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Wasn't Planning on a Repaint......

4K views 46 replies 9 participants last post by  nobby 
#1 ·
I haven't been around for a while. Not much time for the SL's, or much else but things never remain static, so be it.

After backing into the door of my Astral Silver '84 I thought it would be a quick turn around getting it fixed and back on the road with little expenditure. At least I had my Signal Red '79! When I have been able to use the car, the '79 has been great- lots of fun to rev the engine with the 4 speed manual. The wide tires and Lorinser wheels give the car a great feel on the road, and it really seems to inspire you to drive perhaps a little more enthusiastically than the law would smile upon.

But I do really like the automatic in my '84 280. It's actually more agreeable for most of what I use the car for- my wife and i out for a sunny afternoon, pottering along. At least my interpretation of "pottering" doesn't include angry drivers getting backed up behind me- just not roaring around like the 4 speed seems to prefer! Anyway, since the '84 looked good and ran great, I was ready to re-do the interior. Nice new seat covers in the correct houndstooth cloth, carpets, etc. It's ok now, but a clean fresh interior is great thing.

Now that I have found a new door, a visit to the shop today really made me re-assess the condition of the paint on the whole car- it's just not great, sooo... I gave the go ahead to do the whole car. While I'm not crazy about the expense, it's not all that bad either, and I know the quality of the work will be outstanding. I couldn't see having the passenger side of the car look great, while walking around the rest would be mediocre at best. An incidental benefit- a former owner had their initials monogrammed on the drivers door and cleared over. That will finally be gone! I guess the new interior will have to wait....
 

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#3 ·
It's certainly easier to tell by looking at the larger pic how nicely it came out! :)

Nice to see you making an appearance here. Sorry we missed you at the recent GTG in GB. It was a nice day. Hope you're better.
 
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#4 ·
Thanks, but she's not done yet! It actually looked fairly presentable prior to my door bashing, but a close inspection revealed several flaws. Car is in the shop now, I can't wait to see it in a fresh coat of Sikkens Astral Silver!
 
#5 ·
My bad! Thought you were showing everyone the "before and after", so we'll all look forward to the actual before and after.
 
#10 ·
For what its worth, soon I'm going to have a 1977 450 SL with 88,000 miles on the odometer, that I recently purchased, (past service records indicated that miles showed it to be correct ) painted at a local shop here in town. I'm going to bring the car to the shop primed, all small dents removed as well as trim and bumpers. The shop will supply the base and clear and will paint the entire car with up to 4 coats of clear, color sand and buff for a total of $3,000. The shop is a family owned business for many years so I trust the job should come out fine. The price seems fair to me. Have others here spent more or less?
 
#8 ·
I hesitate to post the quoted price, as I know it doesn't really reflect what a local commercial shop would charge. It's being done by a friend, as a side job. I don't expect I'll have the car back for at least a month, maybe a little more.

I am not having the hardtop done. It is original paint Astral Silver, in decent shape, and I consider it useless. I only use the car in top down weather so that is not part of the job. It was on the car in a photo for the simple reason that I moved, and it was the easy way to transport it. It will be off for the repaint.

Other than the door, the car requires no body work. No rust, all body gaps are dead on with the exception of the now crunched passenger door. All chrome will be removed and all sanding and prep work done. Paint will all be Sikkens. Price is well under $4k for show quality work.
 
#11 ·
Probably a good deal and worthwhile doing if you start with a real solid car. Additionally, if you plan on keeping it for a long time---the cost isn't excessive.

A guy came over this morning to pick up some parts I was selling and he has had his 380 since
2000 and still loves it. I give people credit who can remain so satisfied.
 
#12 ·
So the car has been away at the spa for awhile now. It's currently at the indie shop getting a few things done before the body prep and paint happens.

The exhaust never quite hung right on the car. I don't know the origin of the exhaust, but the pipes are a little long, the muffler just doesn't line up with the hangers so that is being addressed. And the trans has been an intermittent leaker, so we are trying to determine where that is coming from, and correct that. While it's on the lift, it will get a new set of brake pads, and hopefully we can make the infernal squealing a thing of the past. Other than that, everything chassis wise looks perfect. Oh yeah, new shifter bushings too.

The "new" door is nearly ready. It was a real rust free Arizona part, but of course it wasn't perfectly straight. I love these used parts suppliers- "Oh yeah, it's a great door!" From a no rust standpoint yeah, but damn, I bet there are a good 20+ hours of work getting it as straight and ripple-free as it was when new. I wish I'd never backed into it!
 

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#17 ·
Door Glass Question

So the work continues on my 280. The good news is that there are no surprises. While in the process of sanding the body down, I wondered what might lurk under the paint. Nice to see only the original primer and clean sheet metal- No bondo, poor repairs or rust.

There are always some things you hope to get away with but don't. Replacing most of the rubber on the car really adds up. As an example, the chrome trim above the taillights and surrounding the trunk latch has a long rubber gasket that really isn't visible, unless you're looking for it. Putting the original dry rotted piece back over new paint, and perfect chrome just won't work. I'm glad it's still available, and if I didn't replace, it's what I would always be looking at!

On to my door glass question.

We broke the original door glass while trying to disassemble the crushed door, so I bought a used RH door glass. Problem is, the replacement glass sits in a channel that does not have the central tab which acts as the bottom stop- My original window does have this tab. I assume this means the replacement window came from a hand crank car, and mine has power windows. Will using the replacement without this stop be a problem? Or do I need to find another door glass having the same channel as on my original?

Thanks!
 
#18 ·
The glass I sent definitely came from a power window car, a 1977 or 1978. The glass can actually be removed from the metal channel, but I don't recommend it. I think I switched a channel, or had a window that was out of the metal channel and getting it back in and aligned correctly was a BITCH!!!!! I am not entirely sure about the stops, but I would think that there are a few ways to skin this cat. I was in my garage attic and saw I had a freaking door glass sitting in a door hanging upside down, all ready to go... and I spent all that time removing one from another car. LOL.
 
#20 ·
Pics? Maybe the one in my garage attic is the kind you want.

In my experience, the most important part is getting the four bolts into the window channel and regulator. But remember the front to back alignment being a real hassle after I removed the channel.

I don't think the bottom stop is a critical piece. I believe there's also a stop on the regulator in some cases.
 
#21 ·
https://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/outside/11883/PROGRAM/Chassis/72-195.pdf

Here is the link for the window install and adjustment, but I'm sure you already read this.

I took picks of the hard manual concerning the stops, they are easier to read.

I included pics of the 1973 SLC window, it has the tab on the window lower channel, the window out of the 1975 SLC didn't...

And a pic of the lift mechanism out of the 75 SLC showing the upper and lower stops on the gear quadrant....

I hope this helps... :)

RC
 

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#22 ·
That stop is spot welded to the window lift rail, I know the one on my car broke the spot welds and the L stop was just sitting in the bottom of the door broken. I got a rail from a parts car, would have kept the glass but it was scratched. Removing glass from rail and glass exploded. Doesn't really matter much just be carefull using Windows motors, you'll hear a thud if the motor bottoms out. Good luck on the paint can't wait to see it. If you are very carefully you could remove good glass and install into good rail, just press fit into weather stripping.
 
#23 ·
Tom, thanks for posting the link from Star Tek!

And Daryn, I can't wait to see it when done too, in no small measure because it will then be late Spring, and maybe a little warmer here!

I think we will play around a bit with this- It seems like the worst I can expect is a clunk at the bottom of the window travel if I do nothing. Kind of un-Mercedes like, so I'll have to do something. Just wish all of these parts you THINK should be the same, were the same.....
 
#26 ·
So we have decided to swap the channel from the old window to the replacement window. Does anyone have a suggestion for what type of adhesive should be used to secure the glass in the steel channel?

Thanks!
 
#27 ·
They use clear silicone to glue a stainless or porcelain double kitchen sink under a granite countertop. SAY WHAT?

Most people use silicone as a bead sealant while it's real use is adhesion.

In saying all that, Todd....I'm sure there probably exists some 3M product specifically for what you need.

Let me use my Googlator.
 
#29 ·
Take special care to mark the new and old glass (what's left of it) with the location of the screws.

When I did this, I did not use any adhesive. Silicone-based adhesive actually would have probably made the process so much easier though. Silicone is slippery before it dries. So it would be a great lubricant to get that glass into the channel.
 
#30 ·
Great, thanks guys!!

I'll be at the shop today, and will get some pictures of the progress being made.

As a side note, there are always cost overruns when working on repairs such as this. Just dropped another fistfull of dollars on lots of new trim pieces from M-B. On the plus side, it's striking how nice the brand new stuff looks.
 
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