Rocker cover detailing

[W163ML500]

I polished out my rocker covers, finished this, took them to simply get clear lacquered and put back on.
It went bad in a hurry, the power-coating company turned the entire covers milky and thought this was how it should be.
I got them to remove the lacquer, and to my horror they used too strong an acid bath and physically melted my both covers.
I got a another set, but are in poor condition, so had to spray them to get this ML back on the road.
So, i have another set to start polishing out soon and will fo another thread when I start the next set and fitting back onto my engine.

 

[W163ML500]

Not sure how many images at once allowed here, so will do it in stages.

I polish by hand, so took weeks to get these done as being disabled takes it toll and slows me down on anything i try to do. Hence why i can only drive auto's now and never able to ride a bike or motorbike again.
90% housebound, so lock-down, I never even noticed.
I refused a wheel-chair, not happening.
I have black boxes fitted and various systems on top, and am hooked up body-wise to a life machine and an emergency system for when i fall over, which is most times I try to walk really.
plus not allowed to drive on my own and am limited to times and distances via black-boxes monitoring me, so carers have to come everywhere i want to go, and take over driving if we go longer than 1 hour.

I will say I moved on top of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales, so remote, I have no TV, cable, satellite, mobile phone reception, and only have a Victorian copper cable giving me the internet over 16 miles, so the slowest recorded speed in the UK, at 33K/B's. This is 0.03 M/B's per second!!!

I am giving out a bit much info on myself, but i hope this will make you realise i am happy, but do not need trolled or bad comments or anything upsetting said to any post i make.
I expect maybe too much, as i am scared of forums and the way people attack each other, but I came here for help and advice with my ML500 rebuild, nothing else.

 

[W163ML500]

The finished covers in all there shining glory, and i still have the air intake cover to do one day also.

 

[W163ML500]

And to ruin a good job above, here are the finished rocker covers after i got them back from the powder-coating company, ruined, and the acid has melted the actual magnesium covers.

I could have gone loopy on the company, but a young lad of 25 years old just starting out, so I let it go, and hope he learns in life he has a legal responsibility to his customers.

But, he did do a 100% perfect job on my wheels and all other items after this, as i gave him loads of work to do for me at once. So I know he knows he messed up big time, and this is good enough for me.
The wheels are way beyond the perfection I expected, and pop, as they were is a serious condition, almost on the verge of needing replaced because of the muck thrown on the inner rim from the brake discs with mud and road grim over 18 years of the life of the merc.

 

[Spider10]

Some time and effort gone into them keep up the good work some people would of gave up years ago ,enjoy life that's my policy

 

[W163ML500]

Some time and effort gone into them keep up the good work some people would of gave up years ago ,enjoy life that's my policy

Perfect, thanks, I know most people will give up, but this is how I have always been, stubborn, but also know when to call it quits.
You get one shot at life, so get on with it and enjoy it as best you can.

I have the third set here ready to start all over again.

 

[Spider10]

I agree im also stubborn gets me into trouble sometimes, keep the photos coming ,we are all a nice bunch on here compared to other forums I've been on

 

[Dickster]

Great work, and great attitude

 

[oldguy57]

Great work, and great attitude

Seconded.

 

[SpikyMikey]

That's great work - and welcome BTW!

 

[Athey]

A job very well done. Having borderline stage 4 lung disease myself, it’s sheer stubborness that keeps me going. Never give up!

 

[BenA]

Those rocker covers looked amazing, such a good job. I hope the next set come up as well and the powder coating goes better.

 

[W163ML500]

Thanks all for the interest and replies.

My third lot are now with a company who are going to water-blast them to get the insides cleaner as they came from an engine outside for a lot of years and were like tar inside, but at least the outsides were not badly corroded.

I saw the engine when new from mercedes in an image, and thought, this is screaming out for serious detailing and showing off. I am stuck with the water-blasting, as the guy is some three weeks out on back orders, thanks to lock-down, but this is okay for me.

 

[W163ML500]

A job very well done. Having borderline stage 4 lung disease myself, it’s sheer stubborness that keeps me going. Never give up!

I do not know what stage 4 means, but 1,2, then 3 sound horrendous, and you are at stage 4, so this must be horrible and scarey for you.

 

[chic0821]

What a brilliant job you did, only to be ruined by some idiot. Hope they replaced them. Take care.

 

[oldguy57]

Thanks all for the interest and replies.

My third lot are now with a company who are going to water-blast them to get the insides cleaner as they came from an engine outside for a lot of years and were like tar inside, but at least the outsides were not badly corroded.

I saw the engine when new from mercedes in an image, and thought, this is screaming out for serious detailing and showing off. I am stuck with the water-blasting, as the guy is some three weeks out on back orders, thanks to lock-down, but this is okay for me.

I doubt that water blasting alone will clean sufficiently well, unless your guy means vapour blasting which involves water and some form of media. I've been watching a few You Tubes on dry ice blasting, which looks an interesting concept if you only need a component cleaning of muck rather than paint/rust removal. Worth a look.

 

[W163ML500]

I doubt that water blasting alone will clean sufficiently well, unless your guy means vapour blasting which involves water and some form of media. I've been watching a few You Tubes on dry ice blasting, which looks an interesting concept if you only need a component cleaning of muck rather than paint/rust removal. Worth a look.

Yes water blasting with a medium, as in soda crystals.
done wet with water, or dry with compressed air.
These covers are Magnesium, not alloy,

 

[W163ML500]

What a brilliant job you did, only to be ruined by some idiot. Hope they replaced them. Take care.

I said already in the beginning of the post what i did and how i walked away knowing the damage was done, and the company also knew what they had done.
I let it go and suffered the loss myself, as to go after the company, just one person who has just started up not long ago, would be out of business in no time if i went public and created a stink over what he done.
I now have another set slowly getting the same work by me, so hopefully soon it will be be able to be back to where i was months ago.