CMS Motorsports is the shop featured in the episode, and the hosts discuss how the company restores and works on AMG cars. The conversation emphasizes their growth from a smaller operation to a larger downtown facility with a showroom and display-focused setup. This makes CMS Motorsports a key “who” in the story, not just a name-drop.
“AMGs” are Mercedes cars made by AMG, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz. They’re known for being quicker and more track-capable than regular Mercedes models. This episode is about restoring and working on those AMG cars.
“Restoring” means taking an older or worn AMG and bringing it back to a really good condition. That can include fixing damage, replacing worn parts, and making it look right again. The episode is about what that process is like and why people want it.
“Vintage AMG Day” is the episode’s theme. It’s basically a spotlight on older AMG cars and the people who restore and care for them. It helps you know what the show is focusing on.
“Pre-merger” means before AMG became fully part of Mercedes-Benz. Back then, AMG had a more independent “tuner” vibe, which many people associate with the brand’s early cool factor.
Recaro makes performance car seats. They’re designed to hold you in place better during spirited driving. The host remembers the Recaro seats as a standout part of the car’s “cool” factor.
The host references “Miami Vice” as a cultural touchstone for the 1980s era they associate with certain car styles and driver fashion. It’s used here to explain why that period’s cars and aesthetics felt so iconic to them.
Radwood is a car show where the vibe is more about the style and culture of classic cars—especially the 80s/90s look. The host is saying that the same kind of “Miami Vice” fashion shows up at events like this.
They mention “Formula One Imports” as a local importer/dealer that had a reputation for bringing in fancy cars. The speaker says it was a place where he could sit in lots of cars as a kid.
A gray market dealer sells cars through unofficial import channels. That can change what’s available and how the car is handled compared to buying through the normal brand network.
“Body shop guy” refers to someone working in collision repair and vehicle bodywork—things like panels, fabrication, and paint. The speaker is connecting that trade to building custom cars and getting into the custom fabrication side of the industry.
The speaker describes an older collision-repair approach where body shops “beat the metal” and use heat to reshape damaged panels. This is essentially metal fabrication and panel beating—before modern repair workflows and specialized departments became common. It highlights how restoration and repair used to rely more on hands-on metalwork.
The speaker says they used to heat paint and that it was “solvent based,” with a strong smell lasting for weeks. Solvent-based coatings rely on solvents to carry pigments and binders, and they can off-gas for a long time compared with many modern waterborne systems. The “heat up the paint” part suggests older spray/curing practices.
Term
spraying glass
“Spraying glass” appears to be the speaker’s way of describing a clearcoat or a glass-like finish produced by the paint system used in older body shops. In many refinishing contexts, people describe certain coatings as giving a “glass” look due to gloss and smoothness. The exact product/chemistry isn’t specified, but it’s clearly about the finish quality.
They’re talking about Mercedes-Benz, the car brand they’ve loved for a long time. It’s also the reason the conversation is about building and tuning cars—because Mercedes has a big enthusiast scene.
They’re talking about a Mercedes-Benz 300 E from 1986. It’s a classic E-Class sedan (the W124 generation) that was built to be a reliable daily driver. “Bone stock” means it was mostly unchanged from the factory.
“Bone stock” means the car was basically as it came from the factory, with no meaningful modifications. It’s useful because it shows what they changed later.
They wanted the car to look like a much more powerful AMG version, often nicknamed “Hammer.” Since they couldn’t afford the real AMG parts, they used other parts to make the car resemble that higher-end setup.
They found a shop that sold replica parts meant to look like AMG equipment. That let them build the style they wanted without spending the huge money that real AMG parts cost.
They changed the headlights to a European-style set. People do this for the look and sometimes because the light pattern is different than what you get with other markets.
An “AMG kit” is a set of parts that makes a regular Mercedes look more like an AMG. It’s usually about styling—bumpers, trim, and similar pieces—rather than turning it into the real AMG mechanically.
A “clone” here means they modified the car to look like a more expensive AMG version. It’s like recreating the vibe and appearance of the real thing, often without doing every mechanical upgrade.
They’re talking about Mac Tools, a company that sells tools to mechanics. The segment is about how someone can own a route and sell tools directly to repair shops.
Concept
trial by inferno
It just means learning through tough, costly mistakes. The host is saying it’s easier if you have help and guidance instead of figuring everything out alone.
Factor is a service that delivers prepared meals. The host uses it to make eating healthy easier because the meals are already planned and ready to go.
Term
GLP-1 support
GLP-1 is a hormone that affects appetite and metabolism. The host is saying some meal plans are designed to support that kind of health goal.
The Mercedes-Benz 500 E is a special older Mercedes sedan with a powerful engine. People like it because it’s quick and feels sporty, but it doesn’t look like an extreme race car.
AMG is Mercedes’ performance division. The point here is that AMG got offered on more models over time, and some people prefer the original, more special versions.
Sometimes the real original cars are too rare or too expensive, so people build cars that look and feel like the original using old, correct parts. The goal is to make it as authentic as possible.
A body kit is the set of outside parts that change the car’s look. They’re saying that even if you find the original kit, it’s old and usually been fixed up before, so it may not be perfect.
The Lamborghini Countach is a very rare, high-performance sports car made by Lamborghini. It’s known for its bold, unusual design. The podcast mentions it because owning one can be expensive, especially for repairs and upkeep.
Company
Pickapart
Pickapart is referenced as a parts source where the speaker used to collect components in person. In the context of the episode, it’s part of the story about how enthusiast parts used to be easy to find before online marketplaces and rising collector demand changed pricing.
A junkyard is a place where old cars get taken apart and you can buy parts. The speaker is saying they used to be able to find performance parts there cheaply.
Gooding is a well-known classic car auction house. The speaker uses it as a benchmark for ultra-high-end, auction-priced cars (the “$700,000” example) to contrast against the more typical market where recreations and period-correct builds can make sense.
Even if a car hasn’t been wrecked, older body panels can slowly shift or wear in a way that makes them not line up perfectly anymore. That affects how well new parts will match the existing body. So restoration isn’t just about having parts—it’s about having parts that fit the way the originals did.
AMG’s “classic program” is referenced as a Mercedes-AMG initiative aimed at preserving heritage cars. The host says it’s focused on record keeping and certification rather than producing new replacement parts at scale. This distinction matters because it explains why some classic AMG components remain unavailable even when the car can be officially documented.
The Fiat 500e is a small electric car version of the Fiat 500. The podcast is talking about replacing parts like bumpers and fenders, which is the kind of work you do after damage or for restoration. Even though it’s electric, it still uses body panels that can be repaired or replaced.
“Popping molds out of” refers to using existing manufacturing molds (or mold tooling) to reproduce parts that are no longer available. When molds are the only way to make accurate, repeatable shapes, they become a critical resource for niche restorations. In this episode, it’s presented as a practical solution to the lack of current factory-level reproduction.
QC means quality control, basically how well a company checks that parts are correct. The host is saying some replacement parts they’ve seen are low quality and don’t fit or match properly. That’s why restoration can turn into a parts-availability and parts-quality problem.
Concept
wide body SEC hammer
They’re talking about a custom-looking Mercedes-style coupe with wider fenders. The goal is a more aggressive “stance,” usually by changing the body panels so the car sits and looks wider.
Reproduction parts are new-made versions of older parts. Sometimes they’re actually better than the originals because they’re made to fit correctly and can be improved in the manufacturing process.
They’re saying they build the bodywork out of steel instead of lighter materials like fiberglass. Steel can be stronger and, when welded properly, it can make the panels feel more solid and better integrated.
Fiberglass is a lightweight material used for some body panels. They’re saying earlier wide-body versions used fiberglass parts, but later people had problems like cracking, so the material choices changed.
A pillarless coupe is a car where the side windows don’t have a center support pillar. That can make the body flex more, which can stress body panels and lead to cracking.
“Overly restored” describes an aesthetic choice to make a car look extremely fresh—sometimes beyond what a purist might consider “original.” In this context, it’s tied to the goal of perfect fitment and finish on the wide-body conversion.
They’re describing the careful metalwork step where rough panel pieces get shaped and smoothed so the car’s body lines look continuous. Primer is used to reveal any imperfections before final finishing.
Company
Tennessee
The car is said to be coming back from Tennessee, implying the fabrication or metalwork is being done off-site. For listeners, this is a clue that the build process may involve shipping the car to a specialist shop for bodywork and metal massaging.
They’re talking about the Mercedes-Benz SL, which is a classic luxury convertible/roadster. They’re basically saying red looks great on these cars and can make them more valuable.
They’re talking about taking a Mercedes-Benz 500 E and turning it into a convertible. That’s not just cosmetic—making a car open-top usually requires major changes to the body so it still feels solid and drives right.
Turning a car into a convertible changes how it flexes and how loud/solid it feels. The goal is to make it still drive and sound right, not like a loose, rattly open-top conversion.
Fender flares are the parts that extend outward over the wheel area. They change the look of the car a lot, and in this build they’re a key part of making the conversion look right.
They mention a trim piece called “dog leg molding” that helps define the shape of the rear body. For the conversion, they’re changing how that area is built so the flare becomes one unified piece.
They’re explaining how they copied a tricky body shape using 3D modeling, then made a physical mold from it. That helps them build the part so it matches the original design.
The Tesla Model 3 is an electric car, meaning it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. The podcast is talking about how the car’s shape is designed and built, including using models and manufacturing steps. It’s mentioned because it’s a major example of today’s EV design.
Side cladding is the trim along the side of the car that can cover and protect bodywork. They’re saying their version is made in a different way (one piece) to match the look.
Door cladding is the outside trim around the doors that helps the car look smooth and properly shaped. They’re recreating it so the edges and contours match the original design.
Rocker molding is the trim strip along the bottom edge of the doors. They’re saying this is hard to replicate because the shape has to match the car’s body lines so it doesn’t look “patched together.”
They’re trying to make a custom car look like a specific Mercedes-Benz coupe—the 500 CE. That means matching the shape and trim details so it looks “factory,” not like an aftermarket conversion.
The fuel door is the little panel where you open the gas cap. They’re saying the fuel door is placed differently depending on the body style, so it’s one of the tricky parts to make the conversion look correct.
“Bolt-on” means those parts can be attached with bolts and brackets instead of being custom-built from scratch. They’re saying some body parts are easier to swap than the tricky trim pieces.
They’re talking about the Mercedes-Benz SL 500 they owned before. They’re basically saying their past experience helps them judge what kind of engine setup makes sense for the way they drive now.
The Autobahn is a famous German highway known for long-distance, high-speed driving. They’re basically saying their driving isn’t the kind where an engine’s high-speed strengths would really show.
A “four cam” engine means the engine uses more camshafts to control the valves. More cam control can help performance, but the host is saying it won’t matter much for how they actually drive.
Jim Farley runs Ford. In this segment, they’re saying he’s also into racing, not just business.
Car
Mercedes 400E
The Mercedes-Benz 400E is the smaller-engine E-Class sibling mentioned alongside the 500E. The key point here is that the firewall and engine-bay packaging differ between the 400E and the larger-engine setup, requiring major fabrication to swap in the bigger motor.
The firewall is the big wall that separates the engine area from the passenger area. If you put a bigger engine in, you might have to cut and rebuild that wall, which can also affect parts inside the car.
This segment describes the real-world challenge of engine swaps and fitment: when the engine doesn’t physically fit, you may need structural changes like cutting and re-welding the firewall. They also note the “diminishing returns” problem—beyond a point, the cost and complexity stop making the swap financially sensible.
Company
Rent Tech
Rent Tech is a company name mentioned by the host. They bring it up because the owner shares real stories about Mercedes-AMG engineering and builds.
Concept
SCCs
They mention Hart moot building something called “SCCs,” but the transcript doesn’t say what that stands for here. It sounds like a parts/project setup related to these kinds of performance builds.
A five-speed gearbox is the transmission with five forward gears. They’re saying the donor car’s transmission is part of what makes the swap work better.
“Diff” is short for differential, the gear unit that allows the left and right wheels to rotate at different speeds while also distributing torque. They mention getting a “better diff” as part of the donor package, which typically improves traction and how the car puts power down.
A powertrain is everything that transfers engine power to the wheels. They’re saying their build uses a whole matching set from another car, not just one part.
The Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG is a faster, higher-performance version of the E-Class. The podcast is talking about its transmission and drivetrain upgrades that help it move more strongly. It’s mentioned because it’s a well-known performance setup from the factory.
An ECU tune is a software adjustment to the car’s computer. It can help the engine make more power, especially when combined with exhaust changes.
Concept
four cam vs two cam engine
They’re comparing engines with different camshaft setups—four-cam versus two-cam. The claim is that the four-cam design can make the engine feel stronger at higher RPMs.
The power band is the RPM range where the engine feels strongest. They’re saying an automatic can sometimes make it harder to keep the engine in that sweet spot.
“Slush box” is slang for an automatic transmission. They’re saying it can feel less connected because it may not keep the engine in the right RPM range for strong acceleration.
A six-speed gearbox is a manual transmission with six gears. More gears can help the engine stay in its best power range, but it also changes how the car feels day to day.
A manual swap is when someone changes a car to use a manual transmission instead of an automatic. It can be fun, but it’s not always the best fit for how the car is supposed to feel.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK is a luxury car line, usually a coupe or convertible. The podcast is talking about a special high-performance version called the “Black Series,” and it mentions that it can be paired with a manual transmission. That combination is unusual, which is why it stands out.
Bilstein dampers are shocks/struts that control how the car moves over bumps. They help the car stay stable and predictable, especially after suspension changes.
H&R springs are aftermarket springs that change how high the car sits and how stiff it feels. Combined with shocks, they help the car handle better and ride more evenly.
They’re using the Mercedes-Benz E 500 as a benchmark. The idea is that the suspension parts they’re choosing were also used on the E 500, so it should feel right.
A laser scan is like a high-precision measurement using a laser. It helps the shop and wheel maker confirm there’s enough clearance so the wheels fit without rubbing.
They’re choosing a 17-inch wheel size for this car. Wheel diameter can change clearance and fitment, so the exact size matters for whether the wheels work properly.
Part
two-piece FMR
They’re talking about how the wheel is made in two main sections. The goal is usually to make it stronger and lighter than older wheel designs.
A forged barrel is the wheel’s outer part made by squeezing metal into shape. That process usually makes the wheel tougher and sometimes lighter than cheaper casting methods.
Clear coat is the shiny protective layer on top of the paint. They’re saying they want it extra glossy so the color looks deeper and more eye-catching.
Term
Frozen polished clear
This is a particular type of clear coat finish. It’s chosen to make the paint look brighter and more “alive” under real lighting.
This is a custom front bumper option (from Lorenzo) that changes how the car’s front end looks. They’re saying it’s a rare piece and it helps the car look right.
This is a styling principle: choosing wheels and accessories that match the car’s original design period. The host argues that mixing in newer-looking parts (like wheels from a newer Mercedes-Benz) can make the build look visually “off,” even if the parts are high quality.
Bigger wheels (like 18 inches) can change how the car looks from the side. They’re saying 18s make the car look like it’s sitting too tall compared to the look they want.
The bolster is the part of the seat that wraps around you on the sides. It helps keep you positioned, and the hosts want the reupholstered seat to match the original bolster shape.
Perforations are small holes in upholstery, usually used for ventilation and a specific visual pattern. The hosts point out that the 500E has perforations on the bolster and want the new upholstery to replicate that detail.
They’re talking about the Mercedes-Benz 500 seat as the “correct” look and feel they want to copy. The key point is making the seat firmer and more supportive, and choosing materials that help you stay in place.
Old car seats can wear out inside, and the cushion can collapse. When that happens, you end up sitting in a bad position and your back can hurt, so fixing the seat structure matters.
Foam is the cushion material inside the seat. Over the years it can break down and collapse, so the hosts are explaining why some older seats feel much less supportive.
Term
500 suspension
They’re talking about a suspension setup meant for a “500” Mercedes. Suspension parts affect how the car rides and handles, so this is a big part of how the build will feel.
Super Sprint makes aftermarket exhaust systems. An exhaust upgrade can change the sound and sometimes the performance, and it’s usually chosen for good fit and quality.
They’re talking about the car’s roof that goes up and down. Even if it’s not leaking, older tops often need cleaning and sometimes service so everything works smoothly.
Car
Mercedes-Benz S55
They’re talking about a 2005 Mercedes-Benz S55, which is a fast Mercedes with a supercharged V8. The builder used it as a donor to provide the engine and transmission for the swap.
An engine swap means putting a different engine into a car than it originally came with. It’s a big project, but when done right, the car can end up driving like a factory-built performance machine.
They’re saying the swap used a supercharged engine and the transmission that goes with it. That matters because the engine and transmission need to work together for smooth shifting and correct power delivery.
Reinforcing the structure means adding extra strength to the car’s body so it doesn’t flex as much under stress. They’re saying whether you need it depends on how you drive—street cruising usually needs less than track driving.
The chassis is the car’s main structural foundation. They’re saying the convertible version already has a strong structure, so it should handle the added power/changes better.
They’re basically saying: if you’re just driving on the street, you don’t necessarily need extreme upgrades—just make sure the brakes are healthy and working well.
“OEM upgrade” means using parts that come from the original car maker. They’re designed to fit and work correctly, so they’re often safer than cobbling together random aftermarket pieces.
Term
dry ice underneath
Dry ice is very cold. Here, they’re talking about using it during the project while the car is being worked on, likely to help remove or handle parts without causing damage.
“Seals” are the leak-prevention parts around the engine and transmission. If they’re old or worn, replacing them during the swap helps stop oil or fluid leaks after the car is put back together.
Servicing the gearbox means taking care of the transmission while everything is already apart. It’s a smart time to do it because you don’t want to put the car back together and then have transmission problems later.
A wiring harness is basically the car’s electrical “wire bundle.” During a swap, you may have to combine or modify harnesses so the dashboard and other electronics behave correctly.
The gauge cluster is the instrument panel that displays speed, RPM, fuel, temperature, and warning lights. In swaps, the cluster often needs the correct signals and sometimes matching key/ignition logic so the car can start and the gauges read properly.
“Ignition over” here means changing over the ignition/key setup to use the donor car’s key and ignition components. This is commonly done in swaps to satisfy immobilizer/key authorization and to ensure the dashboard and engine management systems behave as expected.
An “E 55 swap” means installing the drivetrain (and usually the associated electronics) from a Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG into a different Mercedes platform. The hard part is making the older car’s systems—like the gauge cluster and ignition/key logic—talk correctly to the newer components.
The E 55 is a Mercedes-Benz AMG performance model. In this conversation, they’re focusing on how its shifter and paddle shifters work compared to the other car’s setup.
The 280 SE is an older Mercedes-Benz luxury car. Here, they’re talking about one that was modified so it could use parts from a newer Mercedes performance setup.
They mean the shift feels quick and smooth, like a short “moment” rather than a long, noticeable change. It’s basically describing how responsive the car feels when you change gears.
Paddle shifters are steering-wheel-mounted controls that let you change gears without using the main shifter. The hosts note that the E 55 has paddle shifters too, and they’re excited about incorporating that into the modified car for faster, more direct downshifts.
Imperial Red is another official red paint option. They’re saying it looks like a different shade than Signal Red, even if it came around the same time.
The Chrysler Imperial is a large luxury car made by Chrysler. The podcast is talking about different red paint colors and how “Imperial Red” relates to other shades from the same year. It’s basically about what the car looked like when it was new.
The Fiat 126 is a small older car designed mainly for city driving. In the podcast, it’s mentioned as part of a group of similar Fiat models the person owns or is working on. It’s basically a classic compact car that enthusiasts collect and restore.
Porsche is being used as a comparison point. The hosts are basically saying Porsche was more in the spotlight for performance and racing than Mercedes during parts of the 80s and 90s.
DTM is a big German racing series for production-based cars. When AMG was racing DTM cars, it was basically proving their performance parts and engineering on track.
In 1994, AMG’s relationship with Mercedes changed in a major way. The hosts are saying that before that shift, AMG was doing a lot of the racing work that built its reputation.
AMG’s “Black Series” is their more extreme, track-oriented version of certain Mercedes-AMG models. It usually means more power and more performance-focused parts than the regular version.
Audi is mentioned as another German brand with its own performance efforts. The point is that several brands were building performance cars and racing programs at the time.
They’re talking about certain wide-body performance Mercedes-AMGs becoming extremely expensive—over $500,000. That jump is tied to more people treating these cars like investments after the pandemic.
Sometimes an engine is built for racing, then adapted for normal driving. Those engines can be awesome, but they often need more care than regular cars.
The speaker is saying only a few of these cars exist. When something is rare, it can be worth more, but it also makes it harder to confirm what’s real.
The speaker describes an AMG certification program that maintains records of the special cars they built. This is important for buyers because some cars have body kits/wheels/seats with no documentation, making authenticity harder to prove.
Concept
documentation of authenticity vs body kits with no record
This is a discussion of how authenticity is verified: some high-spec six-liter cars are documented, while others appear to have been modified with body kits, wheels, and seats without supporting records. For collectors, documentation can be as valuable as the parts themselves.
Concept
Penta wheels
They’re calling out the wheels as “Penta wheels.” In car collecting, the exact wheels can help tell whether a car matches a known original setup.
A parts car is a car you buy mainly to take parts off it. In this story, they thought that’s all it was good for, but it turned out to be something special.
Term
Rikaro seats
The speaker mentions “Rikaro seats,” which appears to be a misspelling of Recaro seats—an aftermarket/performance seat brand known for supportive bolsters. The context is option selection based on comfort and back issues, which affects how the car was specced.
Company
MKB
MKB is a German company mentioned as part of the process that helps verify the car’s authenticity. The key idea is that they keep records and help issue certification based on the car’s details.
AMG Classic is referenced as the certification pathway for the car’s authenticity and historical documentation. In this context, it’s used to verify the car’s build details using VIN, photos, and records stored in their database.
“Full-blown restoration” implies a comprehensive rebuild rather than cosmetic refresh—typically addressing mechanical condition, interior, and bodywork to return the car to a high standard. The host frames it as worthwhile because the car’s provenance is now proven via certification and documentation.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is referenced as an example of how restorations can be judged and valued when the car has a verified history. The host uses it to argue that even a badly damaged car can earn credibility if it’s restored properly and retains traceable identity.
A long wheelbase means the distance between the front and rear axles is extended, which typically improves ride comfort and rear-seat space. In luxury sedans, it’s often associated with a more “stretched” stance and a smoother feel at speed.
Term
Pentastar wheels
Pentastar is a wheel style/design. On older performance or luxury cars, the exact wheel look helps the car match its original era and spec.
Concept
built in Germany vs built in the US
The segment contrasts where AMG-related cars and work were performed—Germany for “heavy duty stuff” versus U.S. involvement for other activities. For collectors, build location can affect authenticity, documentation, and how “original” a car is.
Beverly Hills Motor Accessories is mentioned as an official AMG-related business that primarily handled body kits, wheels, and suspension rather than the core “heavy duty” work. This is an example of how regional distributors/shops shaped the look and parts of AMG cars.
Company
Schnitzer
Schnitzer is a tuning brand name mentioned in the discussion. The hosts are basically asking if people still want parts from famous tuners, not just original factory-style builds.
A one-off body kit means it was made just for one person’s car, not something you could buy off a shelf. It’s a custom look, and the fact that molds were shipped shows how truly special it was.
Koenig is a company that makes custom Mercedes tuning parts, like body kits and styling upgrades. Here they’re talking about a Koenig build that was made specifically for one customer.
The discussion is about using original molds to reproduce bodywork. A “one-of-one” body kit is unique to a specific car, while producing a small run (like “10 recreation body kits”) turns a bespoke piece into a limited-production part, changing both exclusivity and value.
Car
Koenig Testerosa
This is a Koenig-modified Ferrari Testarossa. The hosts are saying the car was extremely powerful, but the custom bodywork was so heavy (mostly fiberglass) that it made the car feel sluggish and hard to live with.
Black smoke usually means the engine is burning fuel inefficiently—often too much fuel for the amount of air. When you floor it and see a lot of smoke, it can be a sign the tune is very rich or not burning cleanly.
Carbon fiber is a strong, lightweight material. They’re saying that if the custom body parts were made from carbon instead of heavy fiberglass, the car would probably feel less heavy.
Bondo is a putty/body filler used to make car body panels look smooth. If it’s used too thickly, it can crack later—especially if the metal or fiberglass underneath moves.
A barn find is a car that’s been sitting for a long time, like in a barn or garage. Restoring it means fixing whatever’s wrong underneath the surface, not just making it look good.
Hand fabricated means the parts were built by hand instead of bought as a standard kit. It’s usually how custom bodywork gets its unique shape and proper fit.
Drip rails are the little roof-edge pieces that help keep rainwater from running into the car. Here, they made them by hand to fit the custom roof shape.
They’re basically adding a strong internal frame inside the roof. The goal is to stop the car from twisting so much that it cracks windows, and to make the whole body feel more solid.
Car
Mercedes-Benz 124 wagon
They’re reusing hinge and strut parts from a Mercedes-Benz 124 wagon. That’s helpful because those parts are replaceable if anything gets damaged.
They’re talking about the next version of their custom car, called the “speed tail.” It’s meant to look more aggressive and it’s getting a stronger engine and a darker theme.
The “Black Series” is Mercedes-AMG’s more extreme performance version of certain models. The hosts are saying the build will use a similar kind of performance setup, not just the stock engine.
They’re talking about a one-off interior leather color that was dyed to a specific blue. The idea is that when the color is used consistently throughout the cabin, it looks amazing instead of random.
They’re describing how the blue-tinted surfaces look even more dramatic when the car is white. It’s basically the design trick of using strong contrast so the color theme really pops.
AMG is Mercedes-Benz’s performance brand. When someone says “mimics the AMG,” they usually mean the aggressive look and sporty vibe associated with AMG cars.
A body swap means using one car’s mechanical parts but putting a different car’s body on it. People do it to get a certain look while keeping the newer car’s driving feel.
The BMW 6 Series is a luxury car meant for comfortable, faster driving. The podcast is talking about a custom project where someone is swapping parts into an older body to make it perform better. It’s essentially a build that mixes old styling with newer mechanical components.
A custom widebody is a body modification that adds wider fenders and sometimes new panels to increase track width and improve tire fitment. It’s often done for both aesthetics and function, letting the car run wider wheels/tires and look more “race-inspired.”
The Jaguar XJS is an older Jaguar coupe/GT. Here they’re talking about taking one and turning it into a wider, more aggressive-looking car with a custom body kit.
Car
Lister Jags
Lister made special Jaguar race cars. The hosts are saying they saw some of these rare, high-performance Jaguars at a car show.
A turbo diesel is a diesel engine with a turbo that helps it make more power. People often modify these cars by upgrading parts so the engine can handle the extra boost.
Concept
blue tech
“Blue tech” sounds like a Mercedes name for their diesel emissions system. The host is mentioning it while trying to figure out which diesel version people like to modify.
If you make a car faster, you also need to make it stop and handle better. Upgrading brakes and suspension helps the car feel stable and safe when you drive it harder.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is a famous old Mercedes that collectors love. Because it’s so special, finding the right replacement parts can be hard and expensive.
They’re saying the automatic gearbox doesn’t feel sharp or responsive. Instead of reacting quickly, it can feel like there’s a delay between what you do with the pedal and what the car does.
The BMW M5 is BMW’s performance version of a fast sedan. They’re using it as a reference point for what a Mercedes would need to feel like to be truly competitive.
They mention a Mercedes-Benz CLK 430 as a case where changing it to a manual made it much better to drive. The idea is that the stock automatic didn’t match the car’s potential.
Term
Crossfire gearbox
They mention a “Crossfire gearbox,” meaning they used a transmission from another Mercedes model to make the manual swap work. It’s a common swap strategy: use parts that fit and function well together.
They’re talking about a Mercedes-Benz SL 55 that someone converted to a manual. They’re using it as proof that swapping to a stick can make the car more fun and less frustrating.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is mentioned in connection with a “door-to-door screen” interior design. This matters because it shows how Mercedes is bringing large, modern infotainment displays into mainstream models, not just flagship cars.
They’re talking about a big screen setup inside the car that stretches across the cabin. It’s basically a very prominent infotainment display, and they’re saying it’s one of the most intense examples they’ve seen.
They’re talking about a huge screen on the dashboard. The point is that it can distract from the normal feel of driving and make the car’s interior seem less “car-like.”
The front grille is the front “face” of the car, usually where air goes in to cool the engine. In this episode, they’re saying the grille design looks awkward and doesn’t match the rest of the car’s styling.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 (W109) is an older luxury sedan from Mercedes-Benz. The podcast is talking about the car’s color and how the paint has stayed looking good over time. It’s mentioned because classic cars are often judged by how well they’ve been preserved.
Driver seating position is about how the seat height, fore-aft position, and steering/wheel reach let you comfortably operate the pedals and controls while maintaining good visibility. The hosts debate whether automakers prioritize it versus packaging constraints like fitting the engine and transmission.
The Ferrari 512 M is an older Ferrari race car. The podcast is talking about how its engine and design relate to other Ferrari models, including the idea of a “boxer” layout. It’s mentioned because it’s a well-known performance car from Ferrari’s racing history.
The Ferrari 512 Boxer is a classic Ferrari supercar with a very unusual engine. The point here is that, despite being an amazing car, it wasn’t designed to make the driver’s seating position feel easy or natural.
The Ferrari 348 is an older Ferrari sports car. The host is saying that, even if the seating isn’t perfect by modern standards, it can still fit the driver well enough to drive.
“Packaging-first” design means engineers prioritize fitting the engine, transmission, and other hard points within the body, and only then tune the cabin layout. The tradeoff is that driver ergonomics—like seat position and visibility—can suffer if the mechanical layout dominates the design.
The Toyota Corolla is a long-running compact car line known for being practical and easy to live with. In the segment, it’s referenced as a personal example of a car the host found “okay” to drive, supporting the argument that many cars have decent seating ergonomics.
An SLK 55 is a sporty Mercedes roadster. A “manual swap” means changing the car so it drives with a manual transmission instead of the factory setup, and that usually costs a lot because you need the right gearbox and related parts.
The discussion notes that parts prices rise when more people realize what’s available and start buying/salvaging the same components. In markets for swap parts—like manual gearboxes—scarcity and increased demand can quickly push prices higher.
A manual gearbox is the transmission that you shift yourself with a clutch. For a conversion, you usually need more than just the gearbox so the car can drive properly.
They’re saying the Chrysler Crossfire can be used as a “parts donor.” If you find one for cheap, you can take the manual parts out and use them for a manual conversion on a different car.
“Stroked” means the engine’s crankshaft is changed so the pistons travel farther. That usually makes the engine bigger and can add torque, but it’s a serious build that needs the right parts and tuning.
A “donor car” is a whole vehicle you buy mainly for parts. If the engine is rare, people sometimes buy the car just to take the engine and key components out for another build.
Car
Mercedes-Benz SL60
This is a Mercedes SL-class model that’s associated with a powerful V12 AMG setup. The hosts are saying someone was buying these cars mainly to take the valuable engine parts out for other builds.
Car
Mercedes-Benz SL73
This is another Mercedes SL-class with a big V12 engine. The point here is that people were buying these cars at auctions to take the engine parts out for other projects.
M120 is the name Mercedes uses for a specific V12 engine. The point is that the engine is great, but the “stuff around it” (wiring and supporting parts) can be a headache to source or integrate.
Twin turbocharging means using two turbochargers to make the engine breathe harder and make more power. It’s a big modification, and combining it with a manual transmission means the whole setup has to be engineered to work together.
Car
Mercedes-Benz SL600
The Mercedes-Benz SL600 is a luxury Mercedes roadster. In the story, this one was modified with a supercharger, so it’s not just a fancy cruiser—it’s been turned into a much faster car.
The DuPont Registry is a website where people list and document collectible cars. Here, it’s being used like a breadcrumb trail to help identify the exact car.
They’re talking about a specific aftermarket kit called the Lorenzo Marti kit. It’s the parts package that helps turn the Mercedes into a supercharged, higher-performance version.
A “bull run” is an event where people drive really hard over long distances on public roads. The hosts are basically saying it’s reckless and dangerous.
A smoke screen is a device that releases dense smoke to obscure visibility. In this segment, Klaus Ettingsberger is said to have installed a smoke screen in a Mercedes-Benz C63 and used it on a highway, creating “instafog” across multiple lanes—an action that would be extremely hazardous and potentially illegal.
Term
instafog
“Instafog” is just how fast the smoke showed up. The point is that it happened almost immediately and spread across the road.
They’re describing a trick where someone adds a flammable substance to the exhaust system to make it smoke. That’s risky because it can overheat or catch fire, and it can also damage the car’s emissions hardware.
“Injection” usually means adding something into the engine—often fuel or a special fluid—on purpose. Depending on what it is and how it’s set up, it can change how the car runs, but doing it wrong can cause trouble.
SGS is the company the host is talking about—run by Chris Hahn. They’re describing it as a place that worked with very expensive cars and a wealthy clientele.
Company
Retro Automobile
Retro Automobile is where the host says he met Chris Hahn. It sounds like a shop connected to the kind of car work and customer base being discussed.
A convertible conversion means turning a hardtop into a car with a removable roof. It’s not just cosmetic—there’s a lot of structural work involved so the car stays safe and solid.
Concept
configurators
A configurator is basically a “build your car” tool where you pick options. The host is implying these customers were spending a lot of time and money customizing their cars.
Term
47 way seats
It means the seat can be adjusted in a lot of different ways using motors. More adjustments usually means you can get a more comfortable driving position.
Term
Clarion decks
Clarion is a company that makes car stereos. A “deck” is basically the main stereo unit you control.
The Mercury Monterey is an older, large luxury car model. The podcast mentions it because the name “Monterey” is being used in connection with something happening this year. It’s basically a classic car reference rather than a detailed tech discussion.
A cold air intake is an intake upgrade that tries to get cooler air into the engine. Cooler air can help the engine run more efficiently, but it doesn’t automatically fix bigger issues like wiring or fuel-system problems.
They talk about why older Mercedes cars can be annoying to work on and what steps a shop takes to make builds easier. The big theme is fixing the stuff that tends to cause problems first.
EFI is a modern way of feeding fuel to the engine using sensors and a computer. The idea is that newer fuel injection systems can be easier to tune and troubleshoot than older setups.
CIS is an older fuel-injection system design. It can work fine, but as the car ages it may be harder to keep running compared to newer computer-controlled EFI systems.
Non-ethanol fuel is gas without alcohol mixed in. Some older cars run better on it because their fuel systems weren’t designed for ethanol.
Concept
registering in another state/county to avoid emissions rules
Some people try to register their car in a different place so it doesn’t have to follow the same emissions testing rules. The tradeoff is that taxes and the law can still get complicated depending on where you actually live and park the car.
A “collector” car is one that people keep because it’s special or rare. Sometimes those cars get different rules for emissions testing or registration.
CarPlay is Apple’s in-car interface that mirrors compatible iPhone apps onto the vehicle’s infotainment display. A “CarPlay screen” implies the car’s head unit supports this feature for navigation and media.
A bazooka tube is a small subwoofer in a tube-shaped box. It’s made to fit in the trunk, and securing it helps stop it from rattling around while you drive.
A restomod is an old car that gets updated so it drives better and feels more reliable, but still looks like the original. “Fox body” is a Mustang from the late 70s to early 90s, and the plan is to keep the classic style while upgrading the important stuff so it doesn’t rattle and feels modern.
“Fox body” is what people call a certain generation of Ford Mustang (late 70s through early 90s). The discussion is about making that Mustang feel more modern and less annoying to live with.
The Ford Edge is a mid-size SUV/crossover made for daily driving. It’s meant to be practical and comfortable, not a track-focused vehicle. The podcast mentions it in passing while talking about cars they’re bringing or discussing.
Cars and coffees are friendly car meetups where people bring their cars and hang out. It’s a good way to meet other enthusiasts and see different builds in person.
aggressive. Texas. You know, he's got cows. That is some Texas shit. Yeah, that's crazy.
When I went, so a couple of years ago, we went to the 233 West meet. This was something they
put together in Chicago, like a little AMG meet. 233 West was the address for Westmont Chicago
AMG. Okay. So they're doing another one in a few years, but I actually took my 124 Coupe there,
and it was like a gathering of all these AMGs. And Richard Bucksbaum, which owned the Chicago,
you know, AMG sector, was there. And I told him about the car and he goes, oh yeah, he goes,
I know who that, you know, who that car was specced to. He goes, we built that car in Germany.
He goes, most of the six liter cars. So the real AMG cars, they say, were built in Germany.
Yeah. And there was some built in the US as well. And there was some built in Chicago. And then,
you know, Andy Cohen, which owned Beverly Hills Motor Accessories, was an official AMG. But they
mainly did body kits, wheels, suspension. Germany is where they did all the heavy duty stuff.
And that's when Hartmut actually came down from Germany to service all these cars, the six liter
cars. Yeah. Is there any other, like outside of either restoring or replicating original AMG models?
Right. Is there demand for other stuff? Do people want Lorenz or stuff? Do people want
Schnitzer stuff? Is there really a demand for that kind of stuff today? There is. I mean,
people are wanting anything that has to do with Mercedes tuning. Like I bought a Koenig,
one of one Koenig a few years back from an elderly couple out of Oregon. And the guy gave me,
when he, so he knew Willie Koenig personally. So they designed a one off body kit for him.
And when he shipped the car down, he shipped the body molds with the car. So I have all the
original molds to that car. And I can tell you, maybe four or five times a month, I get people
wanting me to pop a body kit for a Koenig, which I won't do, obviously, because I'm not going to
devalue my car. A and B, Koenig is still an operating company, you know. Yeah. Yeah. But could
you use the molds to build a whole car for somebody though? Everything. But you would do
that. It's just, you just won't sell the body. Well, I won't do it because that body kit is
specifically for my car. It's the one of one. But I have like people, people want a Koenig,
people want the Lorenz. Or it's, you know, I don't know, one of one. I feel like, I feel like
if you have the molds, you will operate like a stud farm. You know, like, you know, the yours is
still one of one, right? But like, you know, you could issue, you know, a run of 10 recreation
body kits. I'm just saying with yours would still be the one of one. Yeah. I mean, so you could
extract max value. It's just a lot of fiberglass. So much. Zach and I had a go in the Koenig
Testerosa, which was supposedly a thousand horsepower. And I think it probably actually was.
It was psychotic. The brakes were terrible. But it had like 400 extra pounds of fiberglass on it.
Yeah. How did it drive? I felt heavy because it was. Yeah. But also like, I mean, the steering
was heavy, but it was very. I'm sure that thing. Stiffly sprung. 1,000 pounds of fiberglass.
Lifting the hatch was serious effort. I think we were filling it with gas or something. We had to
open the rear clamshell to put fuel in it. And there was no rod for it. So like, it was so
tiring on the shoulders. How would you do that by yourself? Oh, it would not be possible. You'd
be out of gas. No rod. No. I mean, it probably came from the factory with the rod, but this
one didn't have one. It was really shockingly heavy, though. The power was insane. I mean,
really insane. And when it, when you got on it, the amount of black smoke that came out of the
exhaust, when you, when you, it was, it was a. Well, listen, Koenig really built some radical
cars back then. Oh yeah. They were very performance driven. Yeah. And if you had this body kit made
out of like carbon or something, like it would probably be okay, but like it was just so heavy.
The amount of the amount of Bondo that they use on these cars is insane. Yeah. Like I have an
older Koenig four door car that is in restoration. I'm restoring slowly. I mean, there's areas that
have literally an inch and a half of Bondo. It's that because the fiberglass was just wavy and
shitty or they kept adding it just to smooth it out. And in the joints, you know, where they
wanted them rounded, it literally like the corner has an inch of Bondo and it just kind of feathers
out to the body, but eventually this is going to crack. I mean, there's a quarter inch of Bondo
cracks everywhere. It's ridiculous. That's terrible. Is there a side from, you know,
something like you just talked about a barn find restoration of an original car and, you know,
you score the car for no money. And it turns out it's a thing worth saving. Outside of that,
do you have like a dream build that you haven't gotten around to yet? Or, you know, the one of
the cars that I wanted to build was the shooting break, which was the one we did for my brother.
It was something that like just was never done before. Yeah. And it was something that's kind of
like, you know, what if Mercedes made a shooting break? It's so cool. I love that car. And people
either like it or hate it. You know, it's you get mixed reviews on the car. I feel like if someone
hates it, they probably just don't understand what you've done with the interior. If it had a
fucking tan interior or something, they probably wouldn't even think. Yeah, I love this interior.
I think it rules. It was a color that my brother chose. I mean, it was a collaboration we did on
this build. He did all the mechanical. He did most of the assembly. I did, you know, we did the
coach work. That's real glass. It's not plexi. So it's not tinted blue. It's not clear. It's
totally clear. But it does look everyone thinks it's, you know, blue tinted glass, which it isn't.
Yeah. And the car is just breathtaking. Every time I still look at it, it just kind of just,
it's unreal. Yeah, it is. It's the dopest shit ever. Yeah. So did you take a roof off of like a
124 wagon or is that fully handmade? So the roof is off of a four door car. Okay. Just because of
the flatness and the continuation, but everything else is hand fabricated. The pillars, the door,
the reinforcements, everything is handmade. Just the skin of the center portion of the roof is the
one we used off of a sedan. Yeah. And that's because we wanted the same flow.
But everything else is custom made, man. Those side moldings are all handmade.
The drip rails are all handmade. And these are all intricate aluminum pieces that we had to weld
and shave and bend. You know, all of the roof from the inside, getting it reinforced. So when
the car's twisting, you're not cracking glass. We literally built like a cage within the roof
to give it reinforcement. That thing is stiff. The rear hatch is completely custom fabricated.
The hinges and the struts are off of a 124. So if you break a hinge, you can buy another one off
of a 124 wagon. But everyone thinks it's a donor roof, which it isn't. You know, everything was
handmade. Wow. I'm making the second version of it, which is called a speed tail, which has a
bit more of a slope to it. And that one's going to get a 6.3 in it. It's a 156 with the manual
six speed. Oh, cool. It's going to be meant more for performance. It's a 156. It's a 6.3 from like
a 20. S63 ML 63. It's the naturally aspirated 500 horsepower. It's what comes in the Black
Series. Yeah, yeah. And they do have a Black Series tune, which with the cams and everything,
which will make it pretty beefy. And that's going to get no backseat leather wrapped cage.
It's going to be pretty wild, you know, once it's done. And then, you know, when we built the car,
we were like, you know what, let's just kind of get creative with it and see where it goes. And
this is what we ended up with. You know, I love how this car looks. And I know you don't want to
show it publicly, but you did show me the rendering of the second car. And yeah, the roof line is
badass. It's badass. Yeah, it's going to look wicked once it's done. It's not a it's not in a
different universe from this one. But it's just it has a bit more of a slope, bit more aggressive.
Yeah, that one's going to be all black, which is going to be kind of like the sinister version of
this, you know, that's tough. So if you're trying to build a car, black hides body lines, you know,
something about a black, white body just looks it does look tough. It looks unbelievable on the
right light to see it. But it does the other black one that we drove to Monterey, which we did the
white body on. And you know, everyone kind of gravitates to the black. Like you see the black
one, it just looks it looks vicious. Yeah, yeah, you know, it's got a much more vicious look to it.
And that's kind of what I want with this one. I want it to be kind of like if, you know,
if Dr. Evil had a shooting break SEC, that's what it would be, you know,
I mean, the Mercedes is kind of the bad guy of the luxury brands, right? Yeah, part of it is like,
they're driven by bad guys in movies, but also like they're fast, they look good in black. I think
they've probably used that color for a lot of the flagship cars, black series, like it's just
associated with that. Ferrari's got red and Russian gangster car. Yeah, it's an earned reputation,
yeah. But yeah, the shooting breaks looked magnificent. Yeah, it's very it's a breathtaking
car. It is. I mean, it's just it turned out right. But a good Mercedes shouldn't be like friendly
looking. It should be pretty mean. See, this is like my brother's car is very it's a joyful car,
like it just looks happy, like the interior color, the whole the whole thing, which is great, you
know, and that's where people really are astonished about the color of the interior, like my brother
blew it out of the park choosing that color. It's a custom shade of leather that we he had tinted,
and that's the color he wanted. It's like a cerulean blue sky blue. It's there's really no name for
it. He chose that color and he had it dyed in that color. I mean, we he looked at like
maybe 15 20 different shades, and that's the one he put his finger on. And in the beginning,
I had second thoughts, but he had a vision and I might go with it. And he was right on the money.
It looks unbelievable because there's a lot of it. It's like every surface everything is right.
If it wasn't every surface, I think it might not work so well, like if it had a black console or
a black dash or something like that. Yes, you're absolutely right. It has to be not just the color,
but like an egregious amount of it. It's full boogie. But like you said,
I remember we had dinner at that Italian place at Monterey car week and we walked out and the car
was across the street just by happenstance park profile under one lamp like so dramatic.
And it looked like the windows were blue tinted because every single surface I know you said
it's like is covered in this, I don't know, BVI Tahitian Ocean blue and from from floor to ceiling.
And but the contrast of that with the all white car and having the huge window,
I don't know. I mean, it's like a sneaker or something. It's just striking. So that
that color, even the exterior color is a pure white. Yeah, there's no pearl or there's nothing
in there. And the panel roof really makes a big difference when the sun hits it, it like glows
inside, which which looks awesome. I get that. Absolutely. But when you have a color
that is so ubiquitous in your interior, that it appears the windows are tinted that color.
That's a pretty powerful use of color. It is true. And you know, it works. He
he knocked it out of the park with choosing that color. And I mean, it and what it's got the blue
matching wood grain, you know, everywhere, which makes it nice. And going back to what you said,
where it's all one, it makes it look a lot more complete and desirable. Do you think you've built
a lot of cars and we've seen you at Radwood for years with all kinds of cool stuff. Do you think
this car puts you on the map more than others? Or is it just a step? Yeah, I mean, this is just
the showstopper wherever you take it, just people gravitate to it. I mean, when we first took it
to Monterey last year, it it might my phone was blowing up like people worldwide were noticing
this car because it's just never been done before. You know, it and it's still till today, like we
were at a Mercedes event this Sunday. And it just it creates a crowd. Sure. There's no other body
like it. There's no shape like it. And then without the interior, it would probably have that effect.
That is like a beacon for everybody. It is. It is. We're we're building now. I'm kind of changing
it up. I'm redesigning a wide body now. Like I want to make my own design
that mimics the AMG but something a bit different, something a bit more CMS like a custom build.
I'm in the process of building an SEC for myself, which is a body swap. It's going to be based on
E 63 s 2022, where you have the donor. And I want it to be more
performance driven with the newer interior, just something, something different. You know what
I mean for people because the the wide body SEC, it's it's becoming too diluted in a way now.
You know what I mean? Because it's you start to see more of them and there's more of them around
and people want a change. You know, people want something different. I'm also in the process
of building the Jag. I have an xjs. And we're putting a custom wide body on it that we've
already created. And we're putting I bought a xks that's been wrecked. So we're putting that whole
drivetrain in there with the six speed and making it just a badass Jaguar. Cool. We saw really one
of those Lister Jags at Radwood in Charlotte. That was fun. Let's go to the people. We got a few
questions from our patrons over at patreon.com slash this whole entire podcast. If you want to
ask questions of the show, listen to the live stream, get the show early, get extra show,
get access to exclusive collabs and things like that and more patreon.com slash this
whole entire podcast is where you do it. And we thank the lot of you.
Oh, our patrons have odd usernames. So get on board. Focaccia Country Day School says,
I'm trying to rescue a S123 turbo from a neighbor. What are your favorite ideas to mod or build this
type of car? What is an S123 turbo? It's probably a sedan. The S stands for a sedan.
Like an S class? It's the 123 is like the 300d. Oh, okay.
All right. So turbo diesel? I'm assuming it's a sedan. All right, gotcha.
You know, with diesels and performance, I don't know much about them, but I do know in Europe
they have like tons of upgrades to get these diesels going. I mean, the newer style diesels,
like the most desirable one I believe is the model that's out of the 210, the 210, which is like the
E55 body. Yeah. The blue tech, was that the first year of the blue tech? No, there's,
I don't know the engine code for it, but that particular diesel is the most desirable one
that people build from what I know. Again, I'm not much of a diesel guy, but I mean,
they're pulling 6,700 horsepower out of those engines, which is incredible. That's crazy.
But as far as upgrading, I would probably swap it with like a newer style diesel
and turbo it, you know, and that would be the best. Yeah, just a newer diesel.
Yeah, but definitely beef up brakes and suspension on that.
390 bullet in the head says, what gives you more gray hairs finding a missing piece of a 40-year-old
Koenig fiberglass or trying to explain to a purist why a classic Mercedes needs 600 horsepower?
I mean, gray hairs, just dealing with Mercedes parts and finding parts and
locating parts is probably the toughest part of getting gray hair. But the purist guys,
with Mercedes, the guys that are the purists are mainly the people that are driving the
Gullwings and the 300 SLs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyone that has a Mercedes from the 70s and 80s,
because being a tuner was accepted back then for Mercedes, it's not really the purist,
but it's just finding the parts for these things is the toughest part. Sure.
LL Cartier says, if you were to acquire a decent 210E55, that's like what we bought, right? Right.
And wanted to make it the ultimate mile-munching hot rod, what could be done and at what budget?
I would manual swap that car. I mean, I've always wondered why Mercedes didn't manufacture something
to compete with the M5, because that automatic transmission is horrible. Yeah. I mean, it's
just a slush. If you're going to cruise it around, it's fine. Yeah. But they were an AMG meant for
the wife. You know, they were something as a grocery getter, the shifting is smooth. So something
four-door naturally aspirated V8 manual would be the most desirable. And that's what really wakes
that car up. Every early 2000s and Mercedes that I've driven that came with an automatic
that I drove that had a manual swap was much better. 100%. I drove a CLK430 with a manual swap
that was like lovely. The black one? No, the fourth. Oh, the color of it. Yeah. Maybe. That's my
cousin, David. You did a review on that car. Yeah. So he manual swapped that himself. He did
himself. Yeah. And it was out of a price. Yeah. Crossfire gearbox. And it totally changed the
whole driving experience. It was nice. Yeah. And then we drove a SL55 that had a manual swap
that a guy in Vegas did. That's right. I saw that. Yeah. I saw that episode too. Also good.
Very good car. Yeah. It's what they need. The transmission is so terrible.
Okay. Actually, I like Duffel Shuffle Retirement Clubs is what is Mercedes
up to with the door-to-door screen in the C-class. The most aggressive use of screen I've seen in
interior so far. No, I didn't. What news came out today? I'll find it real quick. Is it good news
or bad news? Bad news. Zach is shaking his head. It is bad news. Here we go. It's the
2012, 2027 CEV. Okay. The C-class. Wow. I mean, there's a couple of problems with it.
I can think of one. There's so many. One is that front grille. Two is that is a grievous screen.
It goes beyond the frame of this photo, Matt. The screen literally goes, there you go. Oh,
my gosh. That's crazy. Wow. I mean, at this point, it's just, you're not driving a car anymore.
That's crazy. This is the C-class. So you're telling me it's cheaper to make screen than just
dashboard. But this is literally screen from one end of the dash to the other, only bookended by
two vents. Like I'm shocked. Lincoln has a curved, dude, pull up the Lincoln Navigator
This just doesn't make it seem like you're driving a car anymore. Right. You know what I mean? It
takes away from the driving experience. And then the exterior, like the grille is just horrible.
The grille, I see what they were trying to do, but it doesn't work. In order to have it work,
you have to have the vertical bar in the middle and then a hood ornament on top. They're combining
two styles right here into one. It's like SilverSau plus the newer stuff. And it just,
you're... Go back up to the taillights though, because those looked kind of decent. I mean,
this is what BMW... Other than the Mitsubishi stars in the middle.
And this is what BMW did too with the grille. It's not working.
Mercedes showed a concept that had this shape of a grille, but had the divider in the middle. But it
looked more like the original chrome Mercedes grille. This is just, you know... Yeah, that's weird.
Yeah, that's not great. And what's with all the Mercedes signs on these?
You guys, they must know. They're everywhere. They must know.
Like the Maybach SL, it's all over the hood, the interior, the convertible top.
It's like the Louis pattern. It's overkill, man. Yeah, they're trying to have their own pattern.
Tim A says, what's your opinion on MB text and its reputation for being indestructible?
It's fantastic material. Yeah. I mean, it's durable as hell. It doesn't crack.
It just doesn't color. You know, it doesn't fade. I have my 300e. 86 is original MB text,
and it looks like it's brand new. Yeah, you see low to medium mile ones, and it just looks great.
It's incredible what they've created with that MB text. I mean, the Mercedes leather is leather,
but eventually leather cracks, you know, especially on the convertible cars. But the MB
text stuff is just unreal. I mean, my 300e, it literally looks like it's brand new.
Yeah, I like MB text. It's good. We already got to Darian's question earlier.
Can you notice these nuts? Why do automakers not prioritize driver seating position when
designing a cabin for non-specialized cars? I would disagree with the sentiment. I think
for the most part, do prioritize driver seating position.
I mean, now they do. I mean, sure. The Ferrari 512 boxer did not.
348, my 348, my feet, my hips are enough to drive it.
Now they do. They do. Yeah. I'd like to hear why this commenter thinks that,
because the vast majority of cars I sit in have a pretty decent seat.
That used to be, I think they used to put packaging first. So then like, they go,
oh, the person's legs will aim a little over here or the seat will be off center because we have to
fit engine trans in these hard points. I mean, the Italians weren't, were like famous for that.
Oh yeah, they don't give a fuck. 80s and 90s Italian cars, they didn't give a
shit about your seating position, whether you could see out the back window or it's just.
Same with the Germans when they were forced to build right hand drive cars.
They built them shits out of spite.
But like, I mean, I mean, look, if you, I drove like my friend had like an 88
Corolla or something in high school that he like inherited from his grandma.
And I thought I was okay. Hannah, we've got the Delica, the Mitsubishi Delica 91.
Very comfortable. I mean, it only goes up and down and back and forward,
but the seats aren't that bad. No, they're not. I'm not. I'd like to hear what the
basis is of that comment because I think most cars actually do a reasonably good job.
Merkin ball run out of curiosity. And maybe you don't know the shot. What,
what could I expect could be the cost of a manual swap for an SLK 55?
That would be a Matt quick question. That is a Matt quick question. You don't really do the
I don't deal with the mechanical. I mean, you know, and again,
what I think the fucking guy for the drive, he was about 20 something. I think it was 25 to 30
for the swap. Wasn't it? No, he said he was into the entire car for 42 grand. Oh, yeah. He bought
the car for like 25. Yeah, I think it was maybe 20, but he also did a major service while he was
in there. Yeah, I think it sounds about right. It was around 20 prices of parts have gone up
because everyone's like kind of woken up to what's going on. So I can tell you like now
to try to find the manual gearbox for a Mercedes or out of a crossfire, people know like what they
have, you know, before you could buy the whole Chrysler crossfire for $1,500 bucks, right? Yeah,
yeah, yeah. Just pull everything out of it, pedals and all, but that would be a Matt quick
question for sure. Yeah. Chubba red bar cheddar. Have you ever considered producing a watch without
limiting the number made or at least producing more so that they reach the public? You know,
we do these and we make limited numbers of them. Well, so we can't really because we are limited
by the number of the amount of moot or I shouldn't say we can't. We could. We haven't so far
because this watch that we've made uses the Lejeuperette Swiss movement. They will only sell
us 250 of them a year. Wow. That is the maximum that they will sell us. Period. Now, is that face
color mesh to your Porsche? Yes, that's beautiful. And in fact, this is the prototype of the one
that we're releasing next. In fact, it is painted with my Porsche paint. That's it. That's how we
got it right with the guilt dial and everything. So our guilt hands and with the red. That's beautiful.
Isn't that cool? So, so these are going to be 1200 bucks. It's not bad. Yeah, we're doing 100 of
them. So we're limited by we will have sold every movement that they will have. And that's the
combination that's coming in. This is the sixth color we've done. We've done we did the mint green,
the orange, the dark blue, the British racing green, the Tahitian Black Pearl and now this one.
Very nice. Yeah, yeah. It's gorgeous. So and then we have an all new watch we're coming out with
later in the year. That one will that other watch we are less limited by movements. And so we're
going to make more of them regardless. So that's why they were so limited. We literally couldn't
make more. So if you were a patron, I hope you I hope you got one. If not, I hope you join and get
one now. Okay. I don't know if this is okay. Pearl love bone of the mad green dog, maybe slightly
different from the question you answered earlier. Okay, sidebar. They are good to reschedule to
load tomorrow before noon. Beautiful. Can you get that other car down here? Okay. Yeah. Thanks,
hubby. You're the man. Is he a hubby bee? No. He's the whitest dude ever. I just bug him out.
He doesn't like when I talk like that. Yeah. Okay, what unique project would you like? Would
you most like to have a well funded customer bring to him? Meaning what is your cost no object build?
That I've done so far or that you want to want someone to bring to you? Geez, I mean,
that's kind of a hard question because there's so much you can do. I mean,
I would love to build like a v12 stroked v12 powered just badass. Build your own Zonda motor
kind of basically, you know, in a six speed and a custom basically what Hartmut's doing to the
sledgehammer would be like my dream build. You know what I mean? There was a fairly decently
substantiated rumor that every time an SL60 or an SL73 came up for auction, it was fucking Horatio
buying them back to strip them from motors. Really? That's interesting. They were paying a lot of
money for them too because you turn one was Zonda. Sure. What did he do with the parts?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know. We got to find out. Out of like Russia somewhere.
I mean, listen, I wouldn't doubt it because it's probably cheaper for him to do that than
to develop the motor from scratch. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The M120 I think is what is based off of the
v12. You can't find them anymore. You know, so it is a fantastic motor, by the way. It's just
everything else around that the wiring harness and the support is horrible.
The engine itself is a badass engine. I just actually got on someone's Instagram. I don't
remember the name, but he's actually like turbocharging these things, twin turbocharging them,
putting them with the manual, and he did an SL600. Dude, it's wicked. I bet it's nasty.
It's nasty. That's a good time. It sounds amazing. I bet. It's so fast. Yeah, it's kind of nuts.
So at the time when these were new, my buddy bought one in 96, 95 or 96. It was a purple
special colored SL600, which he took to CEC and he had it supercharged and he drove this car
and then he ended up selling it and now he wants to buy it back. So he has no trace of the VIN
number. He has no trace of anything on the car. So I told him, listen, what month did you sell it?
And he kind of remembered the month and year and he remembers putting it in the DuPont registry.
And you found this? So we went on eBay and we bought the month to see because sometimes they
put the VIN numbers in there and it wasn't there, but he's still trying to look for that car.
And you found out there's got a purple SL600? Purple SL600 with the Lorenzo supercharged.
From CEC. Back then, I mean, it was kitted. Lorenzo marti kit, the RSK wheels, supercharged.
It was pretty wicked. I did the bull run with Klaus Ettingsberger a few times. He is not a
normal person. Klaus is crazy. Is he? I mean, I've met him a few times, but I've never in my
entire life. I respect him a little bit. No, I do respect him and I respect him as a business
man and as a fucking crazy German. Yeah, he did. He did one of the most dangerous things I've
ever seen anybody do. He had a he did bull run in 2009, I think with us and he drove a C63
with some other lunatic fucking German friend of his and he had a smoke screen in it. Like he
put a legit. Yeah, he installed a smoke screen and I've never seen anything like that used in
real life. Crazy. And he and he hit the smoke screen on the highway and it was just instafog.
Wow. Instafog. I couldn't across how many lanes. The whole highway. Wow. Why would you do that?
Like because we was because bull run was stupid. It's like long. It was long distance endurance
street racing effectively. It was deeply irresponsible. That's pretty dangerous, dude. Well, because
these guys would out do each other in the crazy land. It was like him and fucking Richard Rawlings
and these these. Did he ever use it while running from police or was he did he make it? It's like
this is a fun gimmick to have. I personally witnessed him use it the one time and I was like,
oh, I am I am out of my. Was it like those DJ foggers? Yeah, maybe. No, it was apparently it
was a very simple system that just dumped baby oil into the catalytic converters.
Jesus. Are you serious? Yeah. Oh my God. That's nuts, dude. That was crazy. That's puff daddy
injection. He puffed daddy injection. Yeah. And he fucking hit the smoke and I was just like,
I just I couldn't believe it. It was one. It was one of the most. I mean, one of the most
unbelievable ones. That's dangerous. Yeah, it's super dangerous too. I'm pretty sure like everything
about this was dangerous, by the way. This is like this was the most dangerous thing of.
So was it an actual race for time or was it just it's not. Yeah, but like tell these fucking psychos
that all these guys were all these guys, including me at that age, were out of their minds. But some
of these guys were out of their minds and also like insanely rich. Right. So there's no consequences.
There are no there are no smartphones really. So no one's really not going to get a lot of
evidence filmed about you. Right. And Klaus, there was this unbelievable video. He did get
pulled over once and him and his buddy who were German, you know, Kaus has lived in Beverly Hills
for who the fuck knows how long. But he's, you know, they just start screaming at each other
in German. It's on video. And the cop just like I just I just I don't know. It doesn't even know
what to do here. You know, they give him a license, but it's a German license and it doesn't know
what the right. And they just and they're screaming at each other for like five minutes at the top
of the and the cop just gives up and walks away. So like they would, you know, they do shit like
that. And they can have 50 G's in the glove box. If they got they expected to get arrested.
It was nuts. I can imagine the client tell these people had. Oh, yeah. In the 80s and 90s. His
client must have exclusively, exclusively coke. Psycho. For sure. For sure. People don't hear
no ever. So I got a chance to meet Chris Hahn, the owner of SGS. When I went to Retro Automobile,
he was there because there was a going SEC for some. And I spent a few days with him and he was
telling me the stories of his clientele man. And he was selling like 200,000 plus cars back then
goings, which I own a couple of and convertible conversions and all that. Dude, these people
were like on a different level. Yeah. Like they were on some shit. Dude, the drugs and the configurators.
Yeah. And you look at some of these bills and you think you had to be a different individual to
47 way seats. Even think about this. It's like panels that go up, up, up and then onto the
ceiling and like behind you. They had a tape player up here and one here and equalizers everywhere.
And, you know, Clarion decks on the dad. I don't even know all this shit does.
So I have a limo, like a little executive stretch. Yeah. And this thing is like,
it's got the whole Pioneer deck in the back. It's got the TV and it's got all these gadgets.
And it's like, you don't know what the hell they do. They're just there. You know what I mean?
It's a carat du chalet model. It's badass. The thing's badass. But like you sit in it and you
look and you're like, you're sitting at a circuit city. What do you do with all this shit? You
know what I mean? I need to fine tune my EQ right now, of course. So I can imagine and I'm sure it
builds a character. Like BB and Gimbala and all that stuff with Porsches. It was not exclusive
to Mercedes, but they were. Gumbala was doing some crazy shit. And I think they're still like
creating some. They are. They have like new stuff sometimes. And there's what's his name, The Son.
Mark Philippe Gimbala or something like that. Who's got that off-road called the Marzine.
Who date that? That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The anyway. So yeah, Gimbala GTR Evo R by Turbo.
Yeah. Apparently they're introducing this new Gumbala car in Monterey this year.
Sure. All right. Good times. Good times. Cold air intake on my soccer mom SUV says people often
complain about the complexity of repairs on Mercs. When doing builds, do you take steps to
simplify or improve some of the common frustrations? Definitely. I mean, wiring being one of them.
The wiring harness obviously on the mid mid 90s to early 2000 cars were like biodegradable wires.
They do they did sell an upgraded kit. And if they don't sell it, we run through the wires and get
all that strained out. The cars were built pretty solid. I mean, suspension wise, breaking wise,
they're pretty solid. The drive cranes in them are bulletproof. It's just the support, you know,
with especially the 80s and 90s with the Bosch fuel injection systems and the CIS units
are becoming our, you know, archaic. If there's any way to EFI, I know that they do have kits
which EFI those which they go, you know, instead of the mechanical, it's electronic fuel injection.
That would be the biggest improvement where you can actually adjust and, you know, take all the
bugs out of it. But other than that, I mean, it's just mainly the fuel system and the wiring.
If you upgrade a to an EFI on like an old right on a six liter motor or something,
can you get a lot of extra power or a lot more smoother and power, reliability, smoothness,
support, efficiency in every way. Is that a pricey thing to swap? They have kits that they
sell in Europe. I've seen for like 2,500 bucks. I've never really pulled the trigger on one.
But I'm tempted just to see what it does, you know, and I don't know why they went mechanical,
you know, why they went with that CSI. Everybody was doing that shit at the time. Yeah, everybody.
I mean, the Japanese were doing it, you know, EFI. These guys are going the opposite direction.
Every 80s European car I've had has had the Lambo, the Ferrari, the Porsche.
The same. It's the same system. It's all the same shit. It's the same. You don't drive it for a
while. The shit gets gummy and the fuel too doesn't help the situation and the fuel nowadays is just
horrible compared to back in the day, you know. Got to run that non-ethanol. Yeah. That good shit.
ZR1X, go and give it to you. It says people in California who run Montana tags due to not
being able to smog their old car. Why don't they just register in a county that only smogs a title
transfer? All right. Sorry, I should have read this before reading it out loud. I'll finish, though.
We've registered our old truck at my parents' place in Eureka and don't have to smog it unless
we sell it. We don't all have parents who live in Eureka. Yeah. I mean, I... Well, yeah, there's
two answers. One is we don't all have parents that are in a county or like I've heard this before.
If you don't live in a county or have a place in the county, you can't do that. The other reason
some people don't do it is because registering Montana saves the taxes whereas I think registering
in Eureka, you probably still have to pay the California sale. Yeah. Well, I think the question
is targeted at people who would register their cars in California if California provided them
path. Gotcha. Yeah. But what you're also suggesting is buying a property in a different county
specifically for this purpose, which is a far more inconvenient and headache-inducing solution than
by far than the Montana tag, which I'm not officially endorsing. But I mean, how about this?
How about this? You write me a lease and I'll rent your parents' house for a dollar a month.
There you go. And I'm on the lease, baby. Let's go. That's like the bill, like all the Montana
tags, all of them are from like one office building. Yeah. We could run the office building in Eureka.
This is like that whole hospice scam going on. It's like, you know, I mean,
eventually there's going to be another loophole. People are going to find another loophole. Yeah.
I mean, I genuinely think that if you have a car that cannot pass smog and it's a collector
grade vehicle or it's an old work vehicle or whatever, there should be some kind of a path.
There should. It might be money. It might be something, but like... Or some sort of program
where it gives you the opportunity to at least make it smog legal or something that's going to...
Because some of these guys that have these cars, they have no choice, man. This is kind of the car
they own. Well, that's a problem is that it's a hardship if your car that you need is not able
to pass smog. And also, it represents an escaped value for the state if someone with a collector
vehicle like my Kuntosh, which has never been able to pass smog, if I can't register it in California,
but I would and you could have my tax money. Right. Well, what do you want me to do? Exactly.
I'll give you the money. And that's what I'm saying. There's people that will be able to do that.
And they will. And there's people that can't do that, which wants some sort of a package
or a program where they can at least drive this car. Take the money that you give me the pass for
under 2,000 miles a year and then take my money and have a program that retrofits old cars
with better emissions. Yeah. When I run for a fucking mayor, that's what we're going to do.
Until then, we roll around in red benzos. Right. I can't wait to actually once when I had my
Silver 129, I would drive around and play Picture Me Rollin by Tupac. And I'm excited to get to do
it again. What are we doing with the sound system on that car? I will leave it up to you. What is
important to me is that it has a car play screen so if my wife needs the GPS and shit that it
will mirror the phone. But like, I don't want a whole trunk full of speakers. No, just something
nice and crisp and clean. We can eliminate the ashtray and put like a screen in there where you
have like the backup camera. Wait, no ashtray. We're going to ask these blunts. No. I wouldn't
be opposed to a bazooka tube. I would fuck with a bazooka tube. Remember those, they came with
straps. So they don't slosh around in the back. Those things bumped pretty good. They did. The
company's still around. We can get them. Are they still around? They're around. I'm not even
fucking around. I remember they bumped really well. And we should maybe get one, but someone had asked
us on a previous show, like if we were to do like a Restomod Fox body, what would it include?
And I said it would have to be, you know, we'd have to have less rattles and a coyote motor and
this and that. But it would also have to have a strap down fucking bazooka. Do you have like the
leather tie downs, you know, real nice like John Ward would make? You know, those old school ones
were just, I mean, they were just a simple tube with with a speaker and they sound phenomenal.
Yeah, they were great. Especially in the back. So my buddy had one in the back of an
IROC and that crevices. As one does. And that thing used to resonate off the glass.
Yeah, Larry had it in the hatchback of his 5.0 and it turned your whole hatch into a thing. Yeah.
Then you'd have to put the sponge behind the license plate. Otherwise it would round something.
I have like the soft spot for Fox bodies. I have five of them. I love them. I love Fox bodies, man.
It's America's 124. Thanks for the buck. It's just you've seen my dominator, the white one,
the white one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That one's got like the IMSA body kit on it or whatever the fuck.
Super wild. Super wild. We could do a whole other show on all the non-Mercedes
shit. You have 109 cars, but we'll come back to it when my Mercedes is done. Definitely.
Thanks, Sean. You're welcome, man. Thank you guys for having me.
CMS underscore motorsports on Instagram. How the fuck do you pronounce your last name? I've never
had to speak it out loud. Meshaphagian. Boy. Yeah. Meshaphagian. Yeah, it's a good thing. You
don't have an Oldsmobile dealership. You'd be in deep shit. A big building. Meshaphagian. That's
a good one. That is a good one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It sounds like a delicious entree that I'm going
to order. It does. With a side of rice. Get me some Lama June like right now, bro. Oh yeah,
we got to go have some good Armenian food. I got to take you guys to dinner, man. 100%
for sure. So down. I grew up eating Lama June every day. Or you guys come to my place for a barbecue,
then we rock and roll. Can you do skewers? Can we make the skewers? Absolutely. With the swords?
Yes. That shit's hard. It's very hard. And it's just the way you line it up and you got to use the
metal skewers and they have to be the right thickness. So when you're putting it on the fire,
that metal heats up and it cooks the inside of the meat too. When I tried to do it,
the meat like kind of disintegrates and falls off the skewer. It depends how you're actually
like you're mixing the ground beef. So the butcher I go to knows the correct fat content versus the
ratio. And it's how you kind of put it on there. It's, you know. Ali said he's going to teach me.
Yeah. Yeah. My other, my other, my Persian friend is going to teach me. Oh yeah. See Persian barbecues
too. Yeah. Well, he's that who took me to the spot in Glendale. Which spot did you go to?
Rafi. Rafi? Rafi. Yeah. Oh dude, you went to like the, you know, the McDonald's. That's a good spot.
No, it's a very good spot. I also fuck with Twin Lomajo in Burbank, the Lama June spot. Yes. That
has the special oven. That place is the, that's the banger. So I'll take you to, you know, you
got to go to the little local spots. Rafi's is like the, it's big, the superstar. But you go to
those little mom and, oh, it's phenomenal. Yeah. But you go to the little mom and pop spots where,
you know, they have the special cut of meat for you set up over there. There's also the spot
in Gardena by our other store that's like next level. Borge Star. If you fuck with Borge Star.
I don't know much about this. Is it? Yeah. Gardena is a secret. Is it Persian or Armenian?
It's Persian. But Gardena is a fucking super secret. There's a lot going on down there. Really?
Yeah. Because nobody wants to go down there. I haven't been to your other spot. I want to
go check it out. It's going to be, it's, it's, it's great. Are you guys going to do the events
there? Are you guys? We're working on it. We're working on it. Yeah. The city isn't happy about
it. The city doesn't like you doing anything. They're very resistant. Yeah. Yeah. But there's
not much going on. Why wouldn't they want it? Like direct traffic to the city and it's obviously
quality people that are going there. It's like, I think they're, I think they're nervous because
the fucking, there's like takeovers down there at night and you stay anything with. I understand.
Anything like cars, they're really on edge. Yeah. We'd like to bring a bunch of cars to industrial
area at night time. Yeah. Yeah. They're really on edge about it. All right. Well, I can't wait.
We got the, we've sorted this. The truck is coming to take both cars tomorrow morning to send them
down to a quick classics in Nashville. I was talking to Matt. I may, when he, once he's got
like things sort of like maximally apart or start, I'm going to find the right time to go down there
and see what's what. Yeah. You know what? Let me know when you're going to go. You want to go?
All right. Yeah. All right. We will make a weekend out of it. Actually, there.
Do you have a white suit in my size? Yes. We'll walk in there with a briefcase with a couple white
suits. But there, I think he does his cars and coffees there. Oh, he does? Yeah. Maybe we can.
We'll go there one of the weekends when he's doing it. Just kind of the car community in Tennessee
is really growing too. It is. No, Tennessee is great. Knoxville is great. Nashville is great.
He's, and we got my boy Cameron Weiss is down there, although he's in Switzerland right now,
training watchmakers kind of make his shit. Yeah. He's like, he's like, I can't find any
watchmakers. So I'm just going to go to Switzerland and train my own. Okay. Sounds good. But we'll
have to figure that one out. And then he said, like, I think he said two months and then the car
comes back to you for paint and interior. You finish it all out. Just like that. All right.
CMS Motorsports on Instagram is basically where you find what you need to know, right?
That's where they find you. That's it. Yeah. Have Sean build you something. He's pretty good at it.
I love the time. I can't fucking wait. Thanks to our patrons for asking such good questions today.
We appreciate you all. And Zach and I are going racing. So when you hear from us next,
you will have the racing wrap up for you. And that's all I got. Goodbye. Thank you guys.
About this episode
CMS Motorsports’ Shant dives deep into the world of pre-merger AMG restoration and recreation, explaining why demand is surging thanks to Radwood and the renewed appreciation for “pure” early cars. The shop’s work ranges from sourcing impossible-to-find parts to building accurate widebody clones in steel, not fiberglass. A major highlight is Shant’s ongoing build for the host: a 500E-based convertible with a 113/55-style powertrain swap, plus laser-scanned bodywork, suspension, and fresh Recaro-style seating. The conversation also covers AMG authenticity, Koenig/Lorenz demand, and the practical realities of keeping these cars on the road.
Love old Mercedes shapes but wish they had modern power? How bad was quality control in the 80s? What if you desire a one-off AMG that never existed? CMS Motorsports is who to call. Owner, Shant Meshefedjian, has been in love with wide-body Benzes since he was 8 years old. He grew up around fabricators and body-work experts. Now he builds and restores the coolest Mercedes cars from the '80s and '90s. Many of his cars have won awards all over the country. Odds are you've seen his work. His story is inspiring, his passion and knowledge run deep.
Patreon questions include:
What's harder: finding original bodykits or doing engine swaps?
Best improvement for an E55 AMG
The new C-class' giant screen
Thoughts on MB-Tex
When cars companies started to care about seating position
Dream Mercedes project
How to improve the complexity of an aging Mercedes
Can I make this old diesel cool?
Recorded APril 21, 2026
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