Guidance restoring a R129

[Jerome458]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum and looking to get my Dad's old R129 SL looking good again.

It's the sort of car where it looks impressive from a distance, but the bodywork leaves much to be desired.



It's an imposing car, and it's a real shame the state it's in. That's why I have made it my goal to bring it back to its former glory.

The paint on the other side of the car is my biggest worry as it's starting to bubble, which I have seen here, is not too uncommon; what worries me is a rust colour showing through. I have failed to find a similar thread, and I think will be my first thing to tackle before it gets worse.



As you can see not a good look. Our current thought is to get it completely resprayed; however, I would appreciate everyone's thoughts. Also, if anyone can recommend a shop that could take this on, the information would be appreciated. We are based in Surrey but don't mind travelling to get it done right.

Also, could anyone shed light on the spec itself, as it looks different from other SLs on the road? It may be an AMG line, as the wheels are not common and huge at the rear. Its prior owner was Foxy of Capital Radio not sure if that means anything to anyone, but my dad was rather proud of that.

I appreciate any help I can get because this is a bit of a daunting project for me.

I also look forward to documenting my progress on the forum and all the learning I'm sure will come from this.

Thanks
Jonathan

 

[alabbasi]

Yep, it's going to need a complete respray. The paint shop will know what to do.

 

[oldguy57]

That micro blistering on the doors suggests that the car has had a previous repaint. If you intend to restore the car I wouldn't go for anything less than a bare metal respray because of this but I guess in your neck of the woods that would be expensive (£8k ish? but stripping the car yourself would save a lot ). Depends on what your budget is. Perhaps someone who lives in your area can suggest a body shop. They do make impressive models when done nicely.

 

[Doodle]

Also, could anyone shed light on the spec itself, as it looks different from other SLs on the road?

As far as the pictures go, it's a standard facelift with AMG split rims - more common than you'd think. But that does depend on what you're seeing to compare it to.

The 129 was around for over a decade, and had a reasonable distinctive facelift midway through.

For paintwork in your area, I'd be looking at Andy's Autobarn or Tony Fowkes - both well regarded for this sort of job.

 

[BTB 500]

I've not personally seen an R129 that bad ... they don't generally rust in the same way that other '90s Mercedes did. I assume that's a '96-'98 car (the '99 model year got oval door mirrors) ... what engine size is it? Does it run OK, and do all the electrics work correctly (especially the hood)? From the panel gap it looks like the front bumper might have taken a hit (or perhaps been removed and poorly refitted).

The AMG 18" split-rim alloys were a relatively expensive factory option - almost £5,000 on the September 1996 pricelist. Genuine ones are not that common now (you quite often see single-piece replicas) ... from the pictures those ones are in dire need a full refurb, which I suspect won't be cheap.

Whereabouts in Surrey are you? Not sure if it's still there but there was a good paint shop in West Molesey - Vanleigh Coachworks. They were next to a Mercedes specialist, T M Motors.

FWIW my '97 is visually pretty much identical:

 

[Eddy77]

Bromley Garage Services in Winnersh near Reading are a great body shop. Have used them multiple times as have colleagues at work and always a great job.

 

[ChipChop]

If the car is not currently MOT tested that would be my first step. Around £50 spent will tell you if the car has any hidden rot issues that would be annoying to discover after you have spent thousands on a repaint.

 

[Doodle]

From the panel gap it looks like the front bumper might have taken a hit (or perhaps been removed and poorly refitted).

Scrape on the bumper lip suggests the former; that would certainly dislodge it from location, especially if the bumper bracket is suitably crusty.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Devil's advocate here.

These are expensive motors which are expensive to maintain. You could be looking at a lot, and I mean a lot, of money here.

First question, as someone's wisely said is to establish what kind of mechanical and bodywork condition it's in. Is it anywhere near MoT' able? When was it last on the road ?

Apologies - kind of - for being harsh, but bodywork, drivetrain, and interior could be £10k or £50k depending on where it currently is and where you want to take it. Which can be fine if you have the budget, but not so much if you don't.

I kid you not, the enthusiasts on here know people who've spent six figures on restoring cars which are important to them, not necessarily because they planned to, but because they got caught up in something.

It's work debating / chewing this thing through. There's more to this project than just the price of a respray.

A start point is establishing exactly what it is. For that we need the VIN number, registration, mileage and an idea of how long it is since the thing ran.


.

 

[maggot]

Next post will be the OP saying...it's a 280 ! D'oh !!

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

Wise words in the above comments. I, too would ensure that the car is fully running and working before embarking on the body work.
That said, I have no idea of your budget.

 

[ChipChop]

Also worth noting that unless a respray is done very well, which means lots of expensive preperation time, it will probably add little value to the car. Potential buyers down the line will always prefer a car with factory paint.

One potentially cost effective solution could be to vinyl wrap the car, in the original colour (brilliant silver?).

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The country's top older SL specialist is the SL Shop. They specialise in the renovation of older SL's and sell a few.

Here's their current stock list.

Mercedes R129 for Sale

Their profile is here:

Proud Owners Archives

And a good interview with him by Sam Moores on "Car Chat" - see your favourite podcast provider or youtube.

“Cecil Graham: What is a cynic?
Lord Darlington: A man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.
Cecil Graham: And a sentimentalist, my dear Darlington, is a man who sees an absurd value in everything and doesn’t know the market price of any single thing.”​

― Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

 

[Doodle]

Also worth noting that unless a respray is done very well, which means lots of expensive preperation time, it will probably add little value to the car. Potential buyers down the line will always prefer a car with factory paint.

One potentially cost effective solution could be to vinyl wrap the car, in the original colour (brilliant silver?).

Someone shopping for a concours garage queen at top bidding, yes. The majority of buyers who want something useable won't be quite so fussy, especially given that the number of 129s that need/have received new wings at some point, and therefore new paint.

You still need to sort the bodywork if you're going to wrap it, vinyl is little better at hiding poor preparation than paint.

 

[Doodle]

An offer to the OP - you're on the right side of London for me. If it would help, I'd be happy to come and look over it with you to give you an idea of what you're facing.

 

[alabbasi]

If you're in London, you should be able to get a decent deal on a respray. About 5 years ago, my mothers Polo was side swiped. I took it to a Lebanese guy in Park Royal who a friend recommended. He replaced two doors and a front wing for 500GBP. While I did buy the parts, it was still an effort to disassembled the doors and transfer everything over as the new doors were completely bare, then paint them inside and out.

You'd think that cities like London or New York would be more expensive, but in some cases, competition makes them cheaper.

The work still looks good 5 years on

 

[DanMorgan]

A good service, MOT (check for rot and suspension etc), wheel refurb and full/partial respray is all that needs to be a half-decent, usable classic.

I had the same wheels in probably very similar condition fully refurbed in Bridgend for £480 - that included the dishes being fully polished, centres painted and all new bolts. With regards to the respray, I paid £2,500 in Cardiff for a colour change (green to 040 gloss black) with all the small bits done i.e. inside wing mirrors, doors, engine bay etc etc. However, it may not need a full colour change.

£3/4,000 is all that needs - I've had several R129's and unless you are trying to make it concours condition, it shouldn't cost silly money.

 

[Will]

A good service, MOT (check for rot and suspension etc), wheel refurb and full/partial respray is all that needs to be a half-decent, usable classic.

I had the same wheels in probably very similar condition fully refurbed in Bridgend for £480 - that included the dishes being fully polished, centres painted and all new bolts. With regards to the respray, I paid £2,500 in Cardiff for a colour change (green to 040 gloss black) with all the small bits done i.e. inside wing mirrors, doors, engine bay etc etc. However, it may not need a full colour change.

£3/4,000 is all that needs - I've had several R129's and unless you are trying to make it concours condition, it shouldn't cost silly money.

I don’t think you’d get a good quality respray for anything close to £2500 around here.

To get that rust sorted out properly and the outside repainted to a decent standard I would think you’d be looking at two to three times that amount.

A wheel refurb plus new tyres would be another £1000-1500 or more.

I’d imagine that there’s probably quite a few other jobs and work needed if it’s been sitting for a while.

Not so much of an issue if you are a keen DIY’er but if you’re paying out for labour and parts it can get quite expensive.

 

[BTB 500]

I’d imagine that there’s probably quite a few other jobs and work needed if it’s been sitting for a while.

Indeed. If it's been sitting with the hardtop on a priority would be to get that off and check the hood for operation and general condition (plastic windows etc.).

 

[Jerome458]

First, thank you for all your advice and help, or just replying to this post. I appreciate all the time and information you have all provided.

I think it's best to give a bit more background. My dad bought the car around 1998 from its first owner. In that time, we have not painted it but have kept it in good mechanical order. It has been my Mum's daily driver for the last five years, and it has been relatively flawless over the years. It has been bulletproof, but there have been some hiccups (basic issues), and it runs smoothly. Has around 90 thousand on the clock.

The bodywork is in dire shape because it was left on the driveway uncovered and not moved for five years, around ten years ago. Since then, it has been fine mechanically, as my Mum has driven it daily. However, it was parked next to a bush which protected one side. The bubbling paint is on the exposed side. If you look at the photo of the whole car, which shows its right side, the paint is mostly fine.

We will get the hard top off for this summer, but we had it off last summer, and it all worked fine. The passenger-side electronic seat is not working because of the ECU, but that's not a huge issue, just a tad annoying. The driver is fine.

It's a 320 SL, so not massively rare or unique, but I enjoy driving it.

We are located in Epsom in Surrey, and we are looking to get the wheels refurbed as soon as we are leaning towards Premier Wheel Repairs in Redhill, which seem to be pretty good. Although, as always, any thoughts?

I'm also fairly happy to DIY. I just completed our 12-valve rainbird irrigation system, so I need a new project to keep me busy.