Mercedes 300SL Gullwing at Bonneville Gives Us Salt Fever
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2024
- There are many ways to enjoy your toys, from driving, to racing, to keeping them in a collection, there are various avenues to gaining pleasure from what you own. For Bob Sirna, this comes from racing at the salt flats of Bonneville. Many different types of cars run at Bonneville, but Bob chooses a car that you wouldn't ever expect to be racing, let alone down a strip of metal-eating salt: a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. Now fetching over a million dollars, the 300SL is a car that you mainly see at a concourse or in a museum-not trying to break land speed records at Speed Week. For the last 12 years Bob has been bringing his Gullwing to the salt in an effort to break records and cure his "salt fever." Bob likes to say, "Enjoy your toys," and this is a motto we can stand behind.
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Its a race car! She is born to Race! Race cars are only happy when they go flat out with their headers on fire. Please stop the anorak discussion, he is happy. The SL is racing, and kept in the best of conditions. Driven and kept with love!
I like this guy and his philosophy. The car has history and continues to make history. If this car were a person it would be a base jumping pensioner!
agreed
'Came outta college, spent a year looking for one then bought it' Wish I could do the same in 2013! :(
I love his attitude about his car and life
I love the way this man thinks
you guys dont deserve to be tagged enthusiasts... HAIL TO THE OWNER, CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS STRAIGHT-6 GROWLS
Really like his attitude....Cars were designed to be used, not to sit in museums.
I have seen this guy and car race and it truly is a spectacle. I was amazed when I saw a 300SL going down the mile at amazing speeds.
even his voice sounds like an old car engine
This is what a Gullwing was originally designed for: going fast and looking good, while having fun doing it. This is what preservation is about!
Another great little film. To see a classic supercar being used as it was intended is marvellous. And to all those who say it should not be raced might reflect on the fact that, assuming no crashes, the car can always be returned to standard spec at any time. The chances of damage on the salt flats are probably no more (could be less) than on public roads so there's really no reason to leave the car in a museum.
Love it. There are countless restored cars that rarely see the light of day. Cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed. Car snobs are probably crying but the rest of us gear heads love nothing better than to see a car being worked on, maintained and used! It's a piece of metal - one day it WILL be gone. Enjoy it.
glass cabinet car did it ,smaashed the cabinet drive it now and puts a grin on my face every time and i pamper it like a new born ... love his philosophy ....born to drive ....
Amen to that message at the end!
I love it! Dont worry about breaking it or scratching it just how to enjoy it! Words i live by. If it breaks build it stronger is what i say!
The fact that it's top speed achieved thus far is left out of the story is very telling. It speaks to the director's values. Personally, I don't know any car guy who would cover a bonneville car and omit what the car achieved.
I think, having owned a 300 SL for decades, you might know Siegfried. I put on a vintage race, lunchtime show at Seattle International raceways in 1985. He brought out one of his 300s and managed to have a ball dicing with Shelbys and such....even spinning it twice! Dale Earnhart won the race that day and later tracked me down to say how much he enjoyed the intermission and said he had heard the week prior about the vintage race and looked forward to it all week. His enthusiasm leads me to think he was watching the SL!
I love this guy, his not hoarding his toys, and the sound of the car uffffff!!!!
Putting a car in a museum is like tying up a race horse because it's beautiful. The Gullwings were made to be fast and break records. I think the designers would have massive smiles if they saw this thing.
Mr. Bob Sirna, I salute you. I love your attitude and the way you treat your car. I absolutely agree that a car must be used. No matter what it is, how rare it is. YOLO!
It's a beautiful machine. I'm sure some purists out there would be outraged, but honestly, I think the Mercedes Engineers would be proud to see something like this racing 60+ years later. I love that he kept the original type engine. So many guys would just cheat it and switch to a newer motor that's easier to tune. I love it. It feels authentic and looks stunning. Amazing!
My hero right here. Probably going to grow up like him. You only live once, so drive the damn thing.
Those last sentences were so true
not were : ARE so true.
Guillaume Laplanche Exactly.
Welcome to Petrolicious, where passion outweighs sense, I kind of like it.
In joy your toys, truer words were never spoken
Truly a man who appreciates his cars, great cars dont just rest in show rooms, great cars are ment to be driven.
I see a 300SL as art, but this one takes the cake as the sweetest I've ever seen.
Bob's view on Life and the way he enjoys his car and the car hobby made my Tuesday!
Thanks Petrolicious for capturing that perspective in such a beautiful way - You Rule!
I love your car....I would love to have one someday. By using the 300SL to the fullest to enjoy life, YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION. No way that beauty will sit in the garage collecting dust.
this car( whatever you folks say) is great. have fun on the miracle mile .he is not afraid so why should you be for him owning it Mercedes is a racing company , rolling history right there .
well said. this Gullwing could not be any happier but running to its full potential
So good to see a car like this being DRIVEN not stuck in a museum or someones garage!
if that is my car i would make it my daily driver and park it in my living room to enjoy the beauty of it to the fullest :D
Great guy, treats the hardware right! This car is for driving, not for investment.The car even looks better than al the museum pieces.
I too liked the idea that she is not just a piece of jewelry.. rightly said ..just have fun !
Thumbs up for this man and his way of thinking. Seriously though, there are so many expensive and awesome cars owned by millionaires, but never driven, just standing in the garage catching dust. It's exactly as this guy says, if the car stays stationary for too long, it's actually getting worse. The rubber seals dry out, the belts dry out, the cylinder walls get dry of oil. Bad for the next start. Those cars are made to be driven, not standing still.
I put on a lunchtime show at the Winston West Nascar race at Seattle International Raceways. A group of vintage sports cars included a gull wing the the owner had a ball with...actually spinning it out twice in a twenty minute lunchtime race. Dale Earndhart won the Nascar race and enjoyed watching the lunchtime race, He told me that he had been looking foreward to it since the race in California where someone told him that there would be vintage sport racers.
My kind of guy, using this beautiful car
Damnit, these videos always make me cry.
This guy is a legend
To me, this one & Jay Lenno's SL are the best ones out there. Just the baddest look'n 300SL's on the planet!!!
"You do more damage to these cars not using them, than using them.."
That's a greattttttt line!!!! :)
Direct injection and 240hp from a NA 6 cylinder in 1954?? WOW!
Its nothing new. Electric cars where out in the 1900's, as where turbo cars in the 1910's-1920's, SOHC and DOHC in the 1920s. But when run mechanically and not electronically it doesnt work well for long term use aka reliability,
A NA inline 6 with 180 cu in.
Thank you mr delronozo. You have the right outlook on life.
The idea of the mechanical fuel injection was very good, and it worked well on larger bore aricraft engines. The reason why mercedes was able to build engines like that was due the nazis investments in mercedes` aircraft engines from the early 30s to end of ww2. Not only for Benz or Germany, but the knowledge gained by manufacturers these days stayed state of the art for years. I think horsepower doesent matter, just specific power and consumption show development, and fuel injection was a huge step on this. But - for the few cars equipped with that - it was actually a drawback. The complexity of the mechanical injection pump and its ifish tune up easily lead to a loss of specific power and consumption compared to carbs. I worked at a certified bosch injection center, even with a appropriate test bench, original spare parts, manufacturers guidelines and old collegues from back in the days this pump is a blast to get it working correctly. This pump is able to work at any air pressure, humidity, height, temperature, idle or full load - but it only does so in perfect condition. My dad worked on the 300s and 600s back in the days since he was responsible for tune up at a large benz workshop then, and by his explanations on getting these things running for customers i can tell by comparing his "tricks" on test bench conditions the pump was tuned beyond good and ugly. But - he actually compensated the effects of intense wear on the pump elements and the self-adjusting properties caused by the "Raumnocken Mechanik". But even though it ran, it easily exceeds 10% CO (below 10.8 afr somehow) on some conditions. Fact is, I never saw any of these cars getting to our shop tuned incredibly rich on idle, some of them also easily ran into frightingly lean on full duty. I think thats no different from the usa. So shorten things up - the idea on these was good, but, it was too complicated, ifish and expensive. I think thats the main reason this idea was practically a misconception and benz dropped the fuel injection till the late 80s, when the real breakthroug of injection came by electronics, which were able to control AFR with respect to mechanical wear. Just interest to share opinions :) Besides that - it is ridiculous beyond everything to turn especially a gullwing into a salt flat racer - I totally love this! Awesome conversion!
I would love to sit down and have a beer with this guy. He reminds me of my father
my uncle wilson adel, is the previous owner of this very car. his small brother(my dad) Is the guy who sold it to bob sirna in 2001.
Bad move
+Stefanos Konstantinidis i just confirmed n it was to another guy in bonneville. Deepest apologies to bob
Massive props to this guy.
Glad someone who can afford such car is putting it to good use, thank you!
That's awesome! I have a 95 740i with 82k original miles! Runs like a champ!
It takes monster cahones to modify and race a 300SL like this. I have a huge amount of respect for that! The car was meant to be driven; not parked in some museum. My dream is to own the highest mileage Ferrari 288 GTO or Porsche 2.7 RS in the world. Now I just need to be able to afford one.
His story hits close to home for me.
This video is beautiful, this guy knows how to live life!
Gotta love the guy's attitude!
Im looking though the comments and Im seeing things like "The car is dead" or "It's like a snuff film" or "ITS RUINED!!!!" and I have to ask, how? Seriously, how? Yeah it's a classic car, but so is an original A-Body Ford, yet few care about restoring those to mint condition. You dont see that many Challengers in museums, or that many Corvettes being driven carefully on the weekend, how come these cars dont get that comfort of people telling the owners "DONT DRIIIIVEEEE IT"
Why is this? Is it because we expect American cars to get driven into the dirt, then get dug up and driven some? Meanwhile Euro cars get treated like Royalty, and aren't expected to run anymore, but when they do, people go up and arms about it like with this car.
Personally, I think the car looks great. He kept the stance pretty much stock, along with the interiror save the roll-bar and extra saftey equipment that is required for salt racing, looks pretty damn good. No giant wing, no extra crap, no funky paint job. Swap out the wheels, take off the headlight covers and you have a stock looking car that is crash proof. This guy built the car he wanted to build, funded it and made it work. He's right, you cant take this crap to the grave, so play with it while you have it. But this isn't enough for some of you.
Most of you I can assume have never owned this car, right?
and you think it's ruined. This puzzles me.
+Plymouth Harrison
because its rare as fuck and costs up to and over a million $...
tehOGRE annnnnnnd this effects your life how?
Taking a 54 gullwing on salt, is this guy insane? But on the other hand THATS SO FRACKEN COOL!
This guy gets it. Cars can be fixed, its up to us to do our best to break them.
"This car is NOT a piece of jewelry, it was designed to be used, just like any other car in the world out there"
And for those who think he is the only one using his gullwing,please dont forget the late John Fitch, or HK engineering in Germany who race a pair of gullwings all the time on the historic circuits in Europe. Check out their vid of a seriously fast gullwing at the ring.
Exactly. It would be like using the bathroom, discovering you're out of toilet paper, and having to choose between a Monet and a magic eye poster...and choosing the Monet.
There is one question: HOW FAST DOES IT GO ?
I heard 195.
Fast i do believe 160mph
THESE THINGS ARE CARS.
No truer words have been said.
Love the car and what he is doing with it. Wish he hadn't missed that shift at the end either
That's a glorious sound
Can't believe how old some of these vids are and I'm just now seeing them.
You are the man Mr. Sirna!
I think this guy respects that rare car as much as he respects his body.
amazing fun... props to the guy for driving a car that deserves to be driven!
I never knew the day would come where Petrolicious produced a video that I did not thoroughly enjoy. Oh well, there's always next Tuesday.
Bob is doing it damn right!!
The guys who engineered these cars were real enthusiasts and I doubt if given an open salt flat and todays technology they would resist doing the same thing. Everyone crying needs to loosen their ties a bit. The only reason these cars are worth crazy money is because of bean counting Rolex wearing “collectors”. Car culture isn’t wine tasting. It’s innovative and sometimes shocking and brutal. This guy gets it
I need to start to live like this guy.
This is now an only 300SL Bonneville racer. One of a kind.
Great vid, love this guy. Makes me want to try harder at being less precious about my car. Drive it hard and enjoy!
That opening line - perfect! Awesome car. Another great vid.
Mad respect to Bob!
Nice philosophy, Mr Sirna!
Driven as Mercedes intended. Good for him. Nothing sadder then a car living its life in a bubble in some guys collection and the paint sun fading before it gets its first rock chip.
Same car as featured in "A Gullwing at Twilight" - The Bonneville ride of John Fitch.
Check it out.
Take it out and play with it!
Great episode!! Great car, great true car guy! I can't get enough of this series
Beautiful
Nice said....beautiful car
That jaguar idea you've got sounds like a bad ass ride
It is not as if this is the last Gullwing on earth. This man invested time an money on his dream car. He has the right to drive it the way he wants.
I also think that the engineers behind the Gullwing would be happy to see it competing at Bonneville.
What a woderful video, of a great guy having fun!
That sound, dear god its good.
sounds absolutely amazing!!!!
The last man on earth hooning a 300SL Gullwing.
Best advice i ever heared
I respect what he is doing. It is his car. So what if it is a 300SL gull wing.
Keep racing the clock Mr. Sima.
Wonderful Car
the only thing that counts is to live your dream!
It's beautiful
I hate to see a car like this modified. They are such works of art in original form. You have to love the guys attitude though. Remind me of some WWII film. "Men and their machines pushed to the limit" would read the synopsis. Brilliant.
Great attitude and a great car!
I love this guys attitude. Great video, awesome stuff.
"Enjoy your toys." Truth
I vote for driving it. What could be done to this car that couldn't be undone? Simply having the VIN number means that the car can't be totaled, so if he's been driving it for 30 plus years, then I hope he'll drive it for another 30 plus years. Anyway, who isn't tired of seeing perfect ones in magazines and in shows? It's nice to see one being used as it was meant to be.
Loved it.
Dear Petrolicious,
Whenever I log on to TH-cam, I always check your channel for a new upload first!