check out this 116 wreck
 

came across this in the yard, haven't seen one of these so completely destroyed before. Couldn't resist taking a bunch of pics. Amazingly both driver and passenger front doors open and one of them even latches completely!

Incredible to me considering the whole front end is pushed back 3 or so feet

anyway, here are some pics-

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...ps86e225d9.jpg
http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...ps19fcba47.jpg

engine pushed back through the dash console area and firewall-

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...ps27e18922.jpg

side view, check out where the passenger front tire is-

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...psc7f923c6.jpg

on the inside, the driver seat looks have rode up on the floor actually buckling and pitched forward a bit, though there was no blood, despite obvious driver slamming into the steering wheel. Hopefully the person is ok. There was room enough for an adult to fit though, room for both legs and feet still-

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4868b6ef.jpg

passenger side not so much on the leg area, though this is the brunt of the crash side. Someone's legs look like they would have been broken, but also a lot of this is popped panelling, there is still some space-

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6f11a52.jpg

the rear of the car seems ok-

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/...ps57fa09a9.jpg

Just trying to imagine how fast this thing was going.

If you get back there, have a close look at the instrument cluster. The speedo gauge needle will often leave a mark on the cluster face where it was at the moment of impact.

That is quite impressive, I would guess from the photos that was a head-on collision at a closing speed of 50-60 mph+.

That is why my son drives a 124.

Looking at the drivers seat back, I believe there was someone or something in the rear seat without a seat belt on.
This picture increased the value (to me) of my 126 and 124. I wonder what a Kai or Hyundai would look like.

Paul

... wow.

you ought to go back there and snag that motor. it's obviously a FANTASTIC powerplant... of course you are going to need a cam gear and valve cover... not to mention a jaws of life to cut it out...

When a Kia or Hyundai get into a head on collision at 60MPH, they never make it to the junk yard. They have to bury the car with the driver and passengers inside it.

Air Bags and ABS are fantastic for family members....

I'd surmise it's been a while, months or years since the collision with whatever. There's lots of surface rust visible. I wouldn't have thought these cars would have crushed/buckled that badly, but it was a horrific incident. However, considering the degree of impact, and where the impact took place, the car did remarkably well. It's a safe bet most any other automobile brand/model would not have fared this well, all things being equal. The front right passenger seat doesn't look to have been occupied. The right front knee bolster isn't indented. I wouldn't expect to see any blood on a car that obviously evidences it's been out in the weather for quite a while, as the elements would have washed that away. Also, whatever it collided with was a tad higher than the MB at the time of impact, as the deflection impact area was markedly (to some degree) above the front bumper. This shows the extent of what can happen, even in a four-door S-Class sedan at speed/impact.......

can you grab the RF fender for me?

It appears that the impact must have been with something like a box truck or even a tractor-trailer rig, etc.

I've read somewhere that the overlap design of the door jamb is the reason the doors will open after the most severe of impacts on an MB. Most other manufacturers use a squared-off design that jams/locks in a strong impact.

I guess the motor mounts are shot. ;-)

There is a video on You Tube about the history of the S Class and they ram a new W116 into a concrete wall and the tech walks past camera to open both front doors.

To me it looks like something was traveling at a high rate of speed towards the car, and came into their lane....regarding no blood, they clean these cars now very well before they hit the wrecking yard....I have seen some horrible wrecked cars, and not one speck of meat/blood....they even cut the airbag out....same with crime scenes, what can't be cleaned is cut out....I have seen carpet with the blood drips just cut out. Its considered a biohazard now...

Depends on where you are located I think. In high-volume areas where crashes happen every few minutes, you still see blood dripping out of cars in the impound lot, chunks of flesh in the seat, a complete scalp with hair still hanging in the windshield and teeth in the steering wheel.

It's quite common actually...

Yeah, I was gonna say I've seen a few cars with blood and hair on them.

Without seeing the car in person I'm guessing but I wonder about an Armco barrier. High enough to pretty much clear the bumper but stout enough not to move out of the way. Like I said, just a guess. Does the yard staff have a clue? Sometimes they'll know the history.

Dan

my (currently damaged W124) could stop so incredibly quick that if the front passenger was not wearing a seat belt they would be launched from the windshield.

I have had to do one or two such stops and good lord the MB feels like someone threw an anchor, I had the chance to try this in a FWD impala - NOPES. the suspension design is terrible and the car takes its distance to stop despite having larger brakes than the benz.

This crash is remarkable in the sense that the 116 was concieved in the early 70s and MB actually thought to incorporate crumple zones in it to protect the passenger cell - most american iron was relying on mass to keep the cell intact. which was wrong. The Japanese were still trying to figure out how to make a car properly. There is a reason us lot drive these, and my car (which will be repaired soon) is evidence enough for me that you should always be investing in a vehicle that has the monies spent where it matters most - bells, whistles, shapes, lines etc come afterwards.