Custom 1979 Mercedes 450SL Shooting Brake Looks Awkwardly Cool

If you’re a fan of the third-generation SL and for some reason always wanted to see it in Shooting Brake form, here’s your chance – and if you like it, you can actually own it for the right price.

This here is a 1979 Mercedes 450SL with 143,000 miles (230,000 km) on the clock. Of course, the model year and mileage aren’t what stand out when it comes to this custom build.

According to the Bring a Trailer ad, the previous owner spent two and a half years cutting and welding the body in order to create this two-door wagon that features new glass, modern power seats, modded exhaust and 18″ wheels.

As for the paint job, you’re looking at a 1990’s Chrysler-Dupont shade with a House of Color clear coat. Further mods include the Pilkington windshield, light charcoal tinted windows, Euro headlights and fog lights, black leather power seats (from a Lexus 300 ES), and a custom headliner covered with perforated vinyl. We could do without those Lexus seats – just saying…

There’s also a new Nardi steering wheel replacing the factory standard wheel, and while everything else about the interior seems to be in good shape, the radio and A/C aren’t working – though the seller will try to fix these issues prior to the sale.

As for the 4.5-liter V8 engine, it seems that a previous owner bypassed the EGR and disabled the cruise control. The engine itself is said to start immediately “but runs rich during cold starts”. The car also features a new battery (installed in Dec 2015), plus the oil was changed in December of 2016 as the current seller only put 2,500 miles (4,023 km) on the clock.

Back in 2015, this two-door SL Wagon also got a 28″ thrush glass pack and a stainless steel Dynaflow twin tip resonator, and as you’ll be able to tell from the videos below, the car doesn’t sound half bad.

At the time of posting, the highest bid stands at $6,300 with no reserve, and the auction to be completed on April 11.