Guys,

I fixed my driver's side rocker panel in this thread in the winter:
W123 - Advice needed on jack point rust

That fix has held up wonderfully - I couldn't be happier with how it came out. The car has proven to be great, so I am investing the time to do the passenger side. The driver's side is rust free.

The rocker panel damage isn't as bad, but the floor along the channel near the rocker is rusted out like other side, and about 20% of the rear floor pan is rusty.

Anyone ever drop a whole new floor pan in? I am considering buying the entire aftermarket floor pan just so I can cut my donor pieces directly off it. Seems like kind of a waste but it sure would save me time fashioning my own patches.

Any advice on fixing floor pans?

This should be a lot easier - I dont have to learn to weld this time around

Pics to come.

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

Where's the pics?

__________________
1981 240d aka "The rust bucket"

*viewer discretion advised* if you are scared of rust. Come for a journey!

Pic #1: What I started this project for. I knew there was some rust under the floor and it needed to be addressed.

There is rust all through the passenger front and rear floor pans.

Pic #2: Rust through front rocker area

Pic #3: Rust in front floor pan

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
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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

Pic #4: A look at the floor pan in the rear. Its trashed.

Pic #5: Another look. At the rear floor pan.

Pic #6: A look at the battery box area - see the previous owner's repair attempt. Thats 22 gauge and rivets - not too bad.

Pic #7: Removed center console.

At this point I remove the center console and ordered new floor pans from KK manufacturing: http://www.kkmfg.com/ They are great panels and the folks there are fantastic.

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
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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

Pic #7: Time to go to work fixing instead of feeling sick to my stomach uncovering rust. This is the front rocker area with rust cut out.

Pic #8: Bye bye rear floor. Cut it out almost entirely.

In the mean time the new floors came. I decided to fit the new floors in, cutting them as necessary, and then weld them in.

Currently I have begun welding the new floors in, more pics to come in a few days.

Attached Thumbnails

   

__________________
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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

while we are on this subject i have an OEM drivers side floor plan FS if anyone needs one

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

So you can apply the epoxy putty over the the POR-15 paint?

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

You shouldn't but many times, due to where the rust is, it is better than the alternative of just partially encapsulating the rust.

If you can get it to shiny metal then use the putty first.