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Painting Grill Plastic

Started by Zagato, 10 January 2009, 09:24 PM

Zagato

I'm buying a used grill (About $40 without ornament) to replace mine, which is lacking some trim.

Since it'll be off the car, I want to paint the plastic part a darker colour as the usual gray makes the car look dated.
Seeing some w116's in the gallery with a darker grill looks fantastic.
Any advice on colour/colour code to paint it? I know I have to get plastic primer but I don't know what the process is.

Big_Richard

#1
clean it (wax and grease remover, spray on, follow directions of product)
prime it (plastic compatible primer)
paint it (2 pack is best, spray can paint is next to useless and temporary at best considering stones and sand will be blasting it everytime the car is driven and its simply too weak)

BAR

Mr Bateman's painting tips are spot on.

Remeber to remove the chromed dress strips and their nylon locating lugs from the grille before painting.

youcef

Are the Grill mentionned is the front part abpove the bumper ?? or the Grill under the front bumper .

John Hubertz

PS:  if the "trim" you mention is the chrome bits - they are still dealer available, look fabulous when replaced (order the clips separate) and do not require replacing the inner plastic - which I'd be tempted to mask off and paint in place vs tempting the gods of corrosion by twisting off the original fasteners.  There is a sufficient lip on the chrome grill surround to assure a sweet looking job.

Gopher it.

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

A couple of years ago, it took me about four hours - including removal, disassembly, preparation, painting, reassembly, and reinstallation to achieve this:
[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]

robertd

Hey Ozbenz,
Is that grill painted BLACK it looks great.
I was considering doing the same with my goldie.
What paint did you use on it.
Cheers
Rob
116   1978 450SEL 6.9 #  4848
116   1979 450SEL  6.9 # 5884
116   1979 450SEL  6.9 # 6225  SOLD
116   1978 450SEL  6.9 # 5128  SOLD
116   1979 450SEL  6.9 # 5884  SOLD
116   1974 450SEL  DJet

OzBenzHead

Robert:

Low-sheen black generic crap acrylic house paint that I'd had sitting in the shed for years; two coats, applied by brush (rather fiddly). No primers. Total materials cost (including disposable brush) about $8.

It has lasted two years with no apparent deterioration, and the car lives outdoors.

There are no new parts there - all original.

I didn't go to a lot of trouble or expense because I was experimenting with an old grille insert. There's actually a chunk missing under the car club badge (hence its positioning).

I shall treat the replacement grille the same way (but with better paint, and sprayed) when the entire car gets a makeover in the near future. (It has taken only 16 months since the big hailstorm to get the repairs started!)  ::)
[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]

Yesmar

ozbenzhead that looks great, its really nice

i wonder what black would look like on a silver car. i want to do it but i think it might look a bit too bold. its amazing on your car
- Ramsey

chavejc

the cost is around $35 USD, i do something similar on my 300SD....
(sandpaper 1500,  primer,  paint and clear dupont)



zedster

This is my first post. HI EVERYONE! Great site! Does anyone know if the chrome bit strips can be purchased anywhere besides the dealership? Mine need to be replaced.



1979 450 SEL
1979 450 SEL "Spinne Blaue"

Yesmar

Quote from: chavejc on 13 February 2009, 03:47 PM
the cost is around $35 USD, i do something similar on my 300SD....
(sandpaper 1500,  primer,  paint and clear dupont)



Looks nice man

- Ramsey

oscar

Ditto yesmar.  That's one wide strip up the middle there chavejc.  Don't mind the outer chrome being coloured either.

Hi zedster and welcome.  Check out autohaus, 4th item down are the horizontal strips.  The clips are here, 5th link down.  There's vertical stip clips there two at the bottom of that page but the vertical strip has been hard to get for sometime now.  Autohaus hasn't had them in stock for a while and a couple of other online sites I've checked didn't have them either when I checked a while back. 

Maybe a dealer might have some new old stock lying around or better still, thanks to wbrian63, I'm going to quote you from a previous post:

Quote from: wbrian63 on 13 February 2009, 08:04 AM
Classic Center in Irvine CA, USA

Tom Hanson is the manager there and is exceedingly cordial and easy to deal with. If the part can be had anywhere, he can find it and get it. If you're a member of any of the MB clubs (MBUSA, for example), you'll get a 15% discount on parts.

thomas.hanson@mbusa.com

949-598-4842 - direct.

1973 350SE, my first & fave

zedster

1979 450 SEL "Spinne Blaue"

chavejc

Quote from: zedster on 14 February 2009, 12:34 AM
This is my first post. HI EVERYONE! Great site! Does anyone know if the chrome bit strips can be purchased anywhere besides the dealership? Mine need to be replaced.



1979 450 SEL


nostalgic moments, that was the original color of my 300SD 79, talking about the strips, 2 years ago i replace the grille chrome frame, orignal strips and emblem, i spend like 45 or 50 USD for the strips, but some bastard crash my grille in a parking lot : (   the original strips are so fragile i feel very frustated....... and i think in that moment "Is time to be creative......" I went to Autozone to find something to replace the strips, and i found a roll of plastic chrome the size is almost exact to the original strips, and the most important cheap (14 USD), take a look in my previous reply in this post.....