Post pictures of 126 two tone paint - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #1 03-20-2011, 05:50 AM

I am thinking of how and what to paint my freshly resurrected 85 126 300SD. It is currently Mangenese brown and 100% rust free having lived in Memphis its whole life. The sides are dinged and the top surfaces are peeling their clear coat.

I have been thinking of doing a slight color change to Mocca which is a very similar brown but without the metallic.

I am also thinking of putting a lighter (preferably mb) color on the top surfaces and down to that character line which runs along about 3 to 4" below the turn down point on the fenders and doors.

So let's see any 126 two tones that you may have or may have seen as examples so I can think about it better.

Thanks!

t walgamuth · #2 03-23-2011, 06:14 AM

Nobody has a pic of a two tone 126 they like?

Jim B. · #3 03-23-2011, 07:16 AM

You should keep it stock.

The W126 was neveR meant to be a two-tone car. This kind of customizing does not look good and diminishes its value except to the customizer himself, in most cases.

The Manganese Brown color is actually rather rare, (this is a manganese brown 1983 500SEC euro of member "CamelotShadow" in Los Angeles

and if I were you I would go for a really good repaint.

Rather than "two tone" if you must do this, the W126 Gen I vehicles (1981-1985) could sometimes be found with complementary colors on the lower cladding on the sides, fron and rear bumpers - and mirror backs.

As seen on my car:

But the best thing to do would be to paint those pieces in the matching original body color.

The previous owner of my car (admittedly a last year Gen II coupe) in body color..

A nicely refreshed manganese paint job would look great in that scheme.

And a set of chromed or brushed Lorinsers

These are the ones I used to run as seen on my car about 15 years ago:

:

and now have been cleaned up and are on SiNIK84's 1984 300SD

Note the attractive front and rear euro bumpers on it that he's installed.

And the must-have euro headlights of course.

This Gen. I shortie diesel example - seen on a Calif. Delta river cruise, last year, looks nice in Manila beige with its factory painted gray lowers and bumpers

or (W140 8-hole replica wheels from Tire Rack ( a site sponsor) would I think Look very very good at a reasonable price and be easy to keep clean.

I used to have a set of these on my coupe. They were a nice upgraded look I thought. For a coupe or sedan, with your choice of center caps to suit.

I took them off to go for the AMG Penta wheels though..

The W140 shortie SE and SD sedans are a classic sexy Body style for the W126 and handle a tad better than the W126 SEL long wheelbase sedans too.

They look even better with a set of bod color painted slim no_DOT euro bumpers that occasionally turn up in junkyards at a reasonable cost, though they disappear very fast.

as seen on a friend' Gen II 1990 coupe the day he got it in So Cal last year:

The other thing you need, is euro headlights, for a better look, and beam pattern and more brightness - it is the factory look. For the "Compleat" lok get a pair of euro headlight wipers and motors.

Again, on mine:

MS Fowler · #4 03-23-2011, 11:23 AM

Tom,
I tend to agree.
While recognizing that in matters of taste I am not a trend-setter, I think the 2 tone would be a miss.
Mercedes spent a great deal of effort to make the transition at the C pillar invisible, so breaking the paint there would appear artificial. I see that you intended to break it on the crease below the beltline. To my eye that makes the car look "unbalanced", maybe topheavy.

But it is your car, and you are , by training, most likely to be a better judge of "looks" than I am.

PaulC · #5 03-23-2011, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

You should keep it stock.

The W126 was neveR meant to be a two-tone car. This kind of customizing does not look good and diminishes its value except to the customizer himself, in most cases.

The Manganese Brown color is actually rather rare, (this is a manganese brown 1983 500SEC euro of member "CamelotShadow" in Los Angeles

and if I were you I would go for a really good repaint.

Rather than "two tone" if you must do this, the W126 Gen I vehicles (1981-1985) could sometimes be found with complementary colors on the lower cladding on the sides, fron and rear bumpers - and mirror backs.

As seen on my car:

But the best thing to do would be to paint those pieces in the matching original body color.

The previous owner of my car (admittedly a last year Gen II coupe) in body color..

A nicely refreshed manganese paint job would look great in that scheme.

And a set of chromed or brushed Lorinsers

These are the ones I used to run as seen on my car about 15 years ago:

:

and now have been cleaned up and are on SiNIK84's 1984 300SD

Note the attractive front and rear euro bumpers on it that he's installed.

And the must-have euro headlights of course.

This Gen. I shortie diesel example - seen on a Calif. Delta river cruise, last year, looks nice in Manila beige with its factory painted gray lowers and bumpers

or (W140 8-hole replica wheels from Tire Rack ( a site sponsor) would I think Look very very good at a reasonable price and be easy to keep clean.

I used to have a set of these on my coupe. They were a nice upgraded look I thought. For a coupe or sedan, with your choice of center caps to suit.

I took them off to go for the AMG Penta wheels though..

The W140 shortie SE and SD sedans are a classic sexy Body style for the W126 and handle a tad better than the W126 SEL long wheelbase sedans too.

They look even better with a set of bod color painted slim no_DOT euro bumpers that occasionally turn up in junkyards at a reasonable cost, though they disappear very fast.

as seen on a friend' Gen II 1990 coupe the day he got it in So Cal last year:

The other thing you need, is euro headlights, for a better look, and beam pattern and more brightness - it is the factory look. For the "Compleat" lok get a pair of euro headlight wipers and motors.

Again, on mine:

Jim,

Are those AMG's 15's?

PaulC · #6 03-23-2011, 11:36 AM

http://www.stleonardsweddingcars.co.uk/ourcars.html

SirNik84 · #7 03-23-2011, 12:22 PM

Earth Tones...

Jim B. · #8 03-23-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulC

Jim,

Are those AMG's 15's?

No, they are AMG Penta 16's and the car is lowered with eibach springs.

t walgamuth · #9 03-24-2011, 03:59 AM

Sweet!

I have a set of the eight holes which seem to be after market....made in belgium. six and a half by fifteen. Got them from my neighbor who had a one twenty four coupe which he put a ford v eight into but didn't change the diff so it turned too many rpm on the highway and so instead of fixing the problem he sold it.

The man is a wild man who buys and sells and trades cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc. like crazy.

MS Fowler · #10 03-24-2011, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Sweet!

I have a set of the eight holes which seem to be after market....made in belgium. six and a half by fifteen. Got them from my neighbor who had a one twenty four coupe which he put a ford v eight into but didn't change the diff so it turned too many rpm on the highway and so instead of fixing the problem he sold it.

The man is a wild man who buys and sells and trades cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc. like crazy.

Sounds like a great guy to have for a neighbor. Get his "rejects" for a song.

The Ford V8 would turn exactly the same rpm at a given speed as the original engine in that 124, right?

Ara T. · #11 03-24-2011, 06:04 AM

Haven't really seen any 126's in two tone schemes (minus the factory plastic stuff on the rocker panels). I've seen some beautifully done W115/114s though in two tone jobs. I dunno if it would work as well on a 126

t walgamuth · #12 03-24-2011, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Sounds like a great guy to have for a neighbor. Get his "rejects" for a song.

The Ford V8 would turn exactly the same rpm at a given speed as the original engine in that 124, right?

Right, but he felt it was too fast...perhaps the ford makes more noise and fuss at the rpm..

MS Fowler · #13 03-24-2011, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Right, but he felt it was too fast...perhaps the ford makes more noise and fuss at the rpm..

Possible, or after doing it, he didn't like for some other reason, and used the "too high rpm" for the excuse. After doing an engine swap, the differential change would have been child's play, so I suspect some other reason for dropping it.

Antony · #14 03-24-2011, 03:59 PM

Here is a two-tone paint job on a car I just bought. I love it, and thought this was a great place to post a picture. It's hard to see the fact that there are two different colors, but it was the best picture I have to show it.

Skid Row Joe · #15 03-24-2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

As seen on my car:

Jim B's 560 SEC AMG as above, remains the best appointed aftermarket SEC I've ever seen -right down to the color of the car.

I wouldn't tweak another thing appearancewise, were it mine.