When did MB put water based paint?

[BenzOnline]

What year did MB start using the crappy chipping water based paint? I beleive my C230 1999 has it as it feels soft but i pamper the paint due to its cheapness.

[JCE]

My 98 C230 has the enviro paint. Our 87 300E is the exact color code as the 98, and they look identical in color tone, but the 98 is a little cold, hard, and shallow looking after waxing, more of a shine than a gloss look, while the 87 has a deep and warm wet look gloss after the same treatment. In fact, if the 98 has just been waxed, and the 87 is just about due for a wax, they look pretty close. I think the 98 seems to get rock chips more readily as well.

I had a very good body shop take out some key marks on the 87, and they said it was a royal pain having to use the new CA approved paints on my older car. Matching the color tone was no problem, but they had to do multiple coats of color and clear in order to try and match the depth and warm effect - they came pretty darn close, but if you know where to look or have a lot of pro painting/detailing experience, you can find the touched up spots.

[manny]

Originally Posted by BenzOnline

What year did MB start using the crappy chipping water based paint?

What does that have to do with M-B ?
Check with some of your local tree-huggers, maybe they will have the answer for you..
Btw. in my experience tree-huggers don't care one little bit about the appearance of their cars ( certainly not the paint condition ).
Heck, they don't even wash their cars ( water preservation and all.
They're driving either some delapidated POS or, the more affluent ones, may drive a Toyota Prius or some other Hybrid.

[suginami]

I believe 1994 is the first year of the enviro paint.

[Veloce300DT]

the older pre enviro-paint certainly looks RICHER, DEEPER, WARMER, and of higher quality. But I will say, the enviro-paint is much easier to care for, and when coated with NXT wax it can produce a beautiful gloss. I have noticed though that METALLIC OE enviro-paint can sometimes look inconsistent in color vibrance- showing a slight change in shade on a body panel when inspected under direct sunlight- esp. silver, smoke silver, and light blue. I have noticed this on new MB's sitting on the dealer lot. Luckily my C280 doesnt display this variance, otherwise id go nutty! But the paint HAS chipped rather easily on the front of the car.

interesting...

Nothing is worse than 1980's Volvo paint though! My 745 Turbo is Gold metallic, and while it has no oxidation, and has been cared for extremely well, it reproduces minimal reflection... just shine- no matter what you treat it with.

[jcyuhn]

Paul is correct, 1994 is the first year of the water based paint.

The older paints seem much more resistant to rock chips. Looks is subjective. Fewer of the older colors used clear coats, but just about all the newer colors do. I'm a bit of a retro-grouch in that I prefer non-metallic, non-clearcoated colors - but that's just me.

- JimY

[BenzOnline]

1994 really? My friends 94 C220 silver paint is much more "harder" and can take abuse pretty well. The silver paint on my 99 C230 is much more soft.

The 01 C240 is much more softer. Aswell I did also notice the "unbold" look on the darker paint of the C240 when waxed...just no depth to it at all.