Rocker Panel Color

[Iconic]

I've added the following comments to the Technical Manual based on this discussion.
It can be found on this page:
http://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/PaintCodes

If you have disagreement, please speak up. It is easy to change it back or to something different.

(According to another discussion starting in January of 2011 titled "Rocker Panel Color", the idea has been presented that the rockers were, in fact, a dark grey, and not black. Also, they seem to be more of a semi-gloss than a flat finish. Original cars, with an original owner in one case, give good evidence that the rockers are dark grey. Additionally, there is evidence that there was paint brushed on the light colored screw heads to camouflage them.)

[Peter van Es]

Excellent. I've added a link back to this discussion on the TM.

[DaveB]

Here's an early 230sl ad with light coloured rocker panels. Looks strange compared to the normal dark version.

[thelews]

Because Gernold, Iconic (Mark) and I were all at StarTech at Black Forest and have an interest in the correct rocker panel color, we were able to do an exhaustive investigation of examples at the event and Gernold did some further investigation and research upon his return home.

THE CONCLUSION OF THIS LANDMARK INVESTIGATION....drum roll please!

Both.  Yes, they were both grey and black.  Here is Gernold's statement in an email to me...

I can confirm that cars up to 1967 had grey Covers however the grey is not consistent in color, the covers on your SL may have been excessively cleaned with Paint Care Products that produced the somewhat glossy finish, I have yet to find a 280 SL that had grey covers and would conclude that the color changed sometime during 1967/68 into black, I have conclusive evidence of black covers on 1970/71 models of which one had less than 5000 Miles when I first looked at it, I hope this insight helps to alleviate some of the confusion regarding the Rocker Cover issue and all that is left now is the point in time when this change occurred,

Further, I found this post from the previous owner of my car in 2005 that I hope puts to rest controversy about my covers...

Vince Canepa
Silver
  Location: USA
Posts: 341
 Re: Color of Rocker Panels / Sills  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rocker covers on my car are original and have never bee touched up.  They are exactly the same color as aussie230sl's.  I would descibe it as more of a gray than a blue.  The screws are exposed.

Details on that car and mine are very similar.  That is reassuring because I've tried to keep mine is as close to original as I could keep it and actually drive it for the 32 years I've owned it.

Vince Canepa
1967 250SL
113.043-10-001543
568H Signal Red
116 Caviar MB-Tex

So, my car is #1543 in 1967.  GREY.  Start looking at your numbers and panels and let's find out when the change occurred.

[49er]

OK, here are are a few more pictures I took this morning of my 280SL's rockers (built in June 1968). They are definitely more black then grey but have a "bluish" cast. Hard to capture in photos but more apparent in person. You can see the contrast between the rocker and the black tire and the black weatherstripping under the door. As I have said before this might be due to the grey/tan undercoat applied to the rocker before painting and just "bleeding" through after all these years.

john
  
 

[dtuttle123]

Everyone wins!!!  What a great outcome!  Thanks John for doing the additional research!

[Iconic]

Thank you John (thelews).
That is very interesting ! I'm glad you pursued the rocker color issue with Gernold.
I'll let a little time go by for additional posts, then I will make an adjustment in the Tech Manual.

John (49er), maybe you can take something you know is black and hold it up to the rocker and look at it and see if the rocker looks black, or blue, or grey.
Based on Gernold states, your car can certainly have black rockers.

Hopefully some more people with original rockers will join in and help us with the cutoff. ... Probably not too many of you out there. Certainly not me.

On the subject of a flat finish being "polished" over time to a semigloss or gloss, I have a Camaro with a flat black section in the rear. It was painted in 1977 or 1978.
The back is still completely flat. With no sign of glossing up. .... maybe I better go look at it to confirm ...  It has never been through a commercial car wash, at least since 1977. If a car were to go through a car wash, that rocker area can sure be subject to "rubbing" (I'm sure Michael will now chime in since I mentioned car washes). 

My family would disown me if they new how interested I was in rocker panel colors from 40 years ago.

[jameshoward]

I'm interested in this post because tomorrow my car will go to the bodyshop. Amongst other things, it will have the sill cover/rocker panel colour changed, as they are currently the same colour as the rest of the car. My car is a very late 230. I was going to have the panels painted black (169) but since reading this I think I'm going for 164 sprayed over the chip protection stuff.

Any dissenters, speak now please.

[49er]

John (49er), maybe you can take something you know is black and hold it up to the rocker and look at it and see if the rocker looks black, or blue, or grey.
Based on Gernold states, your car can certainly have black rockers.

Hi Mark,
 If you look at the 1st picture of my most recent post.,you can see the difference in shades of "Black and Grey" from the rockers and the underside of the car it self. Since mine had an early June '68 build, It might have had some of the grey rockers put on before the switch was made to black. As for my car, they are what they are and no black paint will ever get near them