Hardtop and body different colors

[DickLewis]

I think I know that if the car was ordered with a different color roof the hubcaps were painted to match the roof, correct?  The question on a 230 or 250 is, OK the hubcaps were painted that color, but were the WHEELs also painted that color or did they match the regular exterior color?  I can't seem to find that anwer.  Thanks.

[Garry]

You are correct the hub caps matched the hardtop, the wheels matched the body colour.

Garry

[RCS Coupe]

Yes, caps = hardtop color, wheels (exterior face) = body color.
Question: What color was the INSIDE FACE of the wheel? Were they all black or body color?

[jameshoward]

Yes, caps = hardtop color, wheels (exterior face) = body color.
Question: What color was the INSIDE FACE of the wheel? Were they all black or body color?

I have what I believe to be the original unmolested spare, which until last year had the original (? who knows) but very ancient tyre on it. I don't know the actual answer to your question, but that wheel is painted the same colour on both sides. Frankly, the trouble you'd have to go to to paint a wheel two different colours, one on either side, (unless you didn't care about over-spary) would seem so great as to render the suggestion absurd. I would have thought.

(My car is pretty original, but not completely so. There are a few guys who can answer this question absolutely, including a one owner car).

[mbzse]

Question: What color was the INSIDE FACE of the wheel? Were they all black or body color?

The wheels came from the manufacturers [Suedrad was a common one] painted in a grey-green basic hue.
The body colour was then sprayed on (from the outside) at the M-B factory. This then left a misty borderline inside the wheel.
See pictures attached (original wheel)
There was then a change over to black wheel rims at some point (1967?) from the manufacturers [Suedrad, Kronprinz, Lemmerz]
As the full wheel cover was introduced in January 1968, the wheels came in black from the manufacturer, and were left to be black both inside and outside by M-B.
The three protrusions meant for the central chrome cap were still present on these all black wheels, although no longer needed. This was so at least until May 1968 (when my 280SL was built). The later wheel type w/o notches have part No 108 400 14 02. Also see our Tech manual for details.
/Hans in Sweden

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[jameshoward]

Hans,

Thank you. You're quite right, (obviously). I confess that what I said in my post was nonsense. I actually just ran out to check my spare, and it is exactly the same as the one in your picture; painted only on one side. Heaven knows what I was thinking.

 

[66andBlue]

... Heaven knows what I was thinking.  

Quite obvious what you were thinking: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=19757
You started the distraction! 

[jameshoward]

Alas not. Very sadly.

Today, it's been this, (with apologies to the OP for cluttering up a perfectly sensible post with utter rubbish on several counts...):

[JamesL]

My taxes in action!

Whither Robert Gates?

[jameshoward]

My taxes in action!

Whither Robert Gates?

Hi, James (and T),

I haven't read the book, but the debate is intense. I've always liked him.

[DickLewis]

OK so now that I think I understand here is the follow up question.  Since I am doing the whole paint job and my car is an early 250  Vin 2442 (with the dog dish hubcaps which shows the wheel color) do I paint the wheels on both sides to match the exterior color.  There is no way I could find that green color or did I miss something?

By the by I have met Robert Gates, very very interesting guy.

[114015]

Since I am doing the whole paint job and my car is an early 250  Vin 2442 (with the dog dish hubcaps which shows the wheel color) do I paint the wheels on both sides to match the exterior color.  There is no way I could find that green color or did I miss something?

If you miss to see the grey primer on the inside of your rims, then it was already oversprayed in the past.


Hello Dick,
Basically it is up to you how you like to paint you rims.
The only correct way it was is as Hans described. Rims were sprayed with a grey (grey-greenish) primer and only the outside of the rims carry the exterior color.
BTW, all 250 SLs had two-piece hubcaps (dog dishes). This was only changed on the 280 SL from serial 000045 onwards to the one-piece hubcaps.

Sure, it is up to you how you paint your rims, and I understand well it is much easier to use the same enamel/varnish in and out...

I didn't do so when I refurbished my rims 10 years ago. Got them glassbed blasted and powdercoated in the same grayish-green color that the original primer was (we matched the color codes pretty accurately). Then I got the outer side of the rims painted in body enamel - taking good car that I got this misty spraying pattern through the longitudinal openings in the rim in exactly the same way as Hans showed on his original rim. It was like this on my 5 old rims in the same way, only a bit too much rusty.
 

Good luck ("lacquer")

Achim

[DickLewis]

But where did you find or get the original primer color code or sample for the inside?

[mbzse]

But where did you find or get the original primer color code or sample for the inside?

A reasonable close-matching colour is DB268 blue-green, perhaps lightened with some white. The finish should be semi-matte.
/Hans in Sweden

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