190D dilemma- what do I do?

[w123fanman]

My 190D is nearly mechanically perfect but sucks cosmetically. I have replaced or have the parts for about everything suspension or rubber related, as well as some engine work, rebuilt transmission, and other stuff. It runs great, doesn't burn or leak any oil between changes and rides pretty good (still have a few items left to do concerning springs and sway bars) Really mechanically, it needs little but interior is functional but ugly (tan seats from a 93 in a burgundy interior, cracked dash, rear door cards have some bits chewed up by a dog) and paint isn't great but decent.

Unfortunately as I was trying to unbolt my flex disc today to install my engine and transmission mounts, I found more rust. Before I knew there were some issues but it all was floor pans. All of this was hidden when I bought the car and I had no idea what to look for when I bought it. The rust I had discovered before I had planned to treat then patch with fiberglass but today I found the driver's side frame rail had a soft section about 10 inches long, so pretty serious structural rust.

So it stands I have quite a lot of money invested in this car (far more than it is worth) from all the new parts plus the transmission and some labor from my mechanic before I knew how to do much of anything on a car. The question is how should I proceed?

My main concern is that the vehicle would be unsafe in an accident. Drivers around Atlanta are terrible and I myself am a young drivers so statistically, I am more likely to get into an accident. Not that this is a deciding factor but something I have to seriously consider

So I could:

1. Not worry about it and not do anything about it.

2. Have the frame rail and other bits from my rust free but otherwise destroyed parts car welded into the 190D's body for probably a lot of money.

3. Find another W201 in good cosmetic shape and perhaps swap over the suspension bits and then maybe the drivetrain bits if needed.

4. Something else

5. Cry

[leathermang]

3 and 5 .....
some things just happen like this in life...
you could not have anticipated it....
but do not continue driving it with the reservations about the structural safety...

most of the rest of us find we need a parts car ... or more than one... to keep these going with reasonable costs....
You just wound up doing it backwards.... you have the parts car...
now you need the good one...

[Volvo Diesel]

If you're really interested in pursuing option 3, did you see this in the classifieds? http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-cars-sale/363294-super-clean-190e-shell-no-drivetrain-rust-free-%24500.html

Sounds like a great shell...seller was contemplating a diesel swap, etc.

Good luck.

[Skippy]

I personally would go with quite a bit of 1 before proceeding to 4. However, I'll drive a car pretty much until it windows the block or breaks in half. So 4 is probably your best course of action.

[OM617YOTA]

6. Buy a Craigslist mig welder and some pieces of steel and learn a new skill.

[Lucas]

I'm in the same exact boat. Getting another car with rust in all the opposite places. Gonna play doctor and make a Frankenstein.

It's only overwhelming because you don't know that type of work. If a body guy had a straight chassis and tons of mechanical problems he may feel the same.

But we can't see what you see. Maybe getting another chassis would be correct. I like that route, because you can sandblast it and paint it and swap stuff over easily. Not using a million baggies tearing one down.

[jake12tech]

Just get a mig welder and learn how to weld. I'd do that. No reason to throw a way good running car if the rust can be repaired safely. Sounds like it can, so that's what I'd do. I never really heard of the floor pans on these cars rotitng, mostly the w123s.

[JB3]

Something to consider-

You learn to repair rust on a mercedes with their 300lbs of vinyl coating everywhere that doesnt do shlt to actually stop rust, but makes welding a pain, ANY other make and model rust repair is childs play.

You will be able to repair anything with ease

[CarpeDiem51392]

Got a picture of this rust spot?

[ah-kay]

With no dis-respect. I think you did not look at the big picture before you pumped a ton of money into the car. For a start, you do not pump money into a car unless it is structurally sound and relatively rust-free. You can change everything, anything but the body. Rust is cancer and is hard to stop. If you are concerned about the structure integrity of the car then it is a part car. Forget about a mig welder, forget about a new skill . Buy a shell and transplant everything to re-coup your money. Or part it out.

Sorry to be so pessimistic but it is what it is. Learn a lesson and and move on.

[leathermang]

Let me expand on JB3's view...
There are lots of threads in the archives about welding... floor pan replacement and that sort of stuff....
Welding when dealing with rusted automobile lower metal is seldom the proper way to make the situation safe.
The physics of it first.... stick a stick or any real heat... welding rod to already rusted metal and it goes AWAY.... gone .... not to be recovered.... and often will start a fire or make terrible fumes due to the stuff sprayed on it by the factory...
The short version of this advise is this...... find the metal that is good... treat the rusted metal.... and attach to the good metal overlapping with a combination of PLUG WELDS... and SOLID STEEL RIVETS...... alternating if you can depending on access to the backside of the good metal.... you make the holes with a cheap air powered combo offset flanger and a hole punch... that is what you plug weld through... you drill for the rivets...
You use Clecos to hold the sheet metal in place while you start the process of doing the permanent welds and rivets.... they will typically use a one eight inch hole.
You typically find the ' good metal ' by using a ' pick' hammer... it will show really fast what still has strength and what is punk.
These things are discussed in the archives under my name .... telling some really stubborn people that wanted to WELD a 100 percent seam installing a new floor pan... which.. for the record takes away any rust resistance the remaining metal had left...
You are encouraged to rust ' proof ' as best you can after the fix... keeping in mind that some things like fiberglass... or POR15.... will make future fixes almost impossible... and the POR15, while claiming a lot... MUST be applied under very specific conditions to obtain good results...
There are websites in the archives for things like the flanger, aircraft tools for rivet tools, etc....

Ah-kay is not being pessimistic ... being realistic about STRUCTURAL problems ... which affect Safety... is only smart... and while I did describe some metal working realities... remember that I suggested ONE and THREE in my first post... this other was just general rust information.... not for this car given what the OP has said...

[Lucas]

Man I don't want to look at this thread. Lol. I'm gonna end up going option new chassis also.

[vstech]

... Really, unless the rust is minor, and it sounds very NOT MINOR... If rust is seen by the flex disc, and has compromised the seat rail... I'd walk from that car fast. Post pice of the damage, both sides, and maybe we can change our minds, but it's unlikely...

Scour the classifieds, find that rust free replacement 190 and swap over the rear subframe, and front end stuff, and call it good. Pull the engine/trans for a later upgrade, and learn where to spot rust in future car purchases.

It will be ok, just sob a little, and move on. Not worth your life in an accident. Georgia drivers are insane... Safety first and foremost.

[w123fanman]

Thanks for the advice guys. I know my purchase of this car wasn't the best decision ever, nor was putting money into it, I bought it without knowing enough about what to look for, it's been a learning experience. We did look for rust but it had been pretty well covered up so we didn't find any.

I personally think the best course of action is to reshell it, I know the drivetrain is good as is all of the suspension. I could also part it but I doubt many people would be willing to pay much of anything for used parts even if they are in like new shape.

Sad thing is I already have a rust free W201 but the exterior is in about the worst shape of any W201 I have ever seen. Paint is totally shot (PO thought she could improve the clear coat with low grit sandpaper) and it was in an accident.

My brother took what I learned about rust and 300K mile cars when he bought his 1980 300SD, it is had good suspension, no rust (sold by RBM of Atlanta and has been here it's entire life), and about the sweetest running, smoke free OM617 I have ever encountered. Also when we bought a running parts car for my dad's non running but rust free 240D, it had a 140K miles, a surprisingly smooth and quiet OM616, new suspension, good interior

I'll get pictures tomorrow if I can.

[Skippy]

As far as not finding rust, one must remember that the OP lives in Atlanta. Cars don't rust in Atlanta.

I wound up with a rust bucket 240D once because I wasn't looking very hard since

1. I came from Atlanta, where rust isn't an issue and

2. I was buying the car in Carson City, NV, where rust also isn't an issue, not counting on

3. The car was from Iowa and the entire underside was fairly rotten underneath some pretty undercoating.

It worked out though. I only paid $480 for the car, drove it daily for about three years, and then cannibalized it for the transmission to do the swap on my 300.