220D slow down the rust

[Kpmurphy]

Originally Posted by IVIuzzy

how far is palm bay from tampa? when i was just at the junkyard here, there was a really nice 220d that had no drivetrain, but body looked really, really good( besides crushed roof looked like a tree fell across it) , maybe itd be a good donor car if its far let me know if u need any panels.

I am on the east cost its a good drive to Tampa. I also have a 220D in my back yard with a crushed roof very rusty. I have 4 115 cars and 1 114 at my house and 1 in Orlando that I should be able to get to if needed, I did strip most of the parts a while back.

I plan on spending Sat and Sunday painting, pictures coming soon.

[Kpmurphy]

I got just about everything put back on over the weekend.
just need the parts to hold the trim on and fill in the hole in the trunk.
Pictures are out of order

[Kpmurphy]

Car is running good, I hope to have her on the road shortley.

[IVIuzzy]

nice job, what do u plan on doing for a floor in the trunk?

[Kpmurphy]

Originally Posted by IVIuzzy

nice job, what do u plan on doing for a floor in the trunk?

Not sure right now, I am not putting steel back in. I did drive the car to work today it is nice to be able to roll the window up without using 2 hands, and it is nice to open the door from the inside. Next I will work on the bottom of the doors I am just trying to slow down the rust not look perfect. It’s a good car and I would like to have her a long time.

[thorsen]

You might want to check the dealer for a new trunk floor. I bought one for my 114 coupe and it was surprisingly inexpensive.

Sheet metal is an option but it won't have the beads pressed into it that give it strength.

[gs sparhawk]

Man, just my opinion and not intended to insult----- but you know that car is not going to a museum and no collector is going to pay the cost of doing a complete technical "restoration". Why not restore it to it's original shape and functionality with repair that will last longer than metal. I have found very good success with POR15 as a resin for fiberglas cloth both as a bonder and as a matrix for building up thickness on a panel. Several coats do well and are very strong. To provide the original shape and rust prevention should be adaquate for returning a car to it's usefulness. I'm not agreeable to becoming an indentured servant to a vehicle. It is supposed to "serve" ME! And as long as it retains structural integrity and esthetic appeal with operating functionality, I have everything it was created to do---- Especially if I can continue to economically alleviate problems caused by the original potential for rust. It can be more than a daily driver. I derive satisfaction knowing I have returned a thing to a level of usefulness and attractivness and stick my nose up higher knowing I did it in a practical and thrifty way.

Sparky

[Mike D]

It's not a matter of "restoration". It's a matter of keeping the body's integrity. That steel flooring is designed to give you some safety in the event of a rear end collision. Do you really want to have the fuel tank sitting in the front seat with you in the event of a rear end collision?

[Kpmurphy]

Originally Posted by Mike D

It's not a matter of "restoration". It's a matter of keeping the body's integrity. That steel flooring is designed to give you some safety in the event of a rear end collision. Do you really want to have the fuel tank sitting in the front seat with you in the event of a rear end collision?

No I do not want the fuel tank in the front seat if I get in a rear end collision.
The fuel tank came out of a 1976 300D, I am using it in till I take the fuel tank out of my 76 240D. The fuel tank I took out of the 220D was rusted. The last thing I am worried about is the fuel tank coming loose it is bolted to the floor of the trunk. I do wish I could get the car back to the way it was before the rust started destroying the car, that’s not going to happen. I am happy with a very good car that will be on road for a very long time, only if I continue to slow down the rust like I am.

[Mike D]

I knew you weren't intending to use the stand alone fuel tank you are using.

What I was meaning was when you put the original tank back in.

In your own words, "The last thing I am worried about is the fuel tank coming loose it is bolted to the floor of the trunk." is what I was referring to about in regards to using steel to replace the trunk floor.

The tank is held against the bottom of the trunk floor with the straps. Without the floor then you have the tank just hanging from the straps. Think trebuchet.

[alabbasi]

I bought a bead roller from Harbor Freight a few years back which did a pretty decent job of rolling beads into sheet metal. I think it will do a good job of adding strength back into the trunk floor so that the trunk does not fold up like a a piece of paper if someone decides to rear end you.

[Mike D]

That is sweet, Al! Much easier than doing this:
Rust never sleeps!

I'm going to swing over to HF and check the roller out.

[thorsen]

I was going to get the HF bead roller until I priced the cost of a new floor from the dealer. It was about the same $ either way.

[Mike D]

Yeah, but now you could be making all these new floor panels for US! Man, oh man, you'd just be raking in the dough. It's not like we're a bunch of cheap S.O.B.'s or anything...

[alabbasi]

Now that's funny.