Painting Prep Questions

[Joe]

I'm stripping the 230SL today getting ready to have it painted. In the past, people have taken it apart and painted it and put it back together without respect for originality, and I hope to correct at least some of those errors.
First, how should the air scoop between the hood and the windshield be painted? It appears the body is painted with the scoop off. I assume the scoop is painted separately and then remounted with four (exposed) chrome screws.
Second, what should be done with the blue plastic clippy things that hold the lower chrome pieces onto the sides of the body? They are easy enough to destroy, but I don't want to discover too late that they are necessary and unobtainable. I don't see a way to easily remove them without destroying them.
Third, when painting the headlight buckets, does one remove the flat frame that holds the headlight and adjusters? Or, is that left on and painted on the car?
Fourth, what screws hold this flat frame to the bucket? I have phillips on one side and flat-bladed ones on the other.
Can't wait to get to the dash!
Thanks,
Joe

[enochbell]

Joe,

You are correct about the scoop, have it painted separately and then reattach with the fresh screws, mine are stainless but they may have originally been chrome.  The plastic clips are readily available for reattacing the chrome trim as are the other alligator clips for the aluminum trim, any of the suppliers (Buds, SLS) can get them to you.  Finally, yes, remove the headlight bucket before painting, and while you are at it remove the gommets and mask off the wiring as well.  I don't know if the original fasteners were slot or phillips, mine were phillips.

Best,
g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[cascadia]

If I remember correctly you'll need to pull the door panel and push those blue clips out from the inside of the door.  Here's a good thread on the subject:

http://index.php?topic=5717

[Joe]

Thanks for the replies. Today I pretty much got the car stripped. Took off the door panels to remove the mirrors and handles. I also took off the covers over the rocker panels. That sure was fun! What I discovered underneath was disheartening (a bit of rust).
Now I am wondering about undercoating, and when to do that. I'd like to remove those panels in the front wheelwells that are apparently leaking and letting water into the rocker panel covers. However, that would tear up the undercoating in the wheelwells.
Any advice is appreciated.
Joe

[dldubois]

I had a slight bit of rust on my rocker panels and ended up sanding and re-undercoating.   While at it I sanded anything loose in the fender wells and re-sprayed undercoating in the wheel wells also since you've already got to spray the rocker panels.

I ended up getting the trim fasteners at Millers.   Many places have them.  I also had philips screws in the headlight mounts.

I agree with spraying the scoop separate.  I had to get in there once adn ended up removing paint as it had been painted previously.  It looks good as only two stainless screws show.

Good luck on the dash.   I got my car back a month ago and put the trim on in one day but spent a couple of weeks getting the dash, gauges, wood, windshield, chrome, ac, and wiring back together.

[Nate]

If your end-goal is a correct paint job, wheel wells should be painted body color, not the satin black that the rockers are finished in.

[Joe]

Yes, I plan to paint the wheel wells the body color. My plan is:
1. Remove the undercoating from the wheel wells
2. Remount the splash covers in the wheel wells, with new gaskets
3. Remount the rocker panels with new screws
4. Spray the wheel wells and rocker panels with Wurth 3M or equivalent
5. Paint the car (and wheel wells), leaving the rocker panels unpainted
6. Paint the rocker panels black?

How does this sound? Should the metal be primed before spraying on the undercoating?
Joe