A Gamble that Paid off: C-Class Mercedes W203

aatish · 31st October 2009, 20:21

About a year ago I walked in to my local garage and happened to pass by a car that looked to have been a victim of fatigued driving. A 2003 Mercedes C class. After a days thought and some negotiation I decided to buy the car in its condition and do it up. After 9 months of visiting salvage yards across the world on my work trips and constant ebaying in spare time she is ready will post some before and after pictures here. Have driven the car from Goa to Mumbai and back no problems at all. Test drive done.

Rudra Sen · 31st October 2009, 21:18

Accident car had a very different rim which I've not seen before. Pictures next showing original rims. You changed those? Are those tail lights original?

Mpower · 31st October 2009, 21:51

9 months you say? The damage looks mainly cosmetic. bumper, grille, fender and some tinkering. A dealer would have completed the work in 1 week.

Taillights are facelift S-style aftermarket.

Your headlights looked fine. Did yous sell if off or what. The new ones are projector but are they OE ? HID?

Sahil · 31st October 2009, 21:58

Rudra: accident car had brabus rims. I think this car was in Bombay before?

How much did it cost you totally to get the car back on road?

IQBAL VEERJI · 31st October 2009, 22:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by aatish

About a year ago I walked in to my local garage and happened to pass by a car that looked to have been a victim of fatigued driving. A 2003 Mercedes C class. After a days thought and some negotiation I decided to buy the car in its condition and do it up. After 9 months of visiting salvage yards across the world on my work trips and constant ebaying in spare time she is ready will post some before and after pictures here. Have driven the car from Goa to Mumbai and back no problems at all. Test drive done.

Where did you manage to get the out side door mirror unit, is it original onem or a taiwanease one

Live To Jive · 31st October 2009, 22:22

Is this the same car that belonged to a guy from Vasco? I know his car was lying at Oliver's garage for a long time after the accident. The car was hardly used. How much did you pick it up for?

v12 · 31st October 2009, 22:33

Please correct me if I'm wrong. But I doubt those would be original spares if they have been sourced from salvage yards. The wheels look like those that came standard on the C Class Kompressor. You should have retained the Brabus rims and painted the spokes black. The car would have looked a killer.

canonball · 31st October 2009, 22:52

Both front fenders are buldging out more than they should at the point where they merge with the bumper. Has this car been accident rebuilt before this rebuild (2 crashes) something about the way she stands (too high from the ground)?

Another thing I noticed is that the bumpers in the before pics are from the faclift version and the car really is a prefacelift and the bumpers now are accurate post rebuild. This car has had a shunt before I suspect?

indra_slk · 1st November 2009, 14:11

I know the guy who owns the car(yes the vasco guy). And remember seeing it for a long time at Oliver's garage. Once even the insurance guys had come to see it. He hit a tree after falling a sleep.

aatish · 2nd November 2009, 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Accident car had a very different rim which I've not seen before. Pictures next showing original rims. You changed those? Are those tail lights original?

The Pre-accident rims were Brabus 17" the front two had cracked from the Inner side so I still have 3 good rims. Got the set of originals for a song and wanted the 15" back on hence the change.

The car hit a pile of rocks from the front and went up hence whats visible in the picture is purely cosmetic.

Underneath

Had to replace

Cross member, rad, condenser, fan, fender right side, aircon evaporator, basically parts worth 10 lacs if I had to buy from merc I am sure thats a lot of parts Merc gave an estimate of 12 lacs so that was just not happening.

Head lights and craked from Inside the silver stuff on the back inside. New ones are DEPO HID (MY GAME WAS WHAT EVER COMES CHEAP)

Jaggu · 2nd November 2009, 12:52

Hey thats a neat job and congratz! Hope you picked her up at a great bargain

aatish · 2nd November 2009, 12:53

I got the out side door mirror from a salvage yard in Uk original cost me about 4000 for the entire unit

Spot on same car not used much at all got a sweet deal

GTO · 2nd November 2009, 18:32

Those W220-type rear lights look sweet, you got me tempted now! Seeing those C180 interiors was like a walk down memory lane. I see the adjustable center armrest, believe it or not, Merc removed the same from the facelift (my model). As they did with the rear sub woofer too.

Nice repair job. I presume the only reason you spent the time + effort was a substantially cheaper car?

aatish · 8th November 2009, 20:55

Yup GTO definitely cheaper car working on x-trail now she should be ready next week will post pictures

arjunrudra · 8th November 2009, 21:57

nice neat job on the c-class.Love the s-class tail lights for the c .goes well.

31st October 2009, 20:21	#1
aatish BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Goa Posts: 34 Thanked: 24 Times	A Gamble that Paid off: C-Class Mercedes W203 About a year ago I walked in to my local garage and happened to pass by a car that looked to have been a victim of fatigued driving. A 2003 Mercedes C class. After a days thought and some negotiation I decided to buy the car in its condition and do it up. After 9 months of visiting salvage yards across the world on my work trips and constant ebaying in spare time she is ready will post some before and after pictures here. Have driven the car from Goa to Mumbai and back no problems at all. Test drive done. Attached Thumbnails
	(5) Thanks

31st October 2009, 21:18	#2
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,746 Thanked: 6,863 Times View My Garage	Accident car had a very different rim which I've not seen before. Pictures next showing original rims. You changed those? Are those tail lights original?
	() Thanks

31st October 2009, 21:51	#3
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,399 Thanked: 1,735 Times View My Garage	9 months you say? The damage looks mainly cosmetic. bumper, grille, fender and some tinkering. A dealer would have completed the work in 1 week. Taillights are facelift S-style aftermarket. Your headlights looked fine. Did yous sell if off or what. The new ones are projector but are they OE ? HID?
	() Thanks

31st October 2009, 21:58	#4
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,354 Thanked: 7,999 Times	Rudra: accident car had brabus rims. I think this car was in Bombay before? How much did it cost you totally to get the car back on road?
	() Thanks

31st October 2009, 22:22	#6
Live To Jive BANNED Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Swindon, UK Posts: 698 Thanked: 89 Times	Is this the same car that belonged to a guy from Vasco? I know his car was lying at Oliver's garage for a long time after the accident. The car was hardly used. How much did you pick it up for?
	() Thanks

31st October 2009, 22:33	#7
v12 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,773 Thanked: 7,568 Times View My Garage	Please correct me if I'm wrong. But I doubt those would be original spares if they have been sourced from salvage yards. The wheels look like those that came standard on the C Class Kompressor. You should have retained the Brabus rims and painted the spokes black. The car would have looked a killer.
	() Thanks

31st October 2009, 22:52	#8
canonball Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,466 Thanked: 206 Times View My Garage	Both front fenders are buldging out more than they should at the point where they merge with the bumper. Has this car been accident rebuilt before this rebuild (2 crashes) something about the way she stands (too high from the ground)? Another thing I noticed is that the bumpers in the before pics are from the faclift version and the car really is a prefacelift and the bumpers now are accurate post rebuild. This car has had a shunt before I suspect? Last edited by canonball : 31st October 2009 at 23:02.
	() Thanks

1st November 2009, 14:11	#9
indra_slk BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: iNDIA Posts: 626 Thanked: 12 Times View My Garage	I know the guy who owns the car(yes the vasco guy). And remember seeing it for a long time at Oliver's garage. Once even the insurance guys had come to see it. He hit a tree after falling a sleep.
	() Thanks

2nd November 2009, 12:52	#11
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,383 Thanked: 17,293 Times	Hey thats a neat job and congratz! Hope you picked her up at a great bargain
	() Thanks

2nd November 2009, 12:53	#12
aatish BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Goa Posts: 34 Thanked: 24 Times	I got the out side door mirror from a salvage yard in Uk original cost me about 4000 for the entire unit Spot on same car not used much at all got a sweet deal Last edited by Jaggu : 2nd November 2009 at 12:57. Reason: Use multi quote please and/or wait for mod approval to edit the original post. Thanks
	() Thanks

2nd November 2009, 18:32	#13
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,817 Thanked: 321,406 Times View My Garage	Those W220-type rear lights look sweet, you got me tempted now! Seeing those C180 interiors was like a walk down memory lane. I see the adjustable center armrest, believe it or not, Merc removed the same from the facelift (my model). As they did with the rear sub woofer too. Nice repair job. I presume the only reason you spent the time + effort was a substantially cheaper car? Last edited by GTO : 2nd November 2009 at 18:33.
	() Thanks

8th November 2009, 20:55	#14
aatish BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Goa Posts: 34 Thanked: 24 Times	Yup GTO definitely cheaper car working on x-trail now she should be ready next week will post pictures
	() Thanks

8th November 2009, 21:57	#15
arjunrudra Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Gurgaon/Chennai Posts: 1,577 Thanked: 201 Times View My Garage	nice neat job on the c-class.Love the s-class tail lights for the c .goes well.
	() Thanks