Fresh

[benzjarr]

Ima bout to get my 450sel repainted. Did mercedes use gliden paint back then or what

[s class]

gliden ?

[wbrian63]

Ryan - I think he means Glidden - not a manufacturer you'd likely see in SA.

To OP
Original paint used on W116 cars was either Glasurit or Spies Hecker. I think there's a way to tell which was used from the data plate on the radiator support.

Either way, unless you're ready to spend $5k or so to get your 450SEL repainted, just go with a good Dupont paint. Far as I know, all of the W116 cars were a single-stage paint - no basecoat/clearcoat back then. However, for longevity, if you've got the budget, a basecoat/clearcoat system is probably the best option.

I say $5k for OEM paints for 2 reasons. 1) The cost of the paint products alone will probably be north of $1k. 2) The shops you'll find that even know what Glasurit or Spies Hecker are are not found in the following list (Earl Scheib, Fact-o-bake, MAACO), meaning it will likely be a higher-end to highest-end shop. I was quoted $5,500 for a Spies Hecker paint job on my previously-owned W140 '92 300SE - basically 1.5x the car's maximum selling price... A $500 MAACO job worked out just fine on that car.

All that being said - there is no substitute for a properly done paint job. The actual process of painting the car is about 10% of the work.

I have a friend in Dallas that swears by the work done at a local MAACO (I think) franchise. His logic is this - for the money, MAACO painters are probably some of the most experienced fellows you'll find. They paint dozens of cars each week. Al (my friend) has worked a deal with the manager of the location. Al brings the car over and field strips the car on site, removing everything he doesn't want masked around. He also arranges (I think) to provide the paint - getting a better quality paint than is available from MAACO. He pays them to prep and paint the car, and that's all. He gets a very good paint job for a reasonable sum of money.

The painters at local franchise outlets can probably best be described as technicians. Painters at high-end shops are artists, and they cost accordingly.

For what it's worth - when the paint is shot, even an "OK" paint job is probably better than looking at all that faded paint. The paint on my old W140 was so shot, it felt like the car was painted with sandpaper on the roof, hood and trunk. After the $500 job - wow. To be sure, it's a 20-20 paint job (looks best from 20 feet or 20 mph), but the car was dark blue, and the faded paint was basically chalk white - I'm sure you can imagine how much of an improvement was made...

Just my 2 cents.

[benzjarr]

Well I researched maaco and I think that's the best bet.
thnx

[brettj]

I was quoted $8,000 to repaint my car at a pro-shop, $5,000 at a less particular body  shop. Needless to say , neither job has been done right now. I was hoping to get a paint job for $3,500 to $4,500. I want a good job that will last as I plan on keeping my car for a long time. I've gotten cheap paint jobs in the past and regretted it later as the paint didn't hold up after a couple of years.