Dear Benz Friends

I have a 65’ 250se Cabriolet with a 5-speed manual transmission that I plan to do a total restoration on and have a question regarding how far one can go in using cannibalized items from a parts car and still maintain the integrity of the model and serial number identity of the car your restoring.

As an example, my 250se has 100% of its original parts and other than the body itself which is full of rust, the doors, the hood, trunk lid and fenders are all in decent shape. My thought has been to buy a stripped coupe body, remove the top and transplant the windshield and top bows to it.

I’d need to add the underbody stiffeners and transplant the folded roof storage area in the trunk, along with some other original sheet metal into the coupe body, but I think over 50% of the finished car would be items from the cabriolet and I don’t think anybody would ever know the difference.

So at what point would this no longer be considered a restoration, but a convertible conversion? Is there a percentage of parts transplanted from one vehicle to another that determine which is the original car? Or, is it determined by the serial number stamped into the chassis or the body?

I’ve built cars from scratch using many different components compiled from multiple cars and in some cases took a title that came with a pile of parts with no body and applied the serial plate and number associated with that title to a usable body with no title and ended up with a registered car.

Can someone please enlighten me where you draw the line?

Thanks,

MB300se65

It has always been , in my experience with W111 or W112 cabriolets , very important to verify through the cars serial / vin # that it was manufactured as a convertible...Anything else would be considered a conversion and would be worth much less on the open market....

If you aren't concerned with diminishing the car's value and just want to have a solid convertible I don't see a downside to your plan.

Anyone else want to comment on this ....?

I would determine where the serial number is stamped on the chassis and build the new car around that. For example, if it is stamped on the firewall, keep that with the other mechanical parts and cut off everything that is rusty and apply the new parts from the coupe. Be sure to include all the reinforcing that is exclusive to the cab to retain the structural integrity of the car.

On a car that has some value which I believe your car does, you don't want to change the plates.

This is my thought.

I am no expert by any means. If you can find a true expert to validate the method, then I would photodocument every step of the way for the future owners, even if you don't plan to sell it.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

My thinking on this up to this point is to very carefully cut out the sheet metal around all the stamped numbers and serial plate of the cabriolet and weld the cutouts into exact duplicate cutouts in the body and chassis of the donor coupe and switch out the actual serial plate of the cabriolet with the coupe.

I think after cleaning up the welds you could blend the two pieces of metal together where no one would ever tell. I want to maintain the integrity and value of the cabriolet as a factory original and I’m curious to hear thoughts on whether this is considered acceptable restoration etiquette.

I wouldn't do it that way.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I wouldn't do it that way, and it's also illegal (VIN fraud, pretty much)... I'd do whatever I could to retain the original body/frame, repairing what is needed.

Your car is worth a ton more on the market as a restored cab than a coupe with cab plates and mods.

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