Tuner Tuesday: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC Convertible “AMG”

If you missed Paul’s MerCamino earlier today, I’ve got another strange conversion for you. The 1980s were a heady time for “tuners”, some of which made some downright odd creations and others of which took existing really good cars and just…well, made them worse. One of the best ways to wreck a good car is to chop the roof off, and making cabriolet or roadster versions of coupes seemed to be a sure tuning bet in the 1980s. We got convertible versions of the Quattro, Porsche 928, BMW 6 series – heck, even the Ferrari Testarossa wasn’t immune. But if you wanted luxury and sun for 4, of course you needed a Mercedes-Benz 500SEC convertible. And while you’re there, why not throw in some AMG bits. “What?”, you say, “But I’ve never seen one!” Search no more:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC Convertible on eBay

Year: 1989
Model: 500SEC
Engine: 5.0 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 241,000 mi
Price: $24,995 Buy It Now

“You are looking at a 1984 Mercedes Benz 500SEC custom convertible. This hard to find beauty has a beautiful silver exterior with a matching silver and black leather interior. This Mercedes has a custom convertible top which is power. As you can see in the pictures the paint is in good condition and so is the leather interior. To make this beautiful convertible stand out even more there it’s was styled with a full euro spec AMG kit and chrome Lorinser wheels. Dont miss a rare opportunity to own this machine. For more information feel free to contact Phil at 619-452-4235. Thank you for viewing.”

5.0L V-TYPE 8-CYL ENGINE
4-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
23.8 GALLON FUEL TANK
PWR-ASSIST M-B RECIRCULATING-BALL-TYPE STEERING W/DAMPER
2-CIRCUIT HYDRAULIC 4-WHL PWR-ASSISTED DISC BRAKES (FRONT VENTILATED)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
HYDROPNEUMATIC LEVEL CONTROL REAR AXLE
INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION W/DBL ARM CONTROLS/ZERO-OFFSET STEERING/ ANTI-DIVE GEOMETRY/COIL SPRINGS/ANTI-ROLL BAR & SINGLE-TUBE GAS-PRESSURIZED SHOCK ABSORBERS
INDEPENDENT REAR SUSPENSION W/M-B DIAGONAL PIVOT AXLE/SEMI-TRAILING ARMS/ANTI-LIFT ARMS/ANTI-SQUAT GEOMETRY/COIL SPRINGS/ANTI-ROLL BAR/HYDROPNEUMATIC UNITS/ LTD SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
205/65VR15 SBR TIRES
6.5J X 15H2 AERODYNAMIC LIGHT ALLOY WHEELS
PLASTICIZED UNDERCOATING
TINTED GLASS ALL AROUND
AERODYNAMIC HALOGEN HEADLAMPS W/WIPERS & WASHERS
HALOGEN FOG LAMPS

Okay, so the car. Well, predictably, not much information and little detail about the actual car is offered. Thankfully, there are also no detailed photos to make up for the lack of detail. But from what I can see, it’s a Euro-spec 500SEC that has a power top, AMG body kit and chromed Lorinser wheels. Considering the C126 wasn’t intended to be a convertible, I can only imagine the amount of chassis flex this car must have with the already huge door openings and now complete lack of roof. The replacement, however, is powered which is a nice touch I’m sure will never go wrong. To top all of this off, the package is available with a scant 241,000 miles (really?) for an even more scant $25,000. That’s only 10 cent a mile covered if you want to look at a way to justify its existence. But, honestly, I just can’t even imagine purchasing this car for a fifth of the asking price. If you could get it for…say, $3,000, it’d make an interesting conversation point, but outside that I’d find it hard to swallow. What are your thoughts?
-Carter