The front seal is a pain in the butt, but once you get the hang of it it's not as bad as it first seems. Taking out the little wind deflector thing really is a big help.

The paint on your car looks great in the pictures. How does it hold up from a foot away? I've heard some Maaco horror stories on this forum, but my wagon desperately needs new paint and I have no money , so it's good to know it's at least a possibility that Maaco can do a decent job for cheap...

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'81 300TD Wagon 355k (Miss Diesel)
'83 300SD 180k
'84 500SEL 190k (Parting it out)

When one removes and replaces 40 pieces of trim, one gets up close and personal with the car. I was hoping for a "20 footer" paint job and I got a "one footer." Before going to Maaco, I read all of the "paint" threads on this forum. There were horror stories and success stories about the cheap paint shops. The car already looked crappy. It had a big dent where the rear bumper had been pushed in, causing the tag to mount crookedly. It had previous body work on D/S rear fender/wheel well that was flaking off. With the clear coat coming off in spots, the car looked to be 3 shades of color. So when a buddy said that Maaco did a good job on his car, I went to Maaco on a recon mission and just talked to the folks about the car and discussed prep work. I came away with a good feeling and an estimate of $400 for paint and $250 for body work. But be careful and do your homework because these shops are locally owned and operated franchises and I'm sure that the quality and professionalism vary. Improvements that I made were: put on better grille, cleaned and reconditioned all rubber trim, painted the black plastic trim in the front bumper area and rear door area, added chrome air intake covers and chrome washer nozzles (on the hood) from an earlier model, cleaned and painted the wiper arms, lubed the sunroof rails/slides, and new 3/4 of the sunroof seals. After I put the car back together at home, I drove it back to Maaco to show the guys how "our" project turned out.

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Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)

Seems to me as they are franchise operations so the difference in quality from shop to shop may be enormous. May not take too much effort to check out the individual shop you approach or are interested in using. Thanks for sharing your experience. Also try booking car in at slow time of year and tell them they can have the car for a week if it helps. Talk to them. Take a chance tell them you will not need a bill for the job as you already have enough wallpaper. Mention to them you will go out of your way to tell your friends the job was done at that particular macco before turning the car in. The removal of chrome is a good ideal as it exposes all the fastener holes and they like to start rusting from several of those points as well. Plus by saving them the time of masking and trying to prep around chrome they may put the extra time in other areas. Also allows them to sand the car out much better and get it preped for paint better and quicker. If you are a credible person you may be suprised by the result of a little promotion as they buy their materials much cheaper than a non franchise body shop and occasionally like the ideal of a customer talking them up if the customer has an oddball, exotic, or older car. On the other hand they may just not care. But worth the attempt I think. What is it going to cost you? Will not escape them that they have the possible chance of a rolling ad without you mentioning it unless they are really stupid. I would even go farther myself but have a lot of years experience at buying items and services cheaper than ninety five percent of people and yet never argue price and it is now a lifestyle but always try to leave something to compensate on the plate. Started out of neccesity years ago when my family was young and became an impossible habit to break I just moderate it now. You may have recieved some of the above already. One caution. I found trim was chrome plated rather than just stainless steel on my 250c years ago by cleaning through the chrome layer on my rear window trim in a small area. As usual did not think as thought it was just stainless that you can aggressively clean up like american cars. None or very light buffing at most. You live you learn I guess. I just assume the trim was still fabricated the same way on 123s.(Sorry was away having coffee with the wife and you posted first. You covered most of my primary points well I thought after going back and reading your last thread)

Barry, it's funny that you mentioned the advertising and promotion angle. That is why I took my camera when I went back to Maaco to show them the car, then took pictures in front of the shop. When I told the manager that I was going to let the Maaco HQ know that I am a happy customer, he immediately gave me their phone number. He also asked for copies of before and after pics to start a scrapbook to show potential customers their work. As I was leaving I told him that I will be back with my daughter's Cherokee to have a door dent repaired. After reading your post, I am confident that they will charge the absolute minimum and do the best job possible.

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Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)

If you are lucky to get a good spray man the "orange peel" smoothness can be minimized. Did they actually shoot a clear coat over the initial paint coat?

I didn't see mention of you removing door handles. How are those little trim piece between the rear window and the rain gutter removed? Do they just pop off or are there screws or bolts inside somewhere ?

I damaged one of the chrome trims that is attached to the rain gutter when my Yakima Roof Rack hit something and the clamp partially tore the trim metal right off the rain gutter above the driver door. Are you saying that there are screws in the gutter area next to the upper corner of the windshield that hold the front of that piece on?

Jim....

Perhaps should explain one of my versions of "the plate" referred to in my last post as it is important although it has many variations.. I assume you are really happy with the job and price. I would Frame a decent photo (8X10) plus mat behind glass as it is a body shop and show up someday with a batch of takeout food for all the people at the shop. Verify their lunch time and numbers first of course. Can be something simple like toonie specials from kentucky fried chicken. I would express that you are just tickled with the job. Give them the framed photo and mention you hope someone here may want it to show how good the job turned out. .Do not mention money. Next time you go there for work, information, or perhaps a quart of thinner you will probably get a surprise. . Use various stratagys myself and it's funny as they are genuine and the results they produce are mind boggling over time. You may already do simular things. I just did not want to leave my rational if any too ambigious. A verbal thanks is too quickly forgotten and common. Everytime they look at your photo they will associate the cars image with you. Just human nature I suppose in retrospect. (Am I slow or what? Did it again started note, called away and after posting see you had posted first again. sorry.)

Was going to mention before and after pictures in frame but thought you may not have any prior photographs. Just thought I could get cars autograph before stardom from you then vend it and use the money to have someone else paint one of my cars for a change. Need a before paint car? Are you old enough to remember the car with the beady red eyes looking out the holes in body? Contact me if needed as have one that will do. Think have beat you to the post this time anouncing impending stardom as no distractions. Will check and see. (Just checked and I did manage to get posted first. Fully expected to see your latest post mentioning they may want to do a television commercial. Paranoia or what?)

Beachncruz, I guess I was lucky. Neither orange peel nor fisheye. I didn't get clear coat and will probably wish I had it as time goes by. I just checked my estimate and it wasn't circled. Check my previous looong post. The gutter trim has three screws along the windshield post. After removing the screws carefully push the trim straight up until you can get flat thin screwdriver under the pinch. Then leapfrog two tools 2 inches at a time pushing straight up to barely clear the gutter. Try not to let the rubber separate from the metal. Do not pry outward or you will bend the metal. I bent one side and used a spare that had served as a practice piece at the jyard. Take it off as one piece even though the metal has a break above the rear door. After you get the gutter trim off, you will have a clear shot at that other piece you are wondering about. The painted piece has to come off first. Use a very thin flat screwdriver to just barely pry out the painted piece about 2 inches from the front narrow end. There is a short tongue on the narrow end that inserts under the chrome. There are 2 male clips, one in the middle and one at the wide end that press into rubber slots on the chrome piece. When you get the painted piece off, you will see the two screws that hold the chrome piece.
I did leave the door handles on and the painter taped them properly. Are they hard to remove/replace? I started one, had the panel off and one screw out; poor lighting, midnight, I was tired and decided to let them tape the handles.

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Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)

Side seals and rear are easy..Rear seals: take an L shaped small crowbar
and gently open up the front seal space. Insert front seal, pay attention to the ends. now using the L bar close the space you opened up.Call if you need
help Gray 919-923-4321

10 years late on the help...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!