Allen,

Try calling Rusty at buymbparts.com, 800-741-5252, on Monday.

I'm sure all those parts are still available from MB, and Rusty provide great service at a great price (he'll beat the dealer price for sure, would be close with your MBCA discount once you have your member #).

I've heard of folks buying black paint meant for painting plastic or rubber bumpers, and being very pleased with the results. As usual, the better you do in cleaning and preparing the surfaces, the better the final result.

That's funny. I just found his website. I ordered some stuff from him last evening. So, with MBCA I get a discount? That's cool. As much stuff as I'm ordering I'm sure to make my money back.

Sorry, my post wasn't clear. I meant that Rusty's price is lower than what you pay at the dealer, unless you get the MBCA discount at the dealer, and then the prices will be about the same.

The big advantage Rusty has is that the goods are shipped to your door, and he has a price match guarantee.

I probably shouldn't post on this thread, as my cars are much newer than the subject car. Nothing older than a '98. But for making black rubber and plastic bits look good again, I use two products. One is Eagle One Wet Shine detailing spray. The other is 303, which can fix more serious deterioration. If 303 won't solve the problem, you'll need one of the products that contain black colorants. I really don't like to use colorants, as they tend to turn brown over time, so I recommend use of the 303 first ---- perhaps with a bit of rubbing with 0000 steel wool on the larger black parts.

One good thing is, if you buy some 303 for this purpose and it doesn't work, it WILL work for other purposes. Nothing is better for protecting MB-Tex and vinyl, softening leather, and serving as a tire dressing.

How about 303 as salad dressing? Mixed with diesel oil, like vinegar and olive oil? :D

Welcome, Allen!

Meade:

I never tried it, but suspect 303 would make a lousy salad dressing. but it certainly does a lot of other things very well. It works very well for me on black rubber bits that are turning a bit grey --- provided of course that they haven't been let go too long. I like it for this use far better than products with "colorants", as I have found these tend to make the black rubber go brown over time. I've got some eight year old tires on my truck that I've kept treated with 303 that don't have a single sidewall crack. I also apply a bit to my vinyl convertible rear window and allow to soak in before removing with Plexus. This treatment really gets rid of that "cloudy" look, as well as small scratches.

Try calling Rusty at buymbparts.com, 800-741-5252, on Monday.

I'm sure all those parts are still available from MB, and Rusty provide great service at a great price (he'll beat the dealer price for sure, would be close with your MBCA discount once you have your member #).

I've heard of folks buying black paint meant for painting plastic or rubber bumpers, and being very pleased with the results. As usual, the better you do in cleaning and preparing the surfaces, the better the final result.

I have done business with Rusty and they are very good. But if Rusty doesn't have it try mercedesshop.com. If the part is not listed email Phil Rheindarht the owner. He has gotten me parts, that dearlers said were unavailabler. Some were New old stock and some wer brand new.

I need to try both these sources myself. The rubber gromment for the fuel door lock, ruuber gromment came off, or should I say fell apart. I am wondering if I can insert it from the outside or do I have to drop down the entire unit inside the trunk on my 79 450SLC. From what I can tell, I think the latter applies?

Griot's Garage also sells a rubber and vinyl cleaner, and I think also a dressing. Their products are very high quality and they welcome returns if not satisfied. (I have no financial interest.) As you can see, a lot of people also like 303.

Richard:

Who makes the "303" and where do you pick it up at?

Thanks!

303 is strangely difficult to find. In my area, no car parts stores carry it. Some boat stores do. You can order it a performanceproducts.com if you wish.

I like Griot's products too. But here in the hot SW US, it is the UV rays that discolor our plastic, rubber, and leather, and cause these to harden and crack. 303 protects against these UV rays with a value of SP 40. Therefore, it is a long-term preservative, not just a short-term fix. 303 leaves a rather matte finish, so I have been known to soak a surface with 303 for protection, and then use another product on top of it to get a higher level of shine. To my information, the Griot's products do not offer UV ray protection, but I could be wrong. If I am, please correct me.

P.S.

Here is a link to 303's web site.

http://www.303products.com/main.php

Try calling Rusty at buymbparts.com, 800-741-5252, on Monday.

I'm sure all those parts are still available from MB, and Rusty provide great service at a great price (he'll beat the dealer price for sure, would be close with your MBCA discount once you have your member #).

I've heard of folks buying black paint meant for painting plastic or rubber bumpers, and being very pleased with the results. As usual, the better you do in cleaning and preparing the surfaces, the better the final result.

When I got my 79 450SLC home the black rubber parts were white. I went to Pep Boys and got some Back to Black. There are two types on in a squeeze bottle for tires and a liquid in a liquid shoe polish type bottle. This is the one you want to buy. It also comes with a cleaner. After two application in the shade, as it needs to dry slowly. My black trim looks good. This product is a dye, and will rub off chrome and paint if you get it before it dries. After that some rubbing alcohol and and rough nap rag takes if right off. I used some masking tape on the painted areas for the side trim. The bottle I have is a least 2 years old and I have done several restores I had and still have a half bottle left.

Griotgarage.com also sells a similar product but the back to black last a long, long time. Once it is dry on the rubber or plastic, the only way to get it off these material is paint thinner. I wish it came in red so I can dye my console.

I did buy some red spray dye and some dye adhesion spray from underwood.com. I have some empty bottles like the liquid shoe shine bottle I found in a catalog and I am going to "spray" some in one and see how it works on the console. This is much easier then removing the console of masking. Also those foam stain brushes work well for jobs like this. I found a bag of 12 all different sizes and two of each size at Wal Mart for $1.00 the other day. The seem to be just as good as the ones that cost $3 and $4 bucks for two.

Let me point out that I seriously doubt that 303 would be a fix for the problem Al describes. Rather, use of 303 PREVENTS such problems form developing.

Here's another idea from an expert source -- Charles Boyd who is the South Central Regional Director and also a professional Mercedes restorer. If you have hardened or discolored small rubber parts such as gaskets and the like, and if your car isn't a daily driver, you can remove the rubber parts and soak them in brake fluid for two weeks. According to Charles, this restores the rubber to like new condition. It sounds strange, Charles admitts. But Charles says it works. And Charles has some pretty "tall" credentials in Mercedes restoration. He was a speaker on this subject at last year's Star Tech.

I have used silicon spray the same way. I sprayed about a 1/2 can of it into a basin and put in some small rubber parts and they softened up in about 7 days or so.

Another product that works, if you can find it is Gummi Pflege. I found it at BMW when I owned a Z3. It was in a toothpaste type tube and had the consistence of vasoline. BMW doesn't carry it anymore. I did find some on the internet, but the formula has changed it is now in a liguid type shoe polish bottle and has a watery consistency. Now as good as the original. Which as I said I haven't been able to find.

Brake fluid does sound reasonable as most brake hoses are rubber, and I replaced the ones on the 450SLC, which the mechanic said looked like originals. They were OK, but I fgured if I had to replace the brakes might as while the brake lines also. I inspected the old lines and they looked old, but there wasn't any signe of cracking. Now I know why?

As far as cleaning the rubber bumper. I bought some Griotsgarage.com rubber cleaner. It comes in a spray bottle, did a great job of cleaning the rubber and the material on the rocker panels were the jack holes are on my 450SLC. It feels like a sprayed on rubber material. I used a stiff brush on the rocker panels and after they dried they looked very good. I followed up with some Griot's rubber trim restorer. Which is also in a liquid shoe polish type bottle, a bit harder to do as the finish is a crinkle type on the rocker panels. But it was well worth the extra effort they look great. Forever Black is also a good product for rubber bumpers and rocker panels as long at their rubber. This product you can buy at your local auto parts store. There are two types, one a liquid for bumpers, trim etc. The other for tires and is a paste product. I use the paste on the door moldings as neither the Griot's or Forever Black liquid cover the "white" the hard rubber had turned. But the paste has kept the moulding looking good for a couple of months now. These products you do have to reapply, as I said some of them last a while and some you would ahve to rreapply a couple of times a month.

Very nice car, very nice. I wish my interior was as nice. Especially the wood. The shift console wood has some crack in the finish as does the radio ash tray piece. I am finding out these are very expensive to replace. Also, I have gotten several different answers on how to refinish them. Seems the generally opinion is not to take them to a furniture refinisher, as the have quite a different finish then ordinary wood in a house does.