Cleaning and Detailing

What is the correct paint finish on these? Valve covers are aluminium and seem to be painted with semi-gloss or matt black; the surface looks rough, due to aluminium finishing - a bit like on 6.3. My air filter housing looked the same but that was dried oil mist which I took of with a wire-brush. The housing is steel, it is magnetic. Paint is worn so I have to re-finish it.

Do I use same paint to both?

I looked some pictures and saw different gloss grades that people are using. Anyhow I am not doing a full concourse level restoration but a clean-up so the finishing should look used.



Kari Pykäläinen

1971 300 SEL 6.3 #5581
1980 450 SEL 6.9 #7201
1987 560 SEC
1992 500 E
2000 G500

http://suomi.mercedes-benz-clubs.com/

I just realized that my message went to wrong place, it was meant to be in the "Originality police" . Anyhow I think this could be something to aim for:



Kari Pykäläinen

1971 300 SEL 6.3 #5581
1980 450 SEL 6.9 #7201
1987 560 SEC
1992 500 E
2000 G500

http://suomi.mercedes-benz-clubs.com/

Kari,

I am definitely not from the "originality police," so take what I have to say with a grain of salt...

I was not terribly happy with the condition of the paint on my valve covers and air cleaner either. However, I also realized that "normal" paint was unlikely to do well in such a stressful environment. Knowing that heat would be a big enemy of the paint, I opted for black stove paint. The stuff is very "sticky" (read, doesn't come off easily once painted) and it survives heat very well. It's not semi-gloss, but it's not entirely flat either. It really turned out nicely, and blended well with existing paint. It's very hard to tell (I can't) where the original paint leaves off and the new paint begins.

I think it would be perfect for what you want to accomplish.

Cheers!
Jim


1979 450SEL 6.9 (Black/Safran)
1987 560SL (Red/Palomino)

Driven with "old man" sheepskin covers!

That stove paint sounds good. Anyhow I used standard satin black finish on the air filter and left the valve covers as they are. I was about to finish the job with the yellow high voltage sticker but it looks the 6.9 does not have any [:0] .



At least in the photos I have seen in the interweb there is no sticker on the air filter housing. So this car did not have any high voltage ignition, did they came only with KE-Jetronic?

Kari Pykäläinen

1971 300 SEL 6.3 #5581
1980 450 SEL 6.9 #7201
1987 560 SEC
1992 500 E
2000 G500

http://suomi.mercedes-benz-clubs.com/

My buddy Timo who also is on the Message Board sent me this picture where the High Voltage sticker seems to be on the radiator fan shroud:



Kari Pykäläinen

1971 300 SEL 6.3 #5581
1980 450 SEL 6.9 #7201
1987 560 SEC
1992 500 E
2000 G500

http://suomi.mercedes-benz-clubs.com/

One hose bracket and the sticker are still missing:







I ordered the hood insulation here:

http://mb-sterne.de/








Kari Pykäläinen

1971 300 SEL 6.3 #5581
1980 450 SEL 6.9 #7201
1987 560 SEC
1992 500 E
2000 G500

http://suomi.mercedes-benz-clubs.com/

Kari,

Looks good so far! As soon as I get my 6.9 back from the shop, I'll have a look and see if I can find a sticker on mine. I don't recall seeing one, actually, so maybe they never had those.

One nice thing about the high-temperature stove paint I used: It is not in a spray can. You put it on with a brush, which made it easy to touch up the valve covers without making a mess.

The new hood insulation looks nice. Great job!

Best Regards,
Jim


1979 450SEL 6.9 (Black/Safran)
1987 560SL (Red/Palomino)

Driven with "old man" sheepskin covers!

If you are interested I do have some reproduced 6.9-Stickers for sale.

from left to right:
- ATE brake booster sticker (date coded), if you can still read your old sticker I can create you this sticker matching your cars build year. But this requires you to have some time...
- big white one: Engine sticker on valve cover)
- small white one: one valve cover (1 on every valve cover)
- neon one: on cruise control valve (not for sale at the moment as it sticks only poorly) -
unless you want to add some glue to glue it on your own. Otherwise very close to the original
I am improving this in the future, but not now as my job requires all my free time at the moment.
- two small red ones: AC-Stickers for early cars
- big red one: AC-Sticker for late cars
- Brake fluid stickers - available in the date ranges shown. The dealers either stick it on top of the break booster or on the cover of the service booklet.

PM me if you are interested.









Thomas

112.021 300SEC
116.028 350SE
116.036 450SEL 6.9