I noticed a few rust bubbles under the taillights and that prompted me to investigate. I ended up grinding the rust away in those areas then I went further, removed the bumper and sure enough more rust where the bumper meets the body. I am having a blast with the Dremel!!!
Anyway, I applied some rust remover gel, washed away it away after the recommended stay time and I coated the bare metal with a protectant until I get a chance to finish the job next weekend.
This should be fun, I will keep you updated.
You should also pop off the front fender liners and clean out all the accumulated detritus, then check for rust. While you're at it, check the jack points. We don't see much rust on 124s out here in this part of Cascadia.
You should also pop off the front fender liners and clean out all the accumulated detritus, then check for rust. While you're at it, check the jack points. We don't see much rust on 124s out here in this part of Cascadia.
I don't want to do the whole car at once. I am starting with the rear and hope to have the car ready for the road before TG. After that, I will do the front sometime before next spring.
Boy, the battery tray in the rear is rusty but not damaged. It's all surface stuff.
One thing that I appreciate is how fast the rear bumper can be removed. It's simple, intuitive and will make it easy for me to clean in there once a year.
I'm having to treat small blisters here and there regularly now. Newest infestation has appeared in another common 124 rust-trap - the area under-bonnet beneath and in front of the washer resevoir, in the corner of the inner wing. It has rapidly developed since I last had the bottle out last Winter, with blistered paint now showing exactly where the hole will be if I don't sort it out now. It doesn't help that the UK has just had the wettest Spring and Summer on record, but I can't help feeling that my old car is water-soluable. I wish I had a nice, dry garage for it... or a desert to live near.
Maybe fiber glass panels that are copies of the metal ones could become a sensational business in the UK.
Eureka! My new life in business starts here, thanks for the idea...
Replacing wings is one thing, but sills, jacking points, suspension mounts and the frames of the rear (wagon) windows are all a bit of a pain to fix if they turn orange. So far, I have needed no welding - I'm learning to be vigilant and get in early, even doing a some preventative rust-proofing and dealing with any dodgy seals or drains before they can start a chain reaction. Proper professional injection rust-proofing is quite costly, but probably the best way forward to protect the under-side and panels if I end up keeping the car long-term in this new monsoon-style climate we seem to be having.
There's a 1996 S210 down the road from me (same year as my 124) that looks like it's been imported from a war zone - fist-sized holes in the wings and arches peeling off. So I suppose things could be worse.
Vehicle: '85 300E. unaltered and original. 345,000 kms
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 127
"Rust-trap - the area under-bonnet beneath and in front of the washer resevoir, in the corner of the inner wing."
Pesky washer bottle. I re-mounted mine, sliding a VW Beetle pushrod tube oilseal over the spigot on the bottom of the bottle, thus leaving a sufficient clearance to prevent water collecting under there by capillary action. A drying chamois-cloth can be slid under to make sure.
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