My dad had a 1969 230 and after four years the shock absorbers had rusted right through the inner fenders. He bought himself a welder and started repairing the rust but couldn't keep up with it. The car was rusting faster than he could weld! Ended up being towed to the dump. He swears that Mercedes must have used recycled steel that year! He used to be in the steel business in Montreal by the way. Small world?... Dave