doggy99x

Is there a kind photoshopper out there that can help me? I'd like to see how the Storm Red fromthe SLK would look on my car, and my skills are seriously lacking. Can anyone put the cabrios color on my 300E?

As soon as I can settle on the color, its heading in to the shop. I'd like to have the bumper inserts, lower panels, and mirror bases all leyed the same.

Thanks in advance to anyone that trys!

shadowgriffen

I saw a w124 in a burgandy and I absolutely LOVED it, but NOT RED!

I've seen a red w124, HIDEOUS!

Saijin_Naib

I like your car how it is I dont have photoshop ATM but If i get it soon Ill try and give it a go

shadowgriffen

I agree your car is Gorgeous as-is!

why are you going to paint it???????? You are going to have to shell out BIG $$$$ in order to match your factory paint's look.

doggy99x

The car photogaphs well, but the paint is nasty up close. the clear coat is shot on the roof, its been cut through by some heavy hand with compound on the hood, buffer swirl marks right down to the color coat. Ive got 2 dents that wont come out without needing paint. And, most important, I want it to be single color top and bottom, and Im certainly not going to put money in painting the skirts when the top needs the most help. Thanks to all the kind words, but if you saw it up close, I think you might agree.

As for the color, Ive been trying to find just the right shade. I dont want it too red, more towards the burnt oranges, but the pic I found has a lot of the elements Im looking for. If anyone has samples of a color in that family, with less red tones, please share, and thank you all for your input.

Bigpete123

sorry, I don't have photosphop either. But I sure hope you get the paint job done right, because if you don't pay good money for it from a reputable shop you could end up wishing that you had your old crappy paint back!

I have the same colors on my 300ce, and I don't particularly care for it either. I did lots of research and decided it just wasn't worth the money to me. But to each his own.

Make sure they paint the door jams/etc. I would seriously consider having your car repainted the same color and just color-matching the lower half... cuz the car will look wierd every time you open the hood.

Honestly, our cars are typically only worth around $5k at best now-a-days. You're gonna spend almost that much on the paint job. So I say you should just sell your car and buy a 300e in the color you like.

Sorry, I know this is , but I just want to speak my peace so that you avoid a POTENTIAL mistake. You may end up loving it though.

ZorroAMG

5 minute job, took the liberty of balancing out the lowering...

doggy99x

Thank you for your concern. I will be using a shop that I know well, they usually do hotrods. They will be painting underside of hood, trunk, hinges, door jams, edges of sunroof, everything. I realize that I am paying more for the paint then I did for the car, but I look at it like this:

Buy a new car for 30k, make payments for 5 yrs while the car deteriorates.

OR

Buy a smooth used car cash, put $$ into it every month, car gets better and better and better.

I'll keep up the improvements, and stay ahead of the maintenance, and have one hell of a fun time doing it.

But I totally agree, a Macco or Earl Shieb color-change paintjob would be a sin.

doggy99x

Right on Zorro!

Okay, maybe that shade isn't right, but Im thrilled to see it sitting level, nice touch. I never noticed my tint was blue until you did shopped it. Is there a magic button you could hit so when I leave work, it'll be sitting like that?

mgw_300e

Great job on the PS.

The color is awful, however.

Bigpete123

I think the color looks bad because the sample pic was not a real pic. Or if it was, it was altered somehow, because it looks like it came out of a video game. It just looks unnatural. Zorro did well with what he had to work with, but I think that's why it looks that way.

doggy, it sounds like you've thought it through. To me though, the alternatives that I'm comparing aren't painting your car vs. buying a new $30,000 car, its painting your car vs. buying one of equal value/same model, but in the color you want.

That way, you virtually eliminate the risk of taking a huge loss if somebody rear-ends you and totals your car. If you bought your current car for $5k and put $5k into a paint job and your car is totalled, you lose $5k. If you sell your car for $5k and buy a car in the color you like for $5k (nets to zero), if somebody rear-ends you and totals your car, you have no loss.

See what I'm saying? Trust me, I'm nobody to talk. I've spent twice my car's value in necessary maintenence, plus around $5k in mods (wheels, suspension, stereo system, etc). If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have done the major maintenence. I would've sold the car... because the more you spend on it, the less likely you are to make the right financial decision (i.e. selling it) when the next major problem comes up. Cuz you'll say to yourself, "I can't sell it now, i'll take a huge loss cuz of all of the money I've put into it".

At least that's what I keep doing, lol.

Plus, if you buy a car in a color you like better, you're gonna get a factory-quality paint job that's in a color that matches your VIN number.

Do what you want. I just wanted to elaborate on my perspective!!

mgw_300e

That is my philosophy exactly. A $30k car is usually worth $5-7k when you pay it off, and that's at $400, $500 or whatever a month. Imagine a w124 that you buy for $5k and then spend $400-$500 a month improving. In a short time, you'd have a kick-a$$ W124! Look at Ryan's car - he'll probably get $11k for it. At least when you're talking upgrades, you can do it or not, whichever you want. When it comes to car payments, you can't skip a month or two - unless you like walking!

When I had my Rabbit, my friends would laugh and say "that car sucks, you should stop spending so much money on it and buy a new car. That thing is a money pit!"

So I would sit them down and point out the following facts to them:

Payment on new car: $400
Insurance on new car: $250
Repair on new car: $0

Total for new car: $650 per month

Payment on Matt's car: $0
Insurance on Matt's car: $75
Repairs/upgrades on Matt's car: $300

Total for Matt's car: $375 per month

Summary:
New car: $650
Matt's supposed "money pit": $375
Price difference: $275 per month / $3300 per year
Look on Matt's friends' faces as they are OWNED: priceless

doggy99x

Well said, Bigpete, okay, can someone tell me what year Mercedes made a lime green 300E?

wild_child

I don't know about that paint color on it, not what i had thought it would look like. But i do like how it looks with the added lowering. Well done, Zorro! Definetly a good look for the 300E.

Bigpete123

alright, well if you want a lime green mercedes... then you're beyond help. Just kidding man. To each his own. I'm just trying to help.

YNVDIZW124

Why you talkin ish about lime green?....lime green is the ShiiiT....

e320newbie

awww sickness that is sooo phat man id love to see that roll by! wicked!

shadowgriffen

hah! That ***** would be pimp bro

Que onda wey! Chale homes....

doggy99x

OMG! YNV, That is absolutely disgusting. You are now my hero. That pic is going to be the new wallpaper on my pute. Great job with the PS, I especially like the color keyed rims. Would you mind giving it a shot with a metallic orange/red, perhaps a shade that doesnt require airsick bags to view?

Bigpete123

alright, great man. I wasn't sure if you were being rude to me on purpose in your earlier post. But not it's clear that you were.

I'll agree that I don't like the lime green. But YNV spent his own time trying to help you out, along with all of the others who contributed to this thread. A certain modicum of gratitude and respect would be appreciated.

Bigpete123

by the way, your car looks like a 4x4.

doggy99x

Hey Bigpete, when I said "well said", I meant you made your point very well. If I offended you, I apologize, it certainly was not my intent. My joke about the lime green was my way of saying the color I want isnt a stock 300E color, so even though I agree with your arguement, I will still be going forward with the paint job.

As for YNVs fantastic PS job, I was totally sincere. I think the work he did is the sh*t, and funny as hell. To think that he took the time to do that cracks me up to no end. That photo is in fact my desktop wallpaper now, I have shared his work with all of my coworkers. And the very creative touch of painting the rims too, I am certain that when I paint the car, I will be using that idea,(although NOT in the Lime green, I just dont have the guts.)

So once again, I am nothing but appreciative of all feedback, whether I agree with it or not, and nothing I have said has been intended to slam anyone.

Hope this clears the air.

doggy99x

and btw, I agree, and I'm trying to fix the 4x4 look, thx Bigpete.

Bigpete123

sorry, I shouldn't have said the 4x4 comment. Thanks for clarifying. The way I interpretted your message was you slamming YNV for his personal preferences, which I thought was a little harsh granted that he took time out of his day to help you out.

Sorry, I over-reacted because I was still pissed about the anti-semetic car in one of the other active threads this morning.

doggy99x

I saw that!! I thought I was the only one freaking out!