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Update 7/8/25 car for sale now has history with it.
Update 7/3/23
Update 1/7/23 project starting with pictures
My cousin has a 36 Mercedes that his father bought in 1952 in Germany. It was totally taken apart to start a restoration in 1971 and has sat ever since. He would like to get it back together for his dad now 90 . Does anyone know anybody that works on old Mercedes engines and or bodies . I have seen pictures and little to no rust but nothing was tagged. It is a gaint mess/puzzle.
I don't know what model you have. But I would check and see if it is a car worth fixing up? If not, you could spend a hole lot more mav be than the car is worth? I'm sure this is not going to be a cheap restore.
His pockets are pretty deep .I Will check them out .
Dont let youre mechanic know this, get estimates in writing, check on progress often. Unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people in the restoration business, and even some good people turn bad when money is waved under their noses.
It is a base model. From a money stand point it may not be worth it . this has alot of family sentiment . he is trying to find someone good and trustworthy . thought someone might know somebody.
It is a base model. From a money stand point it may not be worth it . this has alot of family sentiment . he is trying to find someone good and trustworthy . thought someone might know somebody.
Its not very often that a car can be restored correctly for less than the value,especially if the car needs rust repair. He'll have to decide how much he is willing to pay for the sentimental attachment.
Be prepared for some high numbers from good and trustworthy people, then. Auto restoration is expensive and just not worth it on cars that are not worth much restored. You'll get two quotes, reasonable, and high. Reasonable means he's going to hit you with extras, and, if/when you don't pay, he'll let it sit and put a mechanic's lien on it. High means high up front, but that should be it. Paint can be 20k, body work can be 10-15k, interior 5k, engine work 5k. Is the car, restored, worth at least 45k?
While I agree with everyone that this will be a monumental undertaking, and expensive, I think it's a great idea. You can't put a price tag on the joy that your uncle is going to feel when he sees his car all done up. Now, putting the family in financial peril might not be the best idea, but heck if your cousin can swing it, I think he should do it. Besides, who else has one? How about a picture or two.
Now, if the 1936 Mercedes looks like this, it might just be worth it for sure.
This project is going to start moving forward after 4 years. Nobody would touch it as it had been totally disassembled and I mean totally. I will post pictures soon as I helped move it this week. It is a higher end Mercedes. It is a 36 Cabriolet A. Parts were loaded in a box truck, a pickup with a trailer and my rav4. The car was in New Hampshire now in a shop in Maryland owned by the sister of my son in law and her husband. The car was never tagged in the US and still had the 1952 US Armed Forces Germany tags on the back. It will be partially reassembled to see if anything has gone missing in the last 70 years. Then a decision will be made how to proceed. The body is very solid with very little rust. My 71 cutlass had a lot more rust. I will be able to keep an eye on it as the shop is near me. Will post updates as things proceed.
Mercedes cabriolet 1935-37 restored are highly prized and valued anywhere from 700k to well north of 1m. There may only be a handful left globally.
With the provenance of your cousins being bought in Germany in 1952, being used as a U.S. staff car and most probably a **** staff car and with WW2 U.S. forces plate and tags still with the vehicle, I would suggest it is well worth the resto even if it runs into 6 figures.
Good luck with the restoration, your cousin has an uber rare piece of history and the resto quality should reflect that.
That's a very cool car with a great history behind it. Looking forward to watching progress on it.
Another source for you. This shop does high end restorations and specializes in European cars, particularly Mercedes. My brother is one of the specialists in the shop.
did "WE" get a positive identification of it? ..... 1936 Mercedes 500 5-passenger cabriolet A ....... or similar?
Not sure it is a 500 but it is a 1936 Cabriolet A, it is a 5 passenger. It has a straight 6. The 500 were more top of the line. There was also 290 and i think 170. Might be the 170. It does have the 2 spares 1 on each fender.
I think ........
it's a 1936 W21 200 (6 cyl. 1.961 liter) cabriolet C (short wheelbase 106"), it was replaced during the '36 model year with the W143 230 (6 cyl. 2.229 liter) - the 170 is a 4 cyl. the 500 is an 8 cyl.
May have the letters reversed. It is a short wheel base with a straight 6. I can check for size maybe tomorrow. Going on the memory of a 94 year old man.
Some more pics and information on the car. It is mostly reassembled and will be taken back to my cousin to show to his father who owns it. They will then make the decision on what next with the project. They could sell or continue. If they continue they may try and get it running.
They had a Mercedes expert come and look at it. He was amazed by it. It was definitely used by the military in WW 2. The suspension has been modified. It sits about 6 to 8 inches higher than stock. The rear has had much heavier springs installed. All lights have been disconnected, that part of the wiring harness is gone except for the one headlight in the center. Here are a few more pics. Over all shot It may have been modified to carry as much as 1000 pounds. Definitely not a stock stance. Gauges are original except for the 2 smaller ones. Switches and pulls are original. Dash is period correct but may not be original.
Car is now for sale. Good project for someone that thinks olds parts are to cheap and easy to find. Here is a link to the sale on the AACA website and a history of the car.
