Anyone removed lower body panels... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Dcraig · #1 06-07-2002, 12:35 AM

on a 124? I'd like to remove mine and paint them within the next week or so but I'm not sure where to start. Should I just start removing bolts and clips? Is it easy?

Thanks,

Craig

hedpe · #2 06-07-2002, 01:45 AM

i posted basically the same question a little while back...check this link:

500E door panel ratteling

Dcraig · #3 06-07-2002, 01:57 AM

Sounds like a good start but the thread went from the exterior lower body panels to the door panels.

I want to paint the exterior light gray panels to match the body color. As I see it, I need to remove the 4 door panels, the front and rear bumper covers and impact strips and the rocker cover mouldings on both sides.

TIA,

Craig

hedpe · #4 06-07-2002, 02:01 AM

i'm not sure how to take the bumpers off, I'm always afraid to mess with those things cuz I know i wouldn't be able to get them back on. As for the lower door panels, you gotta unscrew the two screws on the innerside of the door and then they should slide up and off...from what i understand.

yhliem · #5 06-07-2002, 02:11 AM

i'm not sure about the front, but look for nuts at each of the bumper mounts and at each side mount.

the rear has either 8 or 12 nuts, again at each of the 2 main mounts and on each side mount. to remove the rear bumper, you'll have to pulll out alot of the trunk lining materials as the nuts can only be accessed from inside the trunk.

to get the chrome strips off, you have to remove a whole whack or stamped metal retaining clips and then they pop off...i think...

the impact strips require a screwdriver and patience to work each of the plastic tabs free so you can pop off the strip.

NOTE!! pay attention to how the foam pieces fit inside the bumper, they can be confusing to put back in if you are careless.

just be patient and think your way through the process and you should be fine.

good luck!

Oh...re-mounting the bumpers will be MUCH easier if you have someone to help you. it's been a while since i've done this and i've only done it once, so my instructions may be off somewhat, but you get the basic idea.

hedpe · #6 06-07-2002, 02:14 AM

I was always wondering. My front bumper/impact strip? I don't know what you call it. It's the rubber piece that goes across the front bumper and curves around to the side right before the wheel well. There is also one that goes around the back bumper. Very heavy rubber. I'm guessing that's the impact strip? I scraped mine on the my front bumper, the left corner. I was wondering if a 300E or a 400/420E have the same size impact strip as the 500E? If so i would like to find a replacement for cheap, and junkyarddog.com might be able to help, but putting in a replacement for a 300E would return alot more responses i'm sure.

benjay · #7 06-07-2002, 03:09 AM

Maybe i can help you with the r&i of the panels and bumpers.. starting from the front .. the claddings on your fenders ,, there are three clips on the top and 3 on the bottom.. grab the fender cladding by the bottom and pull sharply this will release the bottom clips , then use a pry tool or flat screwdriver to pop the three top clips loose .. these come off pretty easy............the front door panels are held on by the same kind of clips on the bottom ,slide clips on the top and one screw in the bottom left jamb of the door.. to remove the front door outer panels, first remove the screw from the jamb, then grab the panel from the bottom just like the fender cladding and pull sharply to release the lower clips.. once you have the bottom of the panel free ,, grab the panel from the back edge and pull towards the rear of the car.. this will slide the top clips free and the panel should come off in your hands.. the rear door panels remove the same way , pull the bottom clips loose and slide the top free.. the quarter panel dogleg moldings pop straight out on the top and bottom then lift up.. the front bumper is held on by four 13 mm nuts .. 2 on each side.. jack up the car and you can reach these bolts from underneath.. there are 2 10 mm bolts,, one on each side,, holding the sides of the bumper .. these can be reached from underneath also.. a droplight may be helpful but if you look you will find them easily.. once those bolts are removed the only thing left to do should be to unscrew the temp sensor by the licence plate and feed it through the hole and out of the bumper so it doesnt hang you up when you pull the bumper straight off.. the rear bumper.. first open the trunk and remove the side interior trim panels.. there will be 2 13 mm bolts on each side holding the bumper on remove these.. there is also one 13 mm right in the center .. there should be an access hole in the rear body trim panel to access this bolt.. get a flashlight and look.. it will be there.. once this bolt is removed there will be 2 10 mm bolts holding the rear bumper slide brackets onto the rear quarter lower sections.. these bolts should be removed ... the rear bumper should be free now .. pull the slide brackets away from the body while pulling the rear bumper straight off the car..a helper comes in handy here.. if there is a wire attatched to the rear bumper it is for the cellular phone antenna.. disconnect it from the phone module on the left rear inner wheel well and feed the wire out the grommet in the left hand quarter dropoff.. there you go ,, youve got all the qrey trim off your car except for the rocker panels.. there is a rubber strip running down the upper outside edge that is hiding all the screws.. remove this strip and remove the screws behind it.. there are some screws on the bottom of the rocker cover and i believe one or 2 in the front wheel well area of the cover... thats it.. its really not hard at all .. i did my 1994 e320 a few months ago and it made a world of difference in the looks of the car.. (much classier) if you have any questions or anything feel free to ask.. ive been working in a mb body shop for 9 years now and i ve done hundreds of these cars>> benjay

yhliem · #8 06-07-2002, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hedpe
I was always wondering. My front bumper/impact strip? I don't know what you call it. It's the rubber piece that goes across the front bumper and curves around to the side right before the wheel well. There is also one that goes around the back bumper. Very heavy rubber. I'm guessing that's the impact strip? I scraped mine on the my front bumper, the left corner. I was wondering if a 300E or a 400/420E have the same size impact strip as the 500E? If so i would like to find a replacement for cheap, and junkyarddog.com might be able to help, but putting in a replacement for a 300E would return alot more responses i'm sure.

to answer your first question: yes, that's the impact strip.

to answer your second question: i don't know if they're inerchangable. i suspect that they might not be. as far as the bodywork goes, i think only the roof, front doors, glass and trunk lid are interchangable. i think the 300E impact strip is not properly contoured to fit the wider 500E air dam.

you'll have to ask an MB parts guy to compare the part numbers. or you could query Fastlane?

omegabenz · #9 06-07-2002, 04:04 AM

I was just at the PPG paint store the other day and they said that some of the plastics cant be painted very easily and they arent flexable enough because they arent very elastic. The new elastic paints cost a lot of money.

I would try to paint somewhere were it cant be noticed first before you try to remove all the pannels. One of my friends painted his 300E bumper to match the car and the paint flakes off.

Austin

Ashman · #10 06-07-2002, 04:21 AM

the key to good paint is prep work. you shoul dget the paint mixed with the proper flex agents, and use a flexible primer. You should probably clean the side moulding, and sand them to roughen them upto accept the apint. Then you should prime them and wet sand them with finer grits, I.E. 600 and higher.

Once the priming is done and you have a smooth, clean primed surface, you can paint them. When done painting on several even but thin coats of paint, not overdoing it to make it run, and wet sanding in between coats too.

The trick is to wet sand, and use very fine grit, I.E 2000 on the paint, then even higher up to 6000 if you can. After you are finished and have done the final sanding. you should wait for the paint to fully cure, probably about a week, then poilish it with polish and buff them up. then wax them and they should look very good.

I'm sure benjay will agree with me on taking time to prep them. Though he may have some suggestions for the actual priming and paitning methods, I have used this method on y wiper panels, and they came out looking very nice.

Alon