Hello Everyone
Rust on 500SEL, yes, it is a gasser.

This fellow was so clever; he fixed the rusted through rear brake line with fuel hose and clamps.
Would you volunteer to test drive this one?

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Hello Everyone
Rust on 500SEL, yes, it is a gasser.
Under the battery tray was a chip monk nest; and shredded wires.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Hello Everyone
Rust on 500SEL, yes, it is a gasser.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Hello Everyone
Rust on 500SEL, yes, it is a gasser.

Attached Thumbnails

 

My god its like rotten.com for Mercedes! Why is that thing so badly rusted? Mines been a New England car all it's life and it doesn't look like that. Did he drive it on a beach?

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Hello Hatterasguy
Michigan road salt; very normal here.
Many people do not wash the cars under body enough to get it off.
Ocean beach cars often look like Michigan cars.
Total vehicle life here is five too eight years, except for the Chevorlet Vega; which was one year.
I will try to post a side panel rust picture of a typical MB rust out, soon.
"diesel don", may have a couple of good Michigan salt pictures to contribute.

Hello Hatterasguy
Here is some data to think about.

MDOT currently relies on road salt as the principal chemical deicer and on sand as the abrasive. Road salt compounds are sodium chloride, calcium chloride,magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride. The rock salt used by the MDOT is sodium chloride,and it is the compound referred to as road salt in this report. According to the annual usage reportcompiled by the MDOT, "during the winter of 1991-92", 442,223 tons of road salt were applied to the10,000 linear miles of trunk line maintained under its jurisdiction. This equates to approximately 31.54 tons per e-mile. (An e-mile, or equivalent mile, is one mile of 24-foot-wide [two-lane] roadsurface; the 10,000 trunk line miles equate to nearly 14,000 e-miles.) In addition, 203,918 tons of sand were applied, or 14.54 tons per e-mile.

I live in NE Indiana, I know what you mean about rust. Michigan is horrible for rust. My dad's 300E is originally from MI and it has rust in the rear wheel arches which is nothing compared to most cars from MI. Good luck up there. I am currently trying to keep the rust off my w116, it's an uphill battle.
Good Luck
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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My friend had an '81 300D.. the floorboards were so rusted his floor was part of an old computer case. Car ran great though. Sold it to a guy and it has since been to FL, TN and several cross-country round trips.

Whunter.

I am interested in your rust study. Which models will you be focusing on?

I ask because I am interested in what was done at the factory to the cars as far as corrosion resistance. What changed in '82? Where is the steel sourced from yesterday and today. I believe steel in the sixties was mined in the Ruxhutte (spelling might be off) whchi produced steel which was thought to be more immune to corrosion than that mined elsewhere.

Of course, if you find out why 116s rust I would love to know. If, MB in fact used imported russian and south american steel during the seventies, I would be interested in the story and details.

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'90 300SE 298k
-300K and it gets put into retirement.
'80 300D 255k Purchased new by family in 1980.

Had a:
1973 220 (gas)
1980 300SD
1992 400E

I bought a '75 300D in the late 80's. It had about 100k miles on it whan I got it. It had rust behind the rear wheel then and you could see the vacuum lines haning down. Within three years I had to replace both front fenders they were rotted so bad. It was around the wheels and the side markers. Then it started leaking onto my feet and through the floor pan. Finally, I called it quits after I got soaked from water spaying all over me from driving down streets in a heavy rainfall. The floorboards would scoop up the water and send it into the cabin, pushing the floor mats right out of the way. I gave the car to a local charity, not more than a year or so after I rebuilt the motor.

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

whunter oh your inland. You would not believe how quickly salt water can rust metal. I'm a boater and salt is my costant enemy, for example. I've seen engines that were so rusted I was amazed they ran. (not well) Anything steel will start to rust badly in about a month. Stainless steel is really great! Cars really live in a much more friendly environment than boats do. Unless it's a Great Lakes boat. Buying a boat from there is like buying a car from California.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Hello Hatterasguy
I lived in Corpus Christi and Galveston Texas.
I worked on some fishing boat engines; yuck.
Michigan salt is about the same.
Oil derrick engines are almost as bad and off shore is the worst of both worlds.
Have a great day.

Lets see some pics of that 300SDL with the velour! That's one in a million.

This weekend turbodiesel I'll post pics, its my new "pride and joy"! It will be at the next GTG.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200