You can just Google Awlgrip.
Roll and Tip with a foam 4" mini roller and 4" foam paint brush instead of tipping with a regular hair type brush. (It can be sprayed)
So this is a worry free DIY Industrial paint job, without a spray booth or paint accelerators, and due to the slow drying time, dust will fall into the paint, some of it remains and some comes out over curing time.
One quart Awlgrip and a pint of brush converter (2 part LPU hardener) is enough for the whole car. mix small amounts, a little goes a long way, half a cup is a lot. research "Roll and Tip " boat painting
For mixing colors, a LPU type pigment or tints will be needed.
You need to get the bodywork perfect and sanded to 400 grit.before painting.
Use Marine epoxy with fillers instead Bondo or polyester type automotive fillers and stay under 1/16 inch when pulling dents.
Practice welding sheet metal with a flux core type welder for replacing rusted out areas.
Maxbond has good epoxy and fillers, but I just use fiberglass attic blow in type insulation whipped with Maxbond epoxy till pasty for fillers.
Read and follow all manufacture safety precautions.
Use boat painting techniques.
That's about all I can give.
practice practice practice

go to page 2 on this post for painting details.

PutPut, this is one unbelievable thread ! I almost fell over when I saw the dashboard. WOW ! Very nice. Just like my first car, Ford Galaxie 1962...metal dash.

The exterior finish of the cars is incredible !!

Thanks for sharing.

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

Thanx, hope it helps
Love those old cars!
Ford Falcons, Dodge darts, and Valiants too!

Wow, Awlgrip comes in a ton of colors. If the metallics go on the same (they can be tough to roll or brush) then I am on board.

-Rog

Pinto cars also?? LOL

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

You're right about the metallic, I tried rolling with it, and didn't go so well.
That's a job for an experienced spray painter with a booth.

That's gorgeous!

I've always wondered if fitting rain caps on the windows and leaking them open just a little would help save the dashboards. If you let the heat out it might last longer.

Then again, a tan dash won't heat up nearly as much as a black dash.

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

That AG is some Tuff Stuff.

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

Your technique is very similar to the foam/composite homebuilt aircraft construction developed by Burt Rutan known as moldless fiberglass construction. An oversimplification is - create the finished shape using high density foam with hotwire (or CNC) technique, layup the fiberglass/epoxy on the surface, level the surface with filler and paint. It's a lot of work but eliminates the need for a mold.

Great execution and pioneering work on the fiberglass dash. I like it...a lot.

__________________
Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

Hmm, in that case I've been waiting for a project to try this out on, and that might just be it.

-Rog

Yep. takes a lot of coats , filling and sanding with home made plexiglass sanding blocks.
I'm not the first to do this,
There are cast molded fiberglass dashes on the market out there, some in carbon fiber too, I didn't find any for Mercedes.
Thanx

That looks like a really nice mod. Super clean look. Pretty much out of the realm of possibility for the average guy who doesn't do fiberglass, though. When my dash eventually cracks, I'll probably try recovering it with vinyl.

__________________
1982 300CD Petrol/Black Leather

That was the first thing I tried with the dash.
Found out the hard way that The vacuum form method requires a special type of upholstery vinyl that is for vacuum heat forming. The fabric in regular upholstery vinyl doesn't allow it to stretch in all directions.
$1800 was a quote I got to have it have it professionally done this way.

So then I tried sewing a dash with marine vinyl which came out ok, only problem was I should have used a high temperature contact cement,
because when the sun hit it, The glue softened and vinyl started to lift.
I'll see how this fiberglass does, otherwise,
I'm thinking leather would be the way to go with the proper contact cement.
One of the forums, a person did do it in leather and came out real nice!
Would like to hear how yours comes out
Good luck

I have a vaccuformed dash cover I don't need. PM me if you're interested.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?