Hello all

A previous thread regarding leaking water into the passengers side raised the issue of rot under the battery tray. Here are two pictures of my '79 240D in this area. In the second picture the area where my finger is pointing there is no metal left at all, just the undercoating hanging in place. How would I go about repairing this area? Someone mentioned theirs was fiberglassed there. could you fabricate some sheet metal and glue/pop rivet it in place?

Thanks

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Sedecrem

82 300SD 290k(needs engine swap)
79 240D 354k with new heart transplant w/220k
82 240D w/auto tranny soon to be manual 4 speed

Wow, thats a pretty good sized hole. How is the metal around the sway bar bracket? If its not structural, you could remove the rusted metal, treat it, and fiberglass it , also you can cut out the bad metal, cut a fitting patch piece, and weld in a new piece with a wire feed welder. (taking precautions to prevent sparks and such from getting onto the interior). If you can wait a while, maybe a few months, I might have a piece I can cut out of the 80 if it's not toasted, when I retire it. My 82 has lost some paint in the same area, but the metal is still sound, so if the 80 is ok I won't be needing the metal from there.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

Here was my 300D parts car that now belongs to WhiskeyDan. The battery induced rust had eaten through the bracket that holds the sway bar!

{that is Dan the day he picked up the 300D} it was a good little parts car....

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Chris

Someone is going to give me a piece of banged up truck fender and I was going to try to fabricate a patch to fit in that area. I think the structure around the torsion bar bracket is still O.K. but I will know more when I clean the rust out around that area. If I don't get around to doing that though I might take you up on your offer if the metal from yours is still O.K.. I have a small wire feed welder. However, I miked the sheet metal in that area and it looks like about 18 ga.. I am not that proficient a welder to work with that light a material without blowing through in some places. Don't want to set the interior on fire or hit something more flameable and blow myself up . I am thinking of using some blind rivets and slopping enough por 15(moisture cured urethane) in there to act as a glue between the patch and the original body metal.

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Sedecrem

82 300SD 290k(needs engine swap)
79 240D 354k with new heart transplant w/220k
82 240D w/auto tranny soon to be manual 4 speed