A Mercedes W123 owner, Don Pam (@don.pam), documented his car’s EV conversion in a viral video. Pam begins his video by introducing the task at hand. Just a few seconds in, he showcases the Benz’s engine bay, which quickly transitions to footage of men working to remove its stock internal combustion engine. His narration can be heard as they diligently extricate the components. According to Pam, everything needed to come out of the vehicle.
Following this, his clip then transitions to footage of the EV battery pack that was going inside of the W123. Pam gets close-up footage of various wiring harnesses that he says needed to be tested and prepared prior to placing it inside of the classic automobile.
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“It was quite a challenge,” he says, as additional recordings show auto techs hooking the battery up to a computer, presumably to ensure it was calibrated properly. Furthermore, a graphic of what appears to be a key piece of the electric motor is showcased on the computer monitor.
Afterward, his clip cuts to what looks like the IRL version of the computerized component as a hole is being carefully drilled into it. A quick timelapse shows that several of these gears have been bound and screwed together, with a smaller gear fixed to the top of it.
Welding the EV Conversion Components
The labor intensive electric swap job continues in Pam’s video. A spot welder joins the components together in another portion of the post. Moreover, the TikToker shows that the changes to the vehicle aren’t just under the hood. His W123’s exterior is showcased in the clip as it gets a fresh paint job. “We try to keep it original,” he remarks of the vehicle’s aesthetic.
Furthermore, the daunting task extends to the Mercedes’ cabin as well. That’s because nearly all of its interior was gutted in order to undergo its electrified transformation.
Additional coats of paint culminate in a shiny, more finished look for the Mercedes EV before Pam shows off the fully assembled EV motor. After more tinkering, its ready to be hoisted and placed inside of the car.
Impressively, all of the work is being done by hand and without any heavy-duty lifts and expensive shop equipment one might find in a service center. Pam drives this point home by narrating, “It takes a lot of manpower to get all the things [to] fit perfectly.”
Once the electric motor is fastened inside of the vehicle with what looks like a custom bracket mount, the battery is then dropped into the car’s trunk with the help of ropes and a thick stick. After everything’s been assembled, Pam flips open the Benz’s gas cap to reveal an EV charging port. He says this component was his “favorite part of the car because it came out perfectly.”
The end of his clip shows the successfully converted EV-W123, which he’s fashioned into an office of sorts. A laptop rests on a tray in the front passenger’s seat, while two monitors nest on the front dash.
Classic EV Conversions
There’s no shortage of businesses that take classic car models and update them to fully electric drivetrains. Electric Classic Cars in the U.K., for instance, has shown off several models that have shaped motoring history, from the OG Volkswagen Beetle, to the Porsche 911 and Ferrari Testarossa. Benz isn’t left out of the fun, either, as the company showcases an SL model, which it states manages to “maintain…the luxury of the original” with updated EV performance.
One of the biggest gripes car enthusiasts have with modern designs is how so many manufacturers roll out vehicles that more or less look the same. Oftentimes, this is a casualty of squeaking out as many miles per gallon as possible. Fuel economy standards for efficiency have increased over the years for traditional cars, which can contribute to these drag-reducing-obsessed aesthetics.
And while mitigated drag-coefficients will squeeze more range out of an EV, classic designs aren’t beholden to emissions regulations. So electric drivers looking to roll around in some old-school style can do so, like Pam. That is, if they know capable mechanics, or aren’t afraid of doing the work themselves. If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, there are plenty of crate conversion kits to check out. Chevrolet sells their own, and there are other companies, like EV West and Legacy EV, who’ve developed their own packages for those looking to jump over to the electric side, too.
InsideEVs has reached out to Pam via TikTok comment for further information.
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