'81 300SD where to confirm original seat color?

[tyl604]

I have all the original docs for the SD except window sticker with options. How can I confirm that the seats are palomino? Is it in the VIN? Even have dealer service records since March 1981.

[Skid Row Joe]

Start with the Mercedes-Benz museum in Southern California...

[tyl604]

Interesting. What am I looking for - VIN???

Sent a msg to them and will be interested to see if they can help.


Thx

[Marshall Welch]

Try to get the “datacard” for your car. They go by the "Identification Number" in Mercedes speak, or the VIN.

My impression is that the Daimler Benz German name used for Palomino is “dattel”, which translates to “date” in English, but I might be mistaken. At least that’s what’s listed on the datacard for my car.

I don’t know what the current options for obtaining these are. I downloaded a pdf format copy for my car in 2012. I think mine came from the MB USA online database, which used to be available for free with an annual registration. It includes the electronic parts catalog (epc), which is usually very useful, although sometimes has minor errors. Roughly 10 years ago they started charging an annual subscription fee, so a lot of us stopped subscribing to it regularly. I don’t have the link to the epc website on my iPad; if I find it I’ll post it up.

The MB Classic Center in Southern California might be able to help you, if you can’t find an online source. A local dealership might also be able to help.

Edit to add: https://www.startekinfo.com/home

[tyl604]

Very interesting. I reached to one seller about palomino and he reported back that the color was date. That must be palomino.

Need to reach back out to him.

Also reached out to MB Classic Center by email. Maybe they can help.


Thx for the info.

[87tdwagen]

Doesn't your car have a data plate mounted to the radiator top crewmember? All color codes are there and there are numerous sources here and elsewhere to help decode.

AFAIK, there were only 2 Palomino variations, can't recall the date of change, but w123 and earlier had first version, including first gen w126. Second gen w126 and w124s received the second Palomino iteration, which was slightly lighter shade. The data plate will tell you for sure.

[tyl604]

I have a first gen 126, a 1981 300SD. As far as I know the data plate on the radiator has car color but not seatcover color?

Is this not correct? I am looking for seatcover color. Interesting note about two different shades of palomino. I guess I am looking for the earler shade. Someone told me that the german word was something like datte.

Here is a 2008 post with my ID plate and various tidbits of info. Not sure seat cover color is there??? https://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/bodywork-repair-paint-tools-tips-tricks/237210-need-help-identify-paint-code-81-300sd.html

[87tdwagen]

Have a look on the following link for data plate decoding

https://www.benzworld.org/threads/w126-data-plate.1998881/

Should give you what you are looking for. You probably have
264 somewhere on the middle left of the plate
German: Date, or Saffron in MB catalog or "Palomino" in US parlance .

Make sure to use the color code when ordering materials as the names themselves can have various versions. Orion blue is a good example, as there are 3-4 variations and they vary a lot between them.

[tyl604]

Guys - here is a pic of my data plate. I see 904 dunkelblau for the paint color but cannot identify any number for upholstery/interior. Searching the link did not even show a MB tex number that looked like palomino or datte.

My date plate did not match the format of those on line so I cannot tell which number is supposed to be interior.

Ideas? I did reach out to the MB ISP portal guys and asked the question; their website said they would reply within 24 hours but I never received a response.

Thx.

[Alec300SD]

From the data plate the original interior upholstery color was 131 (Black MB-Tex).
If it were Palomino (AKA Date) it would be code 134.
https://www.w126-wiki.de/index.php?title=Lackierung_und_Polster#Polster

The interior was probably swapped out.
IIRC there may be a paper factory build sheet (with the color code) on the interior of the rear bench seat back.

[tyl604]

Alec - I cannot find 131 anywhere on the data plate; where do you see it? (took another look and see 05131; could this be something not interior colors???)

How could it have been black? I am the original owner and it came from RBM, the Atlanta MB dealer. I have known this car from the first day. Do you think it came from Germany in black MB tex and the Atlanta dealer changed out the seats? What about the door cards which are palomino?

Confused. Also I cannot find anything near palomino in all the MB tex numbers contained in the link. (Looked again and see 134 in your chart)

Also wondering about the VIN - do any of the VIN numbers mean color?

Thanks for your help.

[Alec300SD]

Last 3 digits in 4th line in left column, are the upholstery code.




https://www.w126-wiki.de/index.php?title=Lackierung_und_Polster#Polster
From the fourth table under the heading "Pad" (Transtation of German "Polster")...

Until 09/82 MB-Tex 131 = Black
Until 09/82 MB-Tex 134 =date (AKA as Palomino in USA, or Dattel in Germany)




Perhaps there was a typo when the data card was stamped (late Friday shift during Oktoberfest)?
On a W116 at least, data cards were attached to some interior parts to aid the factory workers in installing the correct interior to the correct chassis.
https://forum.w116.org/interiors-and-exteriors/strange-vin-number-stamping/msg57443/#msg57443

If you can't find one of the paper data cards (routing slips) on the interior parts, then I believe you can still request an original build sheet,
after providing proof of ownership (and a nominal fee) to either the MB Classic Center in Irvine, California or perhaps your local MB dealership.

Hope this helps.

[87tdwagen]

Did you as the original owner, order the car, or just buy it at the dealership because they had it in stock?

There were custom variations allowed to be ordered. Have a look at the tables at the end of this link

https://www.w126-wiki.de/index.php?title=Lackierung_und_Polster

You will find that for your dark blue paint, there were 3 standard interior color options, (x) and 2 optional/possible (o) interiors Dattle and Mittelrot. The optional colors were not added to the data plate at build time (Black/Limo) usually being the default. I've seen that before on other custom order MBs of the era that received cloth, velour interiors etc, as US spec cars otherwise.

My understanding is that the optional interior colors were custom order options. Maybe yours was custom ordered, and then not purchased by the ordering customer and offered for sale at the dealership instead.

In either event 134 Palomino/Dattel was available, and if that is what you have, that is your color code for the interior.

[tyl604]

Well, I think we put this dog to bed.

From the link " An dritter Stelle wurde die Farbe spezifiziert:" - not sure what this means but I see dattel as code 4 and I see code 904 at the bottom left of my data plate. And the pic looks very much like my seat color. So I accept dattel as my color. I have also learned that MB considered this MB tex as artificial leather - interesting. It has lasted much longer than the black leather seats that I had on my 6.3 which cracked significantly after about ten years.


Guys, this has been extremely helpful and I very much appreciate your help. I am going with dattel/palomino and will give this info to my upholstery guy.

Many thanks. Again very much appreciated.

[tyl604]

Guys - look at the excellent response that I received from MB USA:

"After diligently checking our internal system record(s) with your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) the upholstery information was not listed. I have connected with the original selling dealership RBM of Atlanta on your behalf and spoke with their amazing Sales Expert, Frank, he confirmed they have a 1982 on their show room floor with the palomino color interior and would like to compare the two. I would like to ask if you could please share a picture of the interior color with me to further research.

I am also currently reaching out to out Mercedes-Benz Classics Center for knowledge they may have pertaining to your inquiry.

Feel free to reply to this email or contact the number below. I am fortunate to have the chance to follow up with you. Thank you for being a valuable member of Mercedes-Benz USA."

Now that is what I call service. Plan to drive over to RBM over the next few days to look at their 82SD with a palomino seat.

Will report. Meanwhile still looking for a good driver's seat bottom or at least a palomino seat cover for same. May be heading over to my upholsterer to see what he can do.

The saga continues.