I looked through the archives and I didn't find anything on this subject.
My 1987 300DT had been garage-kept until I purchased it last November. The PO never drove in the rain (fear, mostly) and she had the car Zebarted once in 1992 (I have receipt). All of the rubber looks brand-new and it is completely free of weather-related damage. My wife now drives this car to work and leaves it outside and parks it under a carport at home that only keeps the sun off 1/2 the car in the evening. I have her alternate pulling and backing it in as I have had problems in the past with fading one side of any car I park there.
My question is: has anyone here been in this similar situation? Should I expect any accelerated wear on any rubber parts or paint, other than what I should expect from a brand-new vehicle? Are there any seals or anything that I should go ahead and replace before they start leaking? Any trim pieces that hold grime and cause rust? What could I do to keep the vacuum lines supple?

Zebarted?

I would erect some sort of shade for the other half of the car...maybe one of those tent things? Or put a cover on it.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

Well, the way my house is built I really couldn't enclose that side of the carport, and I'm not swapping it places with the Denali. I thought about a cover but my wife is uninterested with the idea. I think it would take 10 years or more to notice a difference so I'm not real worried about that. The carport is just to keep us dry while getting in and out of the cars. I just wanted to mention it in case it made a difference that the car was protected sometimes.

Use 303 Aerospace Protectant on any rubber you want to preserve. It has UV protection and works great on the dash and all rubber parts including tires.

Also tint the windows and use a windshield sun shade too.

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

I'd like to see a picture of a nice southern garage-kept 1987 300D, if you have the time to post.

Is there any chance you could put sheets of siding on the carport? They sell them in Home Depot. People use them for shed roofs, but it would also work as siding. You could also try roll-up roll-down outside curtains - think they are made from small-diameter bamboo. Anything to shield the sun.

Ken300D

__________________
--------------------------
1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

Betcha it will still outlast the Denali

__________________

Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

Definately use a protectant on the rubber! Sun, ultraviolet and ozone will damage the rubber over time. Ozone is in the air even in the shade, so use something.
Home Depot sells silicone spray in their electrical dept. It works great on weather strip etc, even window tracks. I use it all the time to protect the rubber and keep the windows moving freely up and down.
Great find, do all you can to preserve it.

__________________
Darrell

1984 300SD "Ole Girl"
207K

The carport is off the front of my garage attached to my house. I have to leave the side open so I can pull things in and out of my garage. I pull the car in perpendicular to the garage door pathway. The only way that I could put a side on it is if I built a door into it. I would also have to walk the long way around the wall to get from the garage to the house. If I demolished my deck I could extend the porch and pull the cars in the long way but I would have to extend the turn-around which would involve removing several large trees, if you can get a mental picture. Not an option.

Here's a radical suggestion: put the car in the garage!

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Garages aren't for working cars, they are for shop equipment and broken cars. Not giving up the machine shop for the car.

Arrrgggghhhh!! Zeibart? Probably the worst thing you can do to a Benz. Take a metal pick and make sure ALL the drain holes are open on the subframes and undercarriage. Pay special attention to the frame rails in the front wheel area and the space beneath the battery box. Zeibart clogs up the drains and allows water to collect in the rails. Nasty, nasty, nasty stuff. I've got a thread over in the Vintage forum with pictures of what can happen with a Zeibarted Benz.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=205060&highlight=Ziebart

Is this product commonly sold in an auto parts store?

__________________
85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale**
84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds
00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold)
15 Subaru Outback 43K
11 Subaru Outback 67K
98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now.
30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60

Here's a link where you can put in your zipcode to find local suppliers:

http://www.wheretobuy303.com/index.php?tab=US

I haven't found it at auto parts stores, but Eastern Mountain Sports and RV/Camping supply stores carry it. You can order it through Amazon.com too:
http://www.amazon.com/303-PRODUCTS-030340-AEROSPACE-PROTECTANT/dp/B0000AY69Q/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1218568263&sr=8-1

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Well, there is definitely not any rust there but I will check the drain holes as you describe. That's funny that it would make things worse on this car, my father-in-law has a 1992 GMC that he has done every couple of years and there is not a spot of rust on that thing, even in Kentucky salt driving.

303 is a terrific product. It's what Armor All was supposed to be about. I've found it's available at many auto parts stores as well as boat supply shops.