BR124: Who you gonna call? No Ghost Germany!

But authentic overalls and the famous proton blaster aren't the only things missing. Of course, every fan immediately thinks of the cult car, the Ecto-1 from the film. The basis for the Ecto-1 from the first Ghostbusters film is a 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor Ambulance. A true American road cruiser. At over six meters long, it's a truly impressive sight.

But what does all this have to do with MB-Baureihen.de? Why are we reporting on this? Take a group of Ghostbusters enthusiasts from Bremen, garnish the whole thing with endless attention to detail and an Ecto-1 from the Mercedes plant in Bremen. What do you get? No Ghost Germany! Jörn and Raphael, both from Bremen, are true film fans and the founders of No Ghost Germany, who currently have 15 fellow campaigners from all over Germany to help them. In addition to costumes and accessories, they have everything that makes a ghost hunter's heart beat faster. Of course, they also needed a suitable vehicle. What was needed was a station wagon with enough space and the appropriate roof load capacity for the familiar roof superstructure of the Ecto-1. What could be more appropriate than a vehicle made in Bremen? It ultimately became an S124, which was lovingly redesigned into the iconic vehicle.

I asked Jörn directly how the whole process unfolded. "It's been a rather rocky road to where it is now," he explained, describing the transformation of the vehicle and the history of No Ghost Germany. Since every child has to be given a name, the ghost hunter group simply calls itself a club. However, this isn't a club; "...we're just a bunch of film fans who started out as pure Ghostbusters cosplayers and are living the childhood dream of being able to be like the Ghostbusters," Jörn explained. "Sure, we're all a little crazy, but you have to be when you're so interested in a topic and live it more than others can understand," he added.

Ecto-1 the First

About a year and a half ago, No Ghost Germany was still without a vehicle and received an S124 from a friendly club, which had already been partially converted into an Ecto. The owner of the vehicle retired from active club activities, and so the car was "left over." Some of the stickers were already present, and a rather rickety roof structure had been installed. Immediately after the purchase, they began to redesign the S124 to their own taste and, as far as possible, based on the film model. The new roof structure alone weighs a whopping 99 kg and almost exceeds the S124's permissible roof load of 100 kg.

Gradually, however, it became clear that the car had several problems. In addition to a broken fan belt, which resulted in the car being towed away, there was also increasing evidence of significant rust on the vehicle. However, the emergency brake was pulled in time, as the estimated repair costs threatened to exceed the vehicle's budget and value. It was "only" repaired temporarily and made roadworthy so that one last trip to Hamburg wouldn't be ruined.

Ecto-1 the Second

After some research and a hopeful ADAC used car check, a worthy successor was found. An S124 250D with an automatic transmission. A few quirks like sporadic failures of the central locking system, a clunky window regulator, or a broken odometer in the instrument cluster are certainly no dealbreaker. A little rust still needs to be removed, but that's not worth mentioning here.

The attention to detail is not only reflected in the personal protective equipment or the proton pack, but can also be seen on the Ecto-1. The Mercedes type plate on the rear has been replaced with an "ECTO1," and the Mercedes star has been replaced with the well-known ghost hunters' logo. Quite stylish, we think.

Events

The No Ghost Germany can be admired at a variety of events. However, bringing joy to fans, especially young ghost hunters, is a matter close to their hearts. No Ghost Germany appears at children's birthday parties, at amusement parks, or as guests of honor on school trips for families in need. Jörn specifically recalls: "...our most difficult mission to date was fulfilling the dying wish of a terminally ill 14-year-old boy who wished to meet real ghost hunters..."

Where requested, a shooting range is also set up, and young fans can receive training as budding ghost hunters and go home with a certificate.