Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: Miloslav Maun on June 18, 2006, 09:34:24
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I have those coloured early levers, they are all fine, only very dirty, the dust seems to be baked into the plastic.
I have used:
-Technical Alcohole
-Technical petrol
-Household solution for dirty plastic chairs
-Soap
-Thinner (stopped using it soon enough before it could damage the plastic)
-Swearing
No help :(
I really do not want to put them back in this condition.
Any ideas welcome.
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How about the plastic polisher/cleaner that Meguiar's makes for the plastic rear windows, or some other plastic polish?
Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic
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Cees, I have looked at their web site and tried to locate some of their dealer here in the Czech Republic and I am afraid they do not have any. Isn't there any other brand producing something similar? It must be a really strong stuff, the dust is 40 years old and won't go easily.
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quote:
Originally posted by Muf
Isn't there any other brand producing something similar?
Do you have a Mercedes-Benz dealership near you? Here in the USA they sell car cleaning products at the dealership, and I believe they are just re-branded Meguiar's products. Perhaps a Czech dealership has something like this?
Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both tops
1994 E420
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Muf - try approaching a dealer in a nearby country, or in the US, whether they will ship to you. Usually this works. If you are having trouble with that, send me an email and I will order the stuff from Meguiair's in Holland and send it to you myself.
Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic
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Eastwood Co. has an article on restoring plastic tail light lenses with AutoSol. http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=826&itemType=CATEGORY&iMainCat=688&iSubCat=826 They sell it by mail and also buffers made for plastic.
Pete S.
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Muf,
Any luck cleaning the levers?
Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both tops
1994 E420
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There's a really nice metal and plastic polish called "Noxon" that I've been very pleased with. It's a cream formula in a green bottle that is a light abrasive. I use it on silver, but have also used it on bakelite with oustanding results. You'll find it with the silver polish in hardware stores.
Douglas Kim
New York
USA
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Plastic polish and elbow grease does it every time. I used some plastic polish (very light abrasive is what makes it work) on the plastic covering the steering wheel MB star emblem in the middle of the steering wheel... it was both lightly scuffed and had accumulated dirt and grit from the prior owner having ground the dirt and grit into the plastic by improperly cleaning it once in a great while. It polished back to the original clear as a bell plastic. But I'll warn you.... use a soft, soft cloth, and rub and rub and rub.... since you're actually removing both the dirt accumulated, AND then you get to the oxidized / UV damaged plastic before you get back to the original plastic material. If you use a larger grit 1st to speed the process, you're going to scratch into the original plastic (under the oxidized/UV damaged material) and then you'll spend even more time with the fine grit polish getting rid of the fine scatches you created with the larger grit.
Another option is to use 1200 or higher grit wet or dry polishing paper (but use it wet) - 3M polishing products but with a piece of hardish rubber as the backing ... like a school kid's pink eraser (so your finger pressure doesn't start making hills and valley's on the surface you're using it on). Then finish with the plastic polish....but go lightly with the 1200 or higher grit wet/dry polishing paper, and use a lot of water (or even use WD 40 or equivalent oil... since what you want to do is create a film lubricant between the protruding grit on the paper and the surface you're polishing... that limits the depth of protrusion of the grit material into the soft plastic.... so you can't scratch the surface readily). Also flush frequently and copiously with clean water so that the loose grit and whatever dirt that comes loose after being embedded in the plastic doesn't start scratching the surface. One of the major constituants of the dirt, by the way, on your plastic is made of a lot of Silicon Oxide particles.... up to several microns in size. Silicon oxide is also used as a polishing compound for rough polishing... a lot of material removal.
Just for your reference... polishing is actually nothing more than making lots of little tiny scratches in the object being polished... the size of the polishing grit determines the depth and widths of these little tiny scratches. The surface appears polished to a sheen and perfect mirror finish to the naked eye or even under low magnification when the depth and width of the scratches is on the order of 1/2 micron or less. Normal paint polishing compounds for "buffing" automobiles is on the order of 2 - 5 microns, but the buffing pad doesn't let the full size of the particles scratch into the paint (or clear-coat), so the depth and width of the scratches are less than 2 microns --- depending on the buffing compound supplier's quality ---- the more you pay the more uniform the size distribution of the polishing particles in a narrower range.
The other action in a buffing compound is the 'wax'... which fills the scratches partially... taking some of the "valley" out of them... making them appear 'smoother'. I say 'wax', but the material used to partially fill the scratch valley's can be any reasonably clear polymer that hardens somewhat on exposure to air --- usually after the carrier (Solvent) evaporates.
The same thing applies to plastic polishes... but what you're after in that case is the smallest scratches you can make with the polishing grit material.... so the smaller the grit, the better the sheen and original surface characteristics... without the polymer or wax that partially fills the valley's.
If this dissertation doesn't help, just remember that almost no surface is actually 'smooth'.... 'smooth as glass' is actually a pretty rough surface finish viewed by scanning electron microscopic methods.... you'ed be surprised how non-discerning the human eye is.... which is precisely why we 'see' a polished surface as being smooth and reflective when in fact it's actually pretty rough. It's called "resolving power".
Longtooth
67 250SL US #113-043-10-002163
95 SL500
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Have the heater control assembly out now and cleaning it (Job 83 in the book I think it is). My wrists look pretty bad. Anyway, the plastic levers (230SL type) are still pretty ratty. I will try to find some of this plastic polish tomorrow. Just wondering, is it possible to source the original 230SL levers? Anyone find them and for how much? I am not interested in going any other route, such as the rubber ones or other variety. Just trying to get an idea if I am stuck polishing out the many tiny imperfections in these.
I've noticed that this job getting them out has been painful enough that I want it to look right. It all started with just trying to replace wood trim pieces.
BTW, I am happy with the Heritage wood pieces from Germany. They are a satin finish and dark. They were recommended by several of you.
1967 230SL
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I haven't had the chance to examine the levers in my car yet. I'm still at the cleaning the fuel system stage.
Do you guys think they are acrylic or polycarbonate? I forget what year polycarb came out.
If they aren't available anymore you could always make a mold for poured acrylic or epoxy replacements.
Alcohol and wet/dry sandpaper were what we used to clean parts at the plastics factory.
Technically you can flame polish acrylic...but there is a fine line you have to walk between polishing and burning...too risky for a rare part and it would'nt get rid of the dirt. It is good for removing scratches.
1967 230SL Havana Brown Auto with A/C
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Hello,
A good plastic cleaner or polish should work fine. I believe the early levers are acrylic. These are far superior to the later acrylic/rubber levers which degraded from UV and crumble.
Be careful some solvents may cause the plastic to dissolve or craze.
Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio
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SLS has them for 200 EUR. http://www.sls-hh-catalogue.de/bin/part.phtml?lan=2&mid=IN02&tid=IN020460&aid=283101&xpos=2327
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I wish 200+ Euros didn't seem so expensive for them right now. Still, it's great to know they are there.
1967 230SL