I noticed earlier in this thread that you are not yet using gas with your mig welder?

If that is the case, gas will make all the difference in the world with your welds. Then things will click into place much quicker in your welding learning curve.

Hope this helps,

Rick_MD

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1973 220D 78k

Oh, I must have forgotten to mention, but I've temporarily secured a gas cylinder from a fellow forum member. It is a lot better with gas, but I am at his mercy, so I won't always have access.

New lesson learned today: bodywork, if not all automotive work, cannot be rushed. Trying to put everything back together today so I can drive (plastic and duck tape for the big holes). Getting very frustrated, I ended up blowing right through the rear hole on the center console using an impact driver. You do a crap job and can seriously f things up. This means, for me, no more work outside (weather) and I can't have any plans that include needing the car and I need to have time to work on it.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

That is quite a project. Keep at it.
For non-flat panels, try using a crowned body hammer and a sand bag as the support. Take a small ( 1' square +/-) piece of scrap and just practice beating it on the sand bag, and seeing what comes up. After you do that, you might get a feel for what shapes you can hammer. Realize that as you beat the steel, it gets thinner, which means that the same metal must now occupy more space, so it curves.
For straight bends, a brake is the proper tool. Harbor Freight has a little one that might be all you need. Or, you could use a 2X4 and clamp the metal to it, and fold it over to whatever angle you need.
Keep posting pictures. They help me appreciate my rust-free car, and I'm down in MD!

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

man, that looks alot like my project. school keeps getting in the way, but its time for the metal to go back in. As far as stripping the car out, my car has the steering wheel and headliner in place. Most all of the panels and parts are removable by screws and bolts. It probably took me 20-30 hours to strip my car out over a month of work after school. Stripping off the front end took a lot less time and was much easier lol.
Andrew

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83 300D "shoulda been a parts car"

Yeah, school and rain for me. I wish I had enough space in the garage to work.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

More pics

Pic #1: passenger side front floor pan--no insulation

Pic #2: driver's side front floor pan--no insulation, for some reason, much more rust than passengers side

Pic #3: hole in DS tunnel

Pic #4: hole with seat support to be replaced

Pic #5: parking brake cable guide, repaired, to be replaced

Attached Thumbnails

         

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Pic #6: prepped hole for patch

For the rust under the pedals, I'm thinking of taking off the rear section of the frame rail. As you can see in pic #7, the front section is spot welded to the front section right underneath the pedal cluster. Good idea?

Attached Thumbnails

   

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Alright, finished the DS tunnel hole. I'm going to bolt the parking brake guide back on instead of welding it. I sprayed that rust treatment everything, just in case. I'm going to prime and paint it tomorrow. I have to get everything back together for college visits and I'm going to patch all the big holes with plastic sheeting and duct tape to keep the water out. I'll get back to work in May.

I also switched back to the .025" wire, I'm not sure how well I'm penetrating, but for some reason (maybe because I left the welder out in a little drizzle) the .035" wasn't working. I probably need to adjust my welding technique to get better penetration.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

If the wire has been damp or is old, it will get a little rusty and this will make the wire chatter as it passes through the liner on it's way to the welding tip. Chatter equals patchy welding. A little WD 40 applied directly to the wire spool often eases this condition a little.

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I choose to be happy, even when the Mercedes is being awkward, lol

Following your progress intently. Your driver side looks like my passenger side. The tunnel patch and seat bracket look great to me, but I've never touched a welder! Am likely going to pay someone to do it for me, but at least I have some idea of what things should look like thanks to your efforts in posting this thread.

I've currently got my interior stripped to the metal, save center console w/carpet next to knees, driver and rear seats. Quick aside - CAREFUL with the bare metal under the rear seat. I put mine back in just so I could put things back there without the screws that stick up puncturing stuff, such as a 2 liter of Coke that went geyser-like while I was making a turn...

Have gotten most of the passenger side rust scraped, chiseled, and wire-brushed down to hard metal edges everywhere, and hit it with some phosphoric acid based rust stopper for the time being. Have been unsure of how to approach the actual repairs though - fiberglass, epoxy, por-15, weld - ugh. After this thread welding it is, even though it's the most expensive and, in my inexperience with such things, seems like the most hassle.

The passenger side I understand on mine, it started in the hood hinge pocket. The driver side I have no real clue about - only the spot where the accelerator pedal hinge attaches rusted out. Haven't spent as much time on that side though, hope to know more once I get the knee-level carpeting out. Do I have to take the console out to get it loose? I worked a little at the passenger side with no luck and don't want to force it.

Thanks again for sharing your progress and I'm definitely cheering for you (college AND the car)!

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1984 300D Light Blue/Blue
2006 C280 Silver/Black

What it really comes down to is personal preference. Welding is going to last the longest and be the strongest. You've also got a welder and the associated skill left over. Only do this if you want to, though. Otherwise, it's a waste of time and money. Paying someone is financially inadvisable, you'd be better off getting a rust free car and swapping in a good drivetrain.

There's one screw and a clip on the center console that secures the carpet. You might be able to take it out without removing the center console, but it's good practice and it doesn't take that long, plus you get to see what's under it.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Looks like a good site.

I'm gonna really need to make a big dent in this project this summer.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Funny how so many of us go through such great pains to keep these w123 diesels alive. Funny how I own fancier classic benzes but the 123 seems to get most of the attention.

Hang in there JE - I'm in the same boat http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=286242

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1981 300TD "The Green Lantern"
1980 300TD
1983 300D Euro "China Cat"

You've been bumped here

Extreme Rust Repair Thread - Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum

So I'll bump you here too!

What happened to this project?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!