I am going to be gifted an '83 380sl this weekend. Running and parked for 2 years. You cover a lot of ground on your channel. Glad I found it. I'll be busy with my project for a while.
The SL looks much better minus those fancy add ons. Most of these aftermarket body kits are made with no thought on shape, form or function and make a perfectly made car look like a cross between a circus badazzalement of colour and Liberace's piano. However having said that, there are a few add ons that enhance a cars look, like the chrome strips I had on my W116 green 280S door edges. The car was an import from Japan and were made tastefully of good materials.
Thank you. I agree. Funny you mentioned that because my car still has those metal door strips. I thought they were original. Unfortunately, if I pull them, I’ll be left with the rivet holes. I’m planning on keeping them.
Good afternoon. I am going to take a look at mine this week. Yesterday, I looked under and they are attached exactly the way yours are attached. Hoping that the fender area underneath is as pristine as yours are.
@@sophiathe380sl Hey, how are you today? Well I took a look. I have four small brass screws instead of rivets on the underside. I had a good Phillips head screwdriver and I am unable to budge the screws, on any of them. Maybe I need a smaller head on the screwdriver? I need to be careful it doesn't slip and gouge the body. This weekend I will try using something called Godzilla lube...a green alternative lubricant. It worked on an antique desk lock and one of the door locks on the house. It is supposed to dissolve the rust and make removing the screw easier. I think the screws just need loosening at the contact point. I will let you know. My body shop guy says he can remove them, but I will save some coins by removing them myself IF I can do it safely. A new MB tech I connected with in my area may be able to do it as well. I am also deciding if I want to keep the chrome wheels or not. I have the next generation (the flat wheels). I also listened to the Pierre Hedary and Kent from Mercedes Source talking about the dangers of aftermarket wheels and suspension stress. The original wheels are 6.5", some of the aftermarkets are 6" I will keep you posted. Thanks
@@sophiathe380sl Hello, how are you and Sophia today? Well, all of my efforts have failed. As mentioned I don't have rivets, but just the brass screws. I have tried 5 screwdrivers, spaying a little lubricant on them, and this morning I tried a Phillips head bit attached to one of the power screwdrivers. Ughhh, so I guess I will have to make an appointment at the body shop. Surely they will have electric power to unscrew them. I so hope the fender lip is pristine underneath.
@@sophiathe380sl Hey, hope this finds you and Sophia well. Success. I took my SL to the Bodyshop guy I know. His partner came out and took them off in about 10 min; no charge. The secret? A SOLID screwdriver LOL. So, it isn't as pristine underneath as your fenders were underneath, but I think it is just dirt. I did see tiny areas of rust, near the front bumper and forward of the rocker panel, which is why these are so dangerous. It is rainy this week, but on the weekend I plan to do a good cleaning, but the car already looks better without them. There was a huge amount of crud under them. My brand says "Signature Line Fender Trim" Original Fendertrim, whatever that means. Mine don't say where they were made. This is not OEM for Mercedes but I know that the old 600's had it. They cleaned up nicely. The black shields are in perfect condition. I am not sure how to load images, I guess if I go to my channel, there is a place to load them. I will work on that. Other than that, scheduling some services and learning how to use the soft top. TTYL
@@sophiathe380sl I am 80% OK with the US bumpers. They do a nice job of protecting the body from drivers who don't know how to drive 🤨. But I will say I only like them best on a black car because they tend to fade into the color better. At some point, I might convert because I like the Euro headlights.
