Last edit by: IB Nolan
Table of Contents "S55's Endless Build Thread"
1. Car Forklifted Onto Delivery Truck Because Auction Had No Key
2. Finally Sees Car and Damage In Person on Delivery Truck
3. Videos of S-Class Forklifted Off Delivery Truck And Slid Into Garage
4. Additional Rear-End Damage Photos
5. Cost Breakdown For Vehicle and Parts as of 3/12/16
6. Key Arrives! First Start Up.
7. First Test Drive, Warning Lights Abound
8. Fixed Electrical Issues(?), Replaced Battery and Alternator
9. New Woodgrain Steering Wheel Installed
1. Car Forklifted Onto Delivery Truck Because Auction Had No Key
2. Finally Sees Car and Damage In Person on Delivery Truck
3. Videos of S-Class Forklifted Off Delivery Truck And Slid Into Garage
4. Additional Rear-End Damage Photos
5. Cost Breakdown For Vehicle and Parts as of 3/12/16
6. Key Arrives! First Start Up.
7. First Test Drive, Warning Lights Abound
8. Fixed Electrical Issues(?), Replaced Battery and Alternator
9. New Woodgrain Steering Wheel Installed
I finally bought it Fellas!
#2027
Thread Starter
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Acura TL 2008 - Acura MDX 2012
It won't look right with PDR.....at least not if Benzs55 is going to make it look perfect like he said he would.
Bottom line: the car sustained a severe rear hit, so it could never be made perfect again, no matter how much work is done to the panels. The original structural integrity is no longer intact, no matter how good the pull might have been. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.
What I really don't like is that he's going to try and hide the damage by finagling the registration to get a clean title. So any future owner might never know that they are buying a wrecked car. Sounds like a typical shady Russian tactic to me.
Bottom line: the car sustained a severe rear hit, so it could never be made perfect again, no matter how much work is done to the panels. The original structural integrity is no longer intact, no matter how good the pull might have been. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.
What I really don't like is that he's going to try and hide the damage by finagling the registration to get a clean title. So any future owner might never know that they are buying a wrecked car. Sounds like a typical shady Russian tactic to me.
#2029
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
2015 S550
#2030
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 386
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From: USA
Mercedes-Benz 2007 S550, 2012 S550 4-Matic, 2015 GL450
#2033
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Acura TL 2008 - Acura MDX 2012
I partially bought this car for the mafiaesque look.
Last edited by mercedesbenzs55; 05-12-2016 at 10:27 AM.
#2034
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Acura TL 2008 - Acura MDX 2012
Actually, if the focus was just the rear body damage as originally anticipated, without the forays into fridges and steering wheels and absent the unexpected mech stuff, while the original guess of $1k and some mallet work was low it wasn't that low.
The $1300 pull took about 80% of the visible damage out. Add the money for lamps and the rear bumper and for the PDR and it's still under $3k. Higher than $1k but way cheaper than the $10k I guessed originally from the pics in the yard.
So, in the end I would say Benz55 pulled it off. Was there an easier way to get an 07 for $15k? Probably, but look at the sheer entertainment value of the thread.
The $1300 pull took about 80% of the visible damage out. Add the money for lamps and the rear bumper and for the PDR and it's still under $3k. Higher than $1k but way cheaper than the $10k I guessed originally from the pics in the yard.
So, in the end I would say Benz55 pulled it off. Was there an easier way to get an 07 for $15k? Probably, but look at the sheer entertainment value of the thread.
#2036
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Acura TL 2008 - Acura MDX 2012
Nice! How much are you into it for?
#2040
Here's the thing. The car was a constructive total loss, as opposed to an obvious total loss. An OTL would be a fire, full salt water immersion, roll over...obvious basket cases.
A constructive total loss is just a car thats value is less than the estimated repair costs. For example, that same hit on a 2013 with 30k miles would be repaired. Now I guarantee it wouldn't be repaired at MAACO, and they'd likely not try PDR on the quarters but the methodology...measure and pull the rear panel, replace the rear bumper and lamps, repair the quarters...would be the same.
I still think the whole enterprise was a folly but at the end of the day no real serious harm done to the car or the budget.
A constructive total loss is just a car thats value is less than the estimated repair costs. For example, that same hit on a 2013 with 30k miles would be repaired. Now I guarantee it wouldn't be repaired at MAACO, and they'd likely not try PDR on the quarters but the methodology...measure and pull the rear panel, replace the rear bumper and lamps, repair the quarters...would be the same.
I still think the whole enterprise was a folly but at the end of the day no real serious harm done to the car or the budget.
#2042
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Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
2015 S550
#2043
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Acura TL 2008 - Acura MDX 2012
I love you Explosive!
Here are a few pics of the car without the PDR. Having someone do the panels this wednesday.
As I picked up my OEM Trunk from the Portand Grayhound station, I noticed a passed out homeless man with nikes of a similar color to my adidas.
Here are a few pics of the car without the PDR. Having someone do the panels this wednesday.
As I picked up my OEM Trunk from the Portand Grayhound station, I noticed a passed out homeless man with nikes of a similar color to my adidas.
Last edited by mercedesbenzs55; 05-13-2016 at 12:30 AM.
#2044
Oh Dear Lord....this thread is still going? And the S-Class still has dents in the back? and still not properly titled/registered? I figured it was going to be parted out by now.
#2045
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Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
2015 S550
He disappeared for a few days and suddenly I could feel my intelligence making a come back. I even sent my membership card back to DENSA a couple of days ago and was just getting ready to ask for my membership back at MENSA. I guess it was all for naught.
#2046
#2047
He didn't start out homeless. A couple of years ago he bought a wrecked S Class and things just snowballed. Benz55 is ahead in the process since he's already got the red shoes. All he needs now are the Wrangler jeans and to work harder at drinking.
The following users liked this post:
mercedesbenzs55 (05-14-2016)
#2049
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Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
2015 S550
Based on his behavior, I think Benzs55 has been hitting the sauce pretty hard for quite a while now. At least he got to see his future self. Not many of us get that chance.
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mercedesbenzs55 (05-14-2016)