Mercedes-Benz SLK
Grant makes further progress with his new SLK – including unforeseen wheel refurbishment
OWNED SINCE October 2020 MILEAGE SINCE LAST REPORT 505 TOTAL MILEAGE 43,737 LATEST COSTS £563.07
1999 MERCEDES-BENZ R170 230 SLK
I’ve read on numerous forums that Mercedes alloys are prone to corrosion, but the outer face on each of mine appeared to be respectable. Some peeling around the centre caps didn’t strike me as particularly urgent… until one of the front tyres developed a slow puncture. The Kwik Fit technician pointed out large areas where the finish had lifted beneath the rubber causing air leaks, and a temporary fix required material to be removed from the affected area; the only permanent repair would be a complete refurb. Having heard good reports about ACC Alloy Wheel Refurbishment in Hampshire (01428 751899) I removed the factory rims for the trip to Liphook. It was then that I noticed that the nearside rear outer wall was severely cracked; these are not run-flat tyres, but it seems this one really had. SLK tyres are staggered with 205 width up front and 225 to the rear and an internet search revealed that I could have a pair of Avon ZV7s delivered direct to ACC and they would do the rest. With new rubber all round, those few days with the Merc on axle stands allowed me to clean inside the arches and suspension and re-coat the calipers in their original dull grey. For the wheels, I chose powder coat over wet paint due to the longevity and robust finish. The process starts with dipping the rim before media blasting ensured a perfectly clean surface to accept the powder coat. With that cured, a lacquer coat adds ample gloss to the silver finish before ACC fitted and balanced the tyres. Brake dust plus life on the road will soon dampen their as-new appearance, but I can enjoy perfect rims, if only for a while. I had also previously noted that neither door cards were completely secured to their frames when closing both door openings. Three centrally located screws were in place but the six outer fixings had all broken away leaving the door card to flex when pulled, allowing the hardboard base to break up. Further research confirmed that mine is not the only SLK to suffer this fault and with side airbags fitted my first task was to disconnect the battery. I followed an online video and carefully prised the outer clips free of the door frame, each still connected to their plastic fitting that should be attached to the door card. Care needed to be taken when removing the small tweeter speakers before the panel could be laid flat and the damage fully assessed. Areas of the panel clearly required re-sealing, replacing the factory bond that had apparently failed over time. Once the outer clips were released the plastic
fittings could be re-attached to the card using contact adhesive; luckily their initial locations were obvious having left tear marks on the board. Care should be taken securing the outer clips back into the door frame but after a day of bonding the door cards have regained their factory feel. So, two jobs down on my path towards SLK perfection. The next job is to lubricate the roof seals to prevent any leaks and then to tackle the interior, whose ‘soft touch’ finishes are beginning to peel.