OLD’SCOOL: TRIO OF SLAMMED MERCEDES-BENZ

Besides all owning slammed Mercedes, Luke Smith, Ashton Lafleur and Junior Sanchez all have one thing in common- From start to finish of our shoot, they seemed to have a better time than anyone I’ve had the pleasure of shooting before. It’s not that most are unhappy or anything, but this bunch keeps it lively in any situation. These cars are not here because of how clean they are, or how much money has gone into building a set of wheels, but because they’re old and f***ing cool.

These are not the cars for the impatient. You can’t just jump online and buy parts from a tuner site and have them shipped to your door. There’s no bolt-up air ride systems, or even a DIY thread about how to easily solve specific issues. To own an old school Mercedes-Benz requires both a sense of humor, and skills of a MacGyver.

Take Luke Smith for example and his 1974 240d, Elvis. Luke has stories for days about some of the stuff him and Elvis have been through; including making an axle repair in the pooring rain with some saran wrap, grease, duct tape and some zip ties.

When Luke found this car on craigslist, he didn’t have any intention to buy it, however he loved the color. Eventually, he convinced himself to check it out. He set up a time to meet up with the owner and take a look, around 12am. When Luke arrived at the house, he was met with a guy in blue-jeans, a white v-neck whom looked exactly like Elvis Presley. The man then explained to Luke that he had a gig earlier that night, and that he was a Elvis impersonator. When all was settled and squared away, Luke purchased the car with the nickname intact : Elvis.

One of my favorite parts about Luke’s Mercedes was how he tackled the air-ride set up. With some clever use of street signs and fab’d up lines and gauges, the whole system looks incredibly raw. It’s all in the details and rough grit that make’s Luke’s Benz stand apart from most.

On the other side of the spectrum sits Junior Sanchez’s 1969 280 Mercedes-Benz. It does not fit the term grit nor rugged. It’s classy, clean and simple. Junior planned to buy this Mercedes for one occasion- his wedding with his wonderful wife, Rocio Sanchez.

However, after Junior’s restoration of his Benz was complete, the idea of letting go of the car was tough. It already had great memories built into it. Thanks to friends, including Luke Smith, the car was healthy and comfortable to drive. On top of all that, Junior always cracks up by people’s reactions to his rear axle camber almost on its side.

The trio of slammed Benz’s would not be complete though without Ashton Lafleur’s 1975 230, Carl.

The front plate explains it all. Ashton’s Mercedes is static, rowdy and arriving in one piece is not always certain. Even during the shoot, Ashton had to face some struggles, like teeter-tottering and burning some rubber while trying to get into the field.

What really makes Ashton’s Mercedes-Benz stand out is the hot-rod influence. The retro logo, rat-rod paint and flame throwers scream radical. “There’s nothing classy about this car except for the emblem on the hood.” There’s no shame to that though. Ashton’s car was not built to be prim and proper, it’s a constant build even today because it’s fun. Ashton’s car is a perfect example of what I mean when I say modifying cars is like Lego’s for big kids. It takes creativity and long hours to create something awesome, and eventually it becomes personal because of how much is put into the build.

Each of these Mercedes-Benz have their own style and personality of their own. I guess with age and the amount of love and time that has gone into them, that’s pretty normal. After the blood, sweat, tears and cheers that each car has witnessed, it becomes more than just a automobile. It’s a passion.