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-   -   A Gamble that Paid off: C-Class Mercedes W203 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super-cars-imports-india/68452-gamble-paid-off-c-class-mercedes-w203.html)

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.

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?

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?

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?

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

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?

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.

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?

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.

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)

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

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

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?

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

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