Watch This 1969 Mercedes Come Back to Life, after 37 Years in a Garage

Whether you’re OCD to the max and nothing brings you more pleasure than seeing order restored where once chaos reigned, or you’re simply a gearhead who adores all things pertaining to old vehicles, this video of a vintage Mercedes getting its first bath (and first human contact) in 37 years will make your day.

The auto resurrectionists at AMMO NYC have filmed yet another of their fabled garage treasure hunts. This awesome installment centers around a son’s wish to give his Dad reason to remember the beauty of his old car, and perhaps to inspire him to invest in its restoration for the purpose of handing the car down to the grandkids.

The red 1969 280 SL, we learn, was first purchased by the father of David S. while David's mother was still in the hospital post giving birth to David in 1972. David's father was the second owner of the vehicle and put over 100,000 miles on the car in driving it into the Bronx as a commuter every day for ten solid years before parking it in the garage in 1982 and never cranking it again. 

That's where the AMMO NYC boys come in. David believed his father had simply forgotten how gorgeous and unique the car was and David's earlier inquiries to his Dad about restoring it had been met with skepticism. David thought he could inspire his father to re-envision the car's potential by giving it its first proper detailing in 37 years. 

The AMMO NYC team wade heroically through mouse droppings, mouse skeletons, and mountains of mold in the video. Wearing the equivalent of automotive-centric Hazmat suits and burning through three pairs each of rubber gloves, they show you how to use wheel skates when you meet with deteriorated tires and ways to reinvigorate dead paint without stripping a car bald in the polishing process.

Making smart use of vinegar, water, and a steam machine in order to keep the acidity that the car is being exposed to down; we get to watch as what appears to have been a thoroughly funky and forgotten piece of David's childhood. His Dad's early car dreams wake up to sun and sparkle again. The dad's reaction is priceless and will make water fall from your eyes, whether you can admit it or not!