How to RESTORE a 30-Year Old 100,000 Mile Mercedes 500 SL

Recently @hjwakerley sent us her Mercedes Benz 500 SL R129 for detailing and cosmetic restoration.
We started by fully decontaminating the car in our wash bay to make sure no dirt remained on the car for detailing.
This car received our Level 2 Enhancement Detail, offering up to a 80% correction factor. We followed this up with extensive interior treatment, and full body ceramic coating for the paintwork.
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[@mohammadtnayan7845]

Old merc never get old . Still looks stylish after 30 years .Masterpiece .

[@TopazDetailing]

Iconic!

[@Njabuloseh]

If we're being honest, this car was in great shape...it was just dirty.

[@GtaRockt]

just shows how much the car means to the owner

[@cheesecakecartel5022]

Lobster with Mustard and Rice point is they over exaggerated things

[@edlippjr]

yup I was saying that to myself too... but that paint correction was amazeballs

[@junaidasifchoudhary]

Exactly

[@jhawki777]

LMFAOOO SO TRUE

[@nicolocalosso1031]

He worked so hard that the front direction lights turned from transparent to orange during the wash! Crazy

[@dulanthathsara4761]

😂😂😂mad things

[@osmankocyigit1991]

How did this happen?😂

[@griffins750]

I believe those don’t match that year of the car so by replacing them they’re returning the car to stock.

[@roddydykes7053]

“How to deep clean a gently used car” is the actual title

[@mohamedelyaouti2051]

Exactly.theres no "restoration"

[@shadychrisuk]

Indeed - it makes me chuckle how a whole 'detailing' industry has grown out of what is essentially just cleaning a car thouroughly but polishing the paintwork with super expensive compounds and applying exotic waxes incubated on the leaves of tropical plants that cost thousands for a small jar lol. Newsflash - T-Cut and any decent off the shelf wax do exactly the same job..

[@TLsolutions_]

"how to comment out of envy trying to diminish a great mind doing business"

[@xiaofengxiaofengxiaofengxi4651]

@@shadychrisuk Wax goes away so quickly. Klasse etc do not.

[@ionelpatrunjel5536]

A song so dramatic just for a car wash, I thought they discovered America after a battle with sea monsters!

[@pinkyn0se]

Yeah. Since when did washing and polishing your car constitute a restoration. I might restore mine on Sunday if the weather's ok... Ffs.

[@weeeeeeee945]

@@pinkyn0se this was a restoration wtf lol. This was more than just a simple car wash.

[@pinkyn0se]

@@weeeeeeee945 If u say so pal.

[@herisson207]

:)) =))

[@jeromejohnsonjr3465]

Fr it reminds me of the music that used to come on when you were playing socom on ps2

[@TheRed86]

The car doesn’t look bad at all. It’s just dirty

[@LexCameron]

It didn't when I first saw it, but you see the difference at the end, looks like a new car.

[@vicentepacheco1671]

Same, the car doesn’t have any scrach or part missed, its just dirty

[@richardw1992]

Look at the 50/50 shots at 08:30 and you can see the paint wasn't just dirty. It was very badly scratched from years of improper washing. The previous shots under the bright lights highlight all the marring and imperfections in the paint. The machine polishing process they carried out has almost completely restored the paint back to "like new", an excellent job.

[@88ppjj]

This is a detailing channel, what did you expect?

[@T2oo33]

Need money

[@shannonjude1]

so much cooler than all the zillion dollar hyper cars. Sacco was a genius.

[@TasteMyStinkholeAndLikeIt]

Yes, a car you can get from a junkyard is much cooler than a hypercar 😂

[@alh06]

@@TasteMyStinkholeAndLikeIt So funny aha....

[@DD-cg1xg]

@@TasteMyStinkholeAndLikeIt in California it is... hyper cars are nothing rare here people would rather see well maintained classics

[@claude9557]

Who is sacco 🤨

[@SuperKayno189]

I’ve never screamed “take the wheels off at my phone before”

[@federicoacosta7431]

They are lazy.

[@mishalchotai4721]

Yep... wheels should have been taken off

[@gregrsvr3947]

Yep, me too, I do it when I give mine a proper clean, why can’t they.?

[@Everythingisgoingtobealright]

Beautiful job, this car was loved for the majority of the 30 years.

[@BLal_37]

Let's be honest the car was in a great condition already just dirty, nothing so bad. 100k miles on a Mercedes is nothing.

[@mywalkman778]

...on an OLDER Mercedes is nothing :) Actual Mercedes isnt so reliable.

[@JuanGarcia-fv9ph]

“Back when Mercedes was MERCEDES” -RCR

[@mathewfullerton8577]

100K in 30 years, that car was barely driven!

[@andersnielsen6044]

@@mywalkman778 That is simply not true. New Mercedes still runs 500.000 km with no problem.

[@kristianbjerkheim6646]

What?? U dont get the point xD 100K on a 30 year old car means its not driven often and is more valuable. Thats why they wrote that on the video ;)

[@patricevv]

This car is the love of my life. Always have been... i had it on my bed when i was young and toy. Hopefully i can purchase one as this one. What a car, thank you...

[@ganiwaseem9210]

The is my favourite car, period. Still love the boxy design and retro feel.

[@Patman2608]

I like the convertible better, but you’re right. Something about this style.

[@agungpratomo3857]

Still prefer this "Point Man" car body style and design to newer SL The elegant and charismatic lines are so much better and speak for itself

[@patricknaughton6821]

Patrick This is a convertible

[@morgannimmo6519]

@@Patman2608 the SL is a convertible. The R129 came with a removable hard roof along with the standard soft roof. I own a 300SL-24 in this exact colour.

[@thekobechannel4610]

@@morgannimmo6519 the R129 is a SL stupid you can't be that stupid

[@Ntd508]

I love back then when Mercedes did the two tones of paint on the exterior! Nice restoration!

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching

[@stocksxbondage]

I’m not a big fan of the two tone all the time. On this blue it looks nice but they don’t do that anymore so it makes the Benz look dated

[@kb2735]

@@stocksxbondage fan on the white & grey 2 tone ?

[@Shazi007]

A "professional" detailer would have taken the wheels off and give a good clean and clean the wheel arches.

[@hu5kyy280]

r_ elentless01 That isn’t the point of detailing. You’re supposed to clean every inch of the car, even if you can’t see it. That’s why it’s called “detailing”.

[@kristianbjerkheim6646]

@Ganganführer Schaich Manfred Yeah :D Its much easier when the wheels are off the car ;)

[@harshabiliangady3211]

Fully agree I'd have put the car on a Four Post lifted it up, removed the wheels, cleaned the inside of the rim, cleaned the wheel arches and bottom of the car and given a coat of Rust Proofing to the bottom. God knows what 30y has done to the flooring.

[@motri5935]

It is a legal issue. Legally only a mechanic in a workshop could take off the wheels of a car. Yes it is easier but legally you are not allowed unless you are a mechanic and have a mechanic workshop licence. You are not even allowed to have tools.

[@Baerchenization]

@@motri5935 What nonsense are you talking about?! Legally, you HAVE TO KNOW how to take a wheel off, change a tyre etc because you wouldn't pass your driving license test if you do not know your way around the most basic aspects of car driving and self-help in case of a break-down. And then there are directions on how to do this in the owner's manual and every car I have ever seen even had manufacturer branded tools to change a wheel - "not even allowed to have tool", wtf, dude... Jesus Christ, the internet :) So there you already have 5 strong indications and reasons why it is very legal for everybody to swap a wheel. It is fine if you are watching and posting from North Korea, but don't assume that your standards govern the rest of the world...

[@matthewbell1968]

Absolutely beautiful well done, I feel quite relaxed having watched this!

[@johnwallace7104]

Amazing work! To me, that is one of the finest cars ever built and you guys totally did it justice. Subscribing now!!

[@zafridahi7895]

I do not know why i will be more happy when topaz cleaning a old car than the modern car😅😅

[@arnoldharis5685]

I have been working at the Mecedes Dealer Service for 27 years. This was the last real SL ...

[@BOBMARLEYY007]

Arnold Haris i love these sl models.

[@grxengine]

What’s wrong with the R230? That car is gorgeous. Still sought after.

[@johnshaft5613]

Cracks me up how they slightly slow down parts of the video when the dude is washing/buffing/polishing the car, to give the impression the work they do is like a loving caress. I'm confident in guessing that things look a LOT different when the camera isn't rolling...

[@YTplugTv]

I love the music in the background it feels like a mission

[@JoshEssex123]

Such a beautiful car. I remember seeing one when they first came out and it blew me away!

[@TopazDetailing]

They look just as good 30 years later!

[@JoshEssex123]

@@TopazDetailing the shape was so futuristic when compared to the previous SL's!

[@msbarsi]

and they are even better when you have the blessing to own one .... trust me been there done that

[@JoshEssex123]

@@msbarsi it looked like a millionaires motor when it was first launched!

[@wan4891]

Lady Diana had once one (in 1989) but people were not much amused because it replaced her Jaguar XJS convertable. At the end, she could not keep the SL because of the "anti SL sentiment" of the Brittish people.

[@stillsheff]

Would be great to see client reactions when they come and collect cars after detail is done 👍👌🔥🔥

[@amoghavarshamurthy]

Beautiful car. And beautiful paint! The video was quite soothing to watch. I could almost feel the car 🙂

[@agop3938]

Treated the car like an baby!!! Thanks for saving this beautiful masterpiece, probably the most beautiful car i have ever seen.

[@TheFAYEZRAHIM]

Still after 30 years ❤️ ,i think this is one of the best looking car

[@TopazDetailing]

Exactly!

[@Paris__]

What is clear by many comments, Is the timeless beauty of the classic Mercedes-Benz lines. What these geniuses at Topaz do is take that timeless look, and make it stand out and admired as if it was a true concourse car. Just imagine what they can do with any car....a 190E, w124 etc. True museum pieces! Now they look to good to drive!!!

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulecrosby2006]

You know that is probably better than when it left the factor, this guy is a star!!

[@danebakiss]

That Mercedes is something else. I Love It. It is one of the most beautiful designs ever.

[@royd72]

Love these videos, they are so therapeutic and educational at the same time.

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching!

[@igorjuricek5683]

ProTip: those wheels are removable, that way you can wash them easily and also get access to the wheel arches ;)

[@Megalosmalakas1977]

pro tip your not a pro

[@carsbitz6478]

@@Megalosmalakas1977 and what are you ?

[@Adam-M1]

MEGALO BOUTSO69 and what are you?

[@sahillisa5297]

I used your tip it is very helpful for washing my audi. And bro if we use jack it also help us.

[@patrickr2601]

Lol you just called them out like they don't know what they're doing

[@quincekreb6798]

Wow, amazing job with your detailing of that Mercedes!!

[@timknight6258]

I have a 1999 SL with only 70k miles on it. My favorite car ever. I wish we had a Topaz detail shop in Colorado. I would be a treat for my “baby”

[@s.d.h.3t981]

Dude this car was in good condition 😒

[@jamesmartin1387]

@David Topchiev My '94 Impala SS has been garaged it's entire life and appears new to this day with basic care, a professional has never touched it. I could drive around for several months accumulating road filth and have the same results as this.

[@grahamwilkinson6902]

I got more dirt on my clay bar from my two year old car!

[@eddzko]

I don't see any restoration, only a thorough car wash. 🤔

[@richardw1992]

@@eddzko Did you miss the bit where they spent hours machine polishing and correcting the paint, along with the leather repairs and restoration to the interior?

[@FirearmTutorials]

@David Topchiev Agreed. I'd love to know the mileage on that car...

[@ryanpatterson9526]

She's a stunning beauty! My favorite Mercedes of all time.

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching

[@fredrikgranberg611]

You forgot the 300 SL?

[@RayNLA]

I really appreciate the work you guys do!

[@sudheernavada6428]

Very relax to watch .. great job buddy’s ❤️❤️🙏🏻

[@MeddlingMageGR]

You had to take off the wheels mate

[@muhammadkemalardiansyah4788]

Yesss

[@Justin_anthony]

Man I couldn’t stop thinking that

[@kennyg4744]

Was thinking the same. Especially as they show the volume of mud coming out the arches. Do the job right. For all the time it would have taken.

[@andretjakrasasmita7049]

Didnt take off the wheels but take off the wood panels, doesnt make any sense

[@skyzeyes]

Obviously, many people thought about the same.

[@andreirau]

when you say "RESTORE" but you actually mean clean up....

[@richardw1992]

No they mean restoring the paintwork. i.e. machine polishing and paint correction as carried out in this video. Cleaning the car through washing and decontamination is just a basic prerequisite to polishing.

[@poneklr]

This is a restoration level detail genius!

[@bassammohamed4388]

تساهل 👍👍

[@lewis72]

@@richardw1992 It's not a restoration though, is it ? No engine rebuild. No gearbox rebuild No body repairs It's just a bit of polish. Whoop !

[@thecrackerboy]

@@lewis72 it says cosmetic restoration in description so ye its restoration.

[@napke8571]

Besides my previous comment, this car was one of the Mercedes-Benz pinnacles! Especially the '90 years where great, more than great not only cars!

[@haas1837bx4gt]

Car detailing is undoubtedly a labour of love!

[@germanbenzdriver]

This and the W140 will forever be my dream cars

[@christopherhill9786]

I wish we had a topaz store in North America. You guys are great!

[@TopazDetailing]

Thank you, very kind

[@Jimmythefish577]

Franchise opportunity?

[@glossjunkies6026]

There are plenty of quality shops that do it in North America

[@mikealanzo]

@@Jimmythefish577 I was thinking the same thing......

[@AMG28ful]

I wish i had 3 money

[@SociallyBrandedMedia]

Absolutely fantastic! Superb execution! Great attention to the details. Superior and Iconic Benz. The 500SL R129 model is a Mercedes Legend.

[@xslash89]

one of the best detailing video, congrats!

[@BMW7series251]

Brilliant video and great job.

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching

[@UFOENGINE]

This seems to be a video on 'how to wash your car' 😂😂

[@JustShortOf]

The owner took great care of that car. It just needed a really good detailing. Cudos to Topaz Detailing!

[@nigesgamingchannel9699]

This was excellent. Best 15 mins I've watched in ages. Rock on!!!

[@bstewartexecutivecarcare6953]

I hope the owner decides to take care of this beautiful machine. At least it was ceramic coated. The 500 SEL is my personal favorite from this line. I wish we had been able to see what was done to the interior 😢. Hope Topaz would open a branch here in the USA. Thanks for sharing 👍✌️

[@TopazDetailing]

Maybe one day in NA! Thanks for watching

[@bazzyg]

I wish they'd shown the after-shot at the end. It ruins the surprise. I had to look away.

[@m.s.8422]

Great car, great job, great music. I’m impressed. 👌🏻

[@ShogunHull]

*OUTSTANDING!!!*

[@Beethoven80]

I have an R129 from 1990 in exactly this colour - nautical blue, yellow indicators, bright interior. I simply love it. I would actually have liked to see what you do to the soft top.

[@TopazDetailing]

To be honest, the client is replacing the soft top as it’s perished, so all we did was give it a thorough vacuum

[@haseebahmed6278]

I was waiting for the actual restoration after the carwash :-(

[@danielallen9699]

loved every minute of this video !

[@claudiolmsouza]

Congratulations, from Brazil! Amazing job!

[@monicabitoque6572]

Beatifull job

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching

[@fabricestorm]

Extremly satisfying...

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching!

[@Ferenc_Ortiz]

Wow! This is actually the same model that my car. I have it all damaged in Venezuela, one day I will fix it and do the same. Great car. Powerful performance. Amazingly smooth to drive. Really, the best car ever!

[@anisfaidi3343]

you do an Amazing Work i swear , hope more succes for you guys

[@danielkristensen7896]

Great work guys, look's stunning😍❤

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching!

[@MichailDoc]

.front hazards were transformed from clear to amber after the wash. Massive difference

[@TopazDetailing]

Gingicators!

[@jonathang9983]

Great spot!

[@MichailDoc]

David Topchiev Exactly. That is why removing the wheels and cleaning the arches is washing, not restoring.

[@HOTPLATEGAMING]

David Topchiev Looks like you and your buddy below don’t seem to know what the definition of restore means Grab a dictionary!

[@najzain]

Beautiful! Best detailing video

[@irfanahmed3133]

What an amazing job..loved watching it.. much love from UAE

[@sherif.ghoneim]

Amazing !

[@mso008]

Cars back then were not only more beautiful but also build to last and reliable. Absolutely gorgeous.

[@donkocaina]

Amazing ! Respect from Romania !

[@ALGERIAN546]

Old Mercedes cars are always the best 👍

[@cartik4296]

Such a beauty!.... Awesome video❤️

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching!

[@cartik4296]

@@TopazDetailing You guys are great....

[@MrDevante007]

That Mercedes looks like it was almost brand new

[@TopazDetailing]

Exactly

[@DadoDoda]

Scoop7 it looked restored at the beginning of the video hahaha

[@user-ot2qx2lm3j]

Scoop7 well, for this kind of vehicle 160k miles is literally nothing

[@alexyin]

@@TopazDetailing how much for such job?

[@fredrikgranberg611]

@@DadoDoda Because it was?

[@ohsochuck1875]

Absolutely phenomenal!

[@NeilKudro]

The best car detailing video I have seen so far. Thank you so much for sharing this video.

[@kkourdane5502]

Pour mes 60 ans, il y a 10 ans je me suis offert la même 500 SL - 105000 km - 2021 - 224000 km ! 10 ans de plaisirs

[@vikram6969]

Please have more classic cars or even "young timer classics" like this Merc on video. Thanks for this. 🤝🏻

[@TopazDetailing]

You are very welcome. Thanks for watching

[@romanromanenko9250]

How is it even possible not to like this video? It is like meditation.

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching

[@a.mstuurman2601]

Great Vid.Great restoration job. You turned this SL into a brand new second hand SL.😃

[@charlespinson6693]

Dude! This was some FANTASTIC Professionalism! Bravo!

[@Danny_Transition_Patrol]

Damn, amazing job, you guys should do my 200,000 mile Mk4 Golf, owned her from new, and would love to see her brought back to showroom condition like this! I’ll send her your way if you want!

[@TopazDetailing]

Please feel free to email [e-mail] to discuss a quote, thanks for watching!

[@ammarabdulrasheed3169]

Enjoyed the whole video along with music...brilliant job Topaz

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching!

[@alinassali4317]

Great job! Congratulations Topaz Detailing 👌

[@anonymous38610]

So nice..... the cars shining!!! I love this channel.

[@stephanhaase4779]

Why does the car have different turn indicators after the cleaning, before being moved to the detailing?

[@blazeclarke]

That's a good spot. Wonder if they were just swapped out.

[@morgannimmo6519]

Originally that R129 came with orange indicators so i suspect the owner wanted them swapped as part of it

[@shadychrisuk]

They polished all the orange off the lenses..

[@ashterfadgadget817]

Unusual colour for an R129 but looks stunning, especially after some TLC!

[@TopazDetailing]

This one is Nautic Blue

[@Makentoz1990]

Evry single time i look your videos guys im so excited, you doing so insane good job !!! Perfect content and insane skills of what you doing ! Best wishes from Norway ! 🙋‍♂️🙂

[@benfel9403]

First time I have ever seen someone properly clean out the lip on the wheel arches!! Nicely done!!!

[@user-mv8sv1ge5f]

Real classic

[@TopazDetailing]

An icon!

[@IsMaski]

The before and after is miles different. Killer work Topaz. Keep it going! :)

[@TopazDetailing]

Thank you for your kind comment

[@princemarsh2344]

Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!

[@ronaldneehao9723]

Thanks for the great video cheers from New Zealand

[@jdisdetermined]

I just watched a 15 minute commercial, that had its *own* commercials.. KZbin is very different now..

[@llanfairpwyllgogogoch1279]

its* :)

[@jdisdetermined]

@@llanfairpwyllgogogoch1279 you're right, it's a possessive. I'll fix it.

[@hrz92]

LUL

[@SilverShux]

Wow, you couldn’t have used a finer example! Beautiful job on a timeless car 👏

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for your kind words

[@Zubbvlgs]

Wow that's is one beautiful car .... Great detailing ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@partizansevoli7062]

My dream car, the best looking cabrio ever!!! Thank you Bruno Sacco!

[@Joao-vk5iu]

Fantastic

[@TopazDetailing]

Thanks for watching

[@RK-or2jb]

I feel like I could daily drive that generation of Mercedes-Benz cars for the rest of my life and be content 👍

[@TopazDetailing]

They don’t make them like they used to

[@johnmartinez316]

Great job guys!

[@talalalghamdi6364]

What a car the R129 is a true classic

[@TheController9999]

😍 I had a Mercedes 24 years ago

[@Em-7Add11]

how to wash a car with dramatic music.

[@davidsandilands1285]

Fantastic video, so well filmed. Great result

[@garycavanagh880]

What an amazing job!!!!