1986 Mercedes 300SL – In-depth restoration in finish 'Nautical Blue Metallic!'

We are pleased to share the completion of a very in-depth restoration of this Classic 1986 Mercedes 300SL at our restoration facility, in Christchurch!

The journey of this project began through a recommendation from an existing customer and upon first assessments of the vehicle, it seemed to have been maintained to a fairly good standard, with only a few corrosion issues present at the time.

We weren’t to assume anything different at the time as we had been told that the car had undergone restoration work at a highly recognised Mercedes restorer, however, to guarantee the quality of our repairs, we recommended to bare metal the car to examine the exact condition of the steel.

To begin with, we stripped the car of all bumpers, lights and fixings and started to remove the previous paintwork, at this point in time, it had become clear that the car had not been restored to an adequate condition with several panels not welded properly. Inner and outer arches had been pushed together instead of being spot welded. We also found rust holes in the sills, that had been covered over instead of being replaced.

When we cut the sills off, unfortunately we spotted that the inner sills had suffered corrosion issues as did some of the floor sections, therefore instead of replicating previous repairs, we replaced everything with new panels. These included floor sections, inner sills, outer sills, inner rear wheel arches, lower quarter panels repair sections and two new front wings. During the process of the restoration, we also made several restoration quality metal repairs as well as fitting a new boot floor.

After the corrosion issues had been taken care of, we finished the Mercedes in the correct shade of ‘Nautical Blue Metallic,’ which was the original factory colour of the car. We then wet sanded and polished the car to ensure a peel-free glass-like finish.

We then turned our attention to the refit of the vehicle, replacing various areas of chrome, repairing broken seat runners and fitting a full factory carpet set as well as fixing the driver’s seat trim. We also fitted OEM rubber seals throughout, refurbed the alloy wheels and gave the mechanicals a fresh service. Prior to the refit of the vehicle, we detailed and cleaned it to ensure that there was no dirt or grime trapped in the fittings, as this could interfere with the paint in the future.

We also cleaned and fabric sealed the convertible roof as well as treated the car to a two-part five-year ceramic coat, for a longer lasting shine and additional protection to the paintwork.

It was an absolute pleasure to restore this Classic Mercedes at our refinishing workshop, we ensured professionalism throughout the entirety of the process and went the extra mile to deliver an unmatched standard of work. All of our efforts were certainly appreciated as we watched the customer drive away with a huge grin!

Are you looking for trusted specialists to take care of the restoration of your classic pride and joy? Get in touch with us today to discuss your next project!