ABANDONED Mercedes Ponton WILL IT RUN and DRIVE? NNKH
Summary
TLDRThe video script narrates the journey of DN KH as he revisits a property in the Germantown section of Philadelphia where he had previously acquired a Lincoln. The property owner has offered him a choice of three vehicles: an MG B, a Mercedes Ponton, and a Volvo Amazon. After assessing the condition of each, DN KH decides to take the Mercedes Ponton, despite its rough exterior and interior, due to its potential. The video documents the process of retrieving the car, which is heavily overgrown and obstructed by trees and a dumpster. Once loaded onto a trailer, DN KH attempts to start the Mercedes and, surprisingly, it runs well despite its age and neglect. However, further inspection reveals extensive rust and damage, leading to the conclusion that the car is not roadworthy and will likely be parted out for salvage. The video ends with DN KH reflecting on the joy of discovering and preserving old vehicles and the importance of respecting their historical value.
Takeaways
- 🚗 The video features a rescue mission of three old vehicles located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
- 🔍 The narrator, DN KH, initially had a conflict with the property owner but later resolved it and was offered to take one of the vehicles.
- 🚙 Among the vehicles, an MG B, a Mercedes Ponton, and a Volvo Amazon were presented, each with its own set of issues and potential.
- 🏡 The vehicles were stored in poor conditions, with parts missing, rust, and being overgrown with vegetation.
- 🔧 The narrator chose the Mercedes Ponton due to its relative accessibility and began the process of assessing its condition and potential for restoration.
- 🌿 The video highlights the beauty of the surroundings, with lush greenery and wildlife, contrasting with the state of the old cars.
- 🔋 The Mercedes engine was surprisingly in good condition despite its age, with the oil still appearing clean and the engine rotating freely.
- 🔧 After a thorough cleaning and with some repairs, the Mercedes engine was successfully started, although it was noted that the car itself was not driveable.
- 🔩 The narrator decided to salvage what was useful from the Mercedes, including the engine and other parts, with the remainder of the car destined for a scrapyard.
- 💰 There was a mention of a potential buyer interested in the Mercedes engine, who planned to refurbish it and document the process.
- 📦 The video concludes with the narrator reflecting on the joy of the restoration process and the importance of preserving old vehicles that hold historical value.
Q & A
What is the main challenge the narrator faces when trying to retrieve the vehicles from the property?
-The main challenge is navigating through a very tight alleyway with a trailer to get to the vehicles, as well as the physical condition of the vehicles which are in a state of disrepair.
Which vehicle does the narrator decide to take and why?
-The narrator decides to take the Mercedes Ponton because it is the most accessible and appears to have some potential for restoration.
What is the condition of the MG and MGB when the narrator first inspects them?
-The MG and MGB are in very rough condition with no floors, no steering wheel, and a completely locked-up mini shifter. The car also has moss and appears to be a candidate for scrap.
What is the issue with the Volvo Amazon that the narrator identifies?
-The Volvo Amazon has significant rust and rot, the hood is up, and the carburetors are angled upward, suggesting that water has likely damaged the engine over time.
What is the narrator's initial impression of the Mercedes Ponton's engine?
-The narrator finds the engine to be in surprisingly good condition, with easy access to components and no major signs of rust or damage, despite the car's exterior condition.
What does the narrator do after deciding to take the Mercedes Ponton?
-The narrator uses a winch and a snatch block to carefully extract the Mercedes Ponton from the lot without causing further damage to the vehicle or the surroundings.
What is the significance of the items found in the Mercedes Ponton?
-The items found, such as expired food packages and a horn, suggest that the car has been sitting unused for a long time, possibly since the 1980s.
What is the outcome of the narrator's attempt to start the Mercedes Ponton's engine?
-The engine starts and runs, sounding healthy despite the absence of coolant, indicating that the engine is in good condition internally.
Why does the narrator decide to ultimately send the Mercedes Ponton to a scrapyard?
-The narrator decides to send the car to a scrapyard because the amount of work needed to make it roadworthy is not worth the effort, given that the car was obtained for free.
What is the fate of the engine from the Mercedes Ponton?
-The engine is saved and will be refurbished by someone who has offered to pay for it, with plans to document the process in videos.
What does the narrator value about working on old cars like the Mercedes Ponton?
-The narrator values the joy of discovery, the challenge of determining if the car can be brought back to life, and the opportunity to save and preserve good parts that can't be replaced.
Outlines
🚗 Exploring Abandoned Cars in Germantown, Philadelphia
The video begins with DN KH revisiting a property in Germantown, Philadelphia where he previously found a Lincoln. The owner had a conflict but later invited DN to take any of the three vehicles present. DN assesses an MG B, noting its rough condition with missing floors and steering wheel, but appreciates the wire wheels and luggage rack. He then considers a Mercedes Ponton and a Volvo Amazon, noting their rust and damage. DN decides to take the Mercedes due to its better condition and accessibility.
🚘 Loading the Mercedes and Encountering Challenges
DN faces difficulties loading the Mercedes onto the trailer due to its position and the surrounding obstacles. He devises a plan to use a winch and snatch block to pull it out. DN also checks the car's interior, noting the red interior and wing windows. Despite the car's poor condition, he expresses satisfaction at being able to load it up and plans to investigate if it can run.
🔍 Inspecting the Mercedes Engine and Components
DN investigates the Mercedes engine, identifying its components such as the fuel lines, carburetor, clutch cable, brake master cylinder, and ignition coil. He notes the engine's accessibility and the use of quality materials like brass and copper. DN finds the oil to be clean and up to level, indicating no water contamination. He attempts to start the engine and is pleasantly surprised when it cranks smoothly with minimal resistance.
🧹 Cleaning and Preparing the Mercedes for a Test Run
DN cleans the engine bay, removing debris and vacuuming the area. He expresses excitement at the prospect of getting the car on the road. DN replaces a rotted hose and connects the fuel line to the carburetor. He then primes the engine and attempts to start it. The engine fires up, running smoothly and hitting on all four cylinders. However, an oil leak is discovered, attributed to a rusted steel line.
🚫 Deciding to Salvage the Mercedes for Parts
After assessing the Mercedes, DN concludes that it's not worth the effort to get it running and driving, given its extensive damage. He decides to salvage the engine and transmission, along with any other usable parts, before sending the car to the scrapyard. DN appreciates the unique design features of the Mercedes and the different approaches taken by manufacturers in the past.
📦 Selling the Mercedes Chassis and Engine for Scrap
DN sells the Mercedes chassis and engine for scrap, earning some money. He also disassembles and palletizes the car in preparation for transport. A viewer from a previous video offers to buy the car for $300 with plans to refurbish it and document the process. DN agrees to sell it and looks forward to seeing the restoration.
🎉 Reflecting on the Experience and Looking Ahead
DN reflects on the joy he finds in these projects, whether the cars run or not. He emphasizes the importance of preserving old cars that can't be replaced, rather than destroying them for entertainment. DN expresses gratitude to his viewers for joining him on these adventures and teases upcoming projects, including returning a Mustang to its owner and exploring a barbecue joint with drone footage.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡MG B
💡Mercedes Ponton
💡Volvo Amazon
💡Rust and Rot
💡Restoration
💡Salvage
💡Engine
💡Carburetor
💡Trailing Arms
💡Winch
💡Scrapping
Highlights
The owner of a previously problematic property reaches out to DN KH, offering him the chance to take one of three vehicles from his property.
DN KH decides to take the Mercedes Ponton due to its accessibility and potential for restoration.
The Volvo Amazon is deemed not salvageable due to extensive rust and water damage to the engine.
The MG and MGB are both in rough condition, with missing parts and significant damage, leading DN KH to skip them.
DN KH discovers that the Mercedes has been sitting for a long time, possibly since the 1980s, based on the condition of the vehicle.
The engine of the Mercedes is found to be in surprisingly good condition, with no rust or condensation, despite the vehicle's age.
DN KH manages to start the Mercedes engine after some initial difficulty, indicating its resilience.
An oil leak is discovered, but the engine still runs well, showing the robustness of the German engineering.
The Mercedes is deemed not roadworthy, but the engine and some parts are salvaged for potential future use.
DN KH finds and vacuums out a collection of old snacks from 1990, providing a unique snapshot of the past.
The car's low hood design proves challenging and causes DN KH to hit his back multiple times.
An interesting design feature of the car's hubcap holder is discovered, showcasing the creativity of past manufacturing techniques.
The Mercedes is eventually taken to a scrapyard, but not before its engine and valuable parts are saved.
DN KH emphasizes the joy of saving old cars and parts that can't be replaced, rather than destroying them for entertainment.
A man contacts DN KH offering $300 for the Mercedes engine, with plans to refurbish it and document the process.
DN KH expresses satisfaction in salvaging good parts from old vehicles, such as worm gear clamps and hose clamps.
An old horn is repaired and found to work, highlighting the potential hidden within seemingly unusable parts.
The video concludes with a reflection on the joy of the restoration process and the anticipation of future projects.
Transcripts
DN KH here again coming at you with
another video this time in the germant
town section of Philadelphia again you
guys might remember this lot from where
we got the the Lincoln and the owner of
this property had we had a little bit of
a conflict but resolved it and he's
actually reached out to me and asked me
if I want to grab any of these three
vehicles that I briefly showed in in
that Lincoln video so I don't know I can
only take one today brought the trailer
came through that super tight Alleyway
again whatever you want to call it and
which one should we take I guess that's
uh that's what we're going to do here so
we got an mg
B I guess right the MG and MGB it
looks more like a full size right and
this is really really rough so I was
briefly looking it over I mean there are
no floors no steering wheel little
little mini mini shifter that's
completely locked up look it's got astro
turf not quite that's actually Moss
although it does look like that used to
be some kind of oh that's like a heat
sheet Shield is what that is it looks
like get the wire wheels pretty cool I
like the the luggage rack on the back
nothing in the trunk boy that's uh
that's it's quite a bit of weight
reduction or is that Mouse turs I'm not
sure but uh let's get under the hood
here it looks like somebody already
pulled these hoods up this is an
aluminum Hood actually I was looking at
I was like man this is Metal's really
not rusted aluminum so
I'm not really too worried about bending
the hood this is just full of trash this
Red's actually really nice shape it's
probably worth something original brass
or copper red but I don't know if
something made a nest on top of this
engine or what the scoop is oh no well
that's not a good sign those are
the head studs so somebody's got the the
head off of it and yeah I'm going to say
this is probably a ass scrap
car yeah not going to I don't have a
spare head for one of these now over
here we've got a Mercedes pomton I think
these are known as and this is probably
like late 50s early 60s somewhere in
that range I'm kind of leaning toward
this one because it it looks I like the
way it looks I haven't got the hood open
on it yet and unfortunately all this
junk was just piled on here when I got
here like this had turned into into the
scrap pile cuz these inevitably or
ultimately we're going or going to be
scrapped unless we can find something
salvageable well let's take a look at
this this Volvo Amazon first the big
turn off on this one minus the rot and
rust is the fact that the Hood's up the
carburetors are pointed angled up I can
only imagine how much water was getting
in this engine over time I'm sure she's
pretty pooched but hey that thing
Wiggles so oh well and these are pretty
rare from what I stand uh it's neat that
it's a thought that was like a samurai
or a sword for a second it's neat that
it's a station
wagon but glancing underneath this Frame
oh actually trailing arms back here
still attached to the frame not the
worst thing I've ever seen oh look at
that he he really cared about these cars
too cuz he stored them on blocks and to
keep the tires from getting flat spots
so that's that's a great sign it means
these were worthy cars of course there's
no floor pens at all but I mean some of
the frames there while we're down here
let's clance onto the
Mercedes exhaust no
Muffler uh okay see so that's not a good
sign these trailing arms Mount right
here into the body like a unibody type
of Deal or into the frame there and
that's that's completely right of
outside of
things yeah oh look at the other side
can you see that it's tank hanging down
it's off of it this axle will probably
rip out if I even drag this but also up
on
blocks there the floor coming down you
can see up into the car I don't know if
you can see that but yeah he's got
blocks all four corners look at this
look how thick that is this one's all
roted out on the edges but this guy look
at those radiuses wow last on the road
in
1976 probably maybe a touch after that
but that was last registration seems
about right and yes let's get a look on
the inside I guess I'm leaning toward
this Mercedes I don't know m is that oh
the rot it's so bad but the red interior
Wing windows on all of them steering's
free oh column
shifter it's locked up too I just came
off what is
that somebody checked the glove boxes
and trunk in all these
cars yeah that's that's tough this uh
the Mercedes headliner you guys
recognize that serviced over at the
shoko custom car
care Mercedes Benz
koser I don't know how to say that all
right we're going to pull the trigger on
the Mercedes it's the most accessible
one uh if I try to get this Amazon out
I'm going to damage it on the trees and
there's just no room with this dumpster
in the way I don't have the key to that
gate over there and same with the mg
getting that out it's it's smashed up
against these trees by the way did you
guys see the the roots on this thing
like I guess since there was so much
junk here over time they came up real
high and there was actually a shed you
can see the floor here and it was yeah
kind of got built and pushed into it
let's get this thing loaded up will it
run and if it doesn't what's wrong with
it let's find out out look at that I
left my chain here that really Blends in
good thing I came
back I think the way we're going to do
this is winch off of the dumpster with a
snatch block pull it out and then over
little jammed up hey so I was going to
call you to see where you going to be
able to make it because I I remember the
dun was here how you feeling yeah how
you good man how are you you good you
going to be able to do it so yeah the
only one I'm going to be able to grab is
the Mercedes at this point yeah cool so
when the tree come down I'll just call
you and tell you to grab that okay if
you want hey what's up with that uh belt
uh so in there what are you doing with
that take it yeah oh my man
[Music]
look at that how convenient just drag
her on forward
he's a
roller
yeah well unfortunately I made a mistake
I should have tied up that trailing arm
cuz as to be expected it went down
hooked into going to push the axle back
which jams me up a little bit
oh
man there we
go Chance's about to pop off
here we go I got it straightened back
out now somehow have to tie that up all
right there it is had to get a little
crafty with a ratet traps and chain I
didn't have a floor jack handy
but oh there it is it went
over sweet
all right now we can pull it straight
over this is why I don't have nice
Vehicles Clos the door and I heard the
stick crunch in there I don't care it's
fine best feeling ever to not
care perfect don't even need the Tilt
deck I'm pisting out of something
got a big slit on the side of it too
it's a Ford anybody know what it's out
of flat top maybe a Model T or who knows
never seen one quite like it I think
this little car is happy just about to
go for a ride on a trailer and not
rotten away in the yard
anymore maybe a persful future for at
least the engine who knows
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
we're locked and loaded but Last Thing
Before We Roll inside of this building
the linkoln video you might remember the
band saw he gave me the green light on
getting this out of here so uh just
going to walk it over cuz it's kind of
heavy and I'm slightly injured and take
it easy he's actually showing me this
really cool picture over here you
probably can't see it there's a better
look at it imagine how old that painting
is this building was built in the
1800s pretty pretty cool
oh yeah we got plenty of room to swing
this
wide well I think we're going to take
advantage of the free parking in this
part of town go grab bite to eat at
deak's barbecue see the sep tip pulling
out of Wayne Junction Great spot this is
kind of a two for one you get to attic
brewing and de's next
door brisket sandwich with some more
brisket oh yeah we're a few weeks later
now you can see all the greeneries out
this thing started changing colors
getting all sorts of
greenery o this window looks like it
loosened up a little bit on the
oh okay we'll just call that lucky they
didn't fly out on the drive heck the
glass might be the most valuable thing
on this car if anybody's interested in
Hearts off for this let me know honestly
I don't know where we're going from here
hey yeah you guys are probably thinking
I'm a weirdo for even messing with this
junker how about this front window is
this coming out too no that one's uh
still in there pretty good what are
these turn signals up on the side yeah
imagine that I like like it guys isn't
this just the greatest time of year with
all the fresh Greenery the birds the
honeybees out and
about oh actually looks like I might
have a robbing issue going on I don't
recognize that guy he's big boy oh and
him too I pretty much just always let
them be if the colony goes down it goes
down but been lucky many years now what
do we got under This Hood and is it
locked up is that a red cap or just a
fake one yeah look at that
there we go there we are little German
for Banger oh from when I was reading
these came with the m136 or the m121 for
four-cylinder gas engines I actually put
inline six petrols in here and 4cylinder
diesels too but this appears to be the
m121 1.9 L based on my first impressions
here so single overhead cam double
roller timing chain here's the
distributor everything looks real easy
to access which I love and I suppose the
whole point of this video is we're going
to find out if these are as tough as an
American V8 that's been sitting for a
long time provided it ran when it was
parked we never really really know but
you can see looking around I mean this
thing you know it's been parked for some
time quite quite some time I'm going to
have to say at least 25 years or more
based on uh I'm almost going to say this
been sitting since the 80s I don't know
zun fge
1342 is the firing order I
assume let's Identify some basic
components these are fuel hard fuel line
coming in to serviceable fuel filter
fuel pump comes over to the solx looks
like a maybe a two barrel carburetor
this is the clutch cable I would assume
or maybe that's parking brake our brake
master cylinder real accessible down
there you can see the hose is off on the
bottom of the plastic Reservoir
windshield washer
bag ignition coil oh that thing rotted
completely through the copper rad
appears to have fared very well minus
the steel on the side of it falling
apart he's already got the cap off and
yeah that's you know that's bone dry of
course look at that on the lower rad
hose it's got this little bypass Port
elbow almost looks like somebody
soldered that in and there's a flasher
unit blocking it off flasher relay
what's this the heater yeah there is a
look at the big old honken starter motor
with the relay on it I mean so far I'm
going to say I like I like this this
looks very well built easy easy to uh
service no air filter and it is a two
barrel got a canister type oil filter
and you see it has a hose going up I
assume for the oil pressure gauge inside
and on this block somebody has installed
a petcock oh operates too you got a lot
of good quality old brass copper
materials and there's your oil dipstick
should probably have cleaned that off
first but uh we have yeah we got some
oil on Stick there there how about it
actually looks clean and up to level
that means probably no uh condensation
and water in the crank
case wow wow it's bone dry up there that
hasn't that oil flowing in a long while
kind of sludgy and chunky but I don't
see any rust or evidence of condensation
you know if nothing else there's a lot
of good parts on this car like it would
be a shame to to put this through the
crusher when you're looking at something
that cannot be duplicated may be
replicated but
shoot these cylinders up with a little
lube and the crank feels like maybe a 19
or 21 we go 3/4 136 and 7/8 7/8 it is
people always get upset if you use
metric on a standard car and standard on
a metric car here we go this should
rotate uh down
right okay we are rotating
and that feels
excellent this thing has like no
resistance at all you can two finger the
ratchet she's a loose broken in engine
let's drop these plugs back
in as I'm looking down here check that
out that's one of the the blower
fans oh man the bottom just completely
rotted off and I guess this had a a
heater core on each side these could be
handy little units for uh I don't know
some other kind of heat exchanger but
yeah one on each side that would blow
blow into the car I've got a jump pack
on here let's give her a little crank
over we know it's a neutral all
right there it
is I'm actually surprised that's it's
cranking so slow because this this jump
Pack's really strong and we saw easy the
the engine rotated but I guess that's
just the way these starters are or it's
worn out
get the oil primed a little bit it's not
pulling excessive amperage cuz these
cables not getting hot and before I go
any further I want to get all this junk
cleared out vacuumed and maybe a quick
low pressure watch you'll boost the
morale
[Music]
and stage one cleaning under the hood
good couple interesting finds that front
uh crossmember there or support
completely rotted through on the top the
voltage regulator also rotted through
the cover and Shop there actually a
wrench sitting here too the coolest
thing I found was these all the packages
and we got Cheetos Paws and I looked it
up these came out in 1990 discontinued
in 1993 so if these are from 1990 that
would be 34 years ago and uh looking at
the ingredients on a totally different
format than we have today we also got
some barbecue Dipsy Doodles by wise and
the bomton popcorn which has a date on
it April 14th 1990
so that gives you a little bit better of
an idea of course we had to do the
heater delete mod but uh you know these
will go in the scrap pile could maybe
use them for something if I look up and
there's no
value if not you know it's good
copper who's that barking at
me you finally coming out oh yeah all
right come on let's go let's go boy come
on
[Music]
those big stairs are nothing for you huh
[Applause]
there
boy doesn't that just look like a
million dollars already so satisfying to
pressure wash these old cars you see the
windshield shot getting all foggy on the