300SD Rust Restoration Project - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JamesDean · #1 11-15-2010, 11:09 AM

Hello everyone,

Some of you might remember, I have a rusty 300SD that I'm working on, I just bought a welder (Eastwood Mig 135) and a tank for it. I'm no expert welder so I've handed most of the welding off to my uncle. He better than I am.

We started up in the front of the car:

Originally there were two areas, both sides of the car, around the sway bar areas. However, I removed the battery tray and found more rust. I started hitting things with the back end of a screwdriver and found more weak spaces so I tore out some metal. I ended up removing the fender lining under the car and exposed a nice area just adjacent to the hood spring. Let this be a warning to you! Check the area around the tray too! Fix them washer bottle leaks!

New sheet metal was welded in place. The remaining surface rust will be treated with Eastwood's rust encapsulator system. Which comprises of the following

1) Eastwood PRE (cleaning up residues, etc)
2) Eastwood Rust Converter (converts surface rust to hard intert material)
3) Eastwood Rust Encapsulator (covers the new metal to protect against rust
4) Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black (to provide protection for the encapsulator, only comes in black, so it wont really match the factory undercoating which I'm alright with on this car. This isnt a show car or anything)

Internal areas which are closed off will be sprayed with Eastwood's Internal Frame Coating aerosol, pretty cool imo, comes with a nice want thing and actually looks like the factory stuff

Eastwood stuff came to around $140 or so...

Here some pictures of the work so far:

http://imgur.com/a/qX66R/1

I'll update this thread as I go along.
Thoughts/comments/questions are all welcome.

JamesDean · #2 11-28-2010, 03:23 PM

Update:

Did some more work on the passenger side battery area, finally found my good camera:

Before:

After, still need some work, going to get some USC All-Metal filler and fill in the gaps:

JamesDean · #3 11-28-2010, 03:32 PM

Also did some work on the Rear Passenger Wheel, The window has been leaking for a number of years and this is what happened:

Before:

After:

Also snagged this shot of the rocker panel tube thing:

Looks pretty clean in there...

JamesDean · #4 11-28-2010, 03:42 PM

More work to be done:

Driver's side rear wheel well:

And the welder being used to fix all this:

ashedd · #5 11-28-2010, 04:10 PM

That rust looks like my SD, mine is a tad worse. Looks like a lot of work, goodluck.

Those are really simple welds... no reason why you can't do it and learn as you go. You just want decent penetration. I am always concerned about the rust coming back when it's that bad. Guess I am not convinced any of the rust "treatments" actually keep it away.

JamesDean · #6 11-28-2010, 04:31 PM

I dont think any of them work permanently. Maybe just stave off the inevitable...the eastwood line of products that I'm using seems to be pretty good stuff.

I've got some "internal frame coating" stuff which, according to the bottle, will convert/encapsulate the rust in some type of resin...that gets used on all cavities..

Then their rust encapsulator, which is some pretty interesting stuff, has the consistency of water and flow really easy, then gets pretty tough when it hardens.

Then some of their extreme chassis black, which is a pretty tough chassis paint..and on top of that maybe some rubberizing undercoating.

I think thats the "secret" to preventing rust. Seal up the metal/area so that water cannot contact AND coat it in multiple layers of products. That way no moisture gets in...

just my 2 cents.

tbomachines · #7 11-28-2010, 04:44 PM

You could make some good money on ebay!

Anyone else see it?

FWIW I have the same rust spot below the battery tray on my SD. I was worried about that swaybar mount being under load and making it a difficult/dangerous repair. Yours is much worse than mine and looks like it was successful. Good motivation for my job!

vstech · #8 11-28-2010, 07:18 PM

I agree. that swaybar mount looks pretty bad. I'd pull the bolts, replace them, and replace the metal under it. and replace the swaybar mount as well as the bushing in there... I know it's a pain to replace the SD swaybar, but it looks like you've got most of it out already, I'd finish the job!

JamesDean · #9 11-28-2010, 08:20 PM

vstech, i understand what your saying but idk, I've already got that area coated with rust encapsulator and a couple coats of paint. Granted all removable.....im just not sure...

can we even get replacement sway bar mount brackets like that? I imagine bushings are avail still...

vstech · #10 11-28-2010, 08:22 PM

well, I do have a parts car if nothing else, but I'd think that bracket should be a dealer item if PP doesn't have it. I'd call Lee or Roy and see if it can be found...

JamesDean · #11 12-01-2010, 07:43 PM

Rear Passenger Well

Stage 1 : Rust Encapsulator

Stage 2 : USC all-metal to seal welding gaps and other small gaps
Stage 3 : Another coat of Rust Encapsulator
Stage 4 : Eastwoods Extreme Chassis Black
Stage 5 : Eastwoods Rubberized Undercoating (was 50% off, $5/can)

JamesDean · #12 12-05-2010, 11:18 AM

Need Recommendation on repairing this one guy:

compu_85 · #13 12-05-2010, 11:44 AM

You make my car look not so bad... gives me hope!

JamesDean · #14 12-05-2010, 11:48 AM

compu,

Good I'm glad it gives you hope, just get on it before it turns into this one!

IMO, this green car isnt that bad. The structure of the car is still firm and intact, the sheet metal that protects that structure is the problem. All caused by a crap rear window seal leak that opened up holes on the inner wheel well..and a few years of salt+winter expedited the problem.

compu_85 · #15 12-05-2010, 11:54 AM

I don't drive my car in the winter because I know it will turn into that after just a couple years.

I have a nasty hole in the wiper cowling under the windshield I need to seal up, and I'm not taking the dashboard out to well in a new piece of steel. I was planning on treating it with some rust sealing paint, then putting fiberglass over the hole.

-Jason