W124 Replacement Front Wings

[JSR]

Hello,

I hoping to get some advice on buying OEM front wings from Mercedes or aftermarket OE spec wings.

So my local dealer can get me OEM front wings for £250 each inc VAT, but I know ECP sell then for £82 each inc VAT.

I’ve always believed in “you get what you pay for”, but the ECP option seems very tempting. Having a look on eBay there seems to be other advertised around the same price.

Has anyone had any experience using aftermarket wings and make any recommendations?

 

[Charles Morgan]

If you have the money buy them from Mercedes. They fit so much better and you won't have to pay labour to the bodyshop to get them to fit. There is a huge variation in quality around and the worst really show.

My favoured option though is to keep the original and to have a repair section cut out of the pattern wings and then weld that into the original etc. That way the amount of paint blending is much more limited and you don't have to worry about original fit.

 

[optimusprime]

The aftermarket wings are not that good So i would look for second hand original wings in good condition. This will be hard to find a rust free wing .But it can be done if you look in the right place at the right time .I looked for 2 years ,but i did manage to get one the same colour and just bolted it on.But i am still looking for the drivers side front wing.

 

[baldyden 1]

replacement wings

Hi their just see your thread I just bought 2 front wings from Mercedes Benz in bury st Edmunds. I paid £316. 80p plus vat =£443. 16p and got them in two days. They had some still in stock at mk. I was advised by other people they fit better and are worth it in the end. If this is any help to you regards denis

 

[chris clk320]

Hi I fitted ECP wings back last summer and actually was pleasantly surprised by the fit.

I have no doubt that MB genuine wings are much heavier and will last a lot longer but I wasn't sure I would keep the car that long and was surprised.

One side was a perfect fit no fettling. The other needed the point just below the A post easing slightly.

It was a case of just loosely tighting the bolts and then easing around until the best fit. No trouble and I am not a bodywork specialist.

Maybe I just got lucky.

 

[brucemillar]

Hi I fitted ECP wings back last summer and actually was pleasantly surprised by the fit.

I have no doubt that MB genuine wings are much heavier and will last a lot longer but I wasn't sure I would keep the car that long and was surprised.

One side was a perfect fit no fettling. The other needed the point just below the A post easing slightly.

It was a case of just loosely tighting the bolts and then easing around until the best fit. No trouble and I am not a bodywork specialist.

Maybe I just got lucky.

ECP can & do come up with some good parts on the 124's but it does seem to be a bit hit & miss. I have used their front indicators which are about 70% cheaper than the OEM (Bosch) ones. They were perfect, both in fitment and appearance. A friend used their front wings and these were also almost as good as the OEM for fitment but were clearly inferior in terms of weight/thickness.

If they are happy to have them back with no loss to you then they are worth a punt. As mentioned above, beware of pattern body panels. They can cost more in fitting & fettling than genuine OEM.

 

[optimusprime]

Well for me i am giving up .Looks like removing the cash from my wallet with a crow bar and pick up a new Mercedes original wing . I have had a couple of offers off the forum but i was let down one way or another So i end up with nothing after aranging for a courier to pick one of them up for me ,
.I will get a price Tuesday fron my local Mercedes dealership in Stourbridge..

 

[JSR]

Hi guys,

Apologies for the delay in responding been busy with work. I have managed to source a second hand original MB wing. It has a small amount of rust but it is repairable.

After doing some research on-line I've come up with the following repair method;

1) Remove rust with a wire brush

2) Apply a product called DEOX-GEL from a company called "Bilt Hamber Laboratories" not sure if you guys have heard of them. its a non toxic gel that eats away at the rust. The before and after photos online are amazing but hope the results live up to it.

3) Apply zinc primer from Bilt Hamber called ELECTROX. This should seal the rust and prevent it from coming though the top coat hopefully.


Ill try and upload some photos of it when I get a chance but it could be a few weeks.

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Buy a can of Dinitrol Rust Converter, spray it on and let it set. It seals the rust patch as well as treating it then build up as normal. Make sure that you do the headlight area and the wheel arch otherwise you'll be revisiting it in a couple of years..your process is not a million miles away.. I did similar on an old BM 735 wings treated, then zinc prime a couple of coats the a couple of red lead, then Dinitrolled the whole wing, a couple of coats.. 10 years later before scrapping the car you could still cut your hand on the manufacturers edge...
Its all about the preparation and how far you want to go to prevent further attacks of rust...

 

[chris clk320]

Hi JSR,

Before you tackle the outer surface you want to make sure the inside of the wing is absolutely spot on and cleaned and rust proofed. These wings rust inside out as the inner wheel arch linings leave metal exposed to dirt and stone chips.

Maybe just terminology but don't use a manual wire brush get yourself a wire knot wheel for your drill and a flap wheel that will cut back all of the rust.

Then I swear by dinitrol system to get any remaining rust left in the panel.

Then zinc prime.

Then fill and then paint.

But I have to say that welding in a repair section is going to be a better repair.

Hope that helps
Regards
Chris

 

[wu56Shoozz]

^ Yup! He's right... I just thought we were talking from the inside out already seeing as the wing is off already??