My W123 saloon / sedan old accident repair (and a bit of rust repair) thread

[Stretch]

As usual it takes longer than it should.

I've got the small patch in floor pan welded in place. This bit was butt welded - I've still got to grind the welds smooth...

...I got fed up with all that weld - grind - weld - grind - weld and went and played about with another bit of bending and trimming for the larger replacement piece on the bulkhead.







I think I'm going to do a lap joint on the bit that will be inside the sill and then butt weld the bits that will be visible inside the wheel arch.

[dseretakis]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Still at it is better described as back under it I think! I had a few years off...

...interested to see your repairs especially after the nice work you did on your rear wheel arches - are you going to post up some pictures?

Of course I'm going to post pics!

[Stretch]

...and waiting for the sills was a waste of time. According to the online information they are longer than the dimensions in the computer so it seems like they are now not going to deliver them. I'll wait and see if they turn up before the weekend otherwise I'll be going to paypal as usual. I'm fed up with bell end couriers.

Anyway I thought I'd cheer myself up and see just how rust free the sill on the left hand side of the car is =>



(It felt a bit crunchy when I poked my finger through the drain holes)

So I'm glad I've decided to remove that one.

I also had a butchers at the floor pan on that side of the car again. This is the side that has been plated with a repair piece - it has been done so badly that the drivers seat isn't level (see earlier in the thread - wonky driver's seat etc)



^^^before^^^



First cut



Pulled up ends show rust underneath as well as lots of crunchy rust by the subframe stiffener fixings.

I'm going to take it slowly and easy from now on I need to preserve the shape of the "step" panel so I can weld back in a repair piece.

[Stretch]

...one day late but at least I didn't have to ring anyone or send out emails or get papa paypal to threaten refunds.

I have two shiny bits of pressed steel that look like they might fit a W123.

The thickness of the metal isn't dreadful - 1.2mm so not as thick as the thickest parts of the original sills which were 1.5mm but then not as thin as the thinnest parts on the originals (0.8 mm) either.

They are not as nicely made as the originals but for the price they look OK (so far - I still have to fit the buggers!)





Slight nicks and not sharp definition from the pressing but not totally dreadful like that sodding Klokkerholm floor pan



Some nasty creases in the hardest parts to get nice



TATA steel??? (Anyone? - I'll google in a bit)



These creases look like they can be made a bit better so I'll play about with a dolly and a hammer to see if I can get them a bit more gucci.

As you can see they have arrived naked. No paint. The jacking points are also not fitted. I have a plan but I might swing to an extreme way of fixing. I'm still trying to find the FSM chapter for sill replacement to see if Mercedes has a novel way of doing the job => Bodywork chapters in the FSM

Any advice accepted! This is a thread not a blog!

Certain things need to be considered. Such as

1) Method of fixing (top and bottom)
2) Jacking points
3) Inside treatment
4) Outside treatment
5) Fitting under A pillar
6) Fitting under B pillar (this is a 4 door sedan / saloon remember)
7) Fitting at well area / step for back seat area near to subframe mounts
8) Smoothing and making creased surfaces gucci

[Stretch]

Inner side of the sills have been treated.



I've got a weld through primer on the edges and in the bigger parts KBS rust seal. I'm going to coat over the top with their chassis top coat. Fingers crossed it doesn't all peel off due to the heat of welding...

...to be continued.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Inner side of the sills have been treated.

I've got a weld through primer on the edges and in the bigger parts KBS rust seal. I'm going to coat over the top with their chassis top coat. Fingers crossed it doesn't all peel off due to the heat of welding...

At least you can get at the inner sill to coat it. Even if some burns off, the majority will be coated. Maybe once job is done, spray interior with a rust treatment (Waxoyl equivalent?)

I have been using my 300D as daily driver since rust repairs. It's great to have it back! I do still need to get the rockers (sills) sprayed on inside. Over here, we do this annually anyway.

Problem is they spray everything and cars drips oil even the following summer (it is a vegetable oil and it does disappear from driveway in time). It also collects dirt and underside of car then looks a mess. Probably going to try a non-drip type this year.

[Stretch]

I'll be using Dinitrol as my rust ninja!

[Stretch]

Continuing the rust removal in the rear left hand floor pan area.



I've cut through the floor pan to show the several plates that have been applied over the years



The captive nuts for the subframe stiffeners have been removed...



...and I've bent the metal where they were fitted down and out of the way so I can make a new replacement part to the "step" panel behind.

I still need to know where those stiffeners go so I haven't cut off that bit of metal just yet!

The plan is - as ever - to repair the individual panels to keep the structure as Mercedes intended.

[Stretch]

Isn't anyone scared yet?

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Isn't anyone scared yet?

My car was almost rust free compared with yours! And I almost junked it

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by Graham

My car was almost rust free compared with yours! And I almost junked it

Well it can't be that bad - the Pelican called it "glorious" the other day =>



Colour choice for a W123 300D 4 door - what would you choose?

Oh my sides!

[atomix8]

Somehow I had missed this epoch of w123 glory until now Stretch....as always up to the standards of your w201 work. And nearly enough to get me mending my w124 rust portals once I get a few more projects off the workbench!

[Stretch]

I'm surprised it doesn't encourage people not to start looking for rust! This looked like a nice car before I started poking about.

(Though to be fair I guess it wouldn't have looked nice for long considering what I've found)

[jmk]

True.