This 1970 Mercedes 280 SE may look like the usual predecessor of the S-Class but the AMG badge on the back tells you it’s something special. Take out the hood of a sedan made over half a century ago and you’ll find a much newer engine. Matt Kwiek managed to fit a modern AMG V8 into the W108 he originally bought to get away from his marriage. The original engine was rather thirsty in terms of oil consumption and had to be replaced with a more powerful unit.
This is a 280 SE imported from Germany and uses a Mercedes engine mount to match the V8 sourced from the 2001 AMG S55. The 5.4-liter naturally aspirated unit produces around 400 horsepower which is channeled to the rear axle via a six-speed manual gearbox that borrowed from the 2004 Chrysler Crossfire. As a refresher, the sports coupe comes during the ill-fated DaimlerChrysler era and is largely based on the Mercedes SLK.
But wait, there’s more. Upper Equipment also given the opportunity to see another car made by Matt Kwiek. The 1978 Mercedes 280 CE wearing a wide body steel kit was also equipped with the same engine but in supercharged form to produce 450-500 horsepower. Apart from the engine transplant from the 2003 CL55 AMG, the sports coupe features overhauled suspension, LSD and stick shift. It’s basically the Black Series from the late 1970s.
Some might consider restomods to be sacrilegious, but both cars still have Mercedes engines, only much more modern. We think combining classic styling with a powerful powertrain is the best of both worlds, especially since the car received additional modifications to make the extraordinary combination work seamlessly.
