The Yellow W123 - Unexpected Restoration!

[jaymanek]

Driving along one day my accelerator pedal went through the floor.

Ok so a little bit of rust has set in i thought.

Stripped it back to find a hole around 6 inches large.

Then stripped rubber gunk stuff applied at factory to find the inner arch mostly rotten...
Then found the inner wings to be rotten.

Then removed the side skirts to find the sills to be completely shot.

Then found most of the floor to also be rotten.

Then found bulkhead also needs some work.

Then found both rear arches starting to go.

All of this has been disguised and most likely caused by the THICK rubber insulation layer applied at the factory in germany. This hides any rust and also traps water.
Its so thick that unless you really go at the areas with a screwdriver, you would think it was solid... Would no doubt have gone through an MOT as no visible signs and feels quite tough to touch.

Whenever anyone asks a question about buying W123's I always tell them to be careful as they hide rust like no other... heres the proof!

So what started out being a small piece of welding is now a semi restoration.

Oh and im thinking of now removing the body kit altogether.. back to original but with my new AMG pentas!..

 

[corned]

Blimey. Some work there.

Have you changed your wife's name to...



...WILMA!!!!!

 

[wemorgan]

Nice one Jay. Going the whole 9 yards again?

 

[jaymanek]

I know... I knew there may be some work ahead.. hence why i bought the W123 coupe.. but never knew it would be this bad..

Im not spending thousands... just doing the welding, removing the body kit, tidying up and repainting the areas that need to be done..

 

[Frank O' Phile]

Jay, the phrase is 'foot to the floor' not through it.

Good luck with the work.

 

[blondebier]

I'm sure a lot of people faced with the same amount of work would have just put it up for sale on eBay...

Glad to see you are fixing it up. Nice one!

 

[jaymanek]

Yes but not an option im afraid.. been in the family since 1984.

 

[HowardD]

Let me borrow the interior for a while.

 

[SilverSaloon]

looking forward to the progress on this

good luck

derek

 

[IanT]

Nice to see a restoration on here.

I lost count of how many times I said 'ouch' or 'ooooh' when I saw your first photos, but the work looks good so it ought to last a while now. Mk2 Astras have the same problem with soundproofing - poverty models didn't get it, and so didn't rust, but the GTEs did and suffered bulkhead failure as a (delayed) consequence. The floor foam is worse still, as you end up with no clue that it's wet underneath, I guess yours was the same.

It'll look nicer without the kit IMHO.

It was this car I saw at the GTG at Jimmy's, wasn't it?

Ian.

 

[Howard]

Why you not putting the AMG kit back on it Jay ?

 

[jaymanek]

It'll look nicer without the kit IMHO.

It was this car I saw at the GTG at Jimmy's, wasn't it?

Ian.

Yes thats the one.

Well i restored it back in 2001 and I was 50/50 on the kit then.. I put it back on.. but my tastes have changed and I think it will look better original so this time ive decided to leave it off.

howard - its not an AMG kit... in fact im not sure what it is! Ill keep it in the loft, easy enough to put it back on..

 

[khimani_mohiki]

well theres something to do on the weekend, pull back carpets and start poking around

 

[esox]

Jaymanek,how were the rear arches repaired?
Is there a new piece available that can be welded-in to replace that rusted arch that was cut out?

?

 

[jaymanek]

Jaymanek,how were the rear arches repaired?
Is there a new piece available that can be welded-in to replace that rusted arch that was cut out?

?

Yes exactly. Not from Mercedes im afraid, they dont offer a repair panel, only a complete rear quarter.

Thankfully Hadrians panels offer these parts. Pretty good quality too..
Im doing both arches.

 

[IanT]

Yes thats the one.

Well i restored it back in 2001 and I was 50/50 on the kit then.. I put it back on.. but my tastes have changed and I think it will look better original so this time ive decided to leave it off.

This will bring back a memory or two then - it looked very clean that day (20th June 2004?)

Look forward to the updates as you get it all done.

Ian.

 

[74merc]

My 250CE has rusted in exactly the same places! Any idea of the number of man-hours of welding to do that Jay?

 

[jaymanek]

Wow it looks different then... got rid of the bonnet star and changed the headlights for the later style..

ive changed my mind on the bodykit.. its staying on! It'll look too ordinary without it..

74merc - well i think its had about 20 full days so far and the end is not in sight yet.

 

[RBYCC]

Just a general comment about Jaymanek's thread and similar posting.

As many of you know I'm not in the U.K., but decided to post my 300CE widebody build on this site.

I look at what the U.K. enthusiasts still do to cars that are little riddled with tin worm, and it's done lovingly.

It takes me back to a time over forty years ago when we in the USA would do the same thing...
Not always out of necessity, but more a perverse "labor of love"

Even basic repairs to body and engine not done much in the USA.
An "enthusiast?" is now defined as what he can bolt on or download to his vehicle !!!

There is a resurgence of the W124 in the USA with young kids who do there best on a DIY basis to keep them alive. :bannana:

But most of the really great American and imports have been lost to time.

I spent a great deal of time in the U.K. in the late seventies to early eighties...
Did the shows from the NEC to Brighton and appreciated what was kept on the road !!!

Kudos to all of you guys who carry on the "enthusiasm" required to keep the good stuff on the road !!!!

 

[jaymanek]

And a new inner wing fabricated by hand