Project Mercedes W126 – The Final Chapter. Enter PPS Shine & Shield! [+Videos]

It’s been more than a year since Project Mercedes W126 began, having finally acquired one in mid-2016 after a lengthy search, chronicled in Part One, in which the search delved into the difference between buying a car like this from a used-car dealer and a private seller…

In Part Two, the search finally came to an end! I’d managed to save a W126 (above, actual photo of the car on the day I collected it) from being turned into a scrapped ‘parts-car’ and began the process of restoration immediately after driving it back.

Part Three involved getting the very-tired interior spruced up, and having blown most of my resto-budget on the mechanical, electrical and paint-work, I decided that instead of replacing the interior, I’d see what could be refurbished (above) instead. So glad I did…

Of course once all was done and seen-to, the next step would be a proper long-distance drive, which I managed to do in Part Four, where instead of just an outstation drive, I took the Project Mercedes W126 on the Evo Enduro (above), a madcap drive from KL to Phuket, Thailand, and back again.

In that epic drive, the W126 not only survived, it never put a wheel wrong and performed brilliantly. I remember coming to the realisation that it was finally doing what it was created to do, i.e. chew-up vast distances with ease. How else do you explain the 80+ litre fuel-tank?

So with the W126 now running beautifully, what was there left to do? That’s when I recalled that after the full paint-job somewhere between parts two and three above, I’d never gotten the new paint ‘protected’. Enter PPS Shine & Shield…

Some time ago, I highlighted this company, in an article which showed just how good PPS S&S was at bringing ‘life’ back to faded paintwork on a car. In that photo above, you can see the paint coming back to life as half the bonnet on that Fiat was being done.

Well, the secondary effect of the PPS treatment after giving new life back to the paintwork, is to ‘lock in the shine’ so that every time the car is washed henceforth, it looks like it was also polished.

As I was going to be away for about 10 days, I left the car with Raymond (above), and despite the paint only being a year old, his trained eye caught some areas that were already starting to show signs of wear, thanks to our harsh climate…

It’s no joke actually, our climate is a killer for a cars’ paint-job. Torrential rain, followed by blistering heat and crazy humidity can destroy a car’s paintwork without you even realising it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6mVl2Z2jcQ

There are several steps taken to ensure the whole car is protected using the PPS S&S protection system, and the results are extraordinary. Oft times many forget that the glass area around the car can also accumulate a tonne of muck, and for a 33-year old car, the glass was in dire need of some attention too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gaNP01-VrE

You can always tell if your glass needs a professional cleaning by the way water streaks across it. Replacing glass on an old Merc W126, if even available, would not be cheap, so restoring it – the same way the interior was restored – is always a better and more affordable bet.

In the span of 10 days, Ray and his team again proved why they’re one of the best at what they do. The Merc looked like it had been repainted actually, and as a bonus, using a different formula, PPS managed to bring even the rear lights of the W126 back to their former glory.

I remember scouring the premises to find my old lights, as I was convinced that Ray had secretly bought new ones for me, because they looked brand new again, see for yourself…

The before and after shots above speak for themselves; 33-year old rear-lights looking new again. It’s the small attention-to-detail things that make a huge difference at the end of the day, and that’s what I’ve come to realise about PPS S&S. Their attention to detail is amazing…

It’s been a month since the Project Merc W126 was given the PPS S&S treatment, and I have to say, it’s working exactly as promised. As we enter the monsoon season, whereby it’s hot and dry in the morning, only to come down in buckets in the afternoon/evening, I’ve noticed that only a quick wipe-down of the car is required, and it looks polished again. Nothing sticks, nothing stains.

You can learn more and see more of their paint-protection work and accomplishments on their social-media page here.

If you’re serious about keeping your new cars’ paint-work looking like it just came from the showroom, or if you want to give your cars’ paint a new lease on life, you really need to check out what PPS Shine & Shield can do for you. – Chris Wee.

Project Mercedes W126 Final Chapter Photo Gallery…