I have a 99 SLK with the red and black interior. The red was worn in several places and the black showed through ("chipped"). I bought 3 tubes of Liquitex BASICS Acrylic (artist's) paint, and mixed approximately in the ratio of 8 parts Cadmium Red Medium Hue to two parts Mars Black to one part Titanium White, and painted carefully with a good, small artist's brush, feathering the edges. It looks absolutely new and original now, but we don't know yet how long it will wear.
Primer - I tried a bit of primer and it worked well but it bonds absolutely to the plastic - if you can get a non acrylic primer would be OK - generally there is no primer other than ultra cleanliness and alcohol
( this stuff will not stick to acrylic and polypropylene)
Primer - I tried a bit of primer and it worked well but it bonds absolutely to the plastic - if you can get a non acrylic primer would be OK - generally there is no primer other than ultra cleanliness and alcohol
( this stuff will not stick to acrylic and polypropylene)
Oberoi- would you mind telling what brand of primer you used? Thanks for all the help!
I used a smear of what we call '3D grey primer' (normal auto primer out of a spray can) as an experiment - has caused me no problems - but only a small patch.
It dissolves into the plastic if you put it on heavily - problem being that once you've put some on it can never be fully cleaned off - (some person had patched my console with nail polish and I had to sand the small corners smooth before painting - It had bonded right into the plastic)
I would not recommend a primer if it has an acrylic base(like most modern finishes I think) - Benz did not use one and the paint manufacturer only recommends a slight 'roughing up' with steel wool or similar.
I did not find this necessary but could be a good idea on the door handles ( I did mine nearly 12 mths ago and as good as new) - I spattered 2 small spots on the uncleaned black vinyl next to the window and it will not move (short of getting to it with a fine blade!!)
You will always get the odd chip if you hit it with a fingernail etc but you learn to be careful!
Hi oberoi,
I have been reading this thread, because mine console is staring...
pull the code: leather anthracite+alpaca gray CLK or AMG (888).
Do I need anthracite?
A few pages back (17?) someone was to do the whole console to get a good result.
What should I do since it just started very small chips?
Forgot to ask if you have any of this color available.
Thanks
Jerry
The anthracite is the very dark grey colour- (almost black)
Never had the alpaca grey crop up before - if your console is not anthracite, you can send the little panel under the steering column (1 screw) to Viponds for matching - they will do a perfect job and have the level of gloss correct too.
Touching up small chips is pretty good but giving the whole console a wipe over (when you are confident of the colour match) is brilliant! -- no removal needed.
Does anyonew think that something like this would be needed or make the Viponds paint work better? Or does the Viponds work well enough alone? My plan is to strip to bare plastic before painting.
Spoke to Alan Vipond - there are a couple of things to consider:
1- adhesion promoters are used on cheaper car parts made of polypropylene and polyethylene where an adhesion promoter is necessary for adhesion of auto lacquers.
2- the benz bits are polycarbonate (dash) and the console is probably urethane
Both of these materials are excellent for the Viponds product adhesion and no enhancer is necessary.
3- if the adhesion promoter is used, there is no guarantee that the Viponds product will adhere well to it (eg. if it is acrylic based) and the console may have been permanently compromised for repainting in future.
I guess Benz would have used a primer if they thought it necessary?
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
