Newbie's Restoration

[derin100]

Firstly:  "Hi!"
 
I'm a completely new member and also completely new to the world of Mercedes-Benz cars! I have many years of experience of owning a 'Bavarian' marque ...but have never had a Mercedes.
 
Anyway...through a long story I now find myself restoring a 1969 280SL (well...nothing like jumping in at the deep end is there?!).
 
This car has had just short of £40K spent on it since 1984. Including an engine rebuild by the late Roger Edwards himself about 10 years ago but has only covered about 8K miles since and it actually runs beautifully.
 
However, my questions and need for help really relate to the body work.
 
 I'll attach a few links below of pictures 'before' we started (looked quite 'smart' one would have thought!) and then a link to some pics that I have uploaded to my own little 'BMWCLASSICS' website of the car 'now' at the bodyshop who do all the body and paintwork on my BMWs. It's a bit shocking really!
 
Anyway they are still in the process of blasting and stripping the shell...but at each stage they uncover yet more new horrors from previous shoddy repairs etc.
 
I've just spoken to the bodyshop and they asked if I can source any of the followin body panels...if they are still available?
 
 I've just tried speaking to one of the Main-dealer suppliers who advertise in the club magazine. They tried their best but on some items they were a little 'in the dark'....probably in fairness not helped by my own ignorance. Additionally, some of the parts just seemed crazily expensive from them?!
 
Are there any other suppliers or sources that members could recommend? I'm based in the U.K.
 
The parts/panels in question thus far seem to be:
 
1) Sills left + right (apparently the full sill that is under the outer sill covers?)
 
2) Floor pans front and rear  for both left and right.
 
3) Boot floor.
 
Anyway...sorry for such a long first post! Any help will be gratefully received.
 
Meantime, here are the photo links:
 
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/picsvarious/DSC_0001.jpg
 
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/picsvarious/DSC_0005.jpg
 
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/picsvarious/DSC_0007.jpg
 
 
And as it is now in the bodyshop:
 
http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/index.php?spgmGal=mercedes
 

 
 
Once again, thanks for any advice in advance.
 
Derin

[deke54]

Try this site:          http://www.sls-hh-catalogue.de/bin/dbframes.phtml?mid=IN02   

[derin100]

Thanks for that quick response deke54!

[psmith]

Reproduction body panels are made by K & K Manufacturing:

http://www.kkmfg.com/

[derin100]

Thanks Pete.

[tel76]

Hello Newbie 100,
I am going through the same pain,my advice is, Bite The Bullet and buy genuine MB parts,very expensive but they fit,

[Val]

Hi

As you are in the UK, you might be better using SLS (www.sls-hh-catalogue.de) in Germany. They offer both original Mercedes and copy parts. I've used them often and the service is very good.

I would guess the bodged sill repair is from Edwards too as my car has almost exactly the same and was looked after by them! Thats my project for the winter, though thankfully for me, its only the main sill that has been bodged and all other metal is amazingly sound.

Hope that helps

Val

[Val]

oops, missed that Deke54 had already posted the link to SLS!

Val

[JamesL]

Deryn

Have a chat with Mervyn at Jacksons in Poole/Bournemouth. It's the main dealer for that neck of the woods but in Mervyn they have a really good parts dept for older models. I have had a few bits from him. He also has a parts book online/pdf

SLS are my main "supplier" although I've not touched the body yet.... link to them from the Links page here

The MB club also has a parts book on CD - have a nose on "resources"

But MOST panels should be available - including some "half panels" like the inner/outer lip of the rear arches.

[psmith]

Just to be clear, K&K actually MAKES the panels so they might have a better price then a parts reseller, so check them all.  For other parts SLS, Van Dijk, or other European suppliers might be better if you are in the UK.

[derin100]

Many thanks all!

Thanks for a good number of leads and links and I'm working my way through them. I really appreciate all the kind help.

In fact, I've just come back from the bodyshop this afternoon...having taken my current/latest BMW 'project' there (thankfully we're just talking paint here    )....and I had another look at the SL and chat with the bodyshop owner.

One good thing is because of this current economic down-turn they are a lot less busy than normal and hence have extra hands available to work on the SL! Thus they're actually making good progress and have managed to (painstakingly!) repair the boot floor complete with the correct contouring out of new metal.

The floor pan sets I've seen don't seem 'too' excessively priced so we'll probably just buy those in. The sills are another matter... We've taken photos but the previous repairs are really the most shocking bodged jobs I've ever seen! I'm not going to say publicly where this was done...but once completed the owner of the bodyshop is going to give me his digital camera card and I'll just put the pictures up on my website. There are £40K worth of repair bills in the file for this car since 1985...and a lot of it was for bodywork!

Anyway...as I said they seem to be making good progress...although I didn't see them the doors, bootlid and bonnet  have all been stripped, restored and are already primed...so I'll keep you updated.

Thanks again!

P.S I'm sure lots more question will follow   

[stickandrudderman]

I run a Mercedes Independent in West London and have seen hundreds of these cars. I can recall only two that weren't the subject of horendous repairs.
I've got one in at the moment that the owner paid £40,000 for 18 months ago and we are about to give hime a bill for £15000 to put everything right!
You have to remember though that the repairers may well have been acting in good faith and according to the owner's requirements and budget.
The worst people to work for are car dealers, who will only ever want a bodge job done and then somehow manage to sell the car for premium price.
The few I've bought to restore I've done to my own exacting standards and have never managed to achieve the same prices as the dodgy dealers. Go figure!
www.colinferns.com

[derin100]

Thanks...that's good advice and good to know that this car isn't the exception and I can also now easily see how runaway costs can be incurred on these cars.

However...I would say a couple of things in relation to this particular car:

This car has been in the hands of the same owner since 1985. He's not the sort of chap who would have either knowingly wanted to or (I think) needed to scrimp on maintenance and repair bills.

He told me when he bought it was one of nine that the went to see at the time and that he paid about 50% over the going rate for one then because this one was so far and anyway better than the rest that he had viewed. It was always kept as at least a 'second car' and used sparingly especially in latter years...indeed it has only covered something like 8K miles since a full well-known specialist engine rebuild in 1997 IIRC. Not necessarily a good thing I know...but at least the bodywork hasn't been exposed much to the elements and road salt etc in the last 10 years.

So this car was never really the subject of dealers or other sellers trying to turn a car 'round and make a fast buck. What we're seeing is just 'genuine bad repairs'... the reasons for this we can decide for ourselves?

Thanks again and I've stored your website in my favourites! 

Derin
www.bmwclassics.co.uk

 

[Shvegel]

"Everyone knows the common places these cars rust like the rear shock towers and around the front marker lights but after just completing a complete restoration I would like to discuss some of the more esoteric places they rust like everywhere there is a seam and everywhere there is a bend in the metal."

I read these words in a copy of in the Roundel the US BMW club Magazine 15 years ago.  The author had just completed a restoration of a BMW 2002.


I am replacing the entire skin of my car. Since this is your first I should remind you or rather your shop that the row of spot welds that attach the front fenders to the inner structure at the top under the hood(bonnet ?) are important. These have been held up as the best place to look for panel replacement so make sure they don't bodge over them.  Even if they have to be "faked" they need to be there.

Also have them reach up into the front wheelwells and feel the top the inner fender support(upper rail).

Here is a little something to help when you get discouraged.

http://www.motoringinvestments.com/index.htm 

Enter the site, click on Mercedes and go down about 20 cars to the blue SL with the $140,000 restoration...pure heaven.

[derin100]

Many thanks for that info!

Just taken a look at that website! I think I'll just give up now! 

[Shvegel]

Well, If a nice one doesn't cheer you up here is where mine is at after 2 years.

[derin100]

Now that's more like it! 

That makes me feel much better!

Cheers!

[hauser]

That picture reminds me of Doc Hollywood's Porsche!

[derin100]

Well...we're geting there!

My bodyshop ended up 're-making' the sills. Fortunately where I live (for some unknown reason) there quite a trailer manufacturing industry. This meant the boss of my bodyshop managed to get access to an 18' metal press i.e easily long enough for the approx 6' to re-make a Pagoda sill. He did a super job on these both sides.

The rest of the floor has been done 'in-house' as was the boot floor. They ended up removing further shocking previous 'repairs' before replacing/remaking with new metal.

I had a message on Friday to say that they'd finallt started spraying the exterior. I'd been down a week a couple of weeks ago and they'd just sprayed the inside of the boot cavity and it was looking good! Kind of a darkish grey satin finish as per original.

Also I managed to find a local firm to do some re-chroming for me. I'm not going to (nor could I afford..nor do I really think it's warranted!) to have absolutely every item re-chromed. What  I gave them was:

Front Grille Complete
Front Bumper Complete
Rear Bumpers (pair)
Rear Lights (pair) plus the bit that goes between.

Finally, I've ordered all the rubber seals for the screens, doors, soft top cover...

And "Absolutely Finally"  A new windscreen!

I need to have a think about the interior...

The seats have already (at considerable expense) been restored..MB Tex etc...  The carpets were done at some stage and are 'ok'. I've asked my body shop to put sound-deadening on the floor repairs but should there be some insulation between this and the carpets?

I need to take advice on the dash vinyl and door cards...they're 'ok' but any experience or suggestion are really gratefully received.

Would like to see this project finished for Spring-time.

Many thanks!

Derin


p.s Meantime...I've bought another MB SL!!!...This time a W129 280SL.  Very minor (I hope!) accident damage for me to sort out and enjoy driving...shhhhh! BMW comrades will start getting p'eed with me!

[derin100]

Here's the SL280 finished!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/index.php?spgmGal=Mercedes_SL280

As you'll see in this link I've since bought 'other' Mercs! 

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/index.php

Best wishes

Derin