In 1986 the big two door coupe from Mercedes, though flashier than its four door brethren, rarely would be seen in bright colors. Unlike some of the unique shades coming on the Benz cars today from the factory, particularly some of the special order Designo branded cars, the W126 cars rarely saw ultra bright eye catching colors. It is because most SECs you see are black, grey, dark blue, white and rarer red, that this canary yellow SEC really stands out. Obviously this isn’t a factory paint job, photos suggest this car was white, but that doesn’t diminish what a coat of bright paint does to the normally iconic, but subdued lines of the great SEC.
The color on this car was part of a makeover that also includes an extensive audio system. The system features Eclipse and Soundstream parts. It always amazes me at how, like cars themselves electronic equipment can provide a look that evokes a time period and the equipment in this car is no exception. The seller states the system was installed in the early 1990s, I would’ve pegged it at right about 1995. Flipping through some of my car audio magazines from that time and pricing some of the equipment there is no question the creator took the best that Eclipse and to offer and through it at the car. There is easily multiple thousands of dollars of parts alone from when they were new. It is too bad that the seller doesn’t show a build sheet with all the model numbers of the included parts, because certainly the speakers, which are hidden, are also upgraded. The seller says that all the equipment works as it should. The seller alludes to this being a display car, but doesn’t state whether it was for a manufacturer, car audio shop or what. If it was a display/demo car one would hope the install quality was high.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Mercedes 560SEC with Custom ICE on eBay
Year: 1986
Model: 560SEC
Engine: 5.6 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 105,473 mi
Price: Reserve auction
Truly one of a kind, this SEC was transformed into an Eclipse/Sound Stream Audio custom display car sometime in the early 90’s. Custom sound system installation operates flawlessly, sounds incredible and would rival many of today’s systems.
The incredible sound system was installed in a block sanded custom painted body. Custom interior is finished with hand upholstered matching yellow on black AMG logo seats with yellow piping. Custom 560 SEC floor mats with matching yellow piping extend the overall theme of the car to the floors and the matching old school NEC phone completes the picture.
Mechanically the SEC is in very good condition, runs strong and shifts smooth and has no known mechanical issues
If you are looking for something unique in a luxury coupe this is your vehicle!
Please ask any questions you may have prior to placing bids and then bid only with the intention of owning the vehicle.
It will be interesting to see how much of a premium the audio system and paint job bring to an otherwise sound looking, but early 560SEC. The mileage puts it right in the area of a large number of SECs that are for sale. The thing with electronics equipment is that half the folks that like this sort of thing often want what is newest and most state of the art and the other half want something that is truly vintage. A high dollar, though not super audiophile grade, system from the mid-1990s doesn’t really fit either niche. I’d bet the seller reserve is somewhere north of $10,000, but doubt the car will bring that.
It does look to be in nice shape and quite clean.
Evan
I know I’m being harsh and I apologize in advance, but from my perspective this car is a total write off. There are so many modifications done to someone else’s personal taste that it just isn’t worth the time or effort to try saving the car. Better to move on to another example.
We have found that most buyers prefer the stock equipment as there is less cause to worry. The ’87 560SL we recently had in inventory came with an Alpine cassette stereo and CD changer in the trunk. After a little bit of discussion, we decided to remove that setup and purchase a factory correct Grand Prix radio refurbished by Becker. In the refurbishing process, they added an auxiliary input jack that allows the use of other electronic devices. As a bonus, the radio comes with a warranty from Becker.
On the other hand, this thing would sell in 4 minutes in Providence. Especially South Providence, near the strip clubs. But certainly not for a large amount of money. “Trades welcome”…
@Kevin, this one I think is beyond the return to stock point for sure and the install looks pretty clean so someone will probably like it. That said I put vintage Becker units back into my two 70s Benzs to replace more modern units from previous owners. I loved the tuner quality on the Mexico.
Oh my god….
It’s a crime to butcher a classic Mercedes like this.
I would not even pay 1.000.– for this molested piece of junk.
This car needs a fire as soon as possible, take it out of it’s misery.
Boy and I thought I was a fussy purist…
The SEC is one of all time favs, and I am not saying that this vehicle is to my taste, but you have to put it in perspective…
As stated in the auction, it was a demo car for Eclipse and Soundstream in the early 90s when car audio was at its peak.
It looks like a relatively clean install and represents what was being done at the time.
Normally a car like this would have been sold to some scum bum many years ago, and be refitted with a bunch of lesser quality crap and usually made even more gaudy.
I think its fantastic that this car has survived in the way it was first modified, and retains all the original high quality audio gear.
Yes, there is a surprising amount of hate on this car, which seems to stem from the PMY paint. It does however look to be a quality job and as a piece of 90s customizing nostalgia, is a pretty spot on,down to the chrome rims, representation. It really isn’t that over the top, we’ve all seen way, way, worse.
I did say “from my perspective…”
With no verification of the history of the car, one has to assume the audio work was done by some local stereo shop. From the amateurish looks of the dash work, I’d have real concerns about what else was done to get the stereo equipment into the car. There’s a lot of heavy gear in the trunk area yet the car appears to sit level. A lot of the stereo guys simply cut the front springs to achieve a level ride height.
There is no mention of service history or the availability of records and this car has reached the point where some expensive mechanical work is due. The seller states the A/C blows cool, but not cold, so there’s another potentially expensive repair area.
The factory interior pieces are brown, yet the custom upholstery job is black and yellow. Mismatched interiors don’t exactly scream “quality” to me.
I wouldn’t have been interested in this car when it was considered to be in fashion and I have even less interest in it 20+ years later.
I guess my point was its not the biggest pile I’ve ever seen in my life.
Would I consider buying it? Of course not.
Does it give off nostalgic vibes for someone who was into car audio in the 90s? Yes.