Everyone knows the benefits of aluminum body panels (lighter weight for equal dent resistance), but few know all the disadvantages. Compared with steel, the downside of aluminum is:
- it is harder to paint (adhesion).
- it is harder to weld and repair.
- it is harder to form in the factory (galling).
Looking at all that body panels must do, it seems that steel still rules.

And then you can have plastics that don't do well with UV light, age, heat, etc.

Anybody remember those Cadillacs with the plastic pieces between the rear bumper and the body? They all rotted away.......

I know they use all sorts of artificial aging to see how the plastics will hold up over time, but I have seen plastics that were supposed to last 50 years, and held up less than 10 in Florida heat and sun.

If I had $80K to spend on a car, I'd buy a W126 for each day of the week.

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-tp


1990 300SE "Corinne"- 145k daily driver - street modified differential - PARTING OUT OR SELLING SOON - PORTLAND OR. AREA - PM ME FOR DETAILS
1988 560SEL "Gunther"- 190K passes anything except a gas station
1997 S420 - 265k just bought it with a rebuilt trans. Lovely condition

Remember? I owned one, the piece of crap, a 1974, that gave me nuthin' but problems. That was first and last ghetto-cruiser Cadillac I bought new......the POS. What an embarrassing piece of crap it was.

The trunk-lid on my '83 300SD was definitely aluminum - that knew I for sure. The quarter panels and doors of my E300TD, I would surmise are steel. The trunk-lid may be steel, too.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Only the SD was treated to the aluminum hood and trunk lid. Others continued to use steel.

Not sure about the late diesels (SDL and 350s).

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

Another problem is that dents are stretched, making it very difficult to remove a dent and return the part to its original shape.

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86 560SL
With homebrew first gear start!
85 380SL
Daily Driver Project

http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm