SL trim removal

[nubbin.]

A friend of mine who owns a bike shop and rebuilds carbon fibre bike frames has offered to make carbon fibre trim panels to replace the "aluminium" console and door trim panels in my SL55. Can anyone talk me through or advise on how to remove these panels without damaging them?

[stringbag]

Afraid not, but you might get an idea from the parts catalogue, as it has expanded diagrams of all the components, so you could work out how it fits together! This is the SL55 AMG page.
www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb1.asp?TP=1&F=230474&VIN=

[sneijder]

Center console trims have screws hidden away if you start pulling the ashtray out, the door panels have to come completely off to get those trims off.

Not one for the novice, but easy if you've done it before.

[nubbin.]

sneijder said:

Center console trims have screws hidden away if you start pulling the ashtray out, the door panels have to come completely off to get those trims off.

Not one for the novice, but easy if you've done it before.

I thought there'd be more than just a few plastic clips holding them on! I'll have a chat with my local dealer and see what they suggest. Thanks for the advice.

[sneijder]

You'll probably find they have someone in the workshop who's done it a few times already.

Loads of people change wood for aluminium or black piano, in fact keep hold of your removed parts and EBAY them - retail price new for the aluminium is IRO £1000.

I know of a salesman who tried to talk a customer out of speccing a new SL with light designo wood (not many shades of balsa wood) in a black car. It looked disgusting. After the handover the customer was seen to sigh deeply and rest his head on the steering wheel after realising what he'd done.