The problem here was a 1968 Mercedes 280S stripped as a parts car, which left a free shell, plus a totaled 2000 E55 bought for 1500 dollars with no gauge cluster and no wheels. Regular Car Reviews merged the two, and the finished car now runs and drives, with roughly 20,000 miles covered in two years on the road.
The shell came out of a barn in 2018 and sat outside for two years. Nearly all the work was done by the maker. A small jig held the rear suspension at static ride height, and frame sections were cut away before the body was lowered onto the rear axle until clearance was enough. Custom frame sections went in behind the rear seats through the bulkhead, and a second jig located the upper control arm mounts in 3D space before the chassis was welded in place. Rotten floors and rockers were replaced, and the body got epoxy, seam sealer and epoxy again.
Power comes from the 5.4-liter M113 V8 wearing factory AMG covers, driving a 5-speed automatic, with the donor rear end, disc brakes, suspension and traction control and ABS carried over. Brake booster, ECUs, gauge cluster, SAM and the speed and yaw sensors stayed. The W210 steering column inside the W108 dash was the hard part, yet the larger transmission needed no tunnel modification. A 1968 Camaro front air dam, a custom strut tower brace and an electric radiator fan, and inside a Becker Europa radio and VDO gauges sit beside a Cycplus GPS display.
Faded maroon paint and chrome bumpers remain, riding on aftermarket five-spoke AMG alloys with low-profile tires, and the seats came from a 2014 Golf. The car earned a Judges Choice award at a Mercedes Day event, and the narration covered its 349-horsepower performance. The maker would still change the wheels without spending thousands, noting none that clear the calipers look better, and a manual swap with a limited slip is planned while off the road this winter.
Project by Regular Car Reviews. Watch it on their YouTube channel: