I just bought a 1985 300cd in fantastic condition. I've never owned a MB and I am just amazed at the quality and comfort of this vehicle. I want it to last forever! Living in Florida, rust is not a major concern, however I will be moving to northern Indiana soon and I do not want my car to be destroyed by salt on the roads during the winter. Is frequent washing enough to prevent rust or should I go to somewhere like Ziebart?

Here is a recipe for home made "Waxoyl". It's an old fashioned rust treatment prevention / undercoating:

2 1/2 quarts turpentine
12 oz. beeswax / candle wax
1 quart light machine oil

With a cheese shredder, cut the wax into the turpentine, stir until the wax has dissolved, (takes a long time; you can use very low heat (a warm room) to aid but be careful) and thin with the machine oil to a brushable / sprayable consistency. Apply liberally. You can use a hand spray bottle to get into closed-off sections if you have a small access hole.


Please be sensible when you make this stuff; don't go breathing the fumes or applying heat and burning down your house. If you have any doubts about it, err on the side of caution and just buy a commercially available product.

When I first bought my Subaru I dumped used motor oil into all the insides of the doors. I also used plain old spray paint every spring and painted inside all the wheel wells and under the car floor boards.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

Just keep it clean and spray off the undersides when you drive it in sand/salt. Just keeping the undersides clean can go a long way. Also look for rust spots poking through and deal with them fast. If you keep on top of them they won't get bad.

Option two is to spend $2k-$3k on a winter beater.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

An Uncle of mine took his new cars apart and smeared everything with axel grease..............this was in Pittsburgh PA and the paint fell off his cars before they rusted out....and this goes back over 40 years he has done it.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Hey Hattie, what if my $2k 300SDL is my winter beater????

Best Regards,
Jim

Good going, I wouldn't mind another MB for a winter car.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

A J,

No. Washing will not get to the salt inside all the cracks and crevices where the rust starts.

Only solution is to not drive the car in the winter. Get a $500 winter car and this will cost U less than repairing the rust on your MB.

Believe me. I'm from northern PA so I know what I'm talking about. My '80 300SD that I don't drive in the winter has barely a trace of rust while my '79 300SD is ready to fall apart becaused it was always used in winter by PO. I actually have to junk the '79at the end of this year because it won't pass inspection anymore because of the rust.

As Hatterasguy says: "Look for the rust spots" because they will be poking thru if you drive it in the salt. Are you really going to wash the car every day you use it in the cold winter? Fat chance!

P E H