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be careful, i noticed that most bars for sale on ebay have part number 2216100920, which is for facelift 2010-2013 cars. the number I listed, 2216100120 is for 2007-2009 cars. I don't know if there is a big difference, just letting you know. The one listed for $202 with $85 shipping states that it's from a 2007 S550, so it will for sure fit yours
be careful, i noticed that most bars for sale on ebay have part number 2216100920, which is for facelift 2010-2013 cars. the number I listed, 2216100120 is for 2007-2009 cars. I don't know if there is a big difference, just letting you know. The one listed for $202 with $85 shipping states that it's from a 2007 S550, so it will for sure fit yours
I bought another W221 from the netherlands on Ebay. Its from Autoart, but its got a salvaged title cause the star is missing from the hood.
My Salvaged Title(say it like a russian) should be coming in tomorrow. Wednesday at the the latest if they really did send it last week. So I can finally order that key at MB of Portland.
Last edited by mercedesbenzs55; 03-08-2016 at 09:00 PM.
I suppose the damage to the sensors was part of the accident aswell then?
If you closely look at the damage you will see that in fact it was.
There is not droop in the car, just currently in the suspension.
The creases are blatantly separate damage. I think the guy drove it under 18mph a stationary object. Since the original impact was not great enough, they made it look like there was more damage by hitting both 1/4 panels without using the cars momentum. To add to the damage they hit all four sensors. 3 of which show a mark.
Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Those panels and sensors were not purposely damaged after the fact. That was all a result of the accident impact. You've made it very obvious that you have zero experience working on unibody frames. Using a cherry picker to help your dad pull a motor when you were a little kid does not count as unibody experience.
Even though you haven't seen it yet, your frame rails have been compressed and bent downward. Get that thing to a reputable body shop and let them measure and pull the frame as straight as possible. If your Russian buds don't have one, then take it somewhere else where they know what they're doing. They likely need to remove more panels to get to the frame for straightening. They may even need to cut those quarter panels off as they likely cannot be made straight again. No amount of pounding with your rubber mallet will make it right.
If you're going to actually follow through on this job, then do it right. Half-assing it will not get you a safe and reliable car. Think about your family.
I suppose the damage to the sensors was part of the accident aswell then?
If you closely look at the damage you will see that in fact it was.
There is not droop in the car, just currently in the suspension.
The creases are blatantly separate damage. I think the guy drove it under 18mph a stationary object. Since the original impact was not great enough, they made it look like there was more damage by hitting both 1/4 panels without using the cars momentum. To add to the damage they hit all four sensors. 3 of which show a mark.
Yeah, or course the sensors got damaged. How would they avoid damage in a heavy rear end hit like that? Why waste time dreaming up this absurd scenario where a guy decided to defraud his insurance company by deliberately backing his car into something so he could get the car totalled, then went ahead and creased the quarters because he wasn't sure the first fraud totalled the car?
If you're right, I have some sobering news for you. For three of the ten years I worked in claims I was an SIU investigator. That's an insurance fraud unit. I actually have seen instances where insureds intentionally damaged their own car thinking the insurance company would total it for them.
Usually, but not always, their choice was an engine fire. Easy to do, and guarantees a total loss on virtually any car regardless of value. No driving into stationary objects, risking injury, and hoping it totalled. Then banging on the quarters just in case.
If not a fire, than a faked theft. Or both. A suspicious theft and then when we found the car it was a total burn. But the owners always screw up and always get caught. For one thing, car thieves don't steal cars, drive them out into the middle of nowhere, set them on fire and walk home. I handed several succesful fraud denials to the State Attorney for prosecution. Some got prison time.
So here's the sobering part: The number one reason an insured tries to intentionally "total" his own car is the discovery of catastrophic mechanical damage. A blown engine, a bad tranny, pretty much anything expensive that isn't covered by their insurance company and they either can't afford to fix, or don't want to fix because the car is worth less than the estimated repairs.
In fact, a lot of times they were dumb enough to leave the estimate(s) in the console or glove box. Oh, and they'd almost always call and lower their deductible beforehand.
Anyway, for your sake, hope I'm right and that it's just plain old rear end collision damage from a legitimate hit, because if someone went to the trouble of committing a 3rd degree felony to fake a major collision, there's an excellent chance there's something seriously wrong with the car mechanically.
Meanwhile, rather than the wishful thinking, when you get the key, get the thing over to your buddy with the frame rack and measure it. Couple hours on the rack will tell you what you need to know.
Don't fear the frame rack and a unibody pull. I looked at the itemized report for the repair of my car and the unibody pull was a small part... less than $2K. There was no 'big expense', just lots of R&I, R&R of bits and pieces. Lots of labor at a pretty hefty rate.
As Mike has said repeatedly... get the car on the frame rack and find out where you are. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Have a pro shop do the pull. Then prep the car yourself and have a shop do the body work and paint. Put it all back together yourself. You can save quite a bit that way... but please, please, please get a pro to check and get the body correct.
Don't fear the frame rack and a unibody pull. I looked at the itemized report for the repair of my car and the unibody pull was a small part... less than $2K. There was no 'big expense', just lots of R&I, R&R of bits and pieces. Lots of labor at a pretty hefty rate.
As Mike has said repeatedly... get the car on the frame rack and find out where you are. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Have a pro shop do the pull. Then prep the car yourself and have a shop do the body work and paint. Put it all back together yourself. You can save quite a bit that way... but please, please, please get a pro to check and get the body correct.
Don't fear the frame rack and a unibody pull. I looked at the itemized report for the repair of my car and the unibody pull was a small part... less than $2K. There was no 'big expense', just lots of R&I, R&R of bits and pieces. Lots of labor at a pretty hefty rate.
As Mike has said repeatedly... get the car on the frame rack and find out where you are. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Have a pro shop do the pull. Then prep the car yourself and have a shop do the body work and paint. Put it all back together yourself. You can save quite a bit that way... but please, please, please get a pro to check and get the body correct.
Yeah, the trunk floor and interior quarters look okay from above at least. I'd write 2.5 hours to set up and measure and 4 hours of pull to start. That rear panel is pretty torqued from being tugged down. That and a pull might be the entirety of the structural stuff.
Yeah, the trunk floor and interior quarters look okay from above at least. I'd write 2.5 hours to set up and measure and 4 hours of pull to start. That rear panel is pretty torqued from being tugged down. That and a pull might be the entirety of the structural stuff.
Wouldn't the frame rails be compromised....even with a pull? I would think that the damaged sections would have to be cut out and new sections welded/bonded in. I think another rear end accident of the same magnitude could do significant harm to the passengers, especially in the rear seat if the frame wasn't repaired correctly.
Wouldn't the frame rails be compromised....even with a pull? I would think that the damaged sections would have to be cut out and new sections welded/bonded in. I think another rear end accident of the same magnitude could do significant harm to the passengers, especially in the rear seat if the frame wasn't repaired correctly.
It's possible. They need to get the thing up on a lift and see if they can visualize the rails. For me the tell is the creased quarters but if the crumple zones are compromised the right repair would be to section in new rails where MB wants the cuts to be. Big job.
I read with interest tho not laughing, the pages before op took of the rears. Had my fair share of ridicule through life.
I did not expect sooo much "tall poppy syndrome" stateside. My naitivity thot it only happens downunder. I guess Gates and Jobs had the same early on.
Come on guys, give this guy positive assistance. Some of you guys are pros, point him in the right direction. He may be naive, inexperience but I think I can safely say, we grew up the same way.
We go to school to learn from textbooks that are written by experienced ppl. We work and learn from our colleagues. We gain experience and wisdom everyday from circumstances and situations.
This page here has a more positive note. Keep the positives coming ppl. I think we all want to see a great fully legal shiny S550 for op and to say you were part of the process.
I measured the both sides of he car, center of rotor to center of rotor. 124.5/124.5"(I used measuring tape and eyeballed it).
I measured from the inner apex of the taillight to the back of the rear seat(inside the trunk). It is suppose to be 42", left side is 40.5", right side is 41.5". I only measured the lip that was moved forward. Only the left tail light housing has shifted 1/4".
The lip that keeps the trunk lid closed moved and with it the top rivets moved, but the tail light housings did not go with it in the crash.
Every door/fender/floor/roof gasp is flush/straight/even all the way to the front. Just as I originally thought when I chose to bid on this car. The energy of the crash stopped at the reinforcement and the trunk latch lip. I got lucky that that the 1/4 panels were bumped on purpose. Its going to be a mallet fix.
Btw, I not fixing this car for resale value. I'm not interested in that, as I don't plan to sell it. Through I do want it fixed as right as I can.
Last edited by mercedesbenzs55; 03-08-2016 at 10:16 PM.
Yeah, or course the sensors got damaged. How would they avoid damage in a heavy rear end hit like that? Why waste time dreaming up this absurd scenario where a guy decided to defraud his insurance company by deliberately backing his car into something so he could get the car totalled, then went ahead and creased the quarters because he wasn't sure the first fraud totalled the car?
If you're right, I have some sobering news for you. For three of the ten years I worked in claims I was an SIU investigator. That's an insurance fraud unit. I actually have seen instances where insureds intentionally damaged their own car thinking the insurance company would total it for them.
Usually, but not always, their choice was an engine fire. Easy to do, and guarantees a total loss on virtually any car regardless of value. No driving into stationary objects, risking injury, and hoping it totalled. Then banging on the quarters just in case.
If not a fire, than a faked theft. Or both. A suspicious theft and then when we found the car it was a total burn. But the owners always screw up and always get caught. For one thing, car thieves don't steal cars, drive them out into the middle of nowhere, set them on fire and walk home. I handed several succesful fraud denials to the State Attorney for prosecution. Some got prison time.
So here's the sobering part: The number one reason an insured tries to intentionally "total" his own car is the discovery of catastrophic mechanical damage. A blown engine, a bad tranny, pretty much anything expensive that isn't covered by their insurance company and they either can't afford to fix, or don't want to fix because the car is worth less than the estimated repairs.
In fact, a lot of times they were dumb enough to leave the estimate(s) in the console or glove box. Oh, and they'd almost always call and lower their deductible beforehand.
Anyway, for your sake, hope I'm right and that it's just plain old rear end collision damage from a legitimate hit, because if someone went to the trouble of committing a 3rd degree felony to fake a major collision, there's an excellent chance there's something seriously wrong with the car mechanically.
Meanwhile, rather than the wishful thinking, when you get the key, get the thing over to your buddy with the frame rack and measure it. Couple hours on the rack will tell you what you need to know.
I'm certainly hope there is no mechanical damage. The was was pushed around all over the place while in park. The realized yesterday that the Ebrake was not on. Which worried me about the transmission.
I measured the both sides of he car, center of rotor to center of rotor. 124.5/124.75"(I used measuring tape and eyeballed it).
I measured from the inner apex of the taillight to the back of the rear seat(inside the trunk). It is suppose to be 42", left side is 40.5", right side is 41.5". I only measured the lip that was moved forward. Only the left tail light housing has shifted 1/4".
The lip that keeps the trunk lid closed moved and with it the top rivets moved, but the tail light housings did not go with it in the crash.
Every door/fender/floor/roof gasp is flush/straight/even all the way to the front. Just as I originally thought when I chose to bid on this car. The energy of the crash stopped at the reinforcement and the trunk latch lip. I got lucky that that the 1/4 panels were bumped on purpose. Its going to be a mallet fix.
Btw, I not fixing this car for resale value. I'm not interested in that, as I don't plan to sell it. Through I do want it fixed as right as I can.
That's actually a good deal out of square. Not catastrophic but realize a laser rack can bring a car within 3mm of factory spec on multiple axis. There are a lot of measurement points on a lot of different axis, not just the four corners, since the car can be twisted over multiple planes simultaneously horizontal and vertical. Literally the top of a shock tower can be out in one direction while the bottom is going too far the opposite way. The car will never take an alignment.
A laser rack "knows" the factory specs for the specific car. Once the measurements are locked in, it tells you where to attach the pull points, the exact direction and angle of each pull. It's always measuring by laser to ensure the car stays square.
It's possible to tell visually where the obvious distortion and damage stops, but not the macro distortions that are more subtle over a bigger area.
With respect to valuation, it's only relevant in that buying a $10,000 car that needs $10,000 worth of work would make less sense than buying an $18000 car that isn't wrecked and needed nothing. Especially if the car you put $20k into was worth $15k on its best day.
I wouldn't vest to much in the idea that the quarter damage is unrelated, created by the owner for some nefarious purpose. A rear end collision is the worst kind to fake, because it of course involves two cars and a police report. In fact chances are State Farm insured the guy that hit your car, not the owner of your car.
That's actually a good deal out of square. Not catastrophic but realize a laser rack can bring a car within 3mm of factory spec on multiple axis. There are a lot of measurement points on a lot of different axis, not just the four corners, since the car can be twisted over multiple planes simultaneously horizontal and vertical. Literally the top of a shock tower can be out in one direction while the bottom is going too far the opposite way. The car will never take an alignment.
A laser rack "knows" the factory specs for the specific car. Once the measurements are locked in, it tells you where to attach the pull points, the exact direction and angle of each pull. It's always measuring by laser to ensure the car stays square.
It's possible to tell visually where the obvious distortion and damage stops, but not the macro distortions that are more subtle over a bigger area.
With respect to valuation, it's only relevant in that buying a $10,000 car that needs $10,000 worth of work would make less sense than buying an $18000 car that isn't wrecked and needed nothing. Especially if the car you put $20k into was worth $15k on its best day.
I wouldn't vest to much in the idea that the quarter damage is unrelated, created by the owner for some nefarious purpose. A rear end collision is the worst kind to fake, because it of course involves two cars and a police report. In fact chances are State Farm insured the guy that hit your car, not the owner of your car.
The laser frame rack sounds very ideal, but what is the cost per hour? My buddy has one of these.
Could it be that this guy backed the car up at a wall or structure. What do you think?
Hes got this one.
I have two of those metal clamps from a frame rack I can use and a clickity rachet thing with two heavy duty straps. I was thinking if I take my time I can tie on one end to the tree and clickity rachet the trunk lip back out.
Took the interior paneling off to expose the electronics.
More electronics then I thought there was.
Look how everything is straight besides that top lip where the lock latch it.
This side took the least damage.
Removed the tail lights.
Took off the Tailights by undoing x3 nuts.
Left has nearly no damage. Though it took the most.
Took the Keyless-Go Module off to get to the two bolts holding the bumper.
To get to the bolts on on the right side I had to get the that module out of the way. took two bolts and a nut.
Do you see how 3 of the sensors got intentionally pushed in? Funny how there is no matching damage on the bumper... Insurance fraud much? Let me know Mike.
Took the side moldings off. They are not damaged.
My current collection of parts that I plan to replace after body repair.
Finally took the bumper off to expose to the reinforcement.
Notice the lack of damage to the unibody.
The reinforcement supports took the majority of the damage.
Notice how to unibody is strait besides the lip that was moved forward 2".
This support was difficult to take off.
I'm not at the point of removing the Reinforcement supports. This should be easier than the support bar.
Looks like the second owner took it to an Indy shop.
Thanks for the photos. The suspense builds. Get it on a rack and get a definitive answer. However, something tells me, even if the prognosis is bad, you may just try to straighten the creases out with a hair dryer and dry ice, put on a new bumper and call it a day. BTW, you should have blurred out the previous owner's name and business address. The guy is appears Greek and has a woodworking shop in Brooklyn. I know I'd want my identity protected if someone found old repair invoices.
Thanks for the photos. The suspense builds. Get it on a rack and get a definitive answer. However, something tells me, even if the prognosis is bad, you may just try to straighten the creases out with a hair dryer and dry ice, put on a new bumper and call it a day. BTW, you should have blurred out the previous owner's name and business address. The guy is appears Greek and has a woodworking shop in Brooklyn. I know I'd want my identity protected if someone found old repair invoices.
You paid how much for it again 12k ? USD ? What were you thinking your car is nothing special or rare find for 15k or less you could easily get 1 with clean title and no accidents, im sorry but i wouldn't put a penny in a car like this its going to loose value like crazy and who will buy a sclass from you with salvage title ? Clean title no accident cars have enough issues thanks to mercedes and you bought a wrecked one , i wouldn't even buy it for 5k sorry if im been mean
03-28-2016, 07:21 PM
I did not expect sooo much "tall poppy syndrome" stateside. My naitivity thot it only happens downunder. I guess Gates and Jobs had the same early on.
