Update on dash wood replacement

[Richard1]

I finally got around to installing the refurbished dash wood from Heritage Woodworks and the new windown, hazard switches...100% improvement in the interior look...better than original. I will say that I did not do the thin wood strips by the glove and vents and will now have to since it looks so shaby next to the other wood.

[suginami]

Thanks for the follow-up.

Can you tell me how much he charged you and for what piece?

[Richard1]

It wasn't cheap....I believe it was around $275 to $375....dont recall. You can buy new wood pieces cheaper....if you do a search, someone posted the name of a good after market shop in Germany that fabricated them.

But, I really like the look of these....hard to believe that anyone could have done a better job.

[Richard1]

I should have said that was for all the wood pieces. And, I should also have said that if you are going to do the wood, you're going to change the switches too....the faded window and hazard switches would look terrible next to the new wood.

[Mike T]

Richard, Do you have any pictures of the update? Also, did your car come with the wood or did you add it?
Mike

[Richard1]

Mike, I'll try to post pics when I have a chance. The wood is the original that came with my 560 SL and was not in terrible shape but had some cracks and was greatly faded.

[suginami]

Hey thanks Rayson.

I'm in a hotel in San Antonio right now, but when I get back, I'll give Pee Wee some love for ya.

She sure is a sweet and affectionate little dog. I'm afraid I love her too much.

[Richard1]

Finished up the job...removing the thin strips near the spedo and the vents was not as hard as I thought...next time, I'll wear eye protectors because the old vanish literally launches itself at you...makes a 100% improvement, although at $350 for the revarnished wood, I think just buying aftermarket would have been less trouble and cheaper, although the results would not have been as good.

[sparkyt]

I have looked all through the forum and haven't found anything on something other than wood for the interior. My 73 needs serious attention in this area. I am very interested in seeing alternatives to wood. Can anyone help me?

Mark

73 450sl red

[Richard1]

Sparky...since no one answered, I'll try....besides wood, I haven't seen any other options for your dash. I assume you are wondering if you can get plastic? Not for the early models.

[sparkyt]

Richard do you mean that only wood was used in early models? In looking in 70's-80's stick thread this 73 on Ebay doesn't have wood. EDIT: dead link deleted here
I'm not to sure if this is what I'm looking for, but it's getting closer.
Oddly enough I looked at a 73sl about a year ago that was also a manual that didn't have wood. This site deemed it to be a gray market and advised me to stay clear of it. Maybe none wood was only in Euro models.??

sparky

[Richard1]

I don't know about the 73s but I looked high and low for options for my 560SL and real wood was the only option.

[DanielG]

http://www.exoticwooddash.com/mercedes.htm

Sparkyt -- I was following along on the thread -- check out the above website -- they offer wood and carbon-fiber dash kits. I don't know this company or the quality (or lack thereof) of their product, it was just a site that I found while looking for similar information. Scroll down to 450Sl/SLC.

If you use them I would be interested in knowing what you think of their product. Best of luck.

[sparkyt]

Thanks Dan!! Isn't this forum great.

[Richard1]

You are a lucky duck Sparky....this site's prices are a lot less than you'd pay for real wood. They don't make pieces for the 560SL, less than you'd pay for wood.

I added up the cost of all my dash work and with shipping, came to $370....lovely, but costly.