R107 door sills supposed to *shine*?

[Masteraxe2]

Hey,

topic. Are the 107 door sills ( the chrome pieces you step over when you enter the car) supposed to shine like nice polished chrome?

If so, where do you think I could get some?
+ Is ther ea place that has the large chrome pieces with the trunk lock? Thanks

Franz

[Strife]

1. The carpet hold-downs are stainless, and can be rebuffed out if they are not dented too badly. If you mean the entrance (the ledge under the door), the original cars were painted with a rubber piece; the aftermarket has at least three replacements; a large polished stainless piece; a smaller, brushed stainless piece with the MB name embossed into them; and then, there are lighted brushed stainless ones (which may or may not be made anymore). I have the first and second types in my two cars. The full-polished stainless pieces are hard to keep clean and do scratch, but they can be repolished with considerable work (no, a $4.00 can of Mother's polish and a rag won't do it alone). The brushed stainless pieces are lower-maintenance because touching them up with wetordri sandpaper takes out the scratches. They are "easy to install" but not that easy to install correctly where they don't stick out of the car.

Stainless isn't as hard as chrome, but the good news is that it can be repolished like new with the right techniques.

I have mixed feelings about adding these items.

2. The license plate light assembly (three pieces of chrome) is supposedly no longer available, but it was over $400 for all three pieces (not including lock, etc) when they were available; I had a set of these rechromed for about that much. Ow.

[Masteraxe2]

Hm, bud's benz has them on their site? but then again, thats not always updated .
Yeah, I should probably get them rechromed.

I thout my car was stock... I'm talking about the long chrome pieces that cover the cables that run along under the door. That's aftermarket? Do you have pics of yours, cuz my car is still being redone, so I have no access to it right now. thx

Franz

[Strife]

No, those carpet/wiring covers came with the car, are made of stainless, and if not beat up and dented, you can remove them, polish them on a buffer with stainless polish (a special green polish at Lowe's) and they will look like new, until they get scratched up again.

[Masteraxe2]

Ok,

I had a look at the mechanic's, and now i know what you were talking about =).

so, new questions ^^: the carpet holder (cable protector) is brushed, like the rocker moldings? Means its not mirror like chrome, but a fainter chrome, which doesn't get scratched as easily. Hm, good, I thought mine were really REALLY scrached up .

another one: about the door sills, you have the stainless (the mirror one) and the brushed ones? I was looking at the rubber ones today, and i really thought they *had* to be replaced. Which do you suggest? Would the stainless kind of clash with the brushed chrome of the carpet holder?

Thanks!,

Franz

[Strife]

Originally Posted by Masteraxe2

Ok,

I had a look at the mechanic's, and now i know what you were talking about =).

so, new questions ^^: the carpet holder (cable protector) is brushed, like the rocker moldings? Means its not mirror like chrome, but a fainter chrome, which doesn't get scratched as easily. Hm, good, I thought mine were really REALLY scrached up .

another one: about the door sills, you have the stainless (the mirror one) and the brushed ones? I was looking at the rubber ones today, and i really thought they *had* to be replaced. Which do you suggest? Would the stainless kind of clash with the brushed chrome of the carpet holder?

Thanks!,

Franz

The original carpet holder, as delivered, was shiny like chrome, but it's made of stainless steel.

With wetordri sandpaper 200/400 grit, and the proper polishing wheel/equipment/compound, it's possible to restore these to like new mirror condition (assuming that they are not dented much). I've done this on two cars. You need to use GREEN polishing compound, designed specifically for stainless. Take a look at www.caswellplating.com for a good write-up on polishing metal. I used a bench mounted buffer the second time, but I also got good results (albeit more slowly) with a drill-mounted buffing wheel.

New pieces are available, but they are not cheap; further, in my opinion, if you buff your old pieces you can ALWAYS make them look new again in exchange for a few hours of your time. "New" pieces will look beat up again in a year or two unless you have a "garage queen" car. And who knows how long they will be available, and at what cost?

I don't think my brushed door ledge and shiny carpet hold-downs clash, and the brushed door ledge pieces are easier to keep up than the shiny stainless ones. However, if originality is important to you, the rubber pieces are cheap, still available, and very easy to replace. Again, I have mixed feelings about installing these metal replacements and I may eventually go back to stock.

[Masteraxe2]

Ah, ok, i get it.

The carpet holder can be redone myself, whilst the shiny door sills, once theyre screwed, stay screwed. Yet I think shiny door sills would be so kick-ass... anyways, thanks!

Franz

[Masteraxe2]

Hey,
I hate to be annoying, but what you said sounded good!

For me to clear this up: I need a buffing machine, i put one of those buffing wheels on it, and buff the carpet holders with the green compound? Alltogether that costs 150$, eh? Are there any other car parts I could make shiny with that?


And if i were to get those chrome door sills, which i can't redo, could I put some plastic protector over it? Thanks,

Franz

[GSMITH]

Are there any other car parts I could make shiny with that?

http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm

Strife has made me want to do this but I do not have his talent with a buffer. My air cleaner looks much better now but no where close to the one Strife did.