quarter panel advice
 

I'm about to buy the lower half of the rear two quarter panels. Each one costs $149 + Shipping. Is this a decent deal in your opinion? I need to replace the area behind the wheel wells that has disentegrated due to rust. Thanks!

You might want to examine your inner rear fenders carefully. There are patch panels available for those as well. In my location once the outer fender lips are pretty rusty usually it involves the inner fenders as well. Depends where you live to some extent. But I am pretty far north and live in an extensive rust belt. You might try price shopping a little as well as 149.00 american seems a little high but on the otherhand I have not purchased these panels for about two years. I believe I paid about 60.00-70.00 canadian or a slight amount higher. I have always suspected that different vendors of these panels pay different prices. So the so called retail varies quite a bit. I am aware prices do tend to rise with time though. Depending where you live cross canada auto parts might be a source of supply to look at on the web. These aftermarket panels are pressed in danish presses in europe. Also southern salvage metal might be worth a look at as well if cost effective and available. A lot again probably depends on where you live. Just check things very carefully to make sure all your metal that will meet the new panels is not bad.. It's much like the old expression. Where there is smoke there might be fire.

Try to find a member with a parts car that is solid in this area. I got a patch panel for the same area for free from a board member. :)

Barry,

Thanks for the reply. I'll check those places you suggested. I spent about a half hour online searching for panels and this place is all I could find (Adsit company). I'm on a limited budget and the goal is to get this thing in shape enough to pass state inspection (maine). Once insurance cuts me final check for my now totaled 84 300d (NO rust) I'll have money to attend to the finer details.

Thanks!

Where are you in maine? I live 200 miles past the maine border with Canada. I might just be able to help or at least get you prices. What about the metal on your totalled car? Usable? I am still looking for a pair of solid front fenders myself for example. Do not want aftermarket as the metal is too thin a gauge but the price I have been quoted in the last six months was 72.00 canadian apiece. Thats about 60.00 american I believe. I also believe there is only one basic manufacturer of patch panels and fenders for the 123 series. The vendor you mention also does not have a sterling reputation on this site. There have been a few too many complaints about them. I would shop elsewhere as there are better vendors in my opinion. Check this out yourself. I also realise some people have been very happy with them as well. Check any local body shop supplier in your area to see if they list these panels as well. I suspect they have only recently been available in the united states but might be wrong.

On the cross canada auto parts site they have the rear quarter panels for 33.04 a piece (http://www.crosscanadaparts.com/cgi-bin/crosscanada/product_list.html?img_num=3525)

That's a fifth of the price as I was being quoted from adsit. I am wondering why? From the picture, it looks like exactly what I'm looking for. That section on my car is totally rusted out right now.

Unfortunately, I am in a rush to get these. I have to have the car inspected as it is my daily driver. I have a friend that does body work and will do it for me this weekend so it will pass inspection. So I don't really have time to shop around too much and unfortunately. I also let the insurance company do something with my totalled car. I tried buying it back from them but was too late, they probably parted it out. I really wish I had it right now, lots of parts I could use. Oh it hurts my feelings so much, this whole experience has been really crappy.

Thanks!!!

If it had been monday or tuesday you would have been able to get them in time for the weekend using dhl for example. Maybe I paid 60-70 canadian for two? Was a couple of years ago anyways. At least you and other members know where not to shop for patch panels for 123s and other models of mercedes now. Can you get them from adsit for this weekend? Can you drive with some kind of reject sticker for ten days in your state? It is an option we have here. I also suspect since these panels may not have been available in the states until reciently there might be a little price gouging going on or they are passing through too many hands in the states. We experience the same thing on too many occassions here. For example a napa part might be three times the price in maine here. Yet there is no duty in border transit under the free trade agreement. What the market will bear seems to apply far too often. I just love those insurance companys. Here they cannot dispose of the car until we are actually paid. Any chance yours is still around somewhere and you can get a shot at it? If it was towed and local you might have a chance. Call the towing company. Most insurance companys suck in my opinion but the word suck is not a strong enough discription. Others experiences hopefully vary.::rolleyes:

So I'm probably out of luck for the weekend, but that's ok in the long run I think. I actually have no sticker at all for it, so it's pretty obvious to anyone looking. I bought the car in PA and drove it back to ME (I will NEVER EVER EVER buy another car on ebay. I wish I had visited this forum before buying this rust bucket). I have no choice but to drive it without a sticker though. So I'll wing it and see how far I can get on no sticker and waiting for these to arrive. That website is great and I really appreciate you pointing me in that direction. BTW I live in Southern Maine, in East Waterboro.

Be careful driving around. End of month and holiday time equals ticket happy cops.

Yup, it's really only a matter of time before I get a ticket. It'll be $80 that I'll throw on the heaping pile of money that I've wasted on this damn car. (damn ebay with it's scammers). I wish I was able to settle for a car other than a deisel benz, but alas, I am hooked. Always have been. :wacko:

Rrrgrasi, The enforcement division have the same operation manuals here. You are most likely to be stopped at end of month or the imediate start of the next. Anyways if you are going to wing it you could contact dhl for rates and speed. Might have them by next wednesday for example. Dhl will do the paperwork for the border and charge you a fee of course. You can find out the fee in advance. Usually 12-20.00 but not sure. I also agree ebay is a crapshoot with the odds getting worse with time. As long as I live I will never forget the 36 hour return drive for the described museam piece/time warp in maryland a few years back.:D I still think it was the worst example of 123s I ever laid eyes on. I have seen many better examples in salvage yards sitting for years. It was truly indescribable. At least I had not paid in advance.

Try K&K Manufacturing for patch panels. They don't have W123s listed but they should be able to get these panels. I bought one for my 240D several years ago- I think it was about $85 for the whole quarter below the chrome.

http://www.kkmfg.com/index.php