I Bought a "Flood Salvage" Mercedes S-Class. Am I Crazy? (Flagship Mercedes Sedan)
2023 ж. 16 Ақп.
1 156 224 Рет қаралды
I bought a flood salvage 2012 Mercedes S550 at auction for only $4,100. Can I restore it and use it as a daily driver?
Follow me on Instagram: / waldowelds
It looks like you found yourself a nice lil hidden gem. Look forward to part two. Would also enjoy the process of registering a salvage title.
I'm not sure about his state but I know in Michigan it's a pain in the ass. Need to keep all receipts and get inspected by state trooper at police station
@@mrfusion753 Louisiana was easy. Just had to show up at state police, they looked at it to make sure it was driveable condition. That was it
Waldo's in Maine right? Should be about the same as commenter above described Michigan then, although I wouldn't call it a pain in the buttocks and Bureau of Motor Vehicles does the inspection.
@@metagoat Waldo is in NH.
lil hidden gem is correct
Definitely show us how hard it is getting it back out of salvage. Also curious how much you’ll have in, and then the approximate value after. Sure looks like a big win.
Some states are ridiculous with salvage titles but for the most part, it's a very in depth inspection by either state police or a state inspector. Paperwork and proof of repairs, and on you go with a new vehicle
Very surprised a Mercedes "flood" vehicle wasn't snatched up for resale at some shady car lot. After Katrina, there were literally thousands of flood cars and I mean sediment, silt, debris and rust type flood cars being trucked all over the country. Great score Waldo, you are big pimpin now. An Adidas track suit, a gold chain and your best Russian accent is required when driving the S class, 😂
Congrats Waldo on your new S class. I think you have got yourself one hell of a deal on that!!! Great to see you are going to do a COMPLETE fluid and filter service like you usually do on all your purchases! You look like the local Barrister riding around in that! Excellent purchase!!
Absolutely love stories/videos like this - so many of these cars deserve a second chance. I bought myself a flood salvage Cadillac XLR-V at auction and she's been better than I could've ever hoped even before full restoration, unfortunately I'm not a KZheadr or else I'd document bringing her back to perfect
I would like to have seen the restoration, I build my own hot rods yet I relax by watching others build theirs, 😂. Have a great day.
@@TheRoadhammer379 Same here! Well, aside from building my own hot rods (depending on the era) - I did film the transformation from light flood car through full exterior and interior detailing and I'm continuing to fix little things on her so maybe I'll get the guts to upload one day. It's a rare enough car to rescue and maybe get some views as I've been watching others do for years 😂 cheers man!
You struck gold with this one Waldo. Other car guys can only dream of getting a deal like this
Yeah.. This is the craziest find I've ever seen for sure. $4100 was already a steal for the engine alone. But then when you add in the LOW milage and simple repair; It doesn't even seem real, it's such a good find. Literally a brand new car for $4k plus probably a $800 module.
You are an accomplished Mercedes Benz mechanic and your knowledge enabled you to own one of the finest piece of automotive engineering. This knowhow is worth $26,000.00. Great job!
$4,000 is a steal. I worked at the Mercedes dealership when these were new and this would have been over $100,000. If not it would have been close to that price.
Nice to see the good guys win sometimes. Looks like a real score. I would have never thought about a "process" to get a salvaged vehicle back on the road, so I would be interested to see what actually is involved in doing that. Keep up the great vids.
Would love to see more about the inspection process.
100%
You are stunning to look at while learning how easy it was to repair that S class Mercedes. Glad you lifted the car and went through it and made all maintenance along with the repairs needed to make the car your daily driver. Way to go my friend. I replaced the vacuum lines on an older S class Mercedes I owned to make the AC work correctly again. It took me about 3 months but I did get it fixed perfectly. Keep the videos coming! 😎
Congratulations, Waldo. After the rover I'm so happy to see you get a win. I don't see how it could get any better than this. I hope you enjoy it!
Nice find! If you haven’t already, make sure you read up on the quirks and features of the M278 engine. First thing you want to do is immediately check the cam position sensor plugs and the cam actuator magnet plugs for oil intrusion and replace them as part of normal maintenance to prevent oil from traveling through the engine harness and damaging other components including the computer. Also get some Ceratec from LiquiMoly in there ASAP. Passenger side cam actuator cover is prone to leaking oil into the alternator and causing it to die prematurely.
Great video, Waldo. I guess Mercedes thinks that if you own an S class, you park it in a garage; therefore those hood vents don’t need to keep out the leaves. Seems like a great deal of a car. Looking forward to part 2. 👍
I guess I need to build a garage 😂
I trust Jeeves to decide where to park mine...
@@WaldosWorld haha, thanks for the reply, Waldo.
Excellent! You scored big on this vehicle. Love the W221 S-Class. When you have some time take a look at how over engineered the door seals are. It seals in like 3-4 places to make the cabin super quiet!
I had the same issue clean the corner drains and you are golden, what a steel 👍. mine is diesel on 250k I've seen one on 480k
Filament from a weed trimmer is useful for clearing sunroof drains. You'll need the thicker filament used on a gas trimmer. The thin filament used on electric ones is too flexible.
Its a joy hearing your calm and soothing voice Waldooooo.
You're too kind 😂
Well-presented and explained, logically outlined. I've never felt so calm watching a type of vlog like this. Thank you.
I love the time, patience and knowledge you have to explain every aspect of each vehicle, you must spend quite the time doing lots of research…. Thumbs up and thank you for keeping us entertained.
Great Find, yes please let us see the whole journey. I like your videos when they have a lot of content, it’s like being in shop class which is Awesome!
Yes it would be interesting to see a bit of the police inspection as well
dude you are like the best mechanic i've ever seen. i wish i had you for my 1996 rolls royce silver spur. only 23000 miles and no one in las vegas has the balls to touch it!
ROFL! the OG pimp mobile!
I literally was watching your last video at the end when you told us about this purchase when I got the notification of this video! Well done!
Thank you!
Nice to see you uploading more regularly. Take us along for the ride. Thanks
Just gotta say I love your videos and I’m really excited for this series! I’ve just bought myself a basket case W220 S500 with rust on every panel, busted brake lines and paint that has been partially sanded down by the previous owner. Despite this the engine and transmission run beautifully and almost everything works. It even has a lot of features my 2018 E63 doesn’t have. These cars are really amazing, especially the W221 generation you have.
Good luck on yours!
Great video. Incredible salvage. I love your excellent diagnosis process, can only hope to learn to think like that as I try to make my own repairs.
Perfect find! Please give us more! It would be great to see you do the full service and then get it detailed and take it on a nice road trip
It certainly is a good vehicle for a road trip!
The car was totaled for a reason and the worst thing a car can be totaled for is a flood. I hope you have no issues at all with it. But that car is nothing but wires and fiber optic cabling. Do a review after a year of driving it. I hope you come up all aces!!!
Definitely want to see the state inspection stuff. Good luck with this S class!!
Great purchase Waldo. Aspen is going to Love that Smooth ride and comfy seats .
not only i would love to see part 2 of this video, but if possible post some "long format" videos from time to time, please. i have a blast seeing you going in detail about your car(S)
Just found your channel over the week. Love all your stuff! Another great video and great find. I wouldn't mind seeing anything your willing to share to get it back on the road as a salvage title.
Love when a new video of yours pops up on my feed! Always great content
For one thing, he is either a MB tech, or, is insanely proficient at diagnostics (my guess is the latter). What's even more impressive is that the PN on a part he needed matched the SINGLE VEHICLE'S PN for the same part! That just never happens. Great work, great video, and even better results.
I hope I can learn to get good at diagnosing cars because that way I can fix cars really easily
Best channel I've ever subscribed to. And you use normal logic to solve problems and normal people who are not mechanics can follow what you're doing. This is great content! Keep it up. Thanks KZhead algo!!
It's great to see the S-Class finally! And yes, I would be interested in seeing some of the Salvage Title registration process. I know nothing about it and always wondered what kind of hoops and red tape you have to jump through.
Wow that was a superb buy 👌🏼
Great find! those cars are expensive. Looking forward to part 2.
That’s a great find. Going to be a wonderful car for a road trip. I’d love to hear how you register a salvage vehicle. Can’t wait for part 2
Awesome find!!!! Yes, please include the title salvaging process. And shopping at the grocery store too, I'm sure you'd make even that watchable!
Thanks for another great video - gotta love German engineering, what a purchase! Please include everything in part 2 and beyond.
I'm glad you have done this so I can see how good of an idea it is before spending any money
Always good to see another quality car back approaching roadworthy condition - thanks !
Thanks for creating great content. I really enjoy your no nonsense approach. As an inspiring DIY'er, I value the way you explain your process and avoid the temptation of being a cornball. I'm venturing into this arena w/ a '06 MB SL500 and I've already gained a lot of insight through you! Keep them comin'
I really enjoy these Mercedes videos. Fantastic deal if it continues working.
Very nice,I love your videoes
*Videos
@@jumpinjojo says the man who has nothing else to do but find fault with others
@@davidreime1511 You’re welcome.
Waldo, I bought a white S550 too. You did a good job of diagnosing that beast. Amazing whoever tried before seemed out of their depth with that quote. Would love to have seen the quote. Thank you for your video, I'm glad you like Mercedes, I'm the same!
You are an amazing and good repairman👍🏻 So nice to follow your projects😀 I think this S-class is the best buy of the year🙏 Greetings from Sweden
I can't wait for part 2!
Not even in Europe you will find a 2012 S-Class for that low low price... Kind of jealous but at the same time not as the fuel economy must be well out of my budget for a daily :) Great content as always!👍
In US, this car is almost to compare with a economy fuel car, with this smal sized engine.. US = Heavy Trucks with big engine. The most sold vehicle for many years is the Ford F150..
Well done Waldo. You have got yourself a bargain. The S Class really is a beautiful car. I would love to see how you get on with registering the vehicle. Thanks for sharing
I would love to see the gooseneck trailer series come back!!!
Would love to see inside the engine too, maybe you could borescope it to check for any rust but given how it runs I doubt anything is wrong
It's a non flooded car! Engine is in prestige condition..
I have an 07 with 74000 mi Didnt know about drain hole by the fan inlet.. Good find.. Looking forward to next update and trans fluid change and other services.. Good video !
Waldo so glad you were able to get a video up without months in between. I know I know, its a lot of work and you arevery busy and the weather sucks but I am kinda addicted to your content. Cant wait to watch😏🤩🤩
These videos encouraged my to take a chance and buy an old Mercedes 300e AMG from an auction yard. Turns out the car is running just needs a good service and a few things like spark plugs and fuel pump replaced. But it also needs a new headlight lol
Yes make a fully fledge series on this hell of a unicorn conditioned car, it can also become a potentially good eductional video who are new on working these Merc V8's. Looking forward to this one :D
Great detective work, and even better job documenting it. Awesome job!!
Beautiful color, I purchased a 1999 e320 4matic wagon for my parents a few years ago. It is a similar color, was a one owner, and was rust free. Sadly it needed quite a bit of deferred maintenance, but for $1800 it has been a great car.
Im in love with this content man. Only request is please upload more often x
You dont get Quality and QUANTITY. The Vids are very polished and professional, and that takes a LOT of time and effort.
@@berty1422 i get that and appreciate it, its just wish lmao
This gen of Mercedes S-class looks good and are quite good as well. Good find Waldo! Congratulations. The car definitely needs some new wheels, cause the current ones are uuuuugly!
I agree. I'm a big fan of the 19" triple-spoke sport wheels.
Another gem , yes did wonder how one gets vehicles back with title or to be inspected there in us , here in England it's pretty straightforward, thanks for sharing Waldo !
Would love to see the registering process, great find. Your videos keep getting better and better Waldo
Best looking S-Class generation!
I agree!
What a brilliant find, an absolutely gorgeous vehicle…..
Looks like a tremendous win for you. 2012 S550 is a dream car and I can't wait for part 2. Good luck!
I'm loving this channel allready. Subscribed and ready for part 2 !
4,800 lbs curb weight, holy shit! Crazy that my old '97 F350 Powerstroke weighs like 6,300 lbs. Not that far off.
And that's the vanilla version! The aftermarket armored versions of this car is even heavier than your F350 Powerstroke!
Open the old suspension module,you will find the green crusties inside I'm sure. Deoxit D5 is your friend for cleaning those green crusties in automotive connectors,circuit boards,potentiometers etc. Expensive but worth it.
I agree, he can repair that suspension control module and place it in that smashed Merc that donated its module.
Great purchase - congratulations! I'm jealous. Can't wait for part 3.
Well heck yeah, I´m interested of everything you do / are involved in! What a beauty that Mercedes is 😊
You got yourself a bargain my friend...
Seems like someone got a tired of paying a high APR loan for that car and needed it totaled out. Happens a lot. Bodyshops make their money by keeping the car in their lots as long as possible charging the insurance company $100 a day. So insurance companies are in a rush to repair or total to not pay the storage fees
Love the color combo on the Merc. Best of luck with it, and hope you make plenty of videos in the future with it.
Looking forward to seeing part two. This looks like a beautiful ride.
Samcrac must hate you, that is about the easiest "flood salvage fix" possible...
I was just watching his flood salvage Viper series. I got a LOT luckier with this one 😂
Mercedes Videos to the win! Please make more Mercedes Videos!
Yes, show us the whole process. Congratulations on a super find.
Yeah that's great seeing this vehicle going to be go through all theses process... See you further in this video series..✌🏻
Change fluids and filters just in case there is water in there 😊
yes
i purchased a salvaged 2014 Tesla Model S from Texas for $8k, it was stolen and “flooded” in a field also the CPU and many dash parts were “missing” when i got it to my house i opened the truck and nothing was there and then i opened the front truck (frunk) and all the parts were there some of the parts were even labeled in zip lock bags 😂 after i installed the CPU and fixed some broken wires it started right up, it’s my daily driver and i charge it for free at work!
Yes Waldo do a video on the salvage inspection process!
damn, you got yourself a deal with this one.
Lotta car there for $4100 Waldo. Congratulations
Thanks Scott!
Definitely drive that one for a while….From the looks of it, that would be one to do a major detail on after old man winter is gone from your area and enjoy it to the fullest!! Stay safe and God Bless 🙏🙏
Super nice car Waldo, you look good standing next to it 😃Can’t wait for part two.
You're either really lucky or you know what your doing. Either way I'm jealous! 😅
How did Samcrack miss that one ?
I would DEFINITELY like to see all about the state inspection and registration process. Great fix!
That’s awesome it looks like you may have got a great deal! Yes please include some of the inspection, I had a motorcycle a few years back that was a salvage, I hate to take it to a “DMV approved” shop to check all the VINS out, the shop was pretty sketch but this is NY good luck with the Benz and thanks for the Vid!
How much luck you can have… Greetings from germany😊😅🎉❤
He doesn't upload often because when he does it's peak content
That classical piece of music you used around 2:10, is like the Mercedes sound track for elegance and class lol always plays in my head when I drive my Merc down country roads.
Excellent find! Continued good luck with this beautiful car! Be well, be safe!
🎉
Wow
It's amazing what people do with their time. This is a great video!
Another great video! Please include the certification process. We learn lots with your videos. Thank you for sharing your adventures. It is inspiring!!
Cool