w124 front wings

[drmax101]

New member to this site but have owned a 1991 w124 300td estate for the last 8 years which currently has 208,000 miles on the clock.

Unfortunately, both front wings around the wheel arches are in quite a sad state due to rust. I am interested in finding out ball park figures for replacement wings and, more importantly, the rough cost of respraying the new panels.

From my search of this site, I have found that I can buy non MB replacement wings for ~£25 each and genuine MB wings for ~£125 each. Is this correct? I'm not sure the genuine parts route is the way to go considering the age and value of the car but the other key factor will be the cost of the respray (and finding a good one).

As the next service and MOT is due next month, my alternative (from a sensible cost point of view) is to trade it in for a late 1999/2000 C class estate as I do not really need the luggage space of an e-class any more.

Any thoughts and info would be much appreciated.

 

[mike65]

The pattern parts tend to be a bit thin, they can be tricky to fit accuratly as well as they are not as well machined and are of course flimsy. Have you considered a trawling the big online breakers? You might get lucky.

Mike.

 

[Bolide]

You'll pay about £150 a wing to have them fitted, painted & blended in. Plus the cost of the wings

A more strategic solution might be to source a good pair of wings in the right colour from a breaker and bolt them on

I wouldn't trade the car - you'll get very little for it as the garage won't be interested in retailing it. There will be plenty of private and specialist interest in it but rusty wings will tend to kill the value

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[drmax101]

Thank you Mike and Nick for the useful info in the replies.

Your comments fall in line with what I think is the most sensible and cost effective option for a car of this age.

Although I have not approached any dealers, I also agree Nick, the trade-in route is not the way to go - the car is much better than the token gesture I imagine I would get from a trade-in.

My next question is on the sourcing front. Do either of you have any ideas on where I should start? I imagine there are thousands of breakers out there. Mike, you mentioned something about the big on-line breakers?

Thanks in advance

Max

 

[42847]

124 wings

europarts nationwide are £55 per pair plus vat delivered to your door they are a good fit but much lighter in weight than genuine ones where genuine ones might last 20 yrs these might only last 10 yrs bearing in mind the price of fitting and painting you might want to bear this in mind ive bought pattern parts they are good but how long are you keeping the car?

 

[turnipsock]

europarts nationwide are £55 per pair plus vat delivered to your door they are a good fit but much lighter in weight than genuine ones where genuine ones might last 20 yrs these might only last 10 yrs bearing in mind the price of fitting and painting you might want to bear this in mind ive bought pattern parts they are good but how long are you keeping the car?

Buy the wings, get them sprayed and then fit them yourself. It's not a hard job and when you have the wings off you can touch up all sorts of other bits.

 

[drmax101]

I have put a few feelers out with various breakers I've found on the internet and will see how far this gets me. I might get lucky! However, I am wondering how I will know if the breaker is offering me a genuine wing or pattern wing until I buy it? Any ideas of what I should be paying a breaker per wing?

Failing that, I will probably go down the new wings and respray route but have not decided genuine or pattern wings as yet. If I do this 42847, I plan to keep the car for a minimum of 2/3 more years to make it economic.

I'm not sure I will be able to fit the wings myself turnipsock but the independant garage I use for servicing is pretty good - will have a look at the Haynes manual though.

Can anyone recommend any decent reprayers in the northampton/rugby area?

 

[turnipsock]

I think the dealers part will be galvanised whereas the pattern parts will be plain steel.

I often wonder why nobody has made a glassfibre wing for 124s, it seems to be crying out for it.

The problem with getting wings from the scrappies is that these wings will be quite old as well and may only last a few years.

 

[Silver Arrow]

Are you sure the proper jobs are galvanised?

GRP wings would be much thicker and might not be easy to fair in. Also in the past, with other cars, GRP tended to be frowned on as not getting the paint finish. However, the paint on my Lotus is well up to my others.

 

[drmax101]

Glass fibre wings for 124's does seem like a good solution. Point taken about how long parts from scrappies would last, I was wondering about this too. Will see what turns up

 

[turnipsock]

Are you sure the proper jobs are galvanised?

not really, but it would seem logical.

 

[BarryG]

Could always buy Stumpys
For sale W124 E280 est
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=23315

Barry

 

[kth286]

turnipsock

I've often thought there should be a supplier of GRP front wings, after all the lower side panels are not metal and mine are colour coded and blend in well with the rest of the car.

There is a W124 E500 enthusiast in the States setting up a business supplying GRP E500 frong wings and lower front spoiler, so that they can be fitted to normal W124 cars.

I am waiting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Myros]

aren't your lower panels

just cladding over the steel door skin. I'm not sure I'd want GRP wings on a 124. What would they do for crash resistance?

 

[Silver Arrow]

((I'm not sure I'd want GRP wings on a 124. What would they do for crash resistance?))

Depends on the thickness. My GRP boat copes with much bigger dings without effect which would crumple a wing of standard car steel thickness. Crazing occurs in the gel coat which is much more brittle than the polyester or epoxy resins.

But if you want it to crumple, one could add honeycomb.