Rough idea of repair costs

[Vectrolosys]

I have a 1991 300TE, which is very clean underneath, is good mechanically and needs just careful maintenance to keep it happy.

There is some rust on one of the arches (both on the outer area, which is a surface blemish, and some on the inner arch, which seems a little more severe). There is also some rust around the aerial and under the rear offside side window, that will go to a hole if provoked (I haven't, just covered it in grease and waxoyled behind it)

Now, I had a slight scrape on my gate during the snow and have bought forward my plans to get it repaired. Personally I think it's worth doing but wondered if anyone with W124 experience would like to make comment.

Also, just seeing if anyone else has had similar repairs done and what have they had to pay?

Wheel arch repair and spray (would require a small skim of filler + spray)
Small scrape (Skim and spray)
Rust requiring rear side window removal, possibly cut and weld, then skim and spray
Rust repairs (very small) on another arch, plus spray
Small rust spot treatment

And that's it!!

For a reasonable quality job, what would a typical body repair outfit charge? No accurate figures, just ballpark to be honest.

Thanks all,

James

 

[Will]

Probably cost a bit more than you would think to be honest.

As a very very rough guide, £200-300 a panel would be about the going rate around here - no sure on Bristol prices though. The side window and rust would probably be the most expensive and awkward aspect as the glass needs to come out, maybe new rubber seals, some weldinf etc

I would imagine that given the cars age and value, you might need to find someone who charges quite a lot less than the majority of bodyshops will quote. It's not the nice easy sort of work that a lot of places like - eg modern cars with no rust issues.

Will

 

[Vectrolosys]

I've found a place round here that specialises in restoring classic rear engine VW's, but also carry out non restoration work on other marques also....hopefully this older school style establishment would probably be the best option . My other, rather tacky option for the arches, would be to clean them up, protect them and fit a set of chrome arches.....though they're an acquired taste to say the least. (I quite like them, but I am stuck in the mid to late eighties as far as taste goes ).

Cost wise, I was estimating above £500 and close to the £1000 mark....

 

[Will]

I've found a place round here that specialises in restoring classic rear engine VW's, but also carry out non restoration work on other marques also....hopefully this older school style establishment would probably be the best option . My other, rather tacky option for the arches, would be to clean them up, protect them and fit a set of chrome arches.....though they're an acquired taste to say the least. (I quite like them, but I am stuck in the mid to late eighties as far as taste goes ).

Cost wise, I was estimating above £500 and close to the £1000 mark....

You're probably about right on the money there

I'd expect a pretty good quality job for the upper end of that estimate

I was going to fit a new pair of wings on the front of my 300TE, but decided in the end that it just wasn't worth it, the car only cost just over £300

Be nice to see some before/after pictures if you have the inclination

Will

 

[Vectrolosys]

Oh many pictures will be taken and placed on here . I keep thinking, oh just get something else, like a nice Volvo 960 Estate, but, there's nothing quite like the W124, I can't find anything more modern that compares. The 960 compares at an equal level for the era, but....it's nowhere near as stylish.

Will be investigating things once the snow has receded. After my very low speed scrape, I've left the car in the garage for now!!

 

[Smiley]

My view is that you either spend a larger amount of money than you are talking about to carry out some proper repairs - ie new front wings + window(s) out, welded repairs and proper paint with no sign of any filler - or you spend nothing and "bodge it" yourself to get another few years out of it as a workhorse.
It is not worth spending a few hundred quid on a professional "bodge" - which is what a filler based repair will be. The rust will be back around the edges of the filler within 2 years, the edges of the filler will start to crack if they get water under them and you could end up with something that looks a whole heap worse.
A lot depends on the true condition of the rest of the car; the interior, the mechanics, the spec and the chassis + suspension. If it has done 200k and could need £1000 of mech and suspension repairs in the next two yrs then it is probably better to go the workhorse route, if it has done 90k and is all super then worth spending the money.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[NormanB]

You need to take a view on the overall condition of the vehicle, your intentions in terms of how long you want to run the vehicle for and how much are you prepared to invest.

If you are looking at long term ownership new oem wings may be the way to go, the windows would need to come out and represervation carried out before paint and new rubbers.

If it is a peach it could be worth investing in.

 

[Vectrolosys]

And this is the quandry. Underneath it is very tidy, pretty much rust free on the suspension components and in good order with recent front springs. Body wise, not too bad apart from the aerial hole and this small bit under the window rubber. Part of me is tempted to take it off the road, buy something in replacement and practice my body repair skills on a live candidate. The other half of me is tempted to get it all professionally sorted so it'll last. She has done around 150,000 miles but has been well maintained throughout her life and is gleaming white, with none of the oxidisation issues white cars suffer from if not looked after. It's a tough one.

At the end of the day, I really like the car and am happy with it on the whole. It's a tough decision that I'll make once I have some quotes in .

 

[219]

Be sure to check in behind the rear quarter panels ( open the storage areas where the spare wheel/washer bottle,jack,1st aid kit live) and check where the wheelarch meets the inside surface of the rear wing : a lot of these cars look OK on the outside but rust badly where water has run down from the load area side windows and become trapped in the seam there ; also feel up in these storage areas to just below the side window glass - often you will find rot there too . There was something of a design fault as the outer window surrounds are aluminium and the rest of the body is steel , so a bit of sacrificial corrosion goes on . Only with the windows out will the true extent be apparent . Tailgates rot internally , too , due to water ingress around the tailgate glass seal . I had an immaculate-looking 300TE with rust in all these places .

Oh , and check the front inner wings , behind and below the headlamps , take out the washer bottle and see what's hiding underneath !

 

[Vectrolosys]

Be sure to check in behind the rear quarter panels ( open the storage areas where the spare wheel/washer bottle,jack,1st aid kit live) and check where the wheelarch meets the inside surface of the rear wing : a lot of these cars look OK on the outside but rust badly where water has run down from the load area side windows and become trapped in the seam there ; also feel up in these storage areas to just below the side window glass - often you will find rot there too . There was something of a design fault as the outer window surrounds are aluminium and the rest of the body is steel , so a bit of sacrificial corrosion goes on . Only with the windows out will the true extent be apparent . Tailgates rot internally , too , due to water ingress around the tailgate glass seal . I had an immaculate-looking 300TE with rust in all these places .

Oh , and check the front inner wings , behind and below the headlamps , take out the washer bottle and see what's hiding underneath !

On the drivers side, there is a lot of flaky metal if you feel up in the storage area, below the rear side window. The passenger side is fine though. Funnily enough, the rust is in the same area as the outside rust. That has me worried slightly as the rust may be far more serious that I first thought. The seam between the arch tub and the wing is fine. My old 200TE went in this area on the drivers side, fortunately, this one is okay here.

 

[Vectrolosys]

Does the side window come out easily out of interest?

 

[Vectrolosys]

Hi All,

Well, I had a good poke about today whilst cleaning and polishing the 300TE. I removed the washer bottle, rust free under there, no holes, nothing, which was good. I also checked under the ABS modulator, clean also. I then went to check the back, under the side window, where I have the panel rust. There is some surface rust on the rail running under the window, but, it's surface stuff that's flaking off and solid otherwise once the flaky rubbish has been removed. Inner arch tubs are also clean. My previous 200TE rusted where water had water logged the foam protector that sits between the jack and the arch tub. So, all good. I'd recently waxoyled the area too, so this has helped during the winter and being sat in the garage as any condensation has just beaded off.

I think I'll invest a small amount into tidying her up. I use the car rarely, as I cycle to and from work, so I quite fancy getting it sorted, so it does look more presentable when I do use it.

James

 

[bennesspipers]

Hi,just want to say i hate those chrome wheel arches,they look too chav.

 

[EDZ649]

The problem with wheel arch repairs is that the whole wing will need to be painted and possibly the adjacent panels will need to be blended in aswell. i.e. bonnet, doors, tailgate to get a good colour match.

I am about to undertake a similar project with my 124 saloon. When I discussed the job with my bodyshop they showed me that it would be more cost effective to re-paint the whole car as there is little repair work to be done, just new front wings and flatting and re-painting the rest of the car.

At least the colour will be a perfect match accross the whole car. They have quoted me between £700-£800, mates rates of course!

 

[d w124]

The problem with wheel arch repairs is that the whole wing will need to be painted and possibly the adjacent panels will need to be blended in aswell. i.e. bonnet, doors, tailgate to get a good colour match.

I am about to undertake a similar project with my 124 saloon. When I discussed the job with my bodyshop they showed me that it would be more cost effective to re-paint the whole car as there is little repair work to be done, just new front wings and flatting and re-painting the rest of the car.

At least the colour will be a perfect match accross the whole car. They have quoted me between £700-£800, mates rates of course!

Look like you`ve got some nice mates

 

[grober]

I have used the dreaded wheel arch covers on the front wings but painted them the body colour [ brilliant silver] after a suitable metal surface primer. I used aerosol cans from Halfords and achieved quite an acceptable finish. With the covers painted the same colour as the body they blended in quite well. Its only a temporary fix but not so chav-like.

 

[Vectrolosys]

Hi,just want to say i hate those chrome wheel arches,they look too chav.

You do raise a valid point!!

 

[Vectrolosys]

I have used the dreaded wheel arch covers on the front wings but painted them the body colour [ brilliant silver] after a suitable metal surface primer. I used aerosol cans from Halfords and achieved quite an acceptable finish. With the covers painted the same colour as the body they blended in quite well. Its only a temporary fix but not so chav-like.

That actually works rather well....how are they fastened?

 

[Vectrolosys]

The problem with wheel arch repairs is that the whole wing will need to be painted and possibly the adjacent panels will need to be blended in aswell. i.e. bonnet, doors, tailgate to get a good colour match.

I am about to undertake a similar project with my 124 saloon. When I discussed the job with my bodyshop they showed me that it would be more cost effective to re-paint the whole car as there is little repair work to be done, just new front wings and flatting and re-painting the rest of the car.

At least the colour will be a perfect match accross the whole car. They have quoted me between £700-£800, mates rates of course!

I can see your point there, however, the car is Artic White, a nice flat colour that still holds a brilliant shine, and has not oxidised like so many white finishes can. I'm hoping a localised repair can be acheived. I think Metallics are a lot harder to match, so respraying the car is sometimes the only option here.

 

[d w124]

If you`re going to do this,is best if you spray the whole car.Just went through that