At $11,500, Would You Get In Bed With This Custom 1981 Mercedes 300SD Pickup?

According to the seller, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mercedes pickup is a custom job they bought off a neighbor. Let’s take a look and see if we think it’s right-priced to move to a new neighborhood.

The jazz standard, “Nice work if you can get it,” was one of nine songs George and Ira Gershwin wrote for the 1937 movie “A Damsel in Distress.” That comedy was the first film Fred Astaire made for RKO Pictures, not to feature long-time on-screen partner Ginger Rogers. Instead, the role of Astaire’s female foil went to Joan Fontaine, who, it was discovered after shooting started, couldn’t dance to save her life. The poor pairing was reflected in the film’s audience reaction, as it was the first of the then extremely popular Astaire’s RKO movies not to turn a profit.

I’m not too sure we’d call the 1993 Toyota MR2 Ford RS200 homage project car we looked at yesterday “nice work if you can get it,” since too few of us actually got it. A stillborn effort to turn Toyota’s mid-engine small sports car into one of the most mythical rally beasts ever, that non-runner was a non-starter for the vast majority of us. Not even an appreciably low $2,200 asking price could generate much enthusiasm for bringing the project across the finish line. Ultimately, it mustered a monumental 96% “No Dice” loss.

Today we’re going to stick with the project car theme, but sidle over to one that’s arguably better in concept and more complete in execution. This 1981 Mercedes-Benz El Camino-style pickup started out life as a 280SE, according to its ad. At some point, the four-door sedan proved unfitting to whatever needs the then-owner demanded (or maybe it was in an accident), and it was converted into the interestingly proportioned pickup now before us.

There is precedent for such conversions. You’ve no doubt seen similar big American cars like Cadillacs modified with open beds in the back. These are generally converted for the funeral business and used as flower cars that follow the hearse carrying sprays and bouquets that represent life and renewal in the face of death and passing. There’s no mention or evidence that this big Benz was used in such a fashion, and the seller is not the car’s creator, having picked it up from neighbors who owned it for years. Its current owner is now realizing it’s not their cup of tea, and perhaps that it takes up a tremendous amount of space.

This was a pretty decent basis to start with, too. According to the ad, it was either a 280 SE diesel or a 300SD diesel. We’ll put our money on the latter since it was that’s a model that was actually sold here.

That would make the engine a 2,998cc OM 617 five-cylinder diesel with 119 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Mercedes diesels of this era have a reputation for durability and tenacity rivaled only by the herpes virus and that Scooby Doo theme that got lodged in your head back when you were a kid. With occasional valve lash adjustments and regular oil changes, these engines could survive through the next ice age.

Behind that is a four-speed Mercedes automatic that, similarly, has a solid rep and shouldn’t prove problematic. The seller states they were able to get the motor running a few months ago, but apparently decided not to revisit that effort when they put the car on the market. Still, how difficult could it be? The ad says the car shows 275,000 miles on the clock, which in ’80s Mercedes terms means it’s just getting started.

The bodywork is not quite as solid as we expect the mechanicals to be. The overall craftsmanship of the pickup conversion appears remarkably-well executed—note that custom rear bumper and the clever tail gate as examples. Time, however, has taken its toll and things are a bit knackered in places. That’s notable on the unusually long rear bumper, which shows flaking paint, and on the joint between the bed and cab, which is developing a crack. The roofline, however, is quite amazing, incorporating the original rear glass now moved up just behind the two seats.

Inside that truncated passenger compartment, things are very funky. The two leather-clad buckets look like they’ve seen better days, but they should work fine in the short term. That’s as long as they fit in their present position. The seat controls on the doors appear to be broken off on both sides, which raises questions about their functionality. The dashboard, at least, is decent and appears free of cracks. There is an issue with the center console; the wood is levitating like a magic carpet. One has to wonder what the now-redundant rear window controls could now be repurposed for.

No mention is made in the ad regarding the car’s title status. Naturally, something as unique and custom as this would likely warrant collector insurance, which alleviates the challenge of explaining exactly what it is—or its status—to the GEICO Gecko. To do so, we need to address the seller’s $11,500 asking price. That might not matter to someone looking for an early-’80s Mercedes diesel pick conversion, but how many of those unique souls are out there right now?

Instead, we need to consider price in the broader market context. With that in mind, what’s your take on this open-booty Benz and that $11,500 asking? Does that seem fair given the car’s presentation and uniqueness? Or is that just as outlandish as the Mercedes as a whole?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Facebook Marketplace out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Whatsupdohc for the hookup!

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