What is the appropriate way of dealing with paint on your classic Mercedes?

This video is about What is the appropriate way of dealing with paint on your classic Mercedes?
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[@mknmike]

Great to see you understand “compromise”, and am glad that this wasn’t a “take it all down to the metal every time” video. Thank you Pierre!

[@jungletension2835]

I'm finally getting ready to paint my w123. I've taken all the trim off myself and repaired some of the minimal rust holes around the back fenders and bought brand new fenders for the front from a Mercedes dealer in New York $300 a piece

[@mercedesmaintenance.6339]

"Wraps are Crap" I'm stealing that one Pierre:):) Great advice.

[@voiceoverdave]

Forman Garage in Palm Harbor, FL restored the body on my 73 W114 280C. There had been many terrible repairs and bondo over the years. Down to metal, cut out and replaced rusted sections, minimal filler and high build epoxy primer, then painted in code 861 silver green. Looks like a brand new old car lol

[@benkleschinsky]

I own a low value '74 Mercedes 240D that needs a paint job, and the most unfortunate fact about high end restoration shops out there is that a lot of them view Euro imports as junk cars or "not worth" restoring. Or, "too complicated. It took me many years to find a shop that was willing to work on my 240D, and it was a medium quality shop. Not to mention the amount of painters that outright refuse to use single stage to replicate the original finish on these cars.

[@gravytrain416]

Great video. I had my 1984 300SD re-painted about 20 years ago by Perfection Body Works in Greensboro, NC. Very professional job. I'd recommend them to anyone. The SD had over 600K miles when I had that done! I took the car by to have him look at it. I wish I'd taken a 'before' picture, but I didn't. To this day, I haven't seen another one with surface rust the way mine was. Anywho, he told me that he would paint it, but only if I had it taken down to the bare metal so he could start from scratch. I removed all the trim myself, had it bead-blasted for $300, and took it back to him. He did an amazing job. He did tell me the body was in excellent condition, and had no real rust in it. It just LOOKED bad! As I said before, this was 20 years ago. His bill for painting the car (diamond blue), was right at $2000. Well worth it. The paint job lasted for years. He painted the backs of the mirrors back to the original grey, used the paint codes and painted the old girl back in her beautiful diamond blue, and I was just tickled shitless when I went to pick her up. Thanks again for another great video. Somehow, I've stopped getting emails when you post new videos, and I'm a few weeks behind in watching your new videos! We appreciate what you do, Pierre! Thank you!

[@avivscrewvalla]

When it come to paint shops, reputation is invaluable. I always try to find shops that like to work on Classic Mercedes cars almost exclusively. Yes, they do exist in a few markets. Sometimes, you can tell by the language and the enthusiasm the owner of the garage demonstrates - it should be clear that he wants to "save" the car!

[@TheCardio7]

As usual very informative and helpful . Thanks Pierre

[@keithmattioli115]

Perfect timing. I'm meeting with someone this afternoon to talk about repainting my 6.3 back to its original DB903. It currently wears a low quality (high shine but low depth) dark blue paint job.

[@doe8939]

This video is right on time, I have a rare midnight blue color on my 190e that I need refreshed

[@jimh3362]

Great comments and guidance for a potential owner looking to repaint their car. Poor paint is always a poor value. If the car is not valuable enough for a quality "medium priced" paint job then it probably should not be painted.

[@cdsandiego]

I so needed to hear this video, Pierre. Thank you for doing this one. I’ve been wrestling now for three years with what to do about the paint on my 89 300SE. The roof, hood, and trunk are original, with slight signs of clear failure at the edge of the hood and trunk (AvalonKing ceramic coat has helped that immensely). But the car was sideswiped by a truck when it was two (grazed the doors and took out the mirror), so that side was repainted-but with flaws; they were evidently in too bit a hurry. And so while I can address the panels that get the most visibility horizontally, I’m not solving for the workmanship flaws on the repaint that happened in 1991. On the left side I have a dent at the wheel just behind the back door that needs love. So in my case I think it’s about a repaint if I want everything to be the same, or I piecemeal it and live with the side flaws. At the end of the day, it’s about finding a shop that has painted these cars and is willing to do the right work for a reasonable price. And *that’s* the hard part.

[@firechief33317]

That green on the car at the beginning of your video is my favorite SL color! Thanks for the informative video, Pierre

[@zenjamin6262]

Such good advice I did body work for years and keeping a mercedes paint orig if possible is paramount

[@AezothPlays]

I could definitely use a recommendation for a paint shop in Arizona. My '87 300SDL had not been treated well when I bought it a year and a half ago.

[@cwmoser]

I've owned many cars that have been painted. In the 1970's I purchased a 1969 442 with a $19.95 Earl Scheib paint job to my current 1986 560SL repainted in Signal Red. That Earl Scheib paint job was basically OK but it was cheap and the car was a driver. My 1986 560SL was so good a paint job that I owned the car for a couple years until I decoded the trim numbers and it was originally painted Burgundy. Wow was I surprised. I knew it was a repaint when I purchased it but the door jams and under hood respray was that good. Still I agree with you original paint should be preserved. A little "patina" on the paint on a very clean and detailed car is still graceful beauty.

[@Super-rn8kn]

Looking to have my 113 280SL painted, the first thing I have been asking is to see cars that they have painted, and they need to be classics, no Prius or Corollas. By removing much of the chrome and trim, substantial savings can be had.

[@charlesrockwell3923]

The number one thing a DIY home mechanic can do to save money on a paint job and improve the quality is to strip the paint and glass off the car yourself. Body shops do a poor job of this and they really hate dealing with trim more than any other item.

[@zigpanek496]

I wish you would comment on 1 stage acrylic enamel Vs 2 stage paint on 50's & 60's Mercedes

[@maxagent86]

For those of us in the Boston area, or in eastern Massachusetts, I recommend International Auto Body in Wayland, MA.

[@azmike3572]

I knew a really great painter who still said, "My paint guarantee is one year or the end of my driveway, whichever comes first."

[@alexandrebeinotti3359]

Great Pierre. I'm working on my W126 300SE and there's a ton of things to do. Help me G'd

[@faultlessfrank]

Thanks for this, I have a 1988 300SEL and the clear coat has 70% failed on the hood and maybe 10% on the roof and trunk failed. So I could just do those - the doors look good. But also the plastic part of the bumpers (particularly the corners) have a few gouges and they all need to be fixed. But no rust so I could wait a while and save up a bit more (I'm just tired of driving a classic car that does not shine).

[@faultlessfrank]

I did replace the hood insulation blanket when I go the car but the damage was done :-(

[@12pagani]

If you think that's bad than look at my 300 sel 5 speed car. No clear coat left, dents, and pretty nasty rear window rust!! Poor things getting fixed up but it's not going to be fun or easy

[@pinzgauernorcal]

what should you do if your 300D has rust spots appearing everywhere and i want to kill the rust myself without welding and without paying somone to do it?

[@verdict1163]

People should strive to preserve the original paint as much as possible, including avoiding aggressive paint correction. Compounding can only be done a few times before the clear coat becomes thin, and just a light polish is often all that is required, if anything. For models like the W124 and W126 I think it is pretty much impossible to repaint to the standard of the factory paint.

[@jonathong4289]

My SEC is mostly original paint, but it really needs a buff (which I have yet to do because I don't trust anyone where I live). There are areas with spots and scratches and at some point I'll likely have the trunk, hood and top of the car painted, as you advise in this video. But that is a long way off.

[@topfell8277]

Oragional colour

[@nosoupforyou425]

Paint shops scare me..... Have never found one I could trust or feel comfortable with. And usually just had the panel or trunk painted (items needed) and dealt with it. Have a shop near me that has quoted 20k plus and their work is avg looking - not sure if my expectations are to high

[@christopher6161]

Paint? All I have on my w210 is rust

[@w124mercedes7]

In my 35 years of painting and restoring cars I have seen too many cars where the customer was charged well over $8000 for a paint job on a rare car and cheap paint was used. Terrible prep work and botched assembly work. And the car has to be stripped to be painted to an acceptable level. Its a shame to see a persons car destroyed and devalued due to shoty work and matterials.

[@topfell8277]

Respray is allways labor cost 4-6k is normal

[@christopher6161]

Pierre would you ever recommend your customers to paint their own cars?

[@Kianarevision]

Great upload! I hope you'd enjoy my videos too. Keep up with the fantastic work! 💜🧡

[@stevenm.2597]

Pierre, What is the best way to clean and protect MB Tex seats ? Some Mercedes Dealers and Mechanics say just use 2 oz of Dawn dish soap in a 32 oz bottle with water. Others say use a leather cleaner and a leather protector . Others say don't do that, use only a leather cleaner and protector. Who is correct ? Thank you.

[@chrisromanczuk1468]

I just purchased a 1987 300E with Tex seats that were dirty as hell. I mean DIRTY. I used warm water and some purple power. Worked great, looks MINT. Take your time, use a steam cleaner for carpets with the carpet cleaner. Bissel worked fantastic especially on hood liner. Good luck.

[@stevenm.2597]

@@chrisromanczuk1468 Chris, thank you. Did you dilute the purple power ?

[@chrisromanczuk1468]

@@stevenm.2597 yes I put it in a spray bottle with 50% each. Mb tex will last forever, use a rag and brush over it alternatively your fingers if it is bad like mine

[@bigtoiletbrown]

I can paint your Mercedes for $50

[@zaszz]

Old Pierre: take it down to metal and analyze it with a microscope then get NOS Mercedes paint which was buried and preserved in Germany. Locate and hire the original Mercedes painters who sprayed in the factory.