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NEWS
Tuner turns to classic restos
Pristine 1960s Mercedes cabriolet bags 'Best of Show' honours for BRABUSGermany's BRABUS is best known for its completely OTT modified Benzes with outrageous power and torque outputs, but the Bottrop-based tuner and customiser has is now also turning its attention to the lucrative business of restoring classics.
BRABUS highlighted its latest push into the restoration business with a dedicated display at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Now a W111 Series Mercedes 280 SE Cabriolet restored by the company has snared the "Best of Show" award at the Emirates Classic Car Festival recently held in Dubai.
Restored from the ground up by BRABUS Classic, the flawless Merc drop-top staved off the challenge of 330 other vehicles participating in the classic and vintage-car expo.
The "Best of Show" award was presented by Dr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA Vice-President and President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates.
If you have a close look at the accompanying images, it's not hard to see why the pristine Mercedes bagged the award, as it's the result of 1800 hours of painstaking labour by the BRABUS craftsmen and technicians, who disassembled the car down to the last screw before rebuilding it from the ground up.
In the process all parts were inspected and catalogued, unserviceable components were discarded and components that were suitable for reconditioning, such as chrome parts, were replated and returned to mint condition.
The bodywork was also stripped back to bare metal and any dents and dings were beaten out by master panel beaters. It was then treated to a catalytic dip primer coating.
Perfect corrosion protection using cutting-edge technology to protect the paint was also part of the scope of the restoration as was a flawless paint job in the original grey beige metallic colour.
The fuel-injected 2.8-litre inline six-cylinder engine was also completely disassembled in the BRABUS engine shop and all parts were measured for compliance to factory specs. The rebuilding process included grinding and honing the cylinders as well as overhauling the cylinder head.
The BRABUS powertrain technicians used the same precision in overhauling the automatic transmission, driveshaft and differential of the 280 SE Cabriolet.
Meanwhile, the BRABUS suspension engineers set to work on the suspension and brakes, replacing all components with new parts to ensure optimal active safety.
BRABUS already has plenty of experience of reupholstering interiors from its vehicle-modification business, and this expertise was also required for the 280 SE, which features an immaculately stitched tonneau cover and leather trim in the original 'tobacco' colour.
Painstaking attention was also paid to other interior details, such as the wood inlays in the cockpit, which were restored to mint condition by the Brabus finish carpenters.
After work in the various departments was completed, the 280 SE Cabriolet was reassembled by the BRABUS Classic specialists. Naturally, all seals and gaskets were replaced along with worn mechanical parts.
The BRABUS press release doesn't mention how much the full resto cost, but it's a safe bet that craftsmanship of this standard comes at a princely premium. That said, at least all ground-up rebuilds by the German concern are backed by two-year BRABUS Classic Warranty with unlimited miles.
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Written byGautam Sharma
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