Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => Body, interior, paint, chrome, and cosmetic items => Topic started by: SilverSpear on March 16, 2024, 21:16:09
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Hello family,
After years of gathering parts for my Pagoda, the time has come finally to tackle this project. It is a matching numbers Papyrus white with black soft top and dark blue interior (or Kaviar MB-Tex).
After 13 years in waiting and hunting bits here and there, not to mention life throwing a painful curve-ball that took some time for me to get over, I can confidently say that I have enough resources and parts to initiate my restoration:
1- Parts (pictures soon):
Body/Chassis: 95% of the sheet metal are OE Mercedes: Front and rear fenders, passenger side entire frame piece, chassis frame pieces, trunk, rear, fuel tank, etc... What will remain is the tunnel, dash, soft top area and a part of the driver side frame. Just a few bits are sourced from K&K.
Engine: I sourced everything of standard size and I finally have everything mostly brand new: Crankshaft assembly (x2), camshaft, bearings, valves, pistons, rings, lifters, springs, oil pump, guides, chain, seals, head, etc....
Mechanical pump: refurbished recently by H&R
Fuel pump: older full restoration (new) + additional used fuel pump with an overhaul kit.
Horns: NOS
Tranny: All new or refurbished: brake bands, seals, discs, etc...
Rear diff: lower ratio pinion & ring (VEP), all new bearings, seals, springs, etc...
Suspension: all new, king pins, joints, shocks, springs (NOS), arms, bushings, etc...
Brakes: All NOS, booster, lines, master cylinder, calipers, discs, rear distributor, etc...
Chrome: Will be mostly refurbished, but a lot of parts I sourced as NOS or new. Finally found a local fantastic shop who is doing miracles out of the rustiest parts.
Interior: Soft top, leather and carpet all sourced years ago with 4 extra hides. As someone who is obsessed with this car and trying his best to keep it as stock as possible, I am ashamed to say that I picked a dark red soft top/carpet and a red interior instead. The original color combination has simply no character, but this is at least easily reversible.
Others: I simply can't list everything, but you can imagine the result of my 13 year parts hoarding obsession.
Being international came with a lot of challenges in terms of sourcing parts, paying international shipping, customs, some items like fenders are based on volumetric weight, etc... Found a way to have those shipped in cars being exported from the US. I still have a good list of parts needed for my project.
2- Body:
Rusty, twisted and bad. Yes some will mention Celette, but that is not available unfortunately. I might have an alternative, still working it out.
3- Material:
I am currently living between Dubai-UAE and Riyadh-KSA. I have access to a ton of excellent international paint products, not to mention the existing suppliers where the car is (Lebanon). But I will need recommendations help from the good folks around here at each step for sure.
Some of this material is PPG, DuPont, Eastwood and Glasurit (thinking about that paint brand when the time comes).
4- Skill:
With the abundance of skill and lack of proper equipment in shops in Lebanon, my plan was to purchase a spot welder and give it to a local shop to do the work under my supervision. Then I was shocked by one picture over facebook showing a guy spot welding a tilted Pagoda on a rotisserie in his shop. What better sign could I ask for? Dived deeper into his profile and finally realized that he doesn't work on volume, rather than on a car by car basis and takes pride in his accuracy and work. He also hates bondo.
So guys please wish me luck, quite nervous about overhauling my rusty twisted chassis. Not worried much about the rest.
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Wishing you courage, tenacity and diligence — armed with the knowledge you’ve gathered, luck will follow. Enjoy.
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Wishing you the best of luck and success in completing this arduous task. It will be superb to have another Pagoda back on the road. I am guessing we will see the final product in about three years.
Papyrus white with red interior is my personal favourite, photo attached.
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Please post pics of the chassis restoration as it progresses. I am always amazed to see how skilled craftsman can accomplish such a feat in cars needing as much as your are planning.
John.
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@kampala, thank you!
@AdelaidePagoda, I am aiming exactly to what you posted, minus the sunvisors. Those I prefer the stock color.
@johnk, will definitely do. Also appreciate input on possible oversights as I move along.
But all in all, I do possess a massive database of pictures showing professional restorations with proper spot welds. That will be a good guide during the restoration.
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A few years ago I cleaned up some of the undercarriage parts from rust and the result wasn't exactly as I hoped it would be.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9M5dyKhB/IMG-20130827-00926-1.jpg)
That corrosion has eaten away the surfaces and my plan now is to re-sand them down again, itch-prime and have the surface filled with a bondo product which contains a high concentration of aluminum. Sand them to a smooth finish and finish them with two coats of the epoxy primer (PPG DP90?).
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4mS2SQ1/1.jpg)
Question remains, should I clear coat them or not afterwards?
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If you use the attachment feature then we can zoom in on your pics and see them full size. You're limited to 4 attachments per post, and you can't attach huge files, but it lets us see more detail and ensures the content will always stay on the forum.
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Question remains, should I clear coat them or not afterwards?
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I would finish them in some of the more durable chassis paints that will be less susceptible to chips and could be more moisture resistant. I believe others on this forum have just used epoxy primer though.
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Question remains, should I clear coat them or not afterwards?
I would finish them in some of the more durable chassis paints that will be less susceptible to chips and could be more moisture resistant. I believe others on this forum have just used epoxy primer though.
Like what John? Powdercoating?
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I would powdercoat after sandblasting, most of those under-car parts. For the others I would use a 2K chassis black product, sich as this one:
https://www.eastwood.com/ew-2k-ceramic-aerosol-chassis-black-gloss.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oPI1utjw8uabe9wmb0x_BmPCIuYHiwOblGpm-ffpxUCdhetqPBpAwhoCObEQAvD_BwE&wcid=18669317223&wickedid=672906660478&wickedsource=google&wv=4
https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-2k-ceramic-chassis-black-satin-and-activator.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oD-LbhYmendVLWhmWmSumGEHBu_hn3z0hS2KFrAkDvZ1c0-2Vg0nkxoC2ggQAvD_BwE&wcid=18669317514&wickedid=629946433624&wickedsource=google&wv=4
I would not bother with the metal filler, too much work for only cosmetic effect - perhaps only use it for limited areas.
Good luck with the restoration!
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I would powdercoat after sandblasting, most of those under-car parts. For the others I would use a 2K chassis black product, ….
I did exactly what Cees has suggested including powder coating those parts that could be and using the Eastwood paints on other parts that could not be. The results were very rewarding. My experience was that the Eastwood coatings took some time to dry and cure but once they did they produced extremely durable finishes.
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I would powdercoat after sandblasting, most of those under-car parts. For the others I would use a 2K chassis black product, sich as this one:
https://www.eastwood.com/ew-2k-ceramic-aerosol-chassis-black-gloss.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oPI1utjw8uabe9wmb0x_BmPCIuYHiwOblGpm-ffpxUCdhetqPBpAwhoCObEQAvD_BwE&wcid=18669317223&wickedid=672906660478&wickedsource=google&wv=4
https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-2k-ceramic-chassis-black-satin-and-activator.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oD-LbhYmendVLWhmWmSumGEHBu_hn3z0hS2KFrAkDvZ1c0-2Vg0nkxoC2ggQAvD_BwE&wcid=18669317514&wickedid=629946433624&wickedsource=google&wv=4
I would not bother with the metal filler, too much work for only cosmetic effect - perhaps only use it for limited areas.
Good luck with the restoration!
Thank you so much Cees! And yes Eastwood was on my list and I specifically saw this one.
I am also interested in the esthetics and will try to get her back to perfect condition.
For the subframe, control arms, rear diff, bumper supports will probably see about powder coating. Guess I need to aim for black matte with smooth surface. Hope the local shops can provide that surface finish. Image below
The springs I assume need to be painted with the 2K Eastwood. But I think I have a NOS set though stashed somewhere. That should be enough for my project.
As I was thinking about removing the rust where sandblasting won't reach, I also thought about acid dipping and hot oxiding to prevent rust. And then what is known as galvanizing before powdercoating. Will see what I will deal with in terms of cost.
For the undercarriage, I will be shooting for the raptor liner. There is also a supplier for it locally. Check the forum here: https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=32700.msg237981#msg237981 (https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=32700.msg237981#msg237981)
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You may be ok with powder coating in your climate but I find that where I live on the wet coast of Canada, powder coating is more hassle than its worth for suspension and under carriage if you drive on gravel.
If you get a rock chip on the powder coat, moisture may get beneath and rust may form bubbling off the powder coating. I prefer sandblasting and then using a good quality 2k paint from Eastwood or other commercial firms.
Be careful with the paint fumes with any of these paints - use a proper mask and ventilation
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I second Ian’s com concerns about powder coating. I didn’t find it to be that durable from chipping.
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To add more into the confusion 😂
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Ok, crazy amount of research over few days in order to identify what products I will need for the paint process. Some I will have to import while others are readily available.
Some of the below are set, while there are question marks on the others and appreciate your input on this. Here we go:
PPG metal prep: PD-0115S for bare and galvanized steel and PD-0115A for Aluminum surfaces.
PPG DP40LF epoxy primer and DP402LF Catalyst around the whole car, inside/out/undercarriage.
DP40 needs to be sanded down with scotch brite only
Seam Sealer over first layer DP40LF.
DP40LF/402LF again
Exterior, engine bay: PPG Papyrus white (changed my mind on the Glasurit)
Valve cover: Ultra sound cleaning - Raw
Bottom Engine: Ultra sound cleaning - Raw
Exhaust:
- Manifold: Ceramic white.
- Pipes & Mufflers: Ceramic coating black.
Suspension/Subframe/Rear Diff: SPI black epoxy primer or powder coating (smooth semi gloss). There was also mention of RAL-9005 Jet Black?
Springs: SPI black epoxy primer or Eastwood 2K satin black.
Rocker covers, rocker frames (strip front to back where jack goes):
Trunk, soft top housing: DB 164 Dunkelgrau (PPG - Dark Gray).
Undercarriage: Raptor liner - 4 Liters of white + tint (What tint color will I need that will be of the same RAL as the Shutz? - Question probably for @shvegel)
Quasimolene Paint to imitate the finish, not sure if still available.
Wheel wells: Questionable. Raptor liner body color or Shutz color? Still questionable since it is so thick that it will cover the spot welds and those I will need them to show.
Inside floor area: same as body color while overspraying the seat bracket black.
Sound proofing: X-mat then black sound deadener (@Johnk can you please shed some light here on the product/part number?)
Inside the gas tank:
Old:
1- Clean with Degreaser
2- Clean with Vinegar
3- Clean with POR-15 Metal Prep
4- Clean with water & let dry
5- Coat with POR-15 fuel tank sealer.
New:
Just coat with POR-15 fuel tank sealer.
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Sound proofing: X-mat then black sound deadener (@Johnk can you please shed some light here on the product/part number
I just sprayed the XMat with a black soundproofing coating afterwards to mimic the original look. Can be any black soundproofing available at Eastwood or your local auto paint store.
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Sound proofing: X-mat then black sound deadener (@Johnk can you please shed some light here on the product/part number
I just sprayed the XMat with a black soundproofing coating afterwards to mimic the original look. Can be any black soundproofing available at Eastwood or your local auto paint store.
Thanks John!
Any pictures of the outcome?
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Not a great pic. I resprayed a spot or two yesterday so a couple shiny spots.
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Not a great pic. I resprayed a spot or two yesterday so a couple shiny spots.
Still awesome results John!
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Guys, I was checking the sheet metal that I have and noticed the front cross members do not line up at all.
The black one is original MB, while the lower one is KK.
Both were purchased from KK some 8-9 years ago or so, only noticed them now.
I am starting to doubt the other sheet metal I bought from KK altogether. Shall I order a new one from MB directly and get done with it?
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Advice needed? If you have any questions or issues with K&K sheet metal my advice is to contact Tim Kidder directly. Nobody knows more about his products AND Pagoda sheet metal.
As an FYI K&K has supplied MB with sheet metal in the past.
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I would not worry too much about deviations that small. KK has a very good reputation, you can send them your photos and see what they say.
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Advice needed? If you have any questions or issues with K&K sheet metal my advice is to contact Tim Kidder directly. Nobody knows more about his products AND Pagoda sheet metal.
As an FYI K&K has supplied MB with sheet metal in the past.
I would not worry too much about deviations that small. KK has a very good reputation, you can send them your photos and see what they say.
Gents, I have already emailed Tim the time I posted those pictures, waiting on a reply from him.
In anycase, I am looking into purchasing that crossmember from MB and get done with it. And no Michael, there is a good gap between the sides, I don't want to risk it at all since this will support the front bumper of the car. I don't want it to be crooked because of a mistake like that. That cross member from MB is $100. Might as well just replace it.
I wish I can go back in time and not buy a single panel from KK. Most of those are still available from MB and at half the prices of KK (sorry Michael, don't share the same feeling as you do).
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A small update:
The restoration will be delayed for a couple more months.
Ordered a bunch of sheet metal from mbpartsource and had them shipped by plane over.
They tried to pull a number on me by not sending me parts worth $2,110. I had to file a complaint with MBUSA which basically did nothing to help out.
Not until I got confirmation from MBUSA that those "critical" parts were never sent out, that mbpartsource issued a partial refund, but still owe me $310. mbpartsource scr88ed me big time, everything above 60" by plane will be calculated on volumetric weight basis. So had to order them aftermarket from Babak and incur high shipping costs again. Just beware of this company...
On the bright side, by end of May, I will have everything needed to pursue my restoration.
Not sure if Colin Ferns UK is on this forum, spoke to him in March where we agreed that I purchase from him measurements to fabricate a Jig for the Pagoda and do a proper unibody restoration. Then strangely backed out and ignored all my messages. Anyways, if someone has a jig and is willing to sell the blueprints (other than the 2D that is out there), kindly reach out.