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Detailing my 6.9

Started by alabbasi, 27 March 2006, 12:00 AM

alabbasi

Detailing the 6.9

Seeing as I have not waxed the 79 (silver) 6.9 since I got it back from the paint shop, I decided that this weekend , I am going to make an effort to detail my cars.

After hearing Mike talk about clay, I decided to try that too. So I took a trip to Autozone and found a clay kit with the solution that was made by "Mothers". It took some effort to get it done and while it did not look different, The paint feels as it did when it was new.

The weekend started with my actually buying a hose pipe and fitting it to the tap that is located on the side of my house by my drive. As soon as I turned the water on, I found that there was a huge leak pouring out of the pipe inside my garage that was coming from one of the welds. So I cut the pipe away and headed to Home Depot to buy a new pipe and some compression fittings. A couple of hours later I was ready to go.

You really begin to realise how big this car is when you start to detail it. While I am very happy with the restoration, you also begin to notice the little imperfections when you look at it that hard. That said, for a 27 year old car. It looks pretty damn good.


So this week, there was not so much wrenching apart from the fixing the leaky copper water pipe. But I do have two impeccable looking Mercedes Benz's.


Here are some pictures of the 6.9 once the work was done.







With best regards

Al
Dallas, TX USA.

John Hubertz

Looks great Al....  you might want to consider putting a Euro plate or something in the center of that front bumper....looks a little "naked".
John Hubertz
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Hunter S. Thompson) 

1977 450SEL (Max Headroom)
[img width=68 height=73][url="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg"]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg[/url][/img]

alabbasi

Yeah, I have a trip planned to the UK, I will try to find one when I get there.
With best regards

Al
Dallas, TX USA.

The Warden

Just wondering (in light of the discussion on the Technical board), did the foglights get moved on your car, or is that the stock location for them on 6.9's?

Beautiful looking car, BTW 8)

BAR

Hi there

Great looking car.  Seems like you or a previous owner either imported it from Europe to the USA or changed the bumpers to the 'rest of the world' standard.  Looks better than the other car in the pic for sure.

As for the paint: Mercedes metallic finish has a base coat and over that is a clear coat.  No matter what you do you can only smooth the top / clear coat.  Generally it won't make a big difference to the level of gloss in the finish, but a cleaner, smoother and then polish will always make it feel better.  After all you are just making the clear coat smoother: it will therefore have a small effect overall, but not the same as for a 'solid' paint finish such a white.

oscar

That Mother's clay stuff is great.  "Quick Detailer" is it?  I haven't used water to clean my car since before Xmas.  I only used the clay once and now when I clean the car, I spray the the quick detailer, wipe with towel, mist on again and lightly buff off. 

For a 30 yr old paint job with all of its imperfections, the back of my hand glides off any panel and the duco reflects as though I'd just done a 3 step polish and wax.  The spray has a nice fragrance too.

Actually, I did use water the other day to clean wheel wells and under rear, but only to prepare for application of a black coloured rust preventer/sound deadener. If I get energetic tomorrow, I'll take it out for a picture shoot.

As far as restorations go Al, I see those pics, compare them to your pics in the workshop and can't help but think anything's possible.  Well done, a worthy merc saved!
1973 350SE, my first & fave

alabbasi

The fog lights are cosmetic as fog lights are integrated in the Euro headlamp. These fog lights were taken from a 73 US spec car that has the US headlights, but Euro bumpers. They are not the same as the fog lights that came on the big bumper cars and are in the correct location (mounts fit right in the holes on the side of the Euro bumper).

It's not original, but I quite like the look of them.


Quote from: The Warden on 28 March 2006, 12:48 AM
Just wondering (in light of the discussion on the Technical board), did the foglights get moved on your car, or is that the stock location for them on 6.9's?

Beautiful looking car, BTW 8)
With best regards

Al
Dallas, TX USA.

alabbasi

Thanks, the car is a US spec car, when I restored it , I painted it from green to silver, and installed the bumbers and lights. Your right on the base coat clear coat finish, you really don't have to polish as hard to get a shine like you would in the past (thank god!).


Quote from: BAR on 28 March 2006, 08:58 AM
Hi there

Great looking car.  Seems like you or a previous owner either imported it from Europe to the USA or changed the bumpers to the 'rest of the world' standard.  Looks better than the other car in the pic for sure.

As for the paint: Mercedes metallic finish has a base coat and over that is a clear coat.  No matter what you do you can only smooth the top / clear coat.  Generally it won't make a big difference to the level of gloss in the finish, but a cleaner, smoother and then polish will always make it feel better.  After all you are just making the clear coat smoother: it will therefore have a small effect overall, but not the same as for a 'solid' paint finish such a white.
With best regards

Al
Dallas, TX USA.

John Hubertz

Grrrrr.  "better then the black one indeed...."

Just a reminder of what a Proper 6.9 bumper looks like....

John Hubertz
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Hunter S. Thompson) 

1977 450SEL (Max Headroom)
[img width=68 height=73][url="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg"]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg[/url][/img]

Tomi

That bumper, hmm, never seen it in real life. It must be good to sit on and maybe to hold your beers and tools while working with the motor.
It does make the entry to the motor from the front quite difficult I guess, but you could allways stand on it.
It makes an already long car even longer requring good parking spaces, but everything must be big in US. ;D

OzBenzHead

Quote from: Tomi on 30 March 2006, 01:21 AM
That bumper, hmm, never seen it in real life. It must be good to sit on and maybe to hold your beers and tools while working with the motor.
It does make the entry to the motor from the front quite difficult I guess, but you could allways stand on it. ;D

Hey, Tomi: I think you have the right ideas!   ;D  Something so ungainly must have to be useful!   ;)
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]

BAR

It never ceases to amaze me that a country and its population of 280 million can suggest that they have the answers for the rest of the world with its population over over 5.5 billion.

I guess that's what is meant by democracy in the States... a minority influences its opinion over the real majority.

Maybe Americans will one day mature and realise that they live on only one of the world's continents.

Don't forget where the W116 was designed... yes it was in Germany and they had to make a unique bumper bar system for the 'can't manage to drive properly, citizens of the United States of America.

There... my rant is over.

John Hubertz

Ah yes.....   Land of the Free, Home of the Brave indeed....

Often I think it is more accurately "Land of the Spree, Home of the Crave...."

I must admit my love of USA 116 bumpers is pathological and based on adolescent fetish/fantasy rather then logic.

It seemed important to mention that, for I am the last person who would want to project even an additional smidge of "Pax Americana" into the world conciousness.

(wish they had a peace sign smiley on the selections)

John Hubertz
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Hunter S. Thompson) 

1977 450SEL (Max Headroom)
[img width=68 height=73][url="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg"]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg[/url][/img]

OzBenzHead

Quote from: John Hubertz on 30 March 2006, 12:12 PM.
(wish they had a peace sign smiley on the selections)

Hey, John!  You could always use the one from your web site (I know it's not a smiley, but it would do).   ;D

What's worse than a superpower waging war? A superpower waging peace!  ::)
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]