1969-1971 Mercedes-Benz W111 280 BEFORE We Restored It. |
We have included these pictures so you can: See why it is so Important to have Us Restore your parts for you & So you can learn about the Color Change automotive woodwork goes thru !!! |
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We are trying to show you a fairly common example.....of Color Change. & We are trying to teach you that: The color of your woodwork now.....is probably not the color it was when it was new. Many folks....even some so called experts, will try to claim that the color of your woodwork NOW, is the color it was, when it was new. Not True !! |
For starters, here is the picture you saw on the main page. When our customer called us to discuss the restoration of their woodwork, they thought that their wood might be Straight Grained Walnut or Mahogany. We told them that the walnut was a possibility, but that mahogany was not...and that once we received the woodwork, we'd be able to tell them. |
They also mentioned that they thought that the back of their Glove Compartment Door had been veneered in a different wood type...compared to the rest of the set. |
They took the car to a shop where the wood was taken out and sent to us for restoration. Here is what it looked like Before we restored it. |
Automotive Woodwork starts to change in color from the moment it is exposed to light. Depending on the species of wood,and the exposure to light, the change can be subtle or dramatic. |
Below you can see why our customer thought the back of their Glove Compartment Door had been veneered in a different wood type. Their woodwork had Changed to a Tan/Yellow color and the grain patterns were barely visible....but that is not how it began its' life. As you can see, from the wetted part, this set is rich in color and has gorgeous contrasting grain patterns !!!!! |
The back of the Glove Compartment Door was hidden from light and so it didn't change in color. AND, you can see areas where other parts were not exposed either. |
Our customer's woodwork was actually Rosewood...!!! |
The wood had changed to a Tan/Yellow color and the wood grain pattern had faded so much, that the normal dark lines and wonderful contrasts found in Rosewood had all but disappeared. No wonder our customer thought the wood was something other than Rosewood. |
Below, you can see areas on the dash, the glove compartment door and the lower trim strip that were hidden from light. Those darker areas have lightened up a bit over the years..just from age, and were somewhat darker when the parts were new.
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These next 3 pictures are examples of how much things had changed. |
Except for the broken windshield bow, this set was "structurally" in very good shape. We repaired the broken bow and it is as good as new. |
Often customers send us parts where the sub-structure is delaminating or the windshield bows are broken at the corners. We are able to fix most of this type of structural damage, so don't rule out anything !!! No matter how bad your parts look to you....send them to us.....odds are we can restore them for you !!! |
The Instrument Pod is one of the parts that usually got the worst exposure to both the heat of the sun, and to moisture. Often times the clear finish is gone, the wood veneer is coming off the substructure and sometimes, the substructure is delaminating. Of course, we can fix all of that. Except for the finish, our customer's Instrument Pod was in very good condition. |
Here you can see that the clear finish is cracking and coming off...but the underlying wood veneer is intact. |
Fortunately, this Instrument Pod came to us Before moisture began to cause more problems !! |
Also, the mounting tabs are in excellent condition. Often they have rusted off or are missing completely. If that is the case, we can make you new ones. !!!! |
Even the underside of the Instrument Pod was in great condition. Often the support members are coming off and the structural veneers are having trouble. But "not to worry" we can make those repairs. |
We restored our customer's woodwork back to looking "Showroom New".....they love what it does for their interior...!!!!! |
( Sorry that we don't have any AFTER pictures of this set....our customer says they'll send us some..... ) |
Hopefully the pictures above and our explanation of color change has been helpful to you. Now you understand why, when you have us restore your woodwork, the parts come back to you darker than they were prior to restoration. Also, now you know why it is important to have us restore All your woodwork, All at the same time. |
Below, are right dash panel ends from some old salvage cars. You can see the four wood types that Mercedes-Benz offered. |
The lesson to be learned from this page is that, automotive woodwork can go thru some pretty major color changes. Therefore, it is really important to have all your woodwork restored by us - all at the same time. That way, there are no color issues, the finish will be fresh and your parts will look "showroom new". |
When it comes to restoring your Mercedes-Benz woodwork, there is no better choice than to send it to us ! |
- Give us a call today - 805-962-1579 |