How I turned my beat-up old Mercedes ‘into a supercar’ – it’s got upgraded engine but bright yellow wrap REALLY sells it
A BEATEN-UP old Mercedes SL550 has been turned into a “supercar” for a ridiculously low price.
Popular Tiktoker Grant Sloan revealed the incredible transformation as he upgraded the engine, got custom headlights and even covered it in a bright yellow wrap.
Sloan – who boasts over 515,000 TikTok followers – claims he did the entire project for under $12,000 (£9,500) – including buying the Mercedes motor.
The car came in at a bargain price of just $8,000 (£6,350) and the wrap just $400 (£315).
Despite yellow being an unusual choice for many if they were to build a supercar, Sloan chose the bright wrap with help from his girlfriend who recommended the exact shade.
Sloan then had big, ambitious plans on how to fix the rest of the motor and it all cost him only another $3,600 (£2,850).
He got customised headlights made and fresh fog lights and brake lights before he refurbished and repainted most of the car’s trim in black.
The back bumpers trim piece was also replaced with a carbon fibre diffuser as a new set of wheels, grill, tires and splitters were all included.
The car has done 140,000 miles and has a 5.5L V8 engine.
The original Mercedes was left in a battered state before Sloan got his hands on it.
A huge key mark sat on the right rear and the white paint was in desperate need of some love.
The TikTok star covered most of the issues in the wrap after he covered the key marks in paint and sanded them down.
The video of the transformation already has over a million views and has gained a lot of attention from his fans.
Some people left comments giving their opinions on what they’d do to the flashy motor to make it even more impressive.
One said: “Put a V12 twin turbo in it.”
As another wrote: “Brown leather seats with matching dashboard and steering wheels would kill it.”
Some even made bolder predictions asking Grant to add an exhaust like “the SLR 722” or a fresh spoiler.
Another petrolhead wanting to create his very own supercar has revealed how an affordable body kit can make a cheap motor look nearly identical to a legendary Porsche.
What’s more, the new look won’t cost car-owners supercar prices – with the kit one of the cheapest upgrades available to give your wheels an expensive new look.
According to motoring YouTube channel Quickshift Cars, drivers can be the envy of their neighbours even if they own a retro sports car such as the Toyota MR2.
They said: “What if you could have the best of both worlds – decent performance, the affordable price and crazy supercar styling?”
Quickshift point to UK-based body kit makers Turismo UK, who can transform your motor using their 40 years of experience with bespoke supercars.
As drivers have just discovered how to make their car look as good as a Ferrari with a simple addition.
Door lights are often optional add-ons for high-priced motors and they can be found on Amazon for less than £20.
The pod lights, which run on Bluetooth, can be installed in the front doors of any car, including big SUVs and even pick-up trucks.
Each welcome light runs on batteries – and can be fitted on the doors without the need for drilling or sticking glue.
