bodywork experts,

I just got winter beater 85 300D, and I am getting it ready to go. I poked around at the one major rust area, the front jack point / rocker panel.

I discovered quite a bit of rust after stripping the chunks away.

Outside front driver's jack point area:


Inside the driver's footwell:


This car is not going to be a show car. I just want to make it last a while (5 years?) as a winter car. what's the best way to practically repair it? looks dont matter.

I have plenty of POR-15 and fiberglass cloth and bondo waiting. I don't have a welder, although I could access one. I am leaning towards coating in POR-15 and then using fiberglass cloth + bondo to fill the gaps since the area is not structural and full of complex curves that would be hard to fabricate.

Thanks,
dd

__________________
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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

diesel,

i've done exactly this type of repair. the jack hole is part of the inner rocker panel support. if its rusted through, there's no way it can be reused. take a look at my blog in my sig, and read my Feb 14th, 18th and March 16th entries. if you want detailed advice, please email or PM me.

you sir, are a rust warrior...my goodness thats a lot of work and a labor of love. I hope the engine runs well :-)

The jack point itself is not ruster through, just the rocker panel around it.

I guess the main difference between us is that I need to get this car on the road in the next couple of weeks before they lay salt down on the roads ( so I can get my rust free car away from all salt :-) ).

Would you attempt this fix with fiberglass? I cant access the area as easily as your 124, there is a sheet metal flange in the way. All my welding (if I somehow acquired a MIG and learned to use it) would be inside the cabin, around the flammable foam. I can take some better pictures.

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Removed lots of the rust today. Its bad.







As I removed more, I found it had rusted a lot of the floor:








I have driven this car less than 2 miles since I bought it. I was not expecting this at all. If I had known I wouldnt have gone poking.

What would you do? I need help...

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

If this is just a winter beater, I would treat the rust with POR-15 and then glue in sheet metal using pop rivets and JB Weld. Then coat that with POR-15 and top coat, then use rubberized undercoat under the car.

You could try welding in as much as possible and then finish it with the JB-Weld and pop rivets.

__________________
Chad
2013 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL

Chad, do you own stock in the JB Weld company?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

You definitely need to weld in metal. This is a "unibody" car and the floor panels are the main lateral support.

No, but I probably should.

__________________
Chad
2013 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL

Thanks for the advice guys.

I have never welded before, so this may be the time to learn. I can't see completing everything by welding, I will probably need an eclectic mix of techniques for this.

How do I weld inside a car without it catching on fire?

and...

Anyone every use the POR-15 epoxy putty for this sort of thing?

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I used the putty in addition to the fiber sheets from the floorpan kit sold by POR-15. I repaired my rear floor and it is holding up very well.

The only way to keep the car from catching fire while welding is to remove the undercoating far enough from your welds and use a welding blanket to cover everything else. That's why I recommend using a combo of welds and JB-Weld or some other epoxy to glue some sheet metal in place with pop rivets.

I would go through the effort of stripping the car for full welding if you were expecting more from this car than being a winter beater.

__________________
Chad
2013 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL

Thanks Chas.

The cars purpose is as a winter beater and summer backup car for hopefully several winters. Ironically, there are no other major rust spots like this one. The undercarriage is fine.

Im happy to hear the POR-15 kit is working well for you. I have their fiberglass and epoxy putty waiting. I thought that would be all I would require.

Im really at a crossroads as to what to do.

Slap POR-15 everywhere, fix it with fiberglass cloth and epoxy putty and go. See how the car acts (i have only driven it 2 miles since buying it) for a year and re-assess.

OR

Buy a MIG welder and fashion in as many new pieces as I can using 16 gauge steel, filling gaps with cloth and epoxy putty.

Either way I wasn't expecting to put in this much effort before winter, so Im bummed.

Whats a good stripper for the undercoat?

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I can cut you a panel from a rust free car, that you could just weld in for $50 plus shipping

__________________
1988 Toyota Camry Wagon......CRUSHED
1988 Porsche 944.......SOLD
1984 300SD.....SOLD
1995 Honda Civic DX... Totaled 11/13/08
1991 Madza Miata 193K and counting.....Mercedes t3 Turbocharger in the works 10 pounds per RWHP FTW

Did your panel arrive in good shape?

__________________
1988 Toyota Camry Wagon......CRUSHED
1988 Porsche 944.......SOLD
1984 300SD.....SOLD
1995 Honda Civic DX... Totaled 11/13/08
1991 Madza Miata 193K and counting.....Mercedes t3 Turbocharger in the works 10 pounds per RWHP FTW

Joey - Yes it did, thank you! It's great - I now have a piece I can weld in. I am jealous that a car that has zero rust could be in a junkyard FL. Unless it was an accident car, its still driving around somehow up here. I still do need a midnight blue front fender...

The only question now is how exactly to stitch it in, and where to cut. I will need to take some pictures of the piece alongside the car to get opinions. I could cut very high up the pillar in front of the door , but I dont know if that is a good idea.

This is the epitome of 'measure twice, cut once'.

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

That piece is really off of half a car. Its easier to trim the new section than it is to trim the car. I would start by removing all of the rust, if its rustly, keep cutting. Then trim the new piece so that it is exactly the same size and shape as the hole. Then the fun starts. It would be a good idea to get some weld through primer, and use it on both the car and the patch. Make small (10mm) long welds at a time, if you weld to much in one area at a time, the heat will warp the car and panel, and it will no longer fit. Take your time and go slow, and it will all work out.

__________________
1988 Toyota Camry Wagon......CRUSHED
1988 Porsche 944.......SOLD
1984 300SD.....SOLD
1995 Honda Civic DX... Totaled 11/13/08
1991 Madza Miata 193K and counting.....Mercedes t3 Turbocharger in the works 10 pounds per RWHP FTW