There is no relationship between a W109 and the Gullwing other than
they used a mechanical injection pump for fuel delivery, I don't think
even the pump is the same.
The Gullwing engine wasn't used all that much, it was very expensive
to manufacture, and difficult to maintain (the injection nozzles were
in the block, aimed at the spark plugs) and Benz added the fuel
injection to more normal engines intended for road use, not a sliced
down aircraft engine.
Not that the original engine wasn't a marvel, it was just not a great
production engine.
No suspension parts, either, to the best of my knowledge. I believe,
although I could easily be wrong, that the SL had a fully independent
rear end (I will see my buddy Hans tomorrow, I can ask, he worked on
them) rather than a swing axle. Front end on the SL I don't know
about. The W109 had kingpins and a two control arms, but so did
everything Benz made at that time, at least until the W115 replaced
the kingpin with ball joints. Geometry was improved in 1962 to change
the kingpin axis and reduce scrub while increasing caster, some minor
changes in the W115 on those lines as well. Nothing exciting except
in comparison to US road iron of the day, all of which drove like log
wagons.
The SL had a space frame, with body panels attached, and working on it
was pure hell -- a good deal of the rear frame had to be removed to
get to the rear axle. Every Benz designed after 1950 has a unibody.
I don't see all that much Gullwing in the W108/9 -- it was an old
design by 1968, dating from the 1950s. Nice cars, but I like the W126
MUCH more.
Peter
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