DIY Make Your Door Checks Look Like OE
 

On my 81 240D and my 82 300CD, the OE door checks are painted the same color as the car. As my 82 CD needed a new check, and since my door was already taken apart, I got ready to make it look like original...

This is what the OE one looked like on and when I took it off my car:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...5/IMG_2802.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...5/15f780fa.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...5/3cb0f86f.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...5/3fa09105.jpg

The whole thing was painted! I wasnt going for that, I figured the anodized coating was good enough for protection on these, I just wanted the look.

This is the part from MB:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...98B9094DFA.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...98B2ECADCF.jpg

As you can see it has an anodization coating of some sort on it, but I wanted it to look like the OE one. So I had some Lapis Blue Metallic mixed up by an automotive paint place in both a touch up and an aerosol spray. I know the touch-up was spot on so I got ready to use the aerosol on the door check (which is why I bought it).

So I masked off the check very well:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EB818B1F37.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EB6C1AE284.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EB78F3865C.jpg

And then because the whole thing has a slight coat of oil, I cleaned the part to be painted with some pre-painting preparation cleaner.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EB89D2B718.jpg

Then into the painting box it went to get primed with the primer they recommended:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EB92E6B985.jpg

And then primed it with two coats:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EB92E6B985.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EBBFBEB6C1.jpg

Then we went to the color coat:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EBD61D4A5A.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EBCDD3CAB8.jpg

Which when unwrapped looks like this:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EBE71FC771.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EBEF5D497F.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EBF55364A7.jpg

It is tough to verify the match of color using such artificial light, but I think it looks good, certainly good enough for a door check. I didnt put clearcoat on it because I didnt see the point... I may wax it before installing though :)

So the tracks of the check show no signs of grease:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...98AC65BE26.jpg

So I put in some Amsoil Series 2000 synthetic racing grease. I was going to use Dow Molykote 33, and may regret my choice in the future, but I wasnt sure just how bad the applied pressures were in this application...

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EC1E1C07AA.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EC12F85877.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EC0A0466B9.jpg

The finished product:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...EC32CFC5DE.jpg

Enjoy!

it looks cool. nicely done.