Man shares how he made $5,400 in four hours from flipping a crash-damaged Mercedes-Benz
Published on Aug 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Aug 12, 2025 at 8:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Molly Davidson
Some people make their money slowly. YouTuber Joe James does it by dragging a dead Mercedes-Benz off a trailer and turning it into five grand.
The victim? A 2020 Mercedes A-Class that had been in an accident and was missing an entire wheel and suspension corner when he bought it.
It was basically the kind of project that scares most bidders off at a salvage auction, but Joe saw a calculated gamble – one that could turn into quick cash if the fix was simple.
Spoiler: it was. And it didn’t take him long to figure that out.
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From dead-on-arrival to driveway-ready in hours
When Joe first got the A-Class home from Copart, it was a brick – no start, no wheel, no brake pressure.
The brake caliper had been ripped clean off in the crash, dumping all the fluid. With no hydraulic pressure, the car couldn’t tell the brake pedal was being pressed – and without that signal, the ECU refused to start the engine.
Before he could even think about fixing the no-start issue, Joe had to deal with a more immediate problem – the A-Class was stranded on the trailer.
Step one: get it off.
With the front corner suspension missing, he jacked it up, removed the driveshaft, re-centered the hub, and stole a wheel from another Mercedes.
Miraculously, the car was in neutral, so they could just roll it down.
Once it was off the trailer, Joe tackled the no-start issue.
A new caliper, fresh brake fluid, and a battery swap brought the A-Class back to life – first turn of the key and it was running.
With that sorted, he rebuilt the front end: new suspension corner, wing, tie rod, drop link, discs, and pads.
When the driveshaft popped out in the accident it had leaked nearly 2L of gearbox oil, so he drained and serviced the gearbox too.
Then came the cosmetics – the bumper and panels went off for paint, the headlight brackets got repaired, and everything was bolted back together.
Structurally, it was barely touched in the crash – just one small bend Joe knocked straight with a hammer.
From start to finish, the actual hands-on work took him about four hours. At his sale price, that’s roughly $1,350 an hour.
The numbers that made the Mercedes-Benz worth the risk
The A-Class cost Joe about $6,400 (£4,800) at auction, plus fees bringing it to $7,500 (£5,572). Parts added almost $3,000 (£2,210.69), for a total outlay of about $9,710 (£7,681.96).
On the open market, this repaired Cat S would go for around $15,170 (£12,000). Joe sold it to a friend for $13,910 (£11,000), which still left him about $4,040 (£3,200) in profit.
Had he sold it for market value, that would’ve been closer to $5,400.
The secret sauce was knowing why the car was listed as a non-runner and betting it wasn’t a fatal issue – ‘calculated risk’ is how he put it.
With minimal damage and quick fixes, the gamble paid off.
It’s not every day you drag a Mercedes home on a trailer and turn it into a running, driving, money-making machine before lunch. But for Joe James, this was one lucrative afternoon.
Subscribe to Joe James on YouTube here, or watch the full video below:
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
