When Stephen, an AMG specialist from Curated Vintage Supercars paid a visit to the guys at RENNTech to check out a few projects they were finishing off, we got a peak at some amazing AMGs of old. The goal was to check out some of these beauties and see the progress that was being made so that Curated could deliver them to its customers. And then to check out their contestant for the Miami Concours. The Miami Concours is an open registration event that happens every year in Miami’s design district. It has been going on for six years now, and it features the most significant post-war automobiles ever produced.
RENNTech's help was paramount for Curated Vintage Supercars to finish their AMGs on time. The challenge with early AMGs is finding parts. You have to remember that AMG was founded by two former Mercedes Engineers, Erhard Melcher, and Hans Werner Aufrecht way back in 1967.
While their original intent was to make racing engines, they soon found a higher demand for upgrading a stock, Mercedes. A lot of their original parts were borderline race prototypes. And they didn’t have the manufacturing and engineering backing that Mercedes had. So when Curated Vintage ran into issues with some of the parts from their customer’s AMGs, a lot of it had to be custom-made. And that’s where RENNTech stepped in to help.
A Tour Through Some Of The Best AMG Models From The Past
Right from the beginning of the tour, we were graced with a black SL 74 Stroker engine. A stroker engine is an engine that has its displacement increased by increasing the piston stroke. The car featured interior and exterior modifications. This example featured a carbon fiber hood with grafted vents to direct air to the larger radiator taken from an S-Class. And it also featured titanium colored intake manifold that’s distinctive to RENNTech’s intake manifolds. This SL 74 had RENNTech’s big brake kit along with period-accurate OZ Racing Wheels. For the interior, this car received the Bird’s Eye Maple trim finish, along with custom leather seats.
Next up was one of Curated’s own projects. A true USA-built SEC AMG wide body. It features a 6.0 liter, 4 cams V-12 engine. And it has all the paperwork to prove its originality. It’s a first-generation model with full metal bodywork from the USA since AMG was closed down Stateside at that time. The paint is still the original 040 black according to “AMGenius” Stephen from Curated Vintage Supercars. On this particular project, they’re going for a complete rebuild of the engine and suspension bushings.
Right before venturing into the back of the shop, we get a quick history lesson from two cutaway designs. One is from Mercedes with two valve heads, and the other shows what the guys from Affalterbach did to it designing the legendary AMG four-cam engine. The AMG four cams basically doubled the stock cars' horsepower while still being engineered to work with stock components. Very few of these engines survived, so if you have one or know someone who has it, you might have struck gold.
A Few Hidden Treasures Hidden In The Back
Finally, at the back of the shop, we first see a white 600 SL 32V. It’s the 119 chassis, possibly a 1991, or 1992 model car. This car came from New York, and it belongs to a friend of Curated. A known connoisseur in the Mercedes community if you will. This car has had the soft top redone as well as the wood interior. The built-in TV in the dashboard is being restored to full functionality as well. This SL 600 produces close to 400 horsepower with a butter smooth 6.0 liter V-12 engine.
Continuing the tour, we also got to see Curated’s Hammer with its engine running. This is a car they’ve pulled out of Monaco. It belonged to a famous Formula 1 driver. It will now be joining one of its customer’s incredible collections in Miami. The guys went through the whole car. Engine and suspension overhaul. The engine was taken out to take reseal all the leaks which was a massive undertaking in itself. These particular models are known for leaking. You can see why the Hammer is so much more than a standard SEC just by looking at the engine compartment.
What the engineers of AMG had to do to fit a big engine that wasn’t designed to be there in the first place? From the custom-made subframe to the mounts on the differential. These mounts provide adjustment for pinion angle. They firmly mount the differential to make sure the rear wheels stay planted on the ground and do not hop. A plethora of small details is present for the trained eye to bask in all of its AMG glory. This model also features the rare Recaro SEC leather seats with all the buttons.
As if saving the best for last, we are shown another hammer that was the actual factory prototype. This is the car chosen to be on the Miami Concours. This particular example was the very car, that was featured on the cover of an old edition of Road & Track magazine back in the day. It was the car that did everything and has a lot of history behind it as well.