w123 Floor Rust repair - Page 17 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vwnate1 · #**241** 08-31-2023, 05:26 PM

I don't know about the shocks .

Last year I took some time and rustled up some of the later bumpers with the elongated holes for the hard plastic rails that hold the impact rubber strips .

martureo · #**242** 08-31-2023, 10:59 PM

Welded up and primed.

I pulled off the right side corner rubber mount and, well, there's not much to it left.

123 880 38 16 Reinforcement, Right Rear Bumper

This is supposed to look like this.

martureo · #**243** 08-31-2023, 11:07 PM

This is what was behind that.. uh.. bits of a bracket.

And the hole left behind when I finally got to good metal.

martureo · #**244** 09-13-2023, 10:07 PM

Continued work on the rear. I'm starting on the driver's side. Here's what it looks like behind the bumper.

Here's the driver's (bottom) and passenger's (top) bumper rubber brackets. Even the driver's side is missing bits.

martureo · #**245** 09-13-2023, 10:11 PM

Under the taillight.

Taillight removed.

Let's see how deep this rust goes. Here's it after I took a wire wheel to the area.

And here's what's left after I cut it back to good metal.

martureo · #**246** 09-13-2023, 10:15 PM

One thing I thought was pretty funny was that after I removed the driver's side trunk well liner I could see the rust pretty good.

But there was something in the bottom that I couldn't identify. So after sweeping it out with a brush and getting to the bottom, I can see the damage a bit better.

I think I was accumulating dirt from the road in there.

vwnate1 · #**247** 09-14-2023, 10:30 AM

You're doing fantastic work here .

I look at all the rust free and never dented W123's being crushed for scrap here .

martureo · #**248** 09-14-2023, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

You're doing fantastic work here .

I look at all the rust free and never dented W123's being crushed for scrap here .

Thanks.

I know! I saw two in the yard a few weeks ago. One of them I think I could have driven out of the yard and passed inspection on it. I think it was junked because it had parking violation and impound stickers on it and also some sort of massive dent on the roof. Even the paint was pretty good on it.

The biggest problem in Maryland is that if a car enters a salvage lot it can never be titled again.

I'm saving this car because I love her. Elsa has been my daily for 14 years and brought two out of four of my children home from the hospital when a more modern car decided to fail us. (3rd child was brought home in the 1995 E300 and my youngest would have been brought home in this one if COVID hadn't messed everything up)

martureo · #**249** 09-14-2023, 10:13 PM

Progress.

Passenger's side.

Before

And after. Plenty of panel beating with a hammer and dolly on this one. It seems I hit something (or it came before my time) on the lower fender and it took awhile to get it back into profile.

Just a bit more work on this side, but this area is good enough now for body filler and primer later.

martureo · #**250** 09-14-2023, 10:21 PM

I really didn't want to get into this part, but I'm diving in and it got more involved as I went.

I figured I'd just wire wheel back this area, cut out whatever superficial rot was there and weld back in a small patch. Well, just like normal, there was a bit more rot before I got to good metal.

Turns out I'd have to take out the trunk well floor sooner than I hoped I'd have to.

And honestly, this bit was much easier than it should have been. It went from this.

To this in a matter of ten minutes. Why? Because the trunk well floor was basically nothing but rubberized undercoat and I removed it with my hands in a few seconds. Then I cut the rot from the mating member.

martureo · #**251** 09-14-2023, 10:41 PM

New patch in and primed.

Now trying to fit up the trunk well floor so I can start on the corner.

I had to do a fair amount of work with the dolly and hammer on this Klokkerholm panel to get it to look decent before I tried fitting it up. (Unfortunately it's what you get when there's only one source for panels) But I'm really not happy with this brake which is supposed to extend down and form a double thickness seam.

vwnate1 · #**252** 09-14-2023, 10:42 PM

You're giving me flashbacks to the 1960's in rural New England, there were beautiful old cars everywhere with gaping rust holes yet shiny paint jobs and sparkling chrome .

unkl300d · #**253** 09-15-2023, 12:58 PM

Marturero, you are doing admirable work on Elsa.
Definitely a labor of love.
After reading your 'family oriented' explanation, I better understand.

(your kids must think you are nuts !! haha)

martureo · #**254** 09-19-2023, 11:26 AM

Camping with the scouts over the weekend put everything on hold, but here's the progress I got done on Friday prior to leaving.

This bit of rust under the taillight is done.

Before.

And after.

And the trunk well floor is partially in.

martureo · #**255** 09-19-2023, 11:34 AM

If anyone else has this problem, I measured the floor of the well to the top brake of the center trunk floor.

Front 5-9/16"

Rear 4-9/16"

And here's a bit of a teaser of what's to come. I couldn't help but motivate myself as the rust in this are of the car has been here for nearly ten years.

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