Bonnet catch colour

[Raffles84]

Can anyone tell me on a 1964 230sl was the bonnet catch at the top of the engine bay - originally painted body colour or was it cad/metal colour ?? Thanks

[Garry]

Do a search,.. this topic will have two parties for paint and the non paint.  It was a topic of discussion at the last PUB Virginia.  I don’t think there was agreement at the end of the day.  😂
I was on the side of the fitting was painted but the screws were not as i believe they fitted the copper radio suppressor after painting where a radio was to be fitted, thus you may have had some fully painted including the screws and some with out the screws painted.


Good luck with the topic. 

[230slhouston]

Mine was painted. To the best of my knowledge, my car is original.

[Shvegel]

Adding to the already voluminous discussion of the catch and it's fasteners here is my theory.  The catch itself was painted from the factory.  The screws were in place and were painted as well. For those cars without the radio suppression option end of story.  For those cars with the radio suppression copper loops the screws were removed and the loops installed along with new screws.  If there was any chipping of the paint around the screws the screws and chips were painted with a brush and if there was no chipping the screws were left their original yellow cad color.  Most cars with the radio suppression loops show some bits of paint on them while some show none at all.

[neelyrc]

I thought I had posted these pictures after the discussion at PUB Virginia.  I looked this morning and I could not find the post. 

Anyway, my car was delivered to me at the factory with Becker radio installed and after 50 plus years it is clear that the screws for the latch still have some factory body color paint on them.  Could be the screws were touched up after the radio suppression loops were installed.  As can be seen the paint job was pretty poor - runs, etc. The catch itself was clearly painted body color at the factory. 

@Raffles84 asked about this item for a 1964 230SL.  My car is a 1969 280SL, January, 1969 build.  It is possible that there could have been changes in practice over the five year period but I think painting the catch and the screws body color is the correct solution.

[Garry]

Ralph,  I think that is what we agreed that the later cars firstly had the suppression copper on them thus the screws were removed for fitting after the paint process and thus were probably touched up when refitted. 


My understanding, and my 65 is one of them, they did not fit the copper unit till the later vehicles so the 230s were all painted latch and screws.


All of which makes my latch completely wrong for the car and will be repainted when i do a full body paint in the not too distant future. 

[66andBlue]

...
My understanding, and my 65 is one of them, they did not fit the copper unit till the later vehicles so the 230s were all painted latch and screws. ...

Hi Garry,
my July 1966 230SL came with the copper spring. Whether all screws or two or none were painted I cannot say.
The first photo that shows the latch before I removed the firewall pad. To do this I removed the latch but did not take a close up and later when I put it back for painting the screw heads had no paint. See second photo.

[Garry]

Alfred,


maybe someone like Achim or Hans might know what point the copper suppression unit was installed.  My data card shows it was wired for radio but to be fitted, but no copper unit.  My radio in now is not the original as the PO had changed it for the Becker cassette ones of the early to mid 70’s and i have of i in at this point.

[Raffles84]

Many thanks for all your advice guys!

[KevinC]

I guess I am in the painted catch/non painted screws camp...

[49er]

 My car was ordered without radio but came with the wiring and the copper suppression loop installed. The screws were "touched" up after assembly as seen in this photo with bit getting on the firewall pad. You can also see that the plate was masked off in the upper left screw location when the body was painted prior to the latch assembly being installed to assure conductivity.

John

[wayne R]

Sorry to bring this subject back,---but not exactly,
Gary , Ralph,John,or any body, my car is mid 1965,and i
just yesterday painted the underside of my hood--- bonnet,and im not sure,
if i should have painted the  female hood  catch on under hood same colour
as hood ,or should it be grey zinc colour, many thanks to  whom ever answers.
Will do it before refitting hood.

[Jonny B]

Just checked my 280 SL hood latch. It is painted body color, and I think it has not been messed with. Car is a 1970 model, with a late Sept 1969 build date.

[Shvegel]

I am starting to notice a pattern.  Looking at just the copper suppression loop cars the ones with the brush painted screws have evidence of chipping in the original paint around the screws which has been brushed over while Kevin C's car shows no chipping around the screws and no evidence of brush painting runs either.  I think if the screws cam out clean the new plated screws were left yellow cad but if there was chipping around the screws they were all painted body color with a brush.

[neelyrc]

Here is a picture of my hood latch area.  It is as original from the factory except for the 51 years of wear (and a bit of dust).

[wayne R]

Thank you  Jonny B , and Ralph,as you can see about the same as mine,except the colour.