An Idea
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1999 E55 AMG
An Idea
Hi guys,
Been thinking things over for a while and have made a decision (Bearing in mind its still a few years away and might change but i hope not, i think is fun).
I live in Dubai in the UAE where we are about to have a law passed that cars over a certain year of age are not allowed to change owners. The government are doing this to stop old cars from going about the city and with pollution issues. Therefore, once your car reaches a certain age, your either stuck with it, you scrap it or you export it.
I've got my 99 E55 AMG and i love her to bits. I'm not going to get a lot of cash for her if i did decide to sell her, exporting when this new law comes in will be expensive and wont be profitable and i refuse to scrap a car just because i cant sell it. Car insurance here is tiny so i could afford to keep her even if i bought another car later for reliability and used the E as a weekend saloon.
I have therefore come up with a plan. Once I have got another car as a daily driver, I'm turning the E into a convertable. I have good friends who own and operate great workshops in Dubai and I've been chilling with them the past two weeks. We have come to the decision that she will look great as a convertable (No hard-top bolt on or soft top, no roof at all) and it can be done.
Obviously a lot of work will be needed for reinforcement and support for the flex in an already heavy car, but we think it can be done.
One option we came up with is to wield the rear doors into the chassis and put frames inside the doors as well making the sides flat and seamless. Rear passenger would have to climb in but we were also kicking an idea around of a footplate out the side on hydraulic switches. Simple enough to do. Or even trying to change the front seats to move down.
X frames and steel piping would be used for the undercarriage and the framing.
I could never race her at 250kph again or take a corner as fast but she would still be quick and gorgeous.
Was wondering what you guys would think. The weather here is great all year round and i can garage her in the middle of summer where its too hot, and in winter for the one week of rain we get here!
Been thinking things over for a while and have made a decision (Bearing in mind its still a few years away and might change but i hope not, i think is fun).
I live in Dubai in the UAE where we are about to have a law passed that cars over a certain year of age are not allowed to change owners. The government are doing this to stop old cars from going about the city and with pollution issues. Therefore, once your car reaches a certain age, your either stuck with it, you scrap it or you export it.
I've got my 99 E55 AMG and i love her to bits. I'm not going to get a lot of cash for her if i did decide to sell her, exporting when this new law comes in will be expensive and wont be profitable and i refuse to scrap a car just because i cant sell it. Car insurance here is tiny so i could afford to keep her even if i bought another car later for reliability and used the E as a weekend saloon.
I have therefore come up with a plan. Once I have got another car as a daily driver, I'm turning the E into a convertable. I have good friends who own and operate great workshops in Dubai and I've been chilling with them the past two weeks. We have come to the decision that she will look great as a convertable (No hard-top bolt on or soft top, no roof at all) and it can be done.
Obviously a lot of work will be needed for reinforcement and support for the flex in an already heavy car, but we think it can be done.
One option we came up with is to wield the rear doors into the chassis and put frames inside the doors as well making the sides flat and seamless. Rear passenger would have to climb in but we were also kicking an idea around of a footplate out the side on hydraulic switches. Simple enough to do. Or even trying to change the front seats to move down.
X frames and steel piping would be used for the undercarriage and the framing.
I could never race her at 250kph again or take a corner as fast but she would still be quick and gorgeous.
Was wondering what you guys would think. The weather here is great all year round and i can garage her in the middle of summer where its too hot, and in winter for the one week of rain we get here!
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 426
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1996 C36 AMG
please don't... just sell the car and get an 02 CLK55 AMG (w208). MUCH better idea, the car is alreayd lighter and it has same drivetrain. Sell it now get into an 02 CLk55, you won't regret it (plus you can chose between coupe/convt, although I prefer coupe b/c of weight savings).
Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 105
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2001 ML55 AMG, 2011 VW Passat, 2001 S500L, 2002 S500L
please don't... just sell the car and get an 02 CLK55 AMG (w208). MUCH better idea, the car is alreayd lighter and it has same drivetrain. Sell it now get into an 02 CLk55, you won't regret it (plus you can chose between coupe/convt, although I prefer coupe b/c of weight savings).
Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 204
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From: Portland, OR
2001 E55K
