Will the mighty V12 still get its factory power?
William Kaag has a hobby called Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupé. In 2017 he gave himself the car as a gift. He bit into The Beast and did maintenance and repairs himself. And how does that Benz perform with its V12? Well, that turned into a story with a tail.
William Kaag from Heerhugowaard embarked on an adventure with a 23-year-old S-class Coupé and makes it a point of honor to do everything possible on this classic car himself. Except for the MOT and things for which you need reading equipment. He does this without a bridge or garage. Just on stands or on the jack. The Mercedes is outside and William lets it out for a nice drive, or for a caravan holiday. He spent months looking for a towbar for his S-class Coupé V12. And no, that’s not crazy. “In this car from 1994, the holes for mounting the tow bar are neatly pre-drilled,” says William with a smile. That option of a towbar cost the sweet sum of 5,000 guilders at the time. “I can tell you that you get quite a bit of attention when you come to the campsite with your caravan and this car in front of it,” he says. Gosh, how weird!
1,000 euros in manuals about Mercedes S-class
William had a 1970 Volvo P1800 as a hobby car. He also did the maintenance himself. The North Hollander had a technical profession as an appliance technician, but that is something different from a car mechanic. “It’s a matter of reading yourself thoroughly and watching videos on the internet. I must have bought €1,000 worth of information about the S-class, manuals and such and read them thoroughly.”
Not a Mercedes man but it started to itch
The Volvo had to go because William needed money for a renovation. Then it started to itch again and this S came up. “I have to have something to do. I am retired but in the morning and in the afternoon I ride the bus to take people with disabilities somewhere.” William then tackled the wiring harness, starter motor, rubbers, oils, fog lamp, thermostat, spark plugs, the inside of the plastic wheel arches and the rear springs. “I am not a Mercedes man pur sang, but I became more and more enthusiastic about this car, how well thought out it was put together. And so quiet, which is not normal thanks to the triple glazing.”
V12 revving up, as if a Boeing is taking off
Then The Beast goes wild. Roller bank chief Ghisbert van Ginhoven revs the V12, it seems as if a Boeing is about to take off. But the German unfortunately does not feel like going to the extreme today. Something in the car intervenes and we don’t get maximum power or torque. A big setback and a dent in William’s ego. But he’s definitely coming back…
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl