New? Bumpers on ebay

[Douglas]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7913877563&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT


New bumpers from Mercedes should have a grayish primer on the backside whereas re-chromed bumpers are silver on the backside.

Nonetheless, they look nice. I was tempted to bid on the new grill surround they're also selling, but the claim that the bumpers are new made me uneasy.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[Naj ✝︎]

Doug,
This is a replica bumper made in the far east. Its stainless steel (hence the silver back) with chromed front. I bought one 2 years ago but only fitted it a few weeks ago. Fit is good and looks original.
The only thing is you'll need 3/8 inch UNC bolts to fit the bumper irons.
naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[n/a]

I bought one of the $349 bumpers from the far east on eBay last year and installed it this summer after repainting the car; it is of good quality and looks fine excepting that the center clip is a little thin; you are correct that the bolt holes are not threaded like the original and I had to re-tap the holes to use the original bolts. As there are no instructions with the bumper, my assumption was that the holes were accidentally mis-threaded but I bet you are right, as I did not try to change bolts.

Don French
'64 230 SL - 299,000 miles and 5 other classic MB's

[mdsalemi]

Hi folks,

Some info on these topics--

1)  Rechromed bumpers have whatever you put on the backside.  Mine were rechromed but the restorer painted the back to the correct color.  The backside of a rechromed bumper usually has all the same copper, nickel and chrome plating that the front side does but no buffings and polishings.  Mine looked pretty weird prior to painting.  I had my bumpers repaired in Canada (long before I ever knew of the good Doctor) and they were done the old fashioned way--acid dip, hammer and grind and fill, rechrome.

2)  The center clip between the bumpers as new from MB is thin Stainless Steel; so having a thin clip on a repro is not incorrect.

3)  Be wary of grill surrounds.  Ask Tim Kidder of K&K.  There's no shortage of repros that don't fit the nose panel, he'll sell you all you want!  I went through 4 surrounds (with a patient eBay seller) before we found one that fits the new nose panel.  Shortly after we installed it after rechroming it cracked!   :evil:   So, we brazed up the crack and rechromed it again[:0]


Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[hauser]

The reason I brought up the complete grill is that it's in terrible shape. You can see rust on the barrel and the screens are all banged up. The seller is asking $1200.00.

1969 280sl 5 spd        1999 ML320          Gainesville,Fl.