discovered all was not well beneath a beautiful exterior. There
was serious rust hidden in the complex chassis and body
structures.
Owner Dennis Dammerman decided to go ahead with a complete
restoration including buying a M-B 280SE coupe with the 3.5-liter
V8 to serve as a donor car.
So the cabriolet received a total rotisserie rebuild with careful
attention to the chassis structure, replacing and rebuilding rust
areas and weak members. The body was stripped to bare metal and
then repainted with two coats of primer, three base coats and three
coats of clear. It was repainted in a metallic blue that really
compliments the cabriolet.
All chrome was redone and new leather dyed to match the original
color and installed in the interior of the car. The top's frame was
rebuilt and a new cloth top with headliner fabricated in a color to
match the interior leather.
The 3.5-liter SOHC V8 with 200 h.p. proved to be in good condition
as was the attached 4-speed automatic transmission but they were
cleaned and the drive shaft painted and balanced.
The full story of this cabriolet's rebirth can be found in the
November 2010 edition of Hemmings Sports and Exotic car
magazine.
With the 3.5 liter V8 this beautiful cabriolet is a stunning
example of what can be accomplished when a dedicated owner and
master restorer unite to build a stunning classic automobile that
is now truly better than new.
ESTIMATE: $45,000-$55,000
