Attached is the end result. I forgot to take the before picture.

Video is at http://youtube.com/watch?v=NmHBU0CMm4g

Attached Thumbnails

 

So You Don't Recomend using SANDPAPER !!

Maska, absolutely not. The venier is much too thin for sandpaper. Also, after seeing thorsen's photo, the wood looks great. Now just a little smoothing of the texture w/ 000 or 0000 steel wool will make it look original. Nice job!

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

Interior: Wood Trim Repair/Replace/Refinish link thread
Interior: Wood Trim Repair/Replace/Refinish link thread

I did this some time ago on an old Jaguar. It had much more wood trim than my SL. In that case, after removing the trim, I used a chemical stripper to completely remove the old finish. It then required only the lightest of hand sanding. The finish I chose for that car was a semi-gloss wipe-on combination stain and varnish. The finish went on smoothly and when completed looked like fine furniture.

Caveats: (1) The stripper is highly corrosive. Use good long gloves and a well ventilated work area. (2) Try it on a corner somehere first. It may dissolve some of the old animal-based glues and delaminate the plywood. (3) I wouldn't try this on the really thin dashboard veneer. I would either finish right over it if in good shape or replace it.

Hmm, I think I just talked myself into refinishing the SL. I never did like that hard shiny plasticy looking finish it has now,

I build guitars as a hobby and have a 30 year professional background in engineered wood products. I’ve refinished the wood in multiple Mercedes I’ve owned over the years, including re-veneering using a vacuum bag to compression mold the veneer to the 3-D shapes.

I typically use lacquer thinner and steel wool to remove the old finish and after it’s removed I very carefully sand down to 220 grit prior to applying the new finish. The best finish I’ve found is a professional grade clear coat that’s meant to go over automotive exterior paint.

I use several coats of varnish as a sealer first, which gives a great clear base to spray over and also gives the wood that slightly yellowed vintage look. I sand the sealer and top clear coat with 220 between coats, being careful not to sand through to the wood below.

The reason I recommend an exterior clear coat finish is that it’s designed for high temperatures and is flexible. Wood will expand and contract with climactic changes and without a finish that can move with the expansion and contraction it will crack and check.

Also, consider that a cars painted exterior surface can reach temperatures in excess of 300F. The interior of the car can also reach these temperatures as well and without a finish that can withstand this kind of constant abuse, it will fail.

You can get a very wet look with lots of depth to it with clear coat depending on how many coats you apply, which in many of my restorations has been 8 to 10 coats. Once the finish is cured I wet sand it down to 1200 grit and polish it with a 3-M professional cleaner and wax.

A professional automotive paint supply can sell you clear coat in an aerosol can and you’ll achieve an extremely durable, long lasting professional finish that’s better in appearance and durability that the original, with minimal investment in materials and some elbow grease.

mb300se65

Great tips ! I just bought a wood shifter console for my 300D in bad shape (clear coat).

I will follow your tips and finish with the clear coats 2 part spray I mentioned earlier.

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
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1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD