Converting A CLS Into A Five Seater

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I fitted a 5th seatbelt to my cosworth 190. Dvla changed it to a 5 seater with vey little hassle, just a couple of pictures/documents showing that I had used original mercedes parts in the conversion. Once it was changed at dvla I didnt have a problem with getting insurance for only a small added premium.

That's music to my ears, thanks.
 
SPX said:
It does thank you, that actually might the the best option; when I come to sell the car then I can simply remove the seat adaption thing and away I go.

And resell the child seats, has to be the way to go.
 
That was my idea when I was looking at a convertible but at 12,9 and 7 my children may be a bit too big for those three seat conversions.
 
That was my idea when I was looking at a convertible but at 12,9 and 7 my children may be a bit too big for those three seat conversions.

Mine are 8, 5 & 3 so I should be all right for a while, thanks.
 
Mine are 8, 5 & 3 so I should be all right for a while, thanks.
Lee, just go 211 55k/63 estate with the 7 seat option. My kids are exactly the same age as yours and the 211 is great with 7 seats. Best of every world.
Hard to find though.
 
Saw a German film recently with three guys climbing out the rear of a CLS - are 3 rear seats a LH drive only option?
 
Saw a German film recently with three guys climbing out the rear of a CLS - are 3 rear seats a LH drive only option?


No...it was a film...you can do anything in a film.
 
No problem in squeezing 3 (small) people in the rear seat of a CLS - as long they don't mind being short of a seatbelt....
 
Apoolgies for the thread revival, but just seen it.
Its not that hard a conversion for an upholsterer. Give me your email address (and a few days to dig the bits out) and I'll send you some pictures of whats needed. If you can, get a rear centre section from a scrap yard as one will need to be cut (for rear vnts) to give a decent/profeesional finish. If you cut the one already in your car, when it comes to selling it, you wont have the option of putting the car back to standard. With regard to the seatbelt, you can get either a new one or one from a scrapyard.
The main reason for doing mine was also the need for a 5 seater for family. I know there are alot of people that talk about safety issues, but I dont see it as a problem. I cant see the addition of probably less than a 100kg (5th person in car) making that much of a difference as long as the seatbelt is fitted properly.
 
Have you got any pictures EVL? It would be much appreciated.

And it would give me a better idea as to the fit & finish.
 
Is the CLS fuel tank under the rear seats? If it is, you'll need to remove it to weld spreader plates for the anchor locations.

Wouldn't the centre lap belt simply share the inner mounting points of the two outer belts ?

That has been the arrangement in any car I've had .

Oh , and is the CLS based on the floorpan of another model which is sold as a 5 seater ? C Class , E Class ?

For that matter , would the rear seat out of a W211 or W210 perhaps fit straight in ?
 
Last edited:
That's how I fitted a lap belt in the cosworth. Used the outer mounting points.

Mbenznl has cls seats in his 211 so it shouldn't be too difficult to go the other way round.

There are conversion kits on ebay for vehicles like the x6. Might be worth dropping them a bell and see what they can offer you.
 
Great to see people doing mods like this, ones that actually improve the car for their use rather than make it look awful and devalue it.

Ironically, one of the big attractions of the CLS to us was that it was a four door but with coupe like proper shaped seats in the back rather than a bench :)
 
3 in the back of a CLS... ok your kids are small but its a gloomy place in the back and 3 would be a squeeze? the 8 year old could be getting tall though..

I've sat in my brothers CC, tried a CLS in the back and more recently the CLS Shooting brake, ok I'm an adult and poping down to the supermarket maybe ok but other than that is awful in the back.
 
What are you talking about, it's not gloomy at all, though if you were used to a popemobile I guess anything would seem that way but each their own as they say.

More significantly I'm 6'1" and long backed with it and fit fine, the individual seats are much more comfortable than to sit in rather than on like with a normal bench seat. The wife is 5'8" and more than happy to sit back there to keep the kids apart.

In fact, I seem to remember Clarkson saying he expected it to be tight in the back, something about nuns if I recall, but found there was ample room and he is definitely a big guy.
 
^ Sorry not for me.

I'm 6ft 2 so pretty much the same as you, I wouldn't want to be in one for long (in the back this is). The shooting brake at the Geneva show I couldn't fit in the back unless I held my head to the back.

Lovely looking cars I will agree, and occasional trips in the back ok. I'm too use to the size of the ML / E class I guess?

Even in the front of a C class with the seat as low as it would go (it did have a glass roof) but then so does my e class, my head was too close to the top making it feel tight?

I have considered one but I think once you have been in an 'airy' car they do feel smaller inside.
 
Have you got any pictures EVL? It would be much appreciated.

And it would give me a better idea as to the fit & finish.

Give me a couple of days and I'll get some together for you. (I've got a new Honda Jazz in that I'm retrimming for a dealer and they need it back urgently - soon as I'm done, I'll get them sorted).
As long as the centre cushion and centre vents are retrimmed well, the finish looks quite good - and definitely usable.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom