Repro grill and front bumper

[jorge espinoza]

My original grill surround and front bumper are a little beat up but i want to install a reproduction grill surround so not to cause further damage . So far I've seen this on http://www.ecklersmbzparts.com/mercedes-grille-shell-113-chassis-1963-1971.html . Any input or suggestions on who to buy from ? Thanks and Happy holidays

[Garry]

Just be aware that when replacing the grill surround with another whether repro or original, they often dont fit that well and sometimes takes several to find one that will fit or alternatively it will need some reshaping to fit properly.

The price appears to be pretty good.

[mdsalemi]

Just be aware that when replacing the grill surround with another whether repro or original, they often dont fit that well and sometimes takes several to find one that will fit or alternatively it will need some reshaping to fit properly.

When I restored my car 1999-2001, I needed a grill surround. I called Tim Kidder of K&K and laughingly he asked, "Do you want one that fits [OEM] or one that doesn't? [repro]"
I ended up getting a used but re-chromed OEM version from some guy on eBay. Tijuana chrome jobs--but his "re-chromed" ones (we went through two) didn't fit; in the repair and rechrome they became slightly distorted. Finally he just sent a used one and that fit. We had it rechromed with all the other parts at Graves Plating in Alabama.

[jf308]

I ordered a repro grill surround from Babak (on this forum), and initially panicked as it looked way too slim to match up (height middle section). 

Once I placed the barrel and star in place it fit absolutely fine, and looks great.   I weighed the pieces and they were lighter than OEM, but not enough to really notice.

Check out vintageeuroparts.com


John

[Garry]

They are lighter but the biggest difference is the depth of chrome and that shows when you see them side by side.  On one of my Pagodas it took me several goes at getting a Repro one that was able to be fitted correctly.  The second Pagoda around I had my original re-chromed which actually cost more than a new Repro but you could see the difference in the two.  

Having said that the Repro ones are just fine for a driver and better but probably not for a top level concourse car.

It is really the luck of the draw for fit.  Even the original ones after rechroming still needed some re-adjustment sometimes as the chroming process tends to distort them slightly.

Garry

[dpreston Virginia]

Got my grill surround from the classic center. It was a perfect fit. Price was competitive. I wanted to save money with a re-chrome or repro but, the grill is the focal point. Buy the best you won't be sorry.