Open-source Pullman
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 101
Likes: 13
From: Woippy, Lorraine, France
2005 S 350 L W221 (1637th produced), 1981 300 GD and 1985 280 SEL in restoration
Open-source Pullman
Hello everyone,
I'm starting to really consider building my own Pullman. Real ones cost upwards of 400'000 €, and I'd never put this much into a car that's virtually impossible to sell.
If I will actually build it or not is not sure because I want it for a special event in my life, so I will build it only if it takes place, but I will share my work on the project nonetheless.
Plus, I'm in France, which is very close to Germany in terms of paperwork and bureaucracy around cars and especially modifying them. We're in the "can't swap an engine" ballpark. Not the "can't put aftermarket wheels" one, but pretty damn as annoying. Which will force me to make the car as safe as the factory one, putting reinforcements where they're needed, going through a *THOROUGH* safety inspection, etc.
Here is the first part of my manufacturing manual, it comes with a preliminary 2D visual render of the project.
Estimated costs will be published when I will have the time to calculate them accurately. They are in the 15'000 - 20'000 € range.
For this project, two V221 cars are needed (or SWB W221s if you want the car to look like it belongs to a starting Russian wedding operator in a very remote town. One is used as base car, the second one is used for parts, anything before the B-pillar isn't used, spare some pieces that you can reuse in the interior if you want (center console, dashboard, ...).
In Europe, all LWB V221s come equipped from the factory with power rear seats, but we have a lot more SWB ones, which are absolutely forbidden for stretching. If you are located in a country that offered LWB without power rear seats, please find one that has them, if you want to realize such a project.
Legal ****, of course, I deny any liability for any damage, injury, financial loss, wife leaving and requesting child support, etc, done to your property, to others, or to yourself by using any of the information provided here. All the things that don't belong to me belong to their respectful owners, such as the W221's beautiful shape and design, its internal body structure, etc. I'm just an enthusiast, and what I share, everyone can see it already by looking at their cars or disassembling them, I'm simply documenting it in an easier way to understand.
I don't make any money off of this, even though I may do in the future.
Any help is very much appreciated, such as photos, if someone happens to have a V221 bare body sitting around. I won't ask for 3D scans, but if someone can provide such things, it'd make the work 10 thousand times more precise, and we'd get into Carat-Duchatelet-level work, at least in terms of structure stretching.
In conclusion, I'll follow up if I do actually build it. Very not sure, because the anticipated event is very not sure to happen, but who knows?
Please have fun!
I'm starting to really consider building my own Pullman. Real ones cost upwards of 400'000 €, and I'd never put this much into a car that's virtually impossible to sell.
If I will actually build it or not is not sure because I want it for a special event in my life, so I will build it only if it takes place, but I will share my work on the project nonetheless.
Plus, I'm in France, which is very close to Germany in terms of paperwork and bureaucracy around cars and especially modifying them. We're in the "can't swap an engine" ballpark. Not the "can't put aftermarket wheels" one, but pretty damn as annoying. Which will force me to make the car as safe as the factory one, putting reinforcements where they're needed, going through a *THOROUGH* safety inspection, etc.
Here is the first part of my manufacturing manual, it comes with a preliminary 2D visual render of the project.
Estimated costs will be published when I will have the time to calculate them accurately. They are in the 15'000 - 20'000 € range.
For this project, two V221 cars are needed (or SWB W221s if you want the car to look like it belongs to a starting Russian wedding operator in a very remote town. One is used as base car, the second one is used for parts, anything before the B-pillar isn't used, spare some pieces that you can reuse in the interior if you want (center console, dashboard, ...).
In Europe, all LWB V221s come equipped from the factory with power rear seats, but we have a lot more SWB ones, which are absolutely forbidden for stretching. If you are located in a country that offered LWB without power rear seats, please find one that has them, if you want to realize such a project.
Legal ****, of course, I deny any liability for any damage, injury, financial loss, wife leaving and requesting child support, etc, done to your property, to others, or to yourself by using any of the information provided here. All the things that don't belong to me belong to their respectful owners, such as the W221's beautiful shape and design, its internal body structure, etc. I'm just an enthusiast, and what I share, everyone can see it already by looking at their cars or disassembling them, I'm simply documenting it in an easier way to understand.
I don't make any money off of this, even though I may do in the future.
Any help is very much appreciated, such as photos, if someone happens to have a V221 bare body sitting around. I won't ask for 3D scans, but if someone can provide such things, it'd make the work 10 thousand times more precise, and we'd get into Carat-Duchatelet-level work, at least in terms of structure stretching.
In conclusion, I'll follow up if I do actually build it. Very not sure, because the anticipated event is very not sure to happen, but who knows?
Please have fun!
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,678
Likes: 4,578
From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
Hello everyone,
I'm starting to really consider building my own Pullman. Real ones cost upwards of 400'000 €, and I'd never put this much into a car that's virtually impossible to sell.
If I will actually build it or not is not sure because I want it for a special event in my life, so I will build it only if it takes place, but I will share my work on the project nonetheless.
Plus, I'm in France, which is very close to Germany in terms of paperwork and bureaucracy around cars and especially modifying them. We're in the "can't swap an engine" ballpark. Not the "can't put aftermarket wheels" one, but pretty damn as annoying. Which will force me to make the car as safe as the factory one, putting reinforcements where they're needed, going through a *THOROUGH* safety inspection, etc.
Here is the first part of my manufacturing manual, it comes with a preliminary 2D visual render of the project.
Estimated costs will be published when I will have the time to calculate them accurately. They are in the 15'000 - 20'000 € range.
For this project, two V221 cars are needed (or SWB W221s if you want the car to look like it belongs to a starting Russian wedding operator in a very remote town. One is used as base car, the second one is used for parts, anything before the B-pillar isn't used, spare some pieces that you can reuse in the interior if you want (center console, dashboard, ...).
In Europe, all LWB V221s come equipped from the factory with power rear seats, but we have a lot more SWB ones, which are absolutely forbidden for stretching. If you are located in a country that offered LWB without power rear seats, please find one that has them, if you want to realize such a project.
Legal ****, of course, I deny any liability for any damage, injury, financial loss, wife leaving and requesting child support, etc, done to your property, to others, or to yourself by using any of the information provided here. All the things that don't belong to me belong to their respectful owners, such as the W221's beautiful shape and design, its internal body structure, etc. I'm just an enthusiast, and what I share, everyone can see it already by looking at their cars or disassembling them, I'm simply documenting it in an easier way to understand.
I don't make any money off of this, even though I may do in the future.
Any help is very much appreciated, such as photos, if someone happens to have a V221 bare body sitting around. I won't ask for 3D scans, but if someone can provide such things, it'd make the work 10 thousand times more precise, and we'd get into Carat-Duchatelet-level work, at least in terms of structure stretching.
In conclusion, I'll follow up if I do actually build it. Very not sure, because the anticipated event is very not sure to happen, but who knows?
Please have fun!
I'm starting to really consider building my own Pullman. Real ones cost upwards of 400'000 €, and I'd never put this much into a car that's virtually impossible to sell.
If I will actually build it or not is not sure because I want it for a special event in my life, so I will build it only if it takes place, but I will share my work on the project nonetheless.
Plus, I'm in France, which is very close to Germany in terms of paperwork and bureaucracy around cars and especially modifying them. We're in the "can't swap an engine" ballpark. Not the "can't put aftermarket wheels" one, but pretty damn as annoying. Which will force me to make the car as safe as the factory one, putting reinforcements where they're needed, going through a *THOROUGH* safety inspection, etc.
Here is the first part of my manufacturing manual, it comes with a preliminary 2D visual render of the project.
Estimated costs will be published when I will have the time to calculate them accurately. They are in the 15'000 - 20'000 € range.
For this project, two V221 cars are needed (or SWB W221s if you want the car to look like it belongs to a starting Russian wedding operator in a very remote town. One is used as base car, the second one is used for parts, anything before the B-pillar isn't used, spare some pieces that you can reuse in the interior if you want (center console, dashboard, ...).
In Europe, all LWB V221s come equipped from the factory with power rear seats, but we have a lot more SWB ones, which are absolutely forbidden for stretching. If you are located in a country that offered LWB without power rear seats, please find one that has them, if you want to realize such a project.
Legal ****, of course, I deny any liability for any damage, injury, financial loss, wife leaving and requesting child support, etc, done to your property, to others, or to yourself by using any of the information provided here. All the things that don't belong to me belong to their respectful owners, such as the W221's beautiful shape and design, its internal body structure, etc. I'm just an enthusiast, and what I share, everyone can see it already by looking at their cars or disassembling them, I'm simply documenting it in an easier way to understand.
I don't make any money off of this, even though I may do in the future.
Any help is very much appreciated, such as photos, if someone happens to have a V221 bare body sitting around. I won't ask for 3D scans, but if someone can provide such things, it'd make the work 10 thousand times more precise, and we'd get into Carat-Duchatelet-level work, at least in terms of structure stretching.
In conclusion, I'll follow up if I do actually build it. Very not sure, because the anticipated event is very not sure to happen, but who knows?
Please have fun!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 101
Likes: 13
From: Woippy, Lorraine, France
2005 S 350 L W221 (1637th produced), 1981 300 GD and 1985 280 SEL in restoration
What? Really? I've been scouring websites from all over the world and found only one in Russia for 40k€. What kind of price are they in the ME?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 101
Likes: 13
From: Woippy, Lorraine, France
2005 S 350 L W221 (1637th produced), 1981 300 GD and 1985 280 SEL in restoration
Little update on the project:
DREAL (French transport authority regarding homologation, among other things) told me they need an "authorisation of transformation" from Mercedes in order to approve such a car.
MB literally says they "don't provide" these authorisations.
Just for fun, here's a non-exhaustive list of companies who stretch S-classes, AND get these authorisations. And they think I'll stop there, lol.
Carat Duchatelet
Trasco Bremen
Carl Friederichs GmbH
Binz
Klassen
Remetz
Ertex
Centigon
RIDA Cars (Russia)
Quality CoachWorks (USA)
Styling Garage Service (still in business, but don't do anything anymore)
FORMERLY
Schulz (until W140)
Bennemann (until W126?)
DREAL (French transport authority regarding homologation, among other things) told me they need an "authorisation of transformation" from Mercedes in order to approve such a car.
MB literally says they "don't provide" these authorisations.
Just for fun, here's a non-exhaustive list of companies who stretch S-classes, AND get these authorisations. And they think I'll stop there, lol.
Carat Duchatelet
Trasco Bremen
Carl Friederichs GmbH
Binz
Klassen
Remetz
Ertex
Centigon
RIDA Cars (Russia)
Quality CoachWorks (USA)
Styling Garage Service (still in business, but don't do anything anymore)
FORMERLY
Schulz (until W140)
Bennemann (until W126?)
