W124 coupe advice on repairing inner fender rust both front and rear

[Kam1972]

Hello All,
I am sorry in advance but new to this forum, I am long term Mercedes Benz owner owning mercedes aka 2010 e320 cdi coupe and w203 c220 cdi with no issues with rust or mechanical maybe lucky. For long time I wished I owned w124 e320 coupe and finally brought it but i committed the sin of my heart ruling my brain brought the car this week but found out that both rear and front inner arches rusted but strangely the out side rear and front arches are not rusted at all, can anyone suggest a body shop in Berkshire or Buckingham area that can do the work or should i cut my losses. Any advice appreciated so for the long post.

 

[optimusprime]

I should return it to the seller, get him involved .Then point the problem out to him . And that the motor is not road worthy as it is .To put it right will cost such and such . If he refuses to do anything about it Tell him you will be taking it for another mot, and you will then take it further .

 

[Kam1972]

I should return it to the seller, get him involved .Then point the problem out to him . And that the motor is not road worthy as it is .To put it right will cost such and such . If he refuses to do anything about it Tell him you will be taking it for another mot, and you will then take it further .

Hiya thanks for the advice but wont he just say he wasn't aware plus it's used 25 yrs old car so tough luck the strange thing is that all the rust underneath but the outside body work has no rust at all with the exception to the roof which has the usual lacquer peeling. Let me try but it seems I don't want to get into more hassle and i not that person to lie as i don't want it on my conscious plus it not safe as brake pads and disc are all gone hindsight I should of walked away.

 

[optimusprime]

Yes but i would have thought all this would have been on the mot list of things to get done .The body work would not go bad over 12 months .I can check on the mot --or you can for that . Google this -- MOT HISTORY CHECK HONEST JOHN

 

[Kam1972]

I should return it to the seller, get him involved .Then point the problem out to him . And that the motor is not road worthy as it is .To put it right will cost such and such . If he refuses to do anything about it Tell him you will be taking it for another mot, and you will then take it further .

 

[Kam1972]

Thanks for reply, I did the initial mot check prior to buying the car and the advisory points were rear tyres need to be replaced soon no report of inner wheel arch rust. I agree with your observation but its not a car from a main dealer as the uk law doesn't cover these issues instead I try and reason with the seller if not just cut my losses. Realistically I don't want to sell to car in this condition ; I will tell potential buyers that the inner arches need doing so at least the buyer is aware. In the meantime I appreciate the advice given.

 

[Kam1972]

Thanks for reply, I did the initial mot check prior to buying the car and the advisory points were rear tyres need to be replaced soon no report of inner wheel arch rust. I agree with your observation but its not a car from a main dealer as the uk law doesn't cover these issues instead I try and reason with the seller if not just cut my losses. Realistically I don't want to sell to car in this condition ; I will tell potential buyers that the inner arches need doing so at least the buyer is aware. In the meantime I appreciate the advice given.

 

[Kam1972]

Thanks for reply, I did the initial mot check prior to buying the car and the advisory points were rear tyres need to be replaced soon no report of inner wheel arch rust. I agree with your observation but its not a car from a main dealer as the uk law doesn't cover these issues instead I try and reason with the seller if not just cut my losses. Realistically I don't want to sell to car in this condition ; I will tell potential buyers that the inner arches need doing so at least the buyer is aware. In the meantime I appreciate the advice given.

 

[Kam1972]

Here's an extract of the mot report
Date tested14 September 2018
PASS
View test certificate
Mileage140,896 miles
MOT test number3729 2552 4065
Test location
View test location
Expiry date24 September 2019
Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
• Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

 

[Kam1972]

Here the other mot indicating no major issues
Date tested20 September 2017
PASS
Mileage139,555 miles
MOT test number1110 4937 3108
Test location
View test location
Expiry date24 September 2018
Advisory notice item(s)

• Tyre worn close to the legal limit all (4.1.E.1)
• Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

What are advisories?
Date tested22 September 2016
PASS
Mileage137,817 miles
MOT test number2753 5435 8558
Test location
View test location
Expiry date24 September 2017
Date tested24 September 2015
PASS
Mileage135,520 miles
MOT test number7433 2040 1004
Test location
View test location
Expiry date24 September 2016

 

[grober]

Not sure exactly what you mean by inner arches. Do you mean the arches as viewed from inside the bonnet/boot? Is this surface rust as opposed to structural rust? It would be naive to expect a 25 year old Mercedes to be completely free of rust especially the later W124's which had water-based rather than solvent-based paint. Inner rust is likely to stem from condensation implying perhaps the car has been a bit of a garage queen rather than kept outside- much better for keeping damp at bay. Post up some pics and let us get an idea of the extent of the damage.

 

[optimusprime]

Best for us to help if you could post a picture of the area of rust in question . Might be that the rust is not classed as load bearing area and not a failure situation .

 

[Kam1972]

Best for us to help if you could post a picture of the area of rust in question . Might be that the rust is not classed as load bearing area and not a failure situation .

I am planning to get the car checked at reputable bodyshop tomorrow and will take some detail photos of the inner arches and the areas that are affected. At this moment I got bit the bullet and see what my options are but realistically the car mechanically with the exception of oil leak is running extremely well no over heating the a/c works and all the electrics are working with one rear drivers side window no work could be fuse or window regulator. I am glad for the advice and feedback given I will upload the pictures when I got the car up on the ramps.

 

[Kam1972]

Here some pictures of the car

 

[Kam1972]

I just send some pictures after I cleaned all the rear and front dirt which has accumulated over the years appears the arches were never cleaned. Gave car good wash and clay bar the bodywork after 4 hrs still more work but looks better

 

[Smart320]

Looks very smart, hopefully rust not too expensive a fix

 

[Deadly Dave]

That's a nice looking car. I hope it works out for you.

 

[optimusprime]

Kam very nice looking car . And well worth spending a little cash on to get it right .Might not be as bad as you think after inspection .The under seal perishes over time, then you get corrosion if you catch it in time and treat it with a rust killer you can eradicate it for good .I used one for rust that they use on Landrover forum , i think its called Metalmorphoses it turns the rust to a hard black finish .

 

[Kam1972]

Well going around bodyshop and getting rough quotes I am getting depressed as realistically this should been mot failure. As all the shops I visit agree that I did all the right checks basically fraudulent mot test stations used. As requested here are the pictures of the rusted front inner wings. It appears the previous owner resprayed both rear arches to get the job done right just fabrication I am getting quotes in the region of £1.5 to £2k for metal works only. Appreciate any advice I am willing to hold onto the car as it runs flawless even compared to my 997.2 and e350 cdi coupe the box is so smooth and engine spot on. I will have to take it on the chin or cut my losses.

 

[SL300-24]

I don't think any of that is structural and would cause an MOT failure. Under the washer bottle is a common place for rusting. That should cost £200 or less. I had a fantastic job done on mine for £160.