560SEL Black grille

[cgoodwin]

The front end of the W126 is such a beautiful and classic design I just got tired of the old plastic and crap US spec lighting.

The first step was to refresh the grille, ours had a piece broken off, was old and chalky and the chrome bits looked crap so we elected to buy a new grille piece and new chrome bits, the screen was around $30 and the chromes around $5 ea. Once they arrived we decided to spray bomb them satin black and let the whole thing cure overnight. The following morning we cut the chromes to match the old ones for length (die grinder), bent them a little to match the curvature of the grille and installed them.

The grille assembly removal is simple, about 10 8mm sheet metal screws which screw into speed nuts and the whole unit comes off. Lay it on the bench on a fender cover (to protect the chrome and freshly painted plastic) and slide the 3 spring clips hon each side (holding the plastic to the chrome Grille surround) inward. Remove a phillips screw on the bottom and a 10mm nut which screws onto the back of the Mercedes crest and remove the plastic. Put the new one in and you are done!

[gmaltz]

Looks Nice!

[BenzOnline]

I was thinking to do the same to mine because I have a spare grill but im not sure yet. It does look nice though.

[afmcorp]

would you have any other fotos of your black mercedes. i'm going to paint mine black [currently real dark gray metallic] and i am working on different trim colors and front end options but i need a basic car to start with.

so if you are open to this i would really appreciate it.
tks
craig

[cgoodwin]

Will be happy to send some pics once I take them, what viesw would you like? The direct side, front and rear are the clearest from a design perspective, but the least attractive artisticaly...Interesting really as most of the images people post of their cars are the equivelent of "mug shots". Car photographers always favor the high 3/4 view, taken from the drivers side in front and to the outside of the car from a hight slightly above or below normal eye level...

Opps, I used to be a photographer for Nat Geo and it is all comming back now ;-)

Do you want to send me your email address so I don't post a dozen images on the sites server.

Also I have quite a few images of other 560SEL's I robbed from www.mbnz.org galleries

[afmcorp]

hello

it looks like you have your PM turned off. you can pm me and i will forward my email address.

the shots i am looking for is one straight on the grille including the bumper and lights and the corner lights. the other is head on to the rear end and the last one is straight on side shot with width enough to hold the front and rear bumpers.

what i am planning if it looks ok is to take the chrome grille and paint it black and remove and plug the star. i already have the sec grille insert with the star and the plug. i blacked my stock grille out like yours. then i saw one (other model but similar) with it's chrome surround painted black. boy did it look sharp. so i want to play around abit before i start just to see how things might look.

i'm also going to go to the mbnz.org site to see if i can find anything.
tks much
craig

[Hatterasguy]

Looks so much better! Mine is getting painted black or blue to match the rest of the car this spring.

[cgoodwin]

I will shoot some images but I think you can find what you want on the net. I believe that some of the AMG's had the chrome grille blacked out, don't like it much myself and can't imaging how you would do it short of bead-blasting the chrome off and having it powder coated. I have tried painting chrome a hundred times in the past, BMW 2002 and VW cal-look jobs and a few 911's with black window chrome...None of it worked ...For long!

Don't much like the body color idea much and I have to say I am not fond of the SEC grille with the big star in the center either. I think that on a black car the stock grille with the black plastic bits is the cleanest. But to each his own...Check out Benzboy's 560 I have a picture of it printed out and placed on my counter for chuckles, he likes it so what the heck, and after all....it puts a smile on my face to look at :-)

[cgoodwin]

Here is why I want to have Monoblocks, what a beautiful car! Mine has the clear corners and I am getting the Euro lights tomarrow, other than the Euro's and the Monoblocks mine is identical.... Except I just ordered chrome mirror backs to cover the discolored plastic.

She is owned my a Kiwi or Aussie who goes by "Mattman". Once I get the monoblocks it will be everything I can do not to install a supercharger. I by no means need the power but what the hell, I don't really need the car either! Work on them all day and it is hard not top become a collector!

[cgoodwin]

Not my taste at all. You would never see the Yakuza or John Gotti (Famous 560 SEL drivers) driving this would you?

[afmcorp]

you're right about the amg there seems to be something harsh about the overall effect. might be just the foto but now that's why i want to fool around with the picture first before commiting to the sandblaster. and yes blasting is the only way to clean the chrome good enough to accept paint.

the other foto you posted is puss. there is a white benz just like it here don't remember the handle now. and there is another that looks like the black one he's 420sel. did the sec driving lights to his bumper. he did a good job on them. his is set up like the black except he had 17" wheels.

what i am planning is the 18 x 8.5 not mono but a wheel with a bit more open spoke. i may be wrong but i was going to powder coat the calipers. already have the H&R sport lowering springs. i can powder coat here and i will paint it here also.

the problem i have with the blacked grille on mine is the dark grey just doesn't look good. some how it clashes with the black grille and just makes the grey look dull.

went to the benz org there is a bunch of 126 postings too many for me today so i might get lucky. the other foto you posted is super gives me a good picture of what the finished product will look like.

[MikeTangas]

Yep, that looks like Mattman's 560. He is a regular poster here. The blacked out grille looks great on the 126, I had intended to do mine but hadn't gotten around to it. Hopefully I will have a place to do in a month or two.

Here are some more pics if anyone is interested.

Rear

Side

Front

Matt.

[afmcorp]

thanks mattman, these are the exact fotos i was looking for. i noticed that the side view appears to have the clear rear tail lights. would you have a shot with those on??


:p

it seems we've got the right group responding so let me pose a question regarding the rear end appearance.

i was considering installing one of the add on tail covers that appear to be tail lights that goes across the section where the license plate is.

or

i was considering a set of clear covered tail lights

or

leaving it stock as is.

any opinions as to what looks good.

i want to do something to change it from a stock appearance. i'm just not sure which way to go. your opinions are very much appreciated!

[afmcorp]

excuse me mattman!!! but now i see your rear foto does have the clear lights. somehow i was thinking it was all clear. those do look good.