Early w114/W115 dashes have a smaller speaker cover that is made out of nice, durable plastic.

I've never seen a perfect late dash speaker cover.

I've got a couple of perfect early dashboards for my 250C, but I've had a dash cover on the installed one, and it looks pretty nice, so I've been reluctant to tackle the dash replacement job right now.

The cover, if installed correctly, is very hard to identify over the stock appearance. Biggest giveaway is that the speaker cover is not present and there are a series of holes in the overlay for the sound to emanate from at the former cover location.

If you're perfectionist, the graining on the dash changed in 1973.

Unless your car is a mint original and perfect in every way but this, save yourself a grand and buy a cover.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles