I Know Nothing In NC

**nmwhitneyjr** · 11-15-2017, 06:13 PM

Greetings all,
I`ve done all my own auto repairs for years, now it`s time to man-up and learn the art of detailing. Why, after 48 years? Well, I recently picked up a nice 1991 300D Mercedes. Low miles and in excellent mechanical shape... but it spent the past 5 years or so parked under pine trees. A friend of mine is deep into detailing, but I can`t keep going to him when I`ve got a paint problem. Here`s a link to an album with some photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskrytsm3

Paint needs some major correction work and, since I don`t have a garage, it needs maximum protection. I`m hoping for a DA polisher for Christmas. I`ll admit that in the reading I`ve done so far, the polishing product choices are overwhelming. Not even sure where to begin. I`ll keep reading and ask questions.

Peace,
NMWJR

**WashRinseRepeat** · 11-15-2017, 06:43 PM

Greetings from Raeford / Fayetteville.

Ask away the community here is very welcoming and helpful!

**tom p.** · 11-15-2017, 06:44 PM

Morgan, welcome aboard! How many miles on this 300D? Looks like a nice car! We`ve had a bunch of MBz diesel autos (`79, `83, `87, `95, `98 and `99)...all great cars. I always coveted the 5 cylinder W124s but never found one nice enough in my area to consider.

Is the car covered in pine tar? What`s your greatest concern right now?

**Ronkh** · 11-15-2017, 07:18 PM

hi

**ExplicitDetail** · 11-15-2017, 08:18 PM

Welcome, I`m pretty new here myself but I`m sure you`ll find this forum to be rich with knowledge and frequented by a very helpful member base!

Based on the pictures I saw, the car looks pretty good for it`s age! I couldn`t see any really bad sap, but I have recently dealt with a car that was parked under a tree for about 8 months and covered in the stuff. There are a number of different ways to attack these spots, some are going to be harder on the clear coat than others...knowing I was going to be putting in some serious multi-stage paint correction combined with the fact that this stuff was literally baked onto the paint and hard/crystalized, I had to get fairly aggressive. Some options include a soap/water mixture, bug & tar remover, with other alternatives ranging from WD-40, hand sanitizer, goo gone, or isopropyl alcohol (<--particularly aggressive if not diluted). As with just about anything detail related, I think most people on the forum would agree when I say 1.) start with the least aggressive method and work your way up as needed, and 2.) do so in a small, less conspicuous area (i.e. the "test spot") before you do it on the hood, for example.

Beyond that, the 2 things I think would have the biggest impact on the car would be to restore the plastic trim/cladding (especially on the bumpers) to give it a clean, fresh, matte or semi-gloss look and obviously a pretty thorough compound/polish/wax or sealant to bring that paint back. Before you can get started on the paint, however, you`ll want to wash and decontaminate (and for a car that old, I think you`d get the best results with a chemical decon + clay bar). As far as the paint goes, if you`re just getting started I personally find the Griot`s Garage 6" DA to be a great starting point (swap out to a 5" backing plate), and the BOSS creams/pads are color coded and have been very impressive in my experience thus far. Other people like the Porter Cable or even a $60 DA from Harbor Freight for a starting point. Just be warned, this could be pretty time intensive and costly, but if you enjoy seeing the results of your own hard work, it`s very rewarding! There are tons of great how-to videos on YouTube, guys like Mike Phillips (over at Autogeek), or Larry Kosilla (Ammo NYC) are just two examples of people who share a TON of useful info, check them out!

Best of luck!

**nmwhitneyjr** · 11-16-2017, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by tom p.

Morgan, welcome aboard! How many miles on this 300D? Looks like a nice car! We`ve had a bunch of MBz diesel autos (`79, `83, `87, `95, `98 and `99)...all great cars. I always coveted the 5 cylinder W124s but never found one nice enough in my area to consider.

Is the car covered in pine tar? What`s your greatest concern right now?

It`s not covered in pine sap, but there are a half-dozen or so spots that are baked on like epoxy. I haven`t gone after them yet with anything... but I have a can of Turtle Wax bug/tar remover that has worked well in the past. Also, the PO put those nasty door edge guards on and evidently "helped" them stay with some of that black tar/butyl window sealer. Underneath the goo, I`m sure the edges look great, FWIW. My greatest concern is to get some sort of correction/protection in place before the rush of the Holidays takes all my spare time.

As for the car itself, I bought it from the son-in-law of the original owner (who bought it in Germany straight off the assembly line)... 112,000 documented miles. It was evidently a garaged Sunday Driver for the first couple decades of its life. Son-in-law inherited it after the In-laws passed. He drove it infrequently. Mechanically, it only needs a front flex disk, transmission mount and an accessory belt tensioner. Everything else is in order. Only one oil leak at the level sensor on the side of the oil pan.

I previously owned an `84 300D Turbodiesel. My Dad had a `77 300D n/a and a `68 280SE. My mom tells us that we need to get into a Ten-Step Program. ...and there`s also an `02 Golf TDI in the barn.