Folks, I have a bit of experience as a DIY'er with refinishing interior plastic and vinyl. I can go in to serious detail about how SEM products are far better than Duplicolor versions, but I'll save that for another time.

They say a photo is worth a thousand words. I'd say these photos do more to describe the effectiveness of SEM ColorCoat than any words could ever do.

Bear with me, because these aren't Mercedes parts. They're only meant to give you an idea of the results you can obtain with aerosol cans of SEM ColorCoat. Prior to being re-coloured, these parts sat in a salvage yard for a few years, and were exposed to the elements. They now look like new, and are a colour which was never offered from the factory for this particular vehicle.



The following photo shows the original black textured area that surrounds the gauge cluster, as well as area which has been sprayed with two light coats of SEM charcoal grey. Notice how the leatherette texture of the painted panel is still present.



I have a few more photos buried somewhere that I can post from various cars and parts that I have used this stuff on, and will try to dig them up soon.

From my perspective, there is no question in my mind that anyone still contemplating the use of Duplicolor vinyl spray on their Mercedes after seeing the results of the SEM products should be slapped in the head, and forced to forfeit their Mercedes for a used Kia.

I don't have any photos of the Duplicolor results anymore, but their product always covered poorly compared to SEM stuff, and the grain and texture of the original finish always vanishes behind the glossy, cheap plastic appearance of the Duplicolor. The Duplicolor also scratches through easily, and will look like complete crap in no time when applied to a part that sees a lot of use such as armrests and door pulls.

Show some interest, and I'll waste my money just to do a side by side comparison of the two products on samples of vinyl and plastic. I think it's that important for people not to ruin their Mercedes with Duplicolor vinyl products.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

So, the SEM holds up better? Is it like paint that sits on the surface or does it actually absorb into the plastic?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

where to buy?

Did you use any of the SEM prep products on the vinyl/plastic? It says the aerosol can be used on fabric and carpet, would you recommend it?

I've cheated a few times and wiped down newer, clean vinyl with lacquer thinner and then tack ragged them prior to spraying them. Older parts that have been exposed to dressing should really have SEM soap run over them, and plastic parts come out best with both SEM Soap and adhesive activator sprayed over them before application.

Where to buy? I've answered your thread elsewhere, but for purposes of continuity, I'll stick it here, too. A few online suppliers carry the product line, but a lot of auto body supply shops carry it to, so finding it locally isn't too hard these days. Check your yellow pages, folks.

Carpet use: It works for freshening existing colour, or correcting minor spots and fading, but it won't change the colour of carpet. For carpets, I'd still break down and buy new stuff unless my old stuff is really still very nice, and maybe just has a couple of small spots, or very slight fading.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

The SEM products hold up far better, and when used by anyone with the slightest bit of competence will come out looking like the part is new.

it is a surface finish, but it also softenes and bites in to the old surface rather well. Rigid and semi rigid plastics do best when used with the SEM adhesion promoter. ABS falls in to this category. Vinyl surfaces just need to be clean and dry. SEM surface soaps and preps are ideal for eliminating old dressing, and providing the ultimate surface for finishing.

You know, SEM should be paying me for this. They could at least throw me a new container of SEM soap, since a mouse decided to eat a hole in my last bottle.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

Thanks.. I'm glad I snagged most of the remaining interior of that W123.. I only have a few parts to "paint" black. I'll go with a gloss black.

There are a few places in the area (orlando) that are carriers of the product. I just have to drive.. 100 miles round trip.. for the stuff.. I'll wait until next week to get it. I'll get the soap and adhesion products as well


I will look into the carpet dye. I might be able to find someone to do it or luck out on ebay

The finish glass is all the same for pre-packaged colours, and it happens to be semi-gloss. Three clear coats are available: matte, semigloss which looks more like satin to my eyes, and gloss. You may find the standard finish of the ColorCoat to be fine, as it's slightly glossier than stock MB panels in a W123 were originally, but not so much as to cause serious glare if you were to use it on a dash panel.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

SEM is great if you are coloring the same color and just want to make it look new. But if you are doing a color change there is a problem. I SEM painted my palimino Interior black. It came out great and the coating is very strong. But every time I pull the instrument cluster I scratch the SEM and I can see the palimino clearly below. I have the same problem removing the ashtray and if I'm not careful removing the seats I can scratch the console. It is easy to touch up one these scratches occur but its not like the real thing.

If I were to do it again I would probably try a dye first and then the SEM on top, hopefully to get some depth to the color.

John Roncallo

The pieces I have to do are

drivers side kick panel (under dash panel is coming from delivery valve)
passenger side kick panel and kick panel EGR door
Door sills (I have two in black that I will use for up front)
I might have to do the front door panels if no one has any front ones in black
speaker grills in the rear


everything else I have in black( except the carpets....)




I re did the interior of my Dodge Colt when I had it. It was orignally a grey. I used the duplicolor stuff and it came out pretty well. I prepped by wiping down with rubbing alcohol, wet sanded it then washed it with mineral spirits... painted... did three coats and then did a matte clear coat so it looked factory.

I later found some black interior panels and they looked exactly the same. I didn't have any issues with scratches or flaking.

I was given this car from my neighbor. I painted the steelies black, did a roller job on the exterior in gloss black, and the interior was black... It went from a 200$ beater to a $1100 daily driver I drove for like 6 months while learning how to drive. After that I sold it to some kid for $1100... I soon found out he nuked the engine. I really liked that little tin can.

I'm sorry to hear you've had this problem. It sounds like an issue with bonding, either due to surface contamination, or possibly improper application. On the other hand, I once ended up with three cans of the stuff from the same lot that just didn't stick worth a poo on anything. That problem went away as quickly as it developed.

I've had no trouble getting it to stick like crazy to a door sill plate that sees a lot of abrasion from shoes, etc. It was scrubbed with SEM soap and a grey Scotch pad, and had adhesion promoter sprayed on it, then a strike coat of ColorCoat directly over to the wet adhesion promoter, just like the instructions say.

Maybe you stumbled upon a bad batch, or the surface just wasn't clean enough before you started.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

so what a person will need is

SEM Soap
Scotch Bright pads to clean
adhesion promoter
vinyl or plastic prep
colour of choice


seems easy

That about sums it up. Most of the effort involved is in the prep work. Wash everything down with something like Dawn and water first, then hit it with the SEM soap and scotch pad. When the water evenly coats everything without beading, or pulling away from any portion of the surface, it's clean enough to start painting.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

I restored a 250C for my wife. I used the cloth interior from her 220. It was blue. I transferred the seat covers, the rear seat was a bit of a pain since it is a different shape in the coupe, had to restitch it. Obviously I couldn't transfer the door panels and window uprights. I pulled the door panels and uprights, cleaned them with a mild soapy solution using a bristle brush and finished with a 50/50 denatured alcohol wipe down. Sprayed them with three coats of the SEM "Shadow blue" (I think that was the name of the color). Perfect match, it's been over a year and not a bit of the old Palimino shows through. No fading or "bleed through" and here in AZ that is amazing.

I'm sold.



Ignore the seat pulled loose from the bottom. I was re-stitching it and wanted a trial fit. I've attached the map pocket. I had to repair the lower clips on it and re-installed it. The top trim is cracked from our wonderfull AZ sun. I'm trying to locate new ones but this shows the SEM paint.

Well, I;m sold. I don't need any right now, but this stuff sounds pretty good.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

The toughest spot I've used it on is an arm rest. Three coats and there is no wear through or colouration issues. There's 30,000 miles of my elbow on that arm rest since I changed the colour of it, and it still looks good.

Yeah, it's great stuff! I've got to get some more of it so I can be rid of the bamboo interior pieces left over from my car's previous life. Maybe I'll do a nice tutorial.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread