Stinky's (Glorious?) Resurrection - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

chasinthesun · #16 09-16-2009, 10:23 AM

When I walk up on someone tring to sell me a rust bucket ,the phrase that comes to mind after inspecting it is usually "Rust in Peace".Find parts off it to sell or start with a different body .Its the investment for resale you have to think about for a future recoup of your money.I like your savey on tring to save it though ,takes alot of labor and welding to make it safe on the road.

JawJee · #17 09-16-2009, 06:51 PM

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the responses. To address rcounts, tankowner, and i-osprey's question, Gertie's rear subframe, subframe mounts, and right trailing arm are all bent. She's also a sodden rustbucket... but a bent one. It has horrendous negative camber on the right side, and dogtracks right by about six inches. I just figured that the rust situation on that car, albeit not quite as bad as stinky's, compounded by the nightmarish straightening job it would require, made her a good candidate for an honourable, but early retirement.

Marybeth-I'm kind of put off by POR-15 because the joker that owned Gertie before had done some brutal POR/fibreglass "repairs" that I'd been dealing with, including one that was funneling all the water that came out of the hood hinge well drain down into a hole in the wheelwell, and into the car. It was like a lake inside...

As for parting it out, I have decided not to do this for a few reasons, although my complete train of thought is not known even to me. Stinky cost $800 (qualifying her for the CWC), and despite the condition of the body and interior, has had both the engine AND the transmission rebuilt within the last five years. This factors in significantly, since Gertie's were both on their way out. She had a really bad knock on startup, the tranny was making ugly sounds, slipping, leaking, etc.

I stride forward with optimism! I strive to be like the hero character in a Jules Verne novel...full of gusto and painfully naive!

Junkman · #18 09-16-2009, 09:31 PM

"Marybeth-I'm kind of put off by POR-15 because the joker that owned Gertie before had done some brutal POR/fibreglass "repairs" "

Don't blame the poor quality of work on the POR, only the PO. POR does a great job of stopping the rust when you are unwilling to cut it out and weld in new metal. You only need to use good judgment and follow the directions.

I've used it extensively on a 78 Datsun Z with rusty but solid floor boards and battery tray. Frame rails would require welding if strength was in any way compromised by rust.

lupin..the..3rd · #19 09-16-2009, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JawJee

and despite the condition of the body and interior, has had both the engine AND the transmission rebuilt within the last five years.

That is one VERY rusty car. With such a horribly rusted body, but good engine and transmission, it would be so much less work to find a rust-free example from so-cal with a dead drivetrain and then swap in yours. A lot less work.

JawJee · #20 10-10-2009, 08:24 PM

Sorry it's been so long team, but the job hunt has been pressing.

Got a new home for Stinky from my former employer. They dont operate during the winter, so I'm borrowing this tent until april. Look how clean, how dry, how darned professional the whole thing looks now! I've got started on the wheel well rust repair now as well. It's pretty extensive. The more I grind the more I find. However, I wade in over my head undaunted. I've welded in a couple of sections, but the material I've got is thicker than the original body metal, perhaps twice as thick. I'm going to have to start lapping I think, rather than butting. I am totally learning this as i go, so if anybody has any suggestions, lemme have em.

I know it's rusty as heck, but I just don't have the money to but a third wagon. Or the will. Two seems like enough, and I kind of wanted a welding projct anyhow.

I've found a website that sells patch panels for these cars here in Canada, so when I do get a job, I'll probably buy the rear left patch panel and maybe the front left lower patch panel.

Thanks for tuning in!

JawJee · #21 10-20-2009, 11:37 PM

So some fresh progress over the last little while. I've been using Gertraud as an organ donor. I cut the front left corner off to splice into Stinky. This piece comprised the whole headlight surround, and the rail that the quarter panel screws to. I'm using a Lincoln Mig 180, and it seems to be doing the trick. I burned through a lot until i found the right settings, but I think I'm dialed in now for the thin metal. I keep it at either voltage "B" or "C", and wirespeed at about 4 or 5 most of the time, depending on how much penetration I need. So after this done, I'll finish up the holes in the wheelwell, and move onto the driver's side floor pans.

In these photos you can see the new panel, the series of tack welds to hold it all in, and one completed weld. this isn't a great weld, because part of the metal was a bit compromised, but I'm the only one that'll see it, and then only with the hood up, so no biggee.

chasinthesun · #22 10-22-2009, 09:44 AM

Get some good etching primer on that bare metal ,found that the yellow works best.Looks good ,I would leave most of the weld in place ,dont grind alot.I had a guy do some pans years ago in an old mustang I had ,he liked to grind stuff,while driving it I could hear welds pop loose ,uncomfortable feeling sitting on top of an unprofessional job.Had him put back the welds,he did get to grind all the new coating I had layed down over the new pans though.

JawJee · #23 10-23-2009, 07:38 PM

Thanks, Chaseinthesun. I decided not to grind, as you recommended. Since this will all be covered by the quarter panel anyway, I figure Ill just leave it there. More metal isnt going to hurt anybody!

I ran out of wire yesterday, so Im waiting on a cheque to clear before I head out and buy more. I did, however, extend my homemade 220V extension cord for the welder by 11m, making for a total of about 26m, enough to reach from my dryer receptacle in the laundry room to all the way around the car.

Ive been using .023 wire. Anybody want to vet that size? Should I be using something else?

JawJee · #24 02-04-2010, 10:13 PM

Ok wow, long time no post. I apologize, but work's been pretty pressing and I haven't been keeping up with the cars quite as much as I'd like.

The Big News is that I've sold the engine and tranny out of Gertraud to a guy for CA $650, which seems not bad to me. So for the last few days Natalie and I have been stripping most everything of value out of ol' Gertie, mostly the interior so far. The gentleman that purchased the engine/tranny is going to tow it soon to a shop where he'll yank the engine out, and where hopefully I can remove stuff like the brakes, front end components, maybe even the rear coils (!) He intends to put the OelMotor into a '51 International pickup, which would be a pretty interesting swap. Perhaps I'll try to induce him to post some stuff on the forum here.

This was just the gumption boost I needed to get busy on Stinky, I think, because now the house is full of car parts, and Nat's patience is likely to have a terminus somewheres...

If anyone can think of any parts they reckon I should be keeping, please let me know, particularly where the climate control is concerned, or just anything at all, fire it up here, and I'll do my best to pull it. I figure I'd better get all the window regulators, since they all work, and none of stinky's do. I'd better let my buyer have the instrument panel I suppose, which is a shame, since the odo works, but hey, c'est la vie. I toyed with idea of getting the diff (since it's a 2.88 and stinky's is a 3.07), but I'm kind of spooked that anything from the rear end could be oughta whack from the mix-up with the curb. Any ideas/suggestions? I'll get the rad, self-levelling pump, steering box, wheels, power steering pump for sure.

Anybody in the vancouver area need anything?

JawJee · #25 08-08-2010, 09:59 PM

Started like a champ. first time it's ran since probably november. i felt shame. rag for an air filter, opened up valve cover and lubed everything up pretty good, fresh diesel with some injector cleaner for diesels in it, charged the battery for a couple hours and it went on the first crank. sweet.

finally got around to some body work on it to. Spare tire well is now almost done, i had to fab up all the missing metal from scratch. love that little lincoln sp-170, it's a great welder. got the fresh brake parts for the rear right.

it's coming together slowly. sure is nice to be working again and have some money to spend on it, even if it is just a little bit.

Joseph_Conrad · #26 08-08-2010, 10:11 PM

Good to hear the project is still going! Do they salt the roads up there around Squamish?