If the veneer underneath the old finish is in good shape, this is a job you can do yourself for very little money (about $50.00) and has been the most rewarding project thus far, on my 280sl. All items can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. You need: Small can of mild kleen strip paint/ varnish remover, bag of 0000 steel wool, chemical gloves, and eye protectant, cheap brush to apply stripper,can denatured alcohol, package tack rags, small can Min-Wax Mahoganey stain, small can Hellmsman Spar Urethane (flat, semi gloss or gloss depending on your preference) , one high quality brush 1 or 11/2" 1) Mark placement on the underside of the 3 speaker grill dividers.(the stripper will dissolve the glue holding them together anyway and thats fine, its easier to work with individual pieces and reassemble when finished)
2) Remove staples from underside of center console floor, and save. (stripper will also dissolve glue holding floor in place)
3) Protect yourself and apply stripper (to one piece in an inconspicous spot, like the forward lip of the speaker grill), wait proscribed time and
wipe off with steel wool. Spot reapply as neccessary.
Never sand , or
rub vigorously with the steel wool to remove difficult spots, as other members mentioned the veneer is ultra thin. If confident with results, and your abilities, you can finish the remaining pieces one or two at a time.
4) Lightly spray down stripped pieces with denatured alcohol to remove stripper residue, and lightly spray with compressed air,
allow to dry completely.
5) Inspect for damages or cracks,
lightly wipe any rough areas with the 0000 steel wool.
6) For desired stain appearance, use the one solid piece of mahoganey on the underside of the center console tray immediately forward of the ashtray for a test strip area. Mine required 4 coats of stain to achieve the correct OE shade the car came with.
7) If ready to stain, wipe off pieces with a tack rag, apply and reapply stain as per manufactor directions.
When ready to top coat with Spar Urethane, wipe with tack rag again, and using the quality brush apply and reapply clear coat as per manufactors directions, (I used three coats), and voila, c'est magnifique, ausgezeichnt, maraveousa!
Oh I forgot, reassemble the pieces that came apart during stripping with glue, and reinsert the staples on the console tray. Have fun and you will be amazed at the results.
Mikapika's 280sl
