This 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC AMG Tribute has recently undergone a full mechanical refresh and features a 5.4L M113-swap paired with a 722.6 five-speed automatic transmission. The car is featured at The MB Market tent at Legends of the Autobahn for Monterey 2023 and can be viewed in person on August 17th. Finished in Classic White (737) over Blue Leather (252), the body features an AMG body kit, AMG Penta wheels, and Euro-spec lighting and bumpers. Extensive maintenance was undertaken by the seller in addition to the engine and transmission swap including a refresh of all external gaskets and seals, new spark plugs, battery, starter, power steering pump, AC compressor, radiator, cooling fan, a 3.06 differential w/LSD, and much more detailed below. The car is a former Silver Star of Excellence Award winner and service records will come with the car. This 500SEC is now offered for sale by the current owner with maintenance records, manufacturer's literature, a recent Carfax report and a clean Tennessee title.
The pillarless body is finished in Classic White (737) and features a full AMG body kit including extended side skirts, a lip spoiler, and stamped front and rear AMG lips. The car was underwent a recent repaint in the factory color to correct all blemishes, ensure consistency of paint with the install of the body kit, and paint all chrome trim to match the style of pre-merger AMG builds. Exterior equipment includes Euro-spec bumpers and lighting, front fog lamps, dual chrome exhaust tips, a power passenger-side door mirror and a heated rear window. The body shows no signs of corrosion or damage and no accidents appearing on the Carfax report.
The car has been equipped with authentic AMG Penta wheels measuring 16x8 all around and feature paint-matched faces. New 225/50 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S4 tires were recently fitted and upgraded brakes installed from a later model 560SEL. The car features anti-squat rear suspension from the factory. The car was equipped with a new old stock set of AMG white springs paired with Bilstein shocks, however, due to age the springs sag and have been replaced with new H&R springs. A stainless steel Super Sprint exhaust has been fitted and shows dual chrome tips at the rear. The seller reports that the cruise control is currently inoperable.
The cabin is upholstered in Blue Leather (252) with a matching blue leather dashboard and carpet. Burl Walnut wood trim accents the center console, dashboard and door panels and shows some fading and hairline cracks. Blue Recaro seats are power-adjustable with heat have been installed for both passenger and driver with working compressors. Additional interior appointments include automatic climate control, cruise control, automatic seat belt presenters, a telescoping steering column, a Retrosound stereo with bluetooth capability. A new AC compressor was recently installed and all electronics are noted to be in working order.
The leather wrapped AMG Atiwe steering wheel fronts the original analog instrument cluster including a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock and gauges for fuel level, economy, coolant temperature and oil pressure. A digital outside temperature sensor is included at the bottom of the instrument cluster. The six-digit odometer currently shows just under 146k miles from new. All gauges are in working order and the seller reports the tachometer to read high but plans to replace the tachometer for the next owner.
This C126 is powered by a 5.4-liter M113 V8 mated to a 722.6 five-speed automatic transmission which were swapped from a 109k-mile 2002 S55 AMG. A 3.06 differential equipped with a Quaife limited-slip differential was also installed along with a stainless steel Super Sprint exhaust. Recent maintenance and updates have been outlined below:
A walkaround, driving and flyby video is viewable below.
Oh to be young again: This C126 has been given a fresh take on life despite being a very well-sorted and clean example to start with. It's no secret that the desire and value of all pre-merger AMG builds have been on the rise in recent years with no end in sight. This particuar SEC does an excellent job of blending period-correct styling with modern day performance. To start, one must appreciate the updated Euro-spec details such as the skinny bumpers and lighting. The AMG body kit and paint-matched chrome is right on target and nails that original 80's vibe. A fresh high-quality repaint has ensured there's no mistmatched panels or trim pieces and has rid the body of imperfections. Authentic AMG Penta wheels finish off the look with a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The original color scheme in Classic White over Blue leather remains the same but now with Recaro seats and an AMG Atiwe steering wheel to up the ante once again.
Still, there's more to this SEC than just a pretty face. There's plenty of bite to back up the bark when you get behind the wheel of this 80's coupe. Under the hood, the freshly sorted 5.4L M113 AMG V8 provides plentiful performance and will have you smiling from ear to ear. The matching 722.6 five-speed transmission has been mated to a 3.06 rear diff with Quaife LSD to help put all the power to the road. We could go on and on about this 500SEC and all of the updates it's received to make it one of the coolest builds yet. However, words will never do it justice. Don't miss your chance to experience the modern day AMG SEC like never before!
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
Get the best of The MB Market directly in your inbox every day. Subscribe for a curated list of our top market listings and articles!
56 Comments
@SwissBliss A swap like this generally comes in around 50k with my current pricing but that is subject to change as I’m booked pretty far out already. That’s a pretty rough ballpark as there are many options for engine, trans, exhaust, etc. but that includes everything if you just send me a good SEC to start with.@swissbliss only use for mb stuff otherwise your right@TheAMGKit I have not ever logged on/looked at Instagram once in my life. Not today, Satan!@swissbliss as i mentioned before reach out to him on ig at his screename here.@Swissbliss @Kwiekclassics Agree with the question I’d love to know the cost !! Awesome job on the car wonder what the reserve was ??@kwiekClassics I am just curious, how much would a M113 / M113K swap cost, with either a 6 Speed Manual, or this same 722 auto swap? Total, all in, if you were shipped a Grade A SEC that did not need anything other than a new engine, trans, and 400 more HP?This comment section is on fire. I hope this goes to 100k and am extremely thankful for all of the Kweik supporters showing out.... It has solidified my decision to have Matt take my 560 to the next level, 600hp+ . King of C126 Restomods, Master of MBMarket, all hail the champ....$80,000 bid placed by @unreasonablehost
$78,500 bid placed by @CCC23
$78,000 bid placed by @unreasonablehost
+1 for @kwiekclassics he's worked on my 190E's, he is crazy dedicated, knows his stuff and can figure out anything else needed to make it happen. Looking forward to having him build me one of these in the near future.$77,500 bid placed by @CCC23
$77,000 bid placed by @unreasonablehost
$76,000 bid placed by @CCC23
$75,000 bid placed by @unreasonablehost
Chiming in here last minute- I too took a ride in this car last week and was really impressed with the build. The M113 and 5 speed suits the character of this car really well and is a worthy upgrade over the M117. This one is done well and @KwiekClassics has done a tremendous job doing this swap right. Bid with confidence.$72,000 bid placed by @Singlestage
$71,000 bid placed by @CCC23
$70,500 bid placed by @unreasonablehost
$70,000 bid placed by @Westmontster
$69,500 bid placed by @unreasonablehost
Hello all, I can attest to the quality of the build on this car in every way. I've restored over 30-40 SEC's over the course of my career and personally own 23 SEC' s in all variations and this was one of the nicest examples we stared with. Place your bids with 100% confidence.$69,000 bid placed by @Singlestage
$68,000 bid placed by @Westmontster
$67,000 bid placed by @Singlestage
I have been for a ride in this car and it is fantastic. It is fast and mature at the same time, exhaust note is impressive under acceleration then nice and subtle when cruising. It also feels very usable for the daily driver you would want a classic restomod SEC to be. I loved every minute I was in this car. Big smiles when I got out. Also it looks to have been a very nice candidate to begin with as seen here in BAT https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-mercedes-benz-500sec-24/ Bid with confidence as this car is worth it, it's built correctly.$66,000 bid placed by @CCC23
$65,000 bid placed by @Singlestage
Well done restomod! Keeping it all in the family with MB parts and the real AMG pieces are a lovely addition.+1 for @kwiekclassics . I haven’t seen this car specifically, but I have been to his shop and he does some amazing work to these cars. I think these cars were so well built, that at times, even I forget they were built almost 4 decades ago. Almost half a century. To each his own, but I actually like the fact that the interior shows a little age, and it still presents well. The photos seem to portray it properly. I love this. The m113 looks so comfortable in that engine bay. Maybe one day when I grow up I can do something like this. GLWA.$62,500 bid placed by @Westmontster
Matt Pierre would approve if you did a 240d transplant into the sec@Cascadiabenz I have to agree with KweikClassics on this. If you see this car, pics and videos and all you have to comment about is the headliner (which is fine) this may not be the car for you. What we have here is an extremely beautiful SEC that has been carefully and professionally converted to behave like an early 2000s horsepower beast. It's important to remember that we started with a recent recipient of a Silver Star of Preservation.@Cascadiabenz With all due respect, If Pierre is your counsel on vintage Mercedes, you should not buy this car. He hates my work and any modifications to vintage Mercedes. He lives in a world where stock is the only option and refuses to see the benefits of modern power and reliability. I apologize for not taking photos during the process of building the car. I am often consumed by the work and forget to document as I go. I did send a few pictures to MBM but they didn’t make it onto the listing. As for undercarriage photos, I have been driving the car around California since the auction went live and have not had access to a lift. I hope the 1400 effortless miles I put on the car in a week eases your conscience. The interior of this car is mostly original and is in fantastic shape for a 40 year old car, the wear you’re describing is expected. If you are as versed in these cars as you say you are, you should know what to expect. If you would like to purchase this car even still we can have the car sent to any number of fantastic Los Angeles interior shops on your dime and you can have it fully restored to your liking.@Roofsforcars Back when I used to work regularly out of NY and Paris the Concord made a days visit Possible. The convenience was unsurpassed. Where the headliner meets the sunroof it is clearly failing failing, as is the rear. Once any pull starts the remainder is very close behind. Having owned a number of SEC's over the years I am intimately familiar with this issue. The steering wheel looks nothing per the originals. The leather work is amateurish at best, at least per my standards, that which I base entirely on how Mercedes once did things. Pierre has raised a number of points, I am dismayed that despite such a significant undertaking not a solitary photo documenting the process was taken! Nor have any underside photos been garnered during this auctions tenure. I do appreciate the folks chiming in, but I say with all respect that we may just see things differently. Will continue to watch until the end, we'll see if bidding is such that it mitigates the risk/reward.$61,000 bid placed by @Singlestage
@LC762 Yes, it most certainly is. I like to think about the personality of cars. This thing is Phil Collins. In a tracksuit. With a dagger in his FILAsFinally an SEC with the power to backup the looks! Bet this is a riot to drive.I saw this car in person up in monterey last week and can attest to the overall quality/appearance of this car. Very well put together and looks great in person. Don't know what people are saying the headliner is falling on your head and some jibberish about the steering wheel leather being reupholstered over old leather. Ignore those comments. This is an excellent car and won't disappoint. Also, the concord? Not sure if serious...Thanks everyone for all the great feedback. This truly is a strong car. Hit the gas and this car packs up and moves out!! The swap behaves seamlessly and the car handles insanely well. It inspires confidence out on the open road. Couple that with the beautiful paint finish (the thing looks like spilled milk) and it makes for a truly special piece!Unless you are a pureist — how can you not like a Mercedes SEC restomod ?@CNCPICS I have to agree with you here. I've also seen the car in person and know the builder's work from other projects. Its quite impressive and worthy of praise, not condemnation in my opinion. Odd that the harshest critics are typically the ones who never bid. Perhaps the reason that some people attack certain cars so vitriolically is so they can feel better about not buying those "terrible cars" that they never could (or would) invest in themselves. Excellent work/presentation by the seller, mb market and the builder here. Good luck with the auction on this unique and fun example.There is no sag in the headliner, nowhere near dropping on your head. If you want a new car, buy a new car. All cars will have little things, but I don't see why there's this persistence that this car is highly flawed. Many people have seen it in person and have confirmed that it is a good honest car. If I could, I most definitely would with this car. I was particularly impressed at how everything worked as it should. It wasn't one of those swaps where the OEM gauges, AC, etc don't work. Care was taken here to make it seem OEM@TheAMGKit Sir, the seats alone will run around 5,000 USD to be done Properly. C pillars are NLA so one must Hope to find those that are sufficiently unmolested. I have been searching high and low for a dash assembly free of cracks to no avail. 1000 USD doesn't get you much of anything in the world of proper restoration of any automobile. Everyone has different standards, wonderfully done things cost money, I am at ease with that and learned my lessons many many years ago. If the Concorde was still in service inspecting the car over would be an easier task, alas such is not the case so I must be diligent as best I can from afar.I've seen the car. The c pillar and headliner are fine. Ok not perfect but not dropping on your head. Budget I dunno. 1000 if u wanted it all fixed@Roofsforcars Are we looking at the same car sir? The headliner is pulling at the leading edge and getting ready to sag in the rear. The C pillars look as though someone did not understand the peculiar clip arrangement so they no longer sit just as they should. I have a beautiful set of Recaro's in a few of my cars, they do not look as these do, if they did I'd have them sent off as I plan to do with this. Along those lines, I would again appreciate an estimate on works mentioned prior, would be ideal if that could all be tended prior to coming overseas.@TheAMGKit Yes. In fact, all of the gauges work correctly and relay accurate readings.cool video. Are they speedo and tach calibrated accordingly?@thembmarket Thanks for updating the listing. As stated we fitted the car with a set of authentic NOS AMG white springs. After driving the car (loaded with luggage at times) we noticed that the car was sagging slightly in the rear. I want no surprises for the new owner so a new set of H&R springs is being fitted to the car as I write this. I will upload pictures of the springs installed as well as pics of the car sitting. The removed springs will be included with the car if the new owner wants them.UPDATE: The car is being fitted with new H&R springs to correct spring sag for the winning bidder. The car had a 'new old stock' set of AMG white springs installed but due to age, caused the car to squat requiring the change. The listing has been updated accordingly.Strong move by hyphen. NiceA video has been added to the listing description.Here’s a walk around, startup, flyby, and driving video for those interested. https://youtu.be/VwjcnyYS0uI$60,000 bid placed by @Dtamscott
In my opinion the interior is about o 7-7.5. It’s got an AMG Atiwe steering wheel and the c81 seats. The carpets are nice. The door panels are super nice. The console and a pillars are really nice. The headliner is nice. There are 2 hairline cracks in the dash. The leather on the driver side recaro looks a little worn. The rear seat leather is sagging but just a little. The paint, panel gap, AMG kit fit all extremely nice. The performance is where this car will exceed anyone’s expectations. It’s obviously fast but it’s also very civilized. I was super happy driving it around car week in Monterey. In fact, one night I was on the strip in Carmel and the crowd of people watching cars go by saw me and started chanting “COCAINE COCAINE “. That, boys and girls, it what it’s all about.Good Day All! If the interior is trully an almost 9 out of 10 I Kindly request a fresh round of photographs. From here it looks as though it needs tending and love from most every angle. Personally, I consider a 9 out 10 nearly new, with only minor signs of use evident. I believe that steering wheel has been re-covered and wrapped with out the old leather not having been removed prior to. I have that model wheel on one of my cars and the depth and thickness as seen in the photos looks decidedly off. Thankfully i do have an excellent man for steering wheel restoration in Italy.$48,000 bid placed by @HJSarafian
Im here in Monterey, CA at Car Week. I had the wonderful opportunity to see this vehicle in person and critique it. I spent time with the owner and to understand the process of the build. I was blown away, the owner really knows his Mercedes-Benz cars down to the last detail. The exterior is a solid 9.8/10. All the lines match, all the creveses were properly addressed. The interior is a solid 8.8/10. Rare parts and period correct. This beautiful automobile might find it's way home to me.$38,000 bid placed by @am2818
Appreciate your efforts sir. The headliner is also in need of attention and my past experience with C126's tells me that it will soon be sitting on the next owners head with out love and attention. It is quite clear in the photos that both doors sag., no shadows. Once more, all C126's suffer this as they age, more so if the hinges are not properly lubed with a pressure gun. Shims are no longer available so adjusting can be a bit of a bear. No mention of build photos? I imagine it to be quite the process, having the opportunity to see the build as it progressed makes the endeavor all the more interesting at least to me! Blue dash boards are all but impossible to find, perhaps you can get an estimate on a recover in leather. Cracked dash boards are an irksome problem, more so with navy blue interiors. Merci!@TheAMGKit The VIN on the a-pillar, the title, the door jam, and the silver star award all match. That is the official US VIN. The number stamped on the firewall is the euro-format VIN and chassis code. That’s what it would’ve been registered under if it stayed in Europe, and that number can be used to look up all the information on the car in Mercedes’ systems. The last several numbers are the car’s serial, and they match between the two.was great meeting allan and matt at legends. great discussion and wonderful work was wondering tho why is the vin number on the firewall different than the A pillarDriving and walkaround videos coming soon. Also, thanks Richard B. Extremely high praise if you are who I assume you are!$35,000 bid placed by @Westmontster
I’m in Monterey currently and don’t have a pair depth meter on me. I will however be with the owner of the shop that did the paint job later today. I’ll see if he has one on him. I will get some photos uploaded of the paint refinishing job. It’s a really high quality job. I will have access to a lift early next week. The undercarriage has not been ice blasted but is very clean. Zero rust California car. The only suspension work we felt like it needed was the AMG springs and replacement of the guide rod mounts. Also of course the 560 brakes. A must with this kind of power. As far as the interior, the car will be in LA when the auction closes and we know some quality shops there who are familiar with Mercedes. I’ll try to get a ballpark as to cost. The interior is not bad but it’s also not PERFECT. if it were me, I would recover the recaros, the back seat and the top of the dash only. The console, carpet and door cards as really good as is. Remember that we started with a silver star of preservation car. In my opinion the body lines are pretty nice in person. I’ll also get some photos looking down the body lines. The sun was setting when the listing photos were taken and some of what you are seeing may be shadowing.Tres bien! Curious, can we look forward to paint meter readings? Any photographs of the work as it was being completed? I would also appreciate very much photos of the underside. I do not see much mention attention having been paid to the chassis and all that it entails to be a proper Sonderklasse Are you able to complete an interior refurbishment prior to sending the car? I feel as though the wear, tear and otherwise rough and tumble way of it is not in keeping with the rest of the car. Would a re-align of the door also be possible? I see both driver and passenger are hanging low, the body lines do not match.Thanks for the bids and all of the positive comments. The car was part of the MB Market display at Legends of the Autobahn today and it was great to see everyone’s reactions to the car. People are initially drawn to the car by it’s insane menacing appearance and then blown away to see the 5.4L AMG engine sitting in the engine bay. Very clean and tidy. I also cruised it through Carmel and I must have heard people shout “Hammer” and “cocaine” a dozen times. The car has a presence that rivals a modern day supercar!$30,000 bid placed by @am2818
FWIW I saw this car in person today and while I'm not in the market, I'd definitely be bidding if I were. Those interested should bid with confidence in the car and build. Best of luck to al!500sec restomod !! Gotta love it !!!! GLWTA!!!!Matt, I don't think there could have been a better response from a better seller than that. When you said personal m113K it was checkmate, bravo. I had no idea Matt / @kwiekclassics built this car, he is an SEC legend.$25,000 bid placed by @Westmontster
As someone that has built quite a few AMG automobiles, I think you did a great job and very tasteful. Congrat's.The engine cover is from a c55. In my opinion it’s the best looking one and suits this engine bay. The covers are universal. The engine is from a 2002 S55 that had 109,000 miles on it. It was parted out due to the fact that the air suspension had gone bad and the previous owner gave up on it.Something very strange is going on with this car. Look at the engine cover - that is not from a 2001 or 2002 S55 AMG. Those cars all came with black AMG engine covers. Also, why was such a low mile engine swapped into this car? Do we have a VIN for it? If this engine and engine cover were in an S55, it would also not be the original engine from that car either.Seller here checking in. Welcome to the auction of an incredibly exiting SEC. This car is one you will not want to let slip away. Beautiful fresh whiteout paint job done perfectly. M113 AMG engine and 722.6 transmission expertly installed and working in perfect unison on factory ecu and tcu. All the correct AMG bits to complete the package. Just this morning, I drove the car up from LA to Monterey and it’s a real beast out on the open road. The sweep from 70 to 120 is amazing. This car moves out!! I also own a W111 with this same engine and trans combo as well as an SEC AMG with an M113k and 6speed manual. I had this car built with the intention of selling it because I know how good these things are. Please feel free to ask any questions. The car will be at legends of the autobahn tomorrow so if you’re in town stop by and see it.Hi everyone! I’m Matt Kwiek with Kwiek Classics, the builder of the car. I’ve done several of these builds and the M113 NA was a very intentional choice. The car makes as much power as an original AMG SEC, if not more, and was built to be the perfectly reliable daily driver. I’ve driven it a fair amount and can say it is incredibly satisfying to drive, even compared to my personal M113k swap. It’s a highway machine like no other, and insanely reliable to boot. Feel free to check out my website and Instagram to see more.$6,900 bid placed by @Nfsjunkie91
$5,000 bid placed by @Bankrep40
$4,000 bid placed by @Nfsjunkie91
$3,500 bid placed by @Bankrep40
@swissbliss the builder does M113 K swaps also. He just finished a black one. Ive sent you his IG through benzworld but u said you dont IG. Look up KwiekclassicsAlso, to clarify, no hate at all....The seller has built an impressive canvas, and I truly hope this meets reserve/gets full value, as well as the buyer getting a great deal with enough funds to complete the build!I am in awe. Both at everything done, but also of the thought process of not swapping a 113K instead. While it is a huge miss, if this can be had for under 20k it would be a decent deal....and the new owner can definitely do right by adding a Kompressor... Speaking from experience as an SEC owner with 100k into mine (everything this + more) with the only thing missing is a proper engine swap. 500rwhp+ Kompressor or bust!!! Coming soon. Until then, this is *somewhat* of a top dog. I am sure many remember the fake BaT auction of the 245k SEC that had everything touched but the engine, Pierre had a helluva reaction vid to it... This one had the right idea, but fell short. One day someone will go the distance to give these legends a proper restomod that they deserve, one that truly checks all the boxes... Until then.....all we can do it wait, while the builders build. In closing....to quote the great Mike Ehrmantraut .... "No more half measures.... (https://youtu.be/7BE4QcwX4dU)Nice car as is. Why the swap? I would have kept the m117 engine...