We visit The Old Merc Guy

In the Eastern Cape, one man makes it his aim to supply Mercedes-Benz parts to enthusiasts from across the globe. We visit "The Old Merc Guy".

Words Wilhelm Lutjeharms

For classic-car enthusiasts, the internet has been a Godsend. By spending just a few minutes behind a computer’s keyboard, one can source almost any major part for a classic 'Benz. In the pre-internet era, parts procurement took weeks, if not months!

However, depending on where you live, it can still be tricky to find the spares you need, especially if you can’t afford OEM parts, they’re no longer in production, or only available from overseas sellers (import duties and delivery costs can be prohibitive and take very long). 

This is why specialist Keyan Valkhoff is the perfect go-to person for 'Benz enthusiasts in South Africa and around the globe. His business is aptly named: The Old Merc Guy.

As he guides me on a tour through his double-storey facility on the outskirts of Gqeberha, I notice that (almost) all his parts are orderly stored on the second floor.

I’m astonished to see a diverse assortment of engines, gearboxes, panels, interior trims, alternators, bumpers, skirts, seatbelts, full seats, suspension parts, fuel tanks … and almost every other major part of an old Mercedes-Benz you can think of. 

Downstairs, Keyan’s colleagues are carrying out work on customer cars (as well as his daughter’s two-tone W123) and, obviously, stripping scrapped Mercedes-Benzes. Keyan explains how his business started: “I’ve been driving old Benzes since the late-80s. I used to manage a hotel, but eventually I decided I wanted to do something fun with my life, so I took an interim job while I got this business off the ground. 

• Find a classic Mercedes-Benz to buy for yourself.

“At first we bought old Mercedes and fixed them up, before selling them on. We reconditioned a couple of hundred of these cars over the span of a few years. Then we started a Facebook page – that was when the business’s spares division really gathered momentum. It can be quite stressful to carry out car restorations, so I decided to stop doing them. However, I now let a part of this building’s space to my former employees, where they can do restoration jobs of their own volition.” 

Building such a large inventory of parts doesn’t happen overnight, however. Some forethought went into the process... 

“We are regularly offered cars to buy, but then you need to analyse them in every way. You need to look at the scarcity of the vehicles, as well as their respective conditions, before you can decide how much you’re willing to pay for them.”

The parts are very well categorised; it only takes a minute or two to figure out where you should start searching for the part(s) you’re looking for. This thoughtful arrangement of stock is not purely due to a penchant for tidiness, however...

“You see, we don’t have a list of every part we have in stock. We’ve tried it, but as these are all second-hand parts and the quality and condition of the part is subjective, you need to have a look at the part before you answer the client.”

“For example, we’d contact a client and confirm that we have the part they are looking for, but we’ll attach pictures for them to see the condition of the part.”

Because Mercedes-Benz is a global brand with a massive following (even since its early days), it is unsurprising Keyan receives enquiries come from all over the globe. 

“We ship parts locally and abroad. Every day, the couriers come to pick up parcels. There are no specific countries that stand out in terms of the number of enquiries. Enquiries come in from Europe, the USA and even as far as Taiwan and South Korea.”

Having said that, the South African market remains the most important one for Keyan’s business: “I try to focus my business on the local market, because dealing with queries from abroad can be extremely time-consuming. There are definitely some parts that are in higher demand than others. Every range (or series) has its own weaknesses. However, there is no specific part of which we sell significantly more than another. Incidentally, I regularly receive calls from panel beaters who are looking for early C-Class headlights and bumpers...”

Understandably, the most expensive parts in Keyan’s inventory are usually engines, followed by gearboxes. I wondered about the availability of more intricate, model-specific parts such as ECUs and other electronic components – after all, the purchase prices of such parts can often make up a major chunk of a car’s overall repair cost. 

“As we focus on cars produced up to around 1995, we don’t stock these trickier electronic parts. The cars from pre-95 are still relatively easy to fix. If you can’t fix it, then it must have a flat battery or have run out of fuel!”

The firm’s social media profile plays a significant role in attracting business. “Facebook has been a meaningful contributor to this business. We have more than 400 000 followers on this platform. We receive numerous enquiries from users of this platform as well as Twitter. It is illuminating how, thanks to the proliferation of internet users, you can now do this kind of business online. Twenty-five years ago it would not have been possible.”

Another part of the business is the refurbishing of dashboards. Apart from the fact that these cumbersome plastic panels are prone to ageing anyway, the South African sun can devastate dashboards if they’re not protected by fold-out reflective screens. Keyan shows me a couple of recently-repaired dashboards – and they look new.

“We regularly send dashboards away for refurbishment… some of them require re-covering, for example” he comments. “Keeping dashboards in a presentable state is a challenge with these older Mercs, especially in a country with a harsh summer sun. The local specialist who does this re-trimming on our behalf uses a fabric that we import from the USA. A contributing factor to the success of these jobs is that this material has the same grain as that found in the original cars.”

Although Keyan admits that he, technically, runs a scrapyard, albeit a very organised and brand-focused one, he doesn’t usually buy cars that are totally dilapidated. 

“I generally buy cars that are running. Maybe they can’t be driven, but their engines should run and their gearboxes work. We discard parts that we can’t use or that aren’t working. If the car is running, you can test several of its parts and ancillaries. These items will include, for example, the radio, electric windows and alternator. What’s more, in such a hot climate as ours, it is also highly important to test the air conditioner and to ensure that its compressor works properly. The end result is, that when we do put a part in stock, we are 90% sure that it is in full working order.”

“The rarest car that has come through our doors is a W114 250 CE with a sunroof. Fortunately that car won’t be stripped for parts.” 

Interestingly, Keyan does guarantee the parts that his business sells. Although the guarantee it is only valid for seven days after delivery, which is still commendable when you consider that some of the parts in his inventory are several decades old. 

Keyan’s daughter, Bella, also assists with the business. And, on the face of it, The Old Merc Guy is a father-and-daughter team that seems to work well. “Bella will often deal with queries, while she also sends out emails to all the panel beaters and mechanics in the country (around 3 000) that we have on a database.”

Thanks to this business, Mercedes enthusiasts no longer need to drive from one scrapyard to the other to forage for old Benz parts. It benefits them, as well as those who prefer to keep the patina of their cars by fitting honest, period-correct parts. 

Follow The Old Merc Guy on Facebook for updates and information or visit their website.