w123 owners: What evil lurks behind your rubber bumper ends?

[Zacharias]

So the good news for the day: I finally reinstalled my rear bumper strip and reinforced the retainers with a couple of fasteners.

Now the bad news, when I pulled off my bumper ends (easier to finish rolling on the strip around the bumper ends that way) man what a surprise.

My rubber end caps were being held on mostly by... nothing. My driver side bracket has vapourized, the passenger one is about 1/3 there.

So any of you who live in the rust areas, don't live in a fool's paradise... have a look at what is happening.