Greetings from a Hearse Owner

[Lee606]

Hi guys,My names Lee,I live in west London

Im a recent convert to Mercedes and now the owner of a 1984 Mercedes Benz 200 Hearse and love it to bits despite the endless problems its giving me I was actually after a Mk1 Granada but then the Mercedes came along and im now hooked

As far as i know and have been told its the only proper typical British hearse surviving (Long windowed type) on a W123 chassis but im still trying to trace its history.Ive owned it since Oct last year and its been on the road since January.

Im a member of the Classic Hearse Register
Classic Hearse Register

And i also run The Hearse Forum
The Hearse Forum

I look forward to being a part of the forum
Lee,

 

[Howard]

Photos , photos , photos !!! :bannana:

P.S. Welcome on board !

 

[markjay]

Welcome Lee.

Are you a car collector, or an undertaker...?

 

[MOCAŠ]

Yes, welcome to the forum, I think you might be our first member with an MB hearse.

According to Google, there were two other W123 hearses for sale on the carsandclassics website recently, a 1985 250 and 1986 300. The latter was a Miesen conversion; no idea what the former was.

 

[Charles Morgan]

The hearse forum seems a bit slow....

Welcome!

A former acquaintance used to own a funeral directors business, and he had W211 based hearses with personal (business name) plates. Every time I had to go into hospital for an op (ok he was based opposite the Chelsea and Westminster but I went to others) his hearse drove past and he waved. Since then, I find hearses very un-nerving.

 

[markjay]

This is a real story. I was admitted to hospital due to serious illness and was in a private room. A knock on the door, and there stands a priest in full uniform. My first thought was does he know something I don't?

Turned out that the previous patient in that room forgot her bible, and called-up the hospital priest asking him to pick it up for her and send it to her by post!

 

[Lee606]

lol Thanks for the welcome,Im just an old car lover with a fondness for Hearses.I think the 1985 250D was a duffy built Irish one if the memorys correct with the trademark gap behind the front doors.

Anyways,heres a few pics that will have to do until i get some better ones.

The coffin in the back was from the guys before who did a charity run down to Croatia in her,It was sold on ebay lol

She was used in a BBC programme.

And this is how she looks now...

As you can see shes a Lowline roof on a short wheelbase but still retaing the long side windows

 

[markjay]

Cool

I guess you got used to the morbid jokes...

 

[Charles Morgan]

I reckon some AMG kit would look good on that. Those wheels have got to go though.

I wonder when Dash will buy a W124 one?

 

[s500colin]

Hello Lee
Welcome to the forum
Like your Merc would look great with a set of chrome wheels

 

[MOCAŠ]

I think the 1985 250D was a duffy built Irish one if the memorys correct with the trademark gap behind the front doors.

One of members works for Duffy, so he may be able to shed some light on this.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/1171143-post54.html

 

[T7RY B]

Hi welcome to the forum
Terry

 

[Lee606]

lol i think ive heard them all by now Markjay

The wheels will have the proper hubcaps in black on shortly like in the BBC picture so hopefully that will drastically improve its looks.I brought her as a project car to get back to as original condition as possible,But being my only car and in daily use i tinted the back windows to make it more "van like" for the foreseeable future.She has 87k on the clock & passed the MOT first time but needs some bodywork attention.
More problems have now occured engine wise and im keeping my fingers crossed its not going to be a big bill

 

[MOCAŠ]

I brought her as a project car to get back to as original condition as possible,But being my only car and in daily use i tinted the back windows to make it more "van like" for the foreseeable future.

It's good to hear that it hasn't fallen into the hands of the banger racing fraternity.

 

[Lee606]

She was actually salvaged from a banger racers yard by the guys who did the charity run in her,who then got her roadworthy again,It was partly stripped out so im presuming that was its fate,luckily they managed to get the interior and other bits back! I got her from that well known auction site and know for a fact i was bidding against at least one racer then too,
So twice shes been saved :bannana:
If she really is the only proper surviving British built W123 hearse then it would have been a tragedy to smash it up

 

[Howard]

I bet people are dying to get into that !!

Seriously , some AMG wheels ( period Pentas , polished lip , black spokes ) would set that off a treat.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Tell me that you are going to get a His and Hearse sunstrip for the front windscreen.

 

[d w124]

I wonder when Dash will buy a W124 one?

According to Niks,I should have one No thnx though

Welcome to the forum Lee

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

Welcome Lee, first merc I ever sat in was a funeral vehicle.. I knew then that it was my destiny to own one. (a merc, not a funeral car )

 

[renault12ts]

lol Thanks for the welcome,Im just an old car lover with a fondness for Hearses.I think the 1985 250D was a duffy built Irish one if the memorys correct with the trademark gap behind the front doors.

You'll be interested to know that one of our members, Shorty, works for Duffy.