This is the story of a boy and his car. His project car, more specifically.
In 2012, we acquired a 1991 Mercedes Benz SL — the snazzy convertible — with a dying engine. At a few thousand $, we got quite the deal. Yes, a good deal with a dying engine, believe it or not!
Why? Because we had a donor. Shortly before, our favorite diesel Mercedes had gotten totaled. 🙁 Sad story, for sure. But the good news is that while the body was destroyed, the engine, as well as a lot of other internal parts, was totally intact.
So we thought… donor diesel engine into the convertible body? YES! Why not? This “diesel convertible frankencar” is definitely not a model that Mercedes has ever offered. But… it could be our own! And it would be awesome for roadtrips!
Fast forward a few years, and Bruce went from a backyard mechanic to owning his own auto repair shop. (Don’t try this at home, kids.) Sadly, our project Benz took the backseat, so to speak, as our customers’ cars always have come before employee cars, and it’s taken a decade to get her (nearly) finished.
But as of early November 2022, aside from a few gauges, some cosmetic work, the A/C (we won’t need that for a while), and frivolous items such as our in-cabin Nespresso (for reals, folks) — she is on the road and active!
Follow for the adventures of our project car, the Frankenbenz — dreaming of long drives with the top down. 🙂