It's been raining a lot this year in Los Angeles and the peeling clearcoat which started small is getting larger. I'm trying to see if I have any options other than a full respray which I have been quoted around $7,000. If I repaint by panel, they said I will loose the pin stripe in that one section and don't know someone to match that pin stripe. Maybe just get a cheaper full respray?
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Dakota88
Peeling clear coat, do I have options?
It's been raining a lot this year in Los Angeles and the peeling clearcoat which started small is getting larger. I'm trying to see if I have any options other than a full respray which I have been quoted around $7,000. If I repaint by panel, they said I will loose the pin stripe in that one section and don't know someone to match that pin stripe. Maybe just get a cheaper full respray?
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Two uses for a time machine:
1. Go back in time and keep the car indoors, sun is the main culprit.
2. Go back in time and get the car painted for $69.95.
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I wish I had some helpful suggestions...my 350SL has about half the clear gone from it, and I'm doing the other option, which is to let it look like crap and have fun driving it around anyways.
1. Go back in time and keep the car indoors, sun is the main culprit.
2. Go back in time and get the car painted for $69.95.
I wish I had some helpful suggestions...my 350SL has about half the clear gone from it, and I'm doing the other option, which is to let it look like crap and have fun driving it around anyways.
Haha nice Ad. I got this car not long ago and only driven it a handful of times. Wasn't nearly as bad in the beginning. I'm even considering vinyl wrap.
Earl Sheib went out of business....all the painters these days are sure you want a show car paint job. It's tough.
A sand and clear coat respray doesn't work. It is something looks okay on video, but is embarrassing in person.
First, if you can see where the clear is cracking and flaking off (crystallizing is the industry term) with the naked eye, then you need to understand that all the paint has begun to crack down to the bare metal base with tiny cracks that only get larger and crack with time. No matter what you paint over them with.
It is impossible for a person to sand off the clear without sanding through the base color all over the place. Ignoring that, every area where the clear is crystallizing and delaminating is going to be a different ring of paint damage that will show up under fresh clear like a water stained piece of paper. Go from the area in the center where the clear has already come off- that area has UV ray damage that is discoloring the base color all the way down to whatever is the next material layer underneath (sealer, old paint, etc.). Now go to the patch of clear that is crystallizing (usually about 1/4 inch wide). If you can sand that off without going through the base, then that area is permanently discolored in a different pattern than the center area mentioned before. Finally, every area where the clear is sanded off and revealing base coat underneath will have a discoloring ring when it is clear coated over.
I don't say any of this to crap on your hopes. I want to save you heartache and embarrassment.
Couple other items.
To find a paint striper-go to a local motorcycle or custom car show and ask around. You should get plenty of referrals there.
Solid color 107s did not have clear from the factory. Mercedes-Benz didn't clear coat solids until the early to mid 1990s, IIRC. Safe to assume your car has been painted (partially or overall) sometime through the years.
I hope this helps. I will stop here for now.
First, if you can see where the clear is cracking and flaking off (crystallizing is the industry term) with the naked eye, then you need to understand that all the paint has begun to crack down to the bare metal base with tiny cracks that only get larger and crack with time. No matter what you paint over them with.
It is impossible for a person to sand off the clear without sanding through the base color all over the place. Ignoring that, every area where the clear is crystallizing and delaminating is going to be a different ring of paint damage that will show up under fresh clear like a water stained piece of paper. Go from the area in the center where the clear has already come off- that area has UV ray damage that is discoloring the base color all the way down to whatever is the next material layer underneath (sealer, old paint, etc.). Now go to the patch of clear that is crystallizing (usually about 1/4 inch wide). If you can sand that off without going through the base, then that area is permanently discolored in a different pattern than the center area mentioned before. Finally, every area where the clear is sanded off and revealing base coat underneath will have a discoloring ring when it is clear coated over.
I don't say any of this to crap on your hopes. I want to save you heartache and embarrassment.
Couple other items.
To find a paint striper-go to a local motorcycle or custom car show and ask around. You should get plenty of referrals there.
Solid color 107s did not have clear from the factory. Mercedes-Benz didn't clear coat solids until the early to mid 1990s, IIRC. Safe to assume your car has been painted (partially or overall) sometime through the years.
I hope this helps. I will stop here for now.
I've managed it with a small area once and it looked OK. Charcoal colour 199 though. The 'repair' I did was just to stop the rest peeling so easily and looked OK, just a temporary 'holding' repair really though.
Unfortunately yours looks like a repaint is in order. How annoying.
Unfortunately yours looks like a repaint is in order. How annoying.
Go to TJ...
When the clear coat peels, the paint absorbs water... This is what we paid 10 years ago for a full paint job from a good shop... and yes the prices were from 7 to 15 to I cannot tell you...
I used Miracle on the jeep, and picked up the 2 year warranty paint, and yes, it lasted about 26 months before the color fadded, that was before 1990... ah, ah...
When the clear coat peels, the paint absorbs water... This is what we paid 10 years ago for a full paint job from a good shop... and yes the prices were from 7 to 15 to I cannot tell you...
I used Miracle on the jeep, and picked up the 2 year warranty paint, and yes, it lasted about 26 months before the color fadded, that was before 1990... ah, ah...
Are you sure the stripe is under the clear coat? If so, there probably has been a repaint already. Stripes were not factory original. Dealers applied in a variety of types and design.
I had mine buffed off and I consider it a big improvement. But, if you are for stripes, there are lots of people around who can duplicate what you have.
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I had mine buffed off and I consider it a big improvement. But, if you are for stripes, there are lots of people around who can duplicate what you have.
Yes there was a repaint but not great since it's been peeling. I'm indifferent about the stripes. It's only when painting by panel when I would need to match a stripe.
I'm looking at getting some paint work done on my R129 and my mechanic gave me these guys as good options - all in the San Fernando Valley:
Hope that helps.
jdg
- J&H Audo Body and paint
- Jose Hernandez
- 18812 Parthenia #6, Northridge 91324
- 818-457-8495/818-626-9620
- josehernandez5959@gmail.co
- All Pro Collision
- Brian
- 18927 Ventura, Tarzana 91356
- 818-300-0233/818-404-3103
- brian@allprocollision.org
- V.S. Auto Body
- Vinny or Daniel
- 6719 Lankershim Blvd, #4&5, North Hollywood 91606
- 818-255-5588
- vsautobody@att.net
Hope that helps.
jdg
Gelling my daughters SLK 230 painted for $2800.00 with some minor body work about the cost of the car. 
I did remove everything my self.
In Simi Valley.
$4500.00 is the full price. getting hit with some Mercedes tax.
Be prepared to replace some aging plastic and rubber too.
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I did remove everything my self.In Simi Valley.
$4500.00 is the full price. getting hit with some Mercedes tax.
Be prepared to replace some aging plastic and rubber too.
if your a diy kinda person automotivetouchup.com sells matching paint colors and instructions. It comes in spray cans but they have a really nice spray pattern, I did the entire bumper cover and fender on a silver metallic toyota (base coat/clrear coat) and it turned out really nice. you could see the difference if you really looked but metallics are really hard to match exactly and it looked so much better than peeling clear coat.
If you will keep it for a long time, and, it runs very good, I would take it to Nevada, Arizona and put a lacquer paint job on it. Forget the clearcoat, you will be doing it sooner or later again. For a two seater sports car, just thinking out of the box....you already have a $7ooo quote. Cannot be much more, and shop around.
First most Mercedes colors were single stage into the 90's with no clear coat from the factory. I have a red 506SL paint code 568 with original paint and it is single stage. Second, you can find companies that will hand stripe it after the fact, Lastly to paint this car correctly most of the trim needs to come off and an appropriate paint job in the Chicago area is $10-15K. You need to decide how much this car is worth and if it warrants a complete repaint or just a touch up.
$7K barely covers the cost of materials for the good stuff these days, especially in states that only allow certain types or processes and make it expensive to get rid of the waste after.
I wouldn't want to park it outside or wash it too hard with a job that was cheaper than that on it.
I wouldn't want to park it outside or wash it too hard with a job that was cheaper than that on it.
Update, went with this mobile painter who masked right above the pin stripe. Paid just under $1000. Apart from some runs in the first picture I am overall very satisfied with the job. If I decide to keep this car for the long term then I will do a full paint. But for now it's a huge improvement from before. Luckily the old paint and new paint isn't a huge difference and without saying you wouldn't notice.
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